I cannot believe it is Week 17 already, and that means we have reached the championship round in most fantasy football playoffs this week. Congratulations to everyone who won their semifinal matchups last week to advance. It is not an easy task to win a fantasy championship, and now you are one step closer to that goal. Now we must stay focused and not over-complicate our lineup decisions this week. This is not the time to get cute and start Nick Mullens over a top-10 quarterback. Follow your rankings or our rankings at DrRoto.com and start the highest-ranked players at each position. Keep in mind we have a Saturday night game this week. Now, let’s get started on who to start and sit for Week 17.
The season can be a grind at times, from doing waiver claims to looking at rankings and then finally deciding who to start. It can seem difficult, but that is where the staff at DrRoto.com comes in to help you. We have everything you need to make the tough decisions here in one place. You can also join our members-only Discord channel and ask us personalized questions anytime you want on there.
Week 17 Quarterback Starts
Matthew Stafford, L.A. Rams at New York Giants
Matthew Stafford has been great over the last six weeks. He is ranked as QB16 so far this season, but over the last six weeks, he is ranked as the QB8. The New York Giants defense is going to have a tough time covering Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua in this matchup. I believe Stafford will throw for 250 yards or more and two touchdowns this week.
Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles
Kyler Murray has an excellent matchup this week against a struggling Philadelphia Eagles secondary. Murray has been playing well since coming back from his knee injury, and he is building a nice rapport with wide tight end Trey McBride. Murray currently ranks as the QB12 over his last six games, and I believe he will have 300 total yards and two touchdowns this week.
Week 17 Quarterback Sits
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars at Carolina Panthers
Trevor Lawrence has struggled the last two weeks, and he will struggle again this week on the road against an underrated Carolina Panthers defense. It does not help that he is missing injured wide receivers Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. I believe Lawrence will throw for under 225 yards and one touchdown this week, so I would sit him this week if you have another option.
Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks
Mason Rudolph had a good game last week in his first start of the season, but I would not trust him on the road against a good Seattle Seahawks defense this week. I know there will be fantasy managers who will be tempted to start him this week after he had 284 passing yards and two touchdowns last week, but I just cannot trust him in his second start of the season during fantasy championship week. I would avoid him this week if at all possible.
Week 17 Running Back Starts
D’Andre Swift, Philadelphia Eagles vs Arizona Cardinals
D’Andre Swift is an extremely enticing start this week after he ran for 92 yards and a touchdown last week against the New York Giants. Swift has a favorable matchup against a struggling Arizona Cardinals defense this week. He is currently ranked as the RB14 in PPR scoring this season, and I am expecting another solid performance from Swift this week.
Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos vs L.A. Chargers
Javonte Williams has been struggling over the last three weeks, but he gets a favorable matchup this week against a struggling L.A. Chargers defense. The Broncos must get back to running the football to take some of the pressure off of Russell Wilson, and I believe this could be the matchup to get that started. Williams is currently ranked as the RB28 in PPR scoring, and I believe he will get 150 total yards or more with a touchdown this week.
Week 17 Running Back Sits
Jaylen Warren, Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks
I have Jaylen Warren as a sit this week because it looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are committed to having a timeshare in their backfield with Najee Harris, and you just don’t know who is going to get the majority of touches each week. Warren looks like the more explosive player right now, and he might see more carries moving forward this season, but new quarterback Mason Rudolph does not like to check the ball down as much, so that will limit Warren’s upside most weeks. Warren is also facing a good Seattle Seahawks run defense this week. I expect Warren and the Steelers offense to struggle this week, especially with Kenny Pickett out again, so just be prepared for less than 100 yards and hope for a touchdown.
Gus Edwards, Baltimore Ravens vs Miami Dolphins
Gus Edwards is on my sit list again this week. He is a player that needs to score touchdowns to come through for his fantasy managers each week. He is sharing carries with Justice Hill and quarterback Lamar Jackson, which will make for a messy backfield situation for the rest of the season. Edwards faces a tough and surging Miami Dolphins run defense in Week 17, so expect him to struggle if he does not get double-digit touches or score multiple touchdowns.
Week 17 Wide Receiver Starts
Demarcus Robinson, L.A. Rams at New York Giants
Demarcus Robinson is having a great three-week stretch since he was inserted as the L.A. Rams’ number-three wide receiver. He is continuing to build a nice rapport with quarterback Matthew Stafford this season. Last week he had six receptions on six targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. He gets a favorable matchup against the New York Giants defense this week, so I expect Robinson to see a lot of targets this week, and it is possible that he could go over 100 receiving yards with a touchdown in Week 17.
Tyler Boyd, Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs
Tyler Boyd is on my start list again this week. He gets another opportunity to be a starting wide receiver this week and possibly for the next two weeks with Jamar Chase getting injured in Week 15. Boyd has a nice matchup this week against a banged-up Kansas City Chiefs secondary. He has also been building a nice rapport with back up quarterback Jake Browning over the last four weeks. Boyd is currently ranked as WR45 in PPR scoring and I believe Boyd could have 6 receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown this week.
Week 17 Wide Receiver Sits
Odell Beckham Jr., Baltimore Ravens vs Miami Dolphins
Odell Beckham has been up and down this season. There was a three-game stretch halfway through the season where it looked like Beckham and quarterback Lamar Jackson were clicking and he was going to be a top 20 wide receiver for the rest of the season, but that did not last. Beckham also faces a tough matchup against an improved Miami Dolphins secondary in Week 17. I expect Beckham to continue to struggle this week, so if you have a solid option on your bench or waiver wire, I would play them.
Drake London, Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears
Drake London is a player that I absolutely loved going into this season, but because of bad quarterback play and bad play calling this season he has struggled to get targets and catchable passes this season. He also gets a tough matchup this week with an improving Chicago Bears defense. Because of shaky quarterback play and the fact I cannot trust that he will be a part of the game plan, I would put London on the bench this week if you have another option.
Week 17 Tight End Starts
Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles
How can I not have Trey McBride as a start this week at tight end, as he has been on fire since Zach Ertz got injured earlier in the season? He ranks as TE2 over his last eight games played this season. He has built a nice connection with Kyler and is seeing tons of targets each week. I expect McBride to get five receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown this week.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Juwan Johnson has been developing some nice chemistry with quarterback Derek Carr over the last three weeks. Last week, Johnson had four receptions on seven targets for 48 yards and a touchdown against the L.A. Rams defense. He also gets a favorable matchup this week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense, which could not stop Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram last week. Johnson ranks as the TE28 in PPR scoring, but I am expecting him to have a nice game this week with seven receptions for 80 yards and a touchdown.
Week 17 Tight End Sits
Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots
Yes, Dalton Kincaid is on my sit list again this week. He was great when he took over as the starting tight end beginning in Week 8, but now that Dawson Knox is back from his injury, it seems like this will be a time share at tight end, and I am not a fan of a time share at any position. Kincaid will still have some nice fantasy performances down the stretch, but good luck picking those weeks. Kincaid has a favorable matchup this week against the New England Patriots’ defense, but I just can’t trust this situation until I see a good game from Kincaid. I would sit him this week if you have another option.
Darren Waller, New York Giants vs L.A. Rams
I know Darren Waller has been hurt for most of this season, but now that he is healthy again, I do not understand why he is not a focal point of the New York Giants gameplan every week. In a favorable matchup last week against the Philadelphia Eagles’ banged-up secondary, Waller still finished with just two receptions on five targets for 32 yards, and most of those targets came in the second half after backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor entered the game. I put him on the sit list because I know a lot of people are going to be asking if they should start him this week in a plus matchup against the L.A. Rams’ defense, and I would say to try to avoid starting him if at all possible, as he just isn’t involved enough in the Giants’ offense.
Week 17 Defense Starts
Cleveland Browns Defense vs New York Jets
The Cleveland Browns’ defense gets an excellent matchup this week against a struggling New York Jets offense. I am expecting the Browns’ defense to get at least four sacks and two turnovers in this game. They will put pressure on the Jets’ quarterback (whoever it is) all night long, so I would start the Browns defense’ in every league you can this week.
Denver Broncos Defense vs L.A. Chargers
The Denver Broncos’ defense has been getting better as we move toward the end of the season, and this will be a great matchup for them against the L.A. Chargers this week. The Chargers’ offense has looked better than I thought it would over the last two weeks after they lost starting quarterback Justin Herbert to a season-ending finger injury, but they still give up a ton of sacks and a couple of turnovers every game. The Broncos’ defense will get four sacks and two turnovers in this game, so I would pick them up this week and start them if they are available in your league.
Week 17 Defense Sits
Detroit Lions Defense at Dallas Cowboys
The Detroit Lions get the tough task of stopping the Dallas Cowboys’ offense this week. The Cowboys lost a close game on the road last week, and they have lost two games in a row now, so they will be looking to stop that losing streak this week. The Lions’ defense has some playmakers, but I believe they will be overmatched by the Cowboys’ speed and big plays this week. I believe this game will be a shootout in Big D, so I would find another defense to start this week if possible.
New Orleans Saints Defense at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The New Orleans Saints’ defense gets the tough task of taking on the red-hot Baker Mayfield-led Buccaneers’ offense this week. The Buccaneers’ offense has been putting up big numbers over the last three weeks, and that starts with Mayfield playing well and not making costly mistakes. The Saints have also been struggling on defense over the last three weeks, so I believe the Buccaneers will put this game away early.
Good luck in Week 17 everyone!
