Sometimes you get it right.
A lot of times you get it wrong.
Which is why I'm resolving to stop writing this fantasy football column.
At least for 2012.
So you've reached the final week of the fantasy football season and if you're still reading this, it means one of two things: you're still alive in your playoffs or you severely lack other entertainment options.
The challenge of Week 17 is that not everyone plays their starters for the whole game so some leagues will end their season in Week 16. Others will have their championship game run two weeks over Weeks 16 and 17. In my longtime league, we make Week 17 our Pro Bowl with the regular season division winners serving as the head coaches of the respective teams. Our owners vote on who they think the starting lineup should be and the coaches break ties or can overrule a starter if they are for sure going to be out. The losing division has to pay for the food at the next year's draft.
Whatever is the case for you, let's get into those matchups that may be favorable and what to avoid.
The Falcons, Bengals and Colts all have the potential to rest players since they have their playoff positions locked up.
Let's start with the Falcons, who as a No. 1 seed, have no benefit to playing anyone more than a half, if only to not have guys take two weeks off since they will have the bye next week. I wouldn't start anyone on the Falcons because of that fact. Banged up guys like Roddy White may get a good week of rest to make sure they're healthy for games that matter.
The Bengals and Colts are younger teams with quarterbacks in their first (Andrew Luck) or second (Andy Dalton) year with a bevy of young players around them. It's more important for those teams to continue their rhythm heading into the postseason than rest. But if the game gets out of reach for either squad, they could start pulling the big guns in the fourth quarter.
So if you're looking for a QB because you don't want to roll the dice with the above three QBs or lost Carson Palmer to injury, take a peek at Michael Vick, who was thrust back into the starter role since Nick Foles is out for the year. He has a favorable matchup against the Giants, who are giving up the ninth most fantasy points to QBs.
Matt Forte is hurt again but with the Bears needing to win and the Vikings to lose to get into the playoffs, he's likely to play since Michael Bush is out for the season.
However, the Browns do not have anything to play for. Since Trent Richardson hurt his ankle last week, he may not play this weekend against Pittsburgh and its No. 2 ranked run defense. Richardson or Montario Hardesty would be poor plays this weekend.
I wouldn't turn to Ryan Grant as a solution either. While the ageless one had 20 carries for 80 yards and two scores last week, the Packers have said all three running backs will see time this week, and plus the Vikings have the seventh toughest defense against fantasy running backs.
The Steelers' Heath Miller was lost for the season last week, dashing the hopes of many an owner who had ridden his 816 yards and eight scores to wins this year. With him down, look at Lance Kendricks or Delanie Walker. Kendricks has scored in three of his last five weeks, gone over 32 yards at least in all those games and had a four-catch, 119-yard performance last weekend against the Bucs. Walker has taken over in San Francisco while authorities file a missing person report for Vernon Davis. Walker has scored in each of the last two weeks.
None of these suggestions are great solutions, but beggars can't be choosers when it comes to this point of the season. Hopefully your team's bench had good depth that would provide better options.
Make good decisions.
Go with your gut (you have to live with it after all).
And as Jake Taylor said, "I guess there's only one thing left to do."
You can fill in the rest.
Aaron Korte is the A-T's fantasy sports writer. He can reached at akorte(at)advertiser-tribune.com.
