Here is a tool that can help you in identifying games on the Week 17 DFS slate as having positive, negative or neutral trends for fantasy players based on the contest’s importance for playoff seeding.

NFC

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Cowboys at Eagles –

Cowboys have earned home-field advantage throughout and first-round bye already attained.

Eagles have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: DAL skill players: Ezekiel Elliott, Dak Prescott, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten
Positive Trends: DAL skill players: Darren McFadden, Brice Butler; PHI skill players: Byron Marshall

– The starters for the Dallas offense could only see a preseason’s share of snaps.

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Falcons vs. Saints –

Falcons have already won the NFC South, can clinch a first-round bye with a win vs. Saints.

Saints have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: none
Positive Trends: ATL skill players: Matt Ryan, Julio Jones (if healthy), Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Taylor Gabriel

– The Saints technically don’t have anything to play for but it’s Drew Brees in a dome and Brees will always play for statistics. The Falcons clearly have all the incentive in the world to earn a bye.

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Seahawks at 49ers –

Seahawks have already clinched NFC West, and can clinch a first-round bye with SEA win + ATL loss – Seattle and Atlanta games are both on the afternoon slate, so Seahawks won’t know the outcome of Atlanta game prior to kickoff of their own.

49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: none
Positive Trends: SEA skill players: Russell Wilson, Doug Baldwin, Thomas Rawls (or Alex Collins if Rawls is inactive), Jermaine Kearse

– While the Seahawks do not control their own destiny, a bye is at stake with help from the Saints. A motivated Russell Wilson will face a pathetic SF defense.

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Giants at Redskins –

Giants have already clinched a playoff berth, locked into the five-seed. They have no control over the team they will play in the wild-card round and no incentive to attain home-field advantage.

Redskins will clinch a playoff berth with a win (as long as GB-DET does not end in a tie)

Negative Trends: NYG skill players: Eli Manning, Odell Beckham, Sterling Shepard
Positive Trends: WAS skill players: Kirk Cousins, Rob Kelley, Desean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Jamison Crowder, Jordan Reed; NYG skill players: Roger Lewis, Paul Perkins

– The Giants have absolutely nothing to play for and would be wise to only give starters a few series, if not bench them all together. Cousins controls his playoff destiny at home and will be slinging it. Positive trends go to younger/backup NYG skill players.

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Packers at Lions –

Winner wins NFC North and goes to the playoffs.

Negative Trends: none
Positive Trends: GB skill players: Aaron Rodgers, Ty Montgomery, Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Jared Cook; DET skill players: Matt Stafford, Theo Riddick (if healthy), Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Eric Ebron

– Win-or-go-home game. All players are safe to use as options in a high-motivation situation.

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Bucs vs. Panthers –

Bucs are still technically in the hunt, but need a lot of longshot-help including a tie in the GB-DET game and other very unlikely scenarios to make the playoffs.

Panthers have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: CAR skill players: Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, Jonathan Stewart
Positive Trends: TB skill players: Jameis Winston, Mike Evans, Jacquizz Rodgers; CAR skill players: Fozzy Whittaker

– The Bucs always speed the pace of the game up at home and they technically still have something to play for. Cam Newton has been banged up all season and comes with risk of being pulled. Greg Olsen and Jonathan are also not practicing to start the week. A Cam absence does not affect the rest of the offense greatly though as Cam has been horrible and Derek Anderson is one of the better backups in the league.

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Cardinals at Rams; Bears at Vikings

Both teams in each game have been eliminated from playoff contention.

– In games where a team is completely out of contention, it is logical to expect these two things:

1) Coaches who are planning to be around next season will begin trying things out with younger players with a greater frequency. 2) Staffs opting to rest important players to the team’s future with much more frequency than they would in a meaningful game.

So, for games where both teams are completely out of the playoff picture, it should be considered a neutral trend in most players, a negative trend for players who’ve had nagging injuries or histories of them, a slightly positive trend for younger players who’ve been ticking up in snaps and drawing buzz like JJ Nelson, and a positive trend for players such as David Johnson who are likely still trying to stat-pad at this time.

Negative Trends: MIN skill players: Adrian Peterson, Stefon Diggs
Positive Trends: ARI skill players: David Johnson, JJ Nelson; CHI skill players: Matt Barkley, Cameron Meredith, Alshon Jeffery

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AFC

Patriots at Dolphins –

Patriots have clinched AFC East and a first-round bye, but can clinch home-field advantage with a win over Dolphins.

Dolphins have already clinched a playoff berth, and are locked into either a 5 or 6-seed.

Negative Trends: MIA skill players: Jay Ajayi, Devante Parker, Jarvis Landry
Positive Trends: NE skill players: Tom Brady, LeGarrette Blount, Julian Edelman, Malcolm Mitchell, Martellus Bennett

– Dolphins have nothing to play for while Tom Brady can make sure the road to the Super Bowl comes through Gillette.

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Raiders at Broncos –

Raiders clinch AFC West and first-round bye with a win or tie versus the Broncos, and would claim home-field advantage throughout playoffs with a win plus a Patriots loss.

Broncos have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: none
Positive Trends: OAK skill players: Michael Crabtree, Amari Cooper, Latavius Murray

– While the trend in the motivation-and-incentive department is good, the other trends for the Raiders are troubling with this being a tough matchup for all on paper (outside of Murray) and Derek Carr on the shelf at such a critical time in the season. The Raiders OL will have a chore on its hands keeping Matt McGloin upright.

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Chiefs at Chargers –

Chiefs have clinched a playoff berth, but can clinch the AFC West and a first-round bye with a win plus a Raiders loss.

Chargers have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: none
Positive Trends: KC skill players: Tyreek Hill, Spencer Ware (or Charcandrick West if Ware isn’t healthy), Travis Kelce; SD skill players: Antonio Gates

– Gates gets the positive trend as he’ll be looking to break the all-time TEs TD record at home against record-holder Tony Gonzalez’ team.

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Steelers vs. Browns –

Steelers have clinched the AFC North and are locked into the AFC’s No. 3 seed regardless of other outcomes.

Browns have been eliminated from playoff contention for months.

Negative Trends: PIT skill players: Ben Roethlisberger, Le’Veon Bell, Antonio Brown, Ladarius Green
Positive Trends: PIT skill players: Deangelo Williams (or Fitzgerald Toussaint if he isn’t healthy), Cobi Hamilton, Sammie Coates, Eli Rogers

– The Big 3 in Pittsburgh have already been announced as out as of Wednesday afternoon.

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Texans at Titans –

Texans have clinched the AFC South and are locked in to the AFC’s No. 4 seed regardless of other outcomes.

Titans have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: HOU skill players: Lamar Miller, Deandre Hopkins, Will Fuller
Positive Trends: HOU skill players: Alfred Blue; TEN skill players: Derrick Henry

– Lamar Miller is almost sure to miss this one to see if he can get healthy again for the playoffs and no one would be shocked to see the Tennessee give Henry a few extra reps in a meaningless game.

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Bills at Jets; Jaguars at Colts; Ravens at Bengals

Both teams in each game have been eliminated from playoff contention.

Negative Trends: NYJ skill players: Bilal Powell; BUF skill players: Lesean McCoy, Sammy Watkins
Positive Trends: PIT skill players: Deangelo Williams (or Fitzgerald Toussaint if he isn’t healthy), Cobi Hamilton, Sammie Coates; BAL skill players: Steve Smith Sr.; BUF skill players: Mike Gillislee; NYJ skill players: Brandon Wilds; CIN skill players: Cody Core