If your fantasy football league is still playing in Week 17, then congratulations for living dangerously. Anything can happen in the final week of the regular season -- like John Wolford, Chad Henne, and Mason Rudolph getting significant time at QB -- and that makes start ‘em, sit ‘em decisions in fantasy leagues particularly difficult. Fortunately, we’re still here with lineup advice and DFS tips to help you finish your season on a high note.
Before we get into the advice, it wouldn’t hurt to check out our Week 17 primer on what each team is playing for and which key players are likely to sit out.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Start: Quarterbacks
Regular starts
Lamar Jackson, Ravens (at CIN), Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at CHI), Josh Allen, Bills (vs. MIA), Deshaun Watson, Texans (vs. TEN), Tom Brady, Buccaneers (vs. ATL)
Stronger starts
Russell Wilson, Seahawks (at SF). Wilson should deliver downfield against this hurting secondary behind a decent run defense.
Justin Herbert, Chargers (at KC). Herbert will work against mostly backup Chiefs’ defenders with limited pass rush.
Kirk Cousins, Vikings (at DET). He will get at least 250 yards and two scores playing off the run.
Philip Rivers, Colts (vs. JAX). He will get at least 250 yards and two scores playing off the run.
Mitchell Trubisky, Bears (vs. GB). He will get at least 250 yards and two scores playing off the run.
Matt Ryan, Falcons (at TB). He can easily hit 300 yards and three scores in garbage time with little help from the run.
DFS bargains
Ryan Tannehill, Titans (at HOU, $7,000 on DraftKings, $8,200 on FanDuel). Tannehill rebounds with big plays off the running game.
Drew Lock, Broncos (vs. LV, $5,000 on DraftKings, $6,800 on FanDuel). Lock, in his last audition for 2021, will throw heavily on the other side of Derek Carr.
Deep streamers
Andy Dalton, Cowboys (at NYG). Daniel Jones, Giants (vs. DAL)
WEEK 17 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Sit: Quarterbacks
Weaker starts
Kyler Murray, Cardinals (at LAR). He’s hurting, and if he starts his running will be limited and the passing won’t be great.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles (vs. WAS). The rookie runs into a tough defense that can get after him.
Drew Brees, Saints (at CAR). Brees will be handing off often to exploit the Panthers’ run defense.
Derek Carr, Raiders (at DEN). Carr will be driven, but the Raiders should lean much on the run.
Baker Mayfield, Browns (vs. PIT). The Steelers are resting key players, but the defensive matchup is still not favorable.
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins (at BUF). Not with the potential of Fitzmagic again.
Teddy Bridgewater, Panthers (vs. NO). Not with the potential of being blitzed often.
Deep traps
Cam Newton, Patriots (vs. NYJ), C.J. Beathard, 49ers (vs. SEA), Matthew Stafford (vs. MIN)
WEEK 17 PPR RANKINGS:
Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Start: Running backs
Regular starts
Aaron Jones, Packers (at CHI), Derrick Henry, Titans (at TEN), Josh Jacobs, Raiders (at DEN), Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, Browns (vs. PIT), Austin Ekeler, Chargers (at KC), Chris Carson, Seahawks (at SF), Jonathan Taylor, Colts (vs. JAX), Kenyan Drake, Cardinals (at LAR), David Montgomery, Bears (vs. GB), JK Dobbins, Ravens (at CIN), Ronald Jones, Buccaneers (if he returns, vs. ATL), Melvin Gordon, Broncos (vs. LV), Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys (at NYG)
Stronger starts
David Johnson, Texans (vs. TEN). He stays hot as a runner, receiver, and scorer after the Titans wilted in Green Bay.
D’Andre Swift, Lions (vs. MIN). He’ll rebound at home, as the Vikings’ run defense is gassed.
Myles Gaskin, Dolphins (at BUF). Gaskin is the lead again, and the Bills are still weak up front.
Jeff Wilson Jr., 49ers (vs. SEA). He’s red hot, and the Seahawks have been weaker against the run of late.
Antonio Gibson, Washington (vs. PHI). He should deliver back with normal volume and perhaps improved QB play.
Gus Edwards, Ravens (at CIN). He’s getting enough work with Lamar Jackson and JK Dobbins to trust in a smash spot.
Malcolm Brown, Rams (vs. ARI). He should be the man in the backfield against a struggling run defense with Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers nursing ankle injuries.
Ty Johnson, Jets (at NE). He should get high volume with no Frank Gore (lung) or La'Mical Perine (COVID).
DFS bargain
Wayne Gallman, Giants (vs. DAL, $5,300 on DraftKings, $5,700 on FanDuel). Gallman needs to get the ball more to save the Giants’ playoff chances, and the Cowboys can wilt against the run.
WEEK 17 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Sit: Running backs
Weaker starts
Giovani Bernard, Bengals (vs. BAL). The matchup is brutal, and Samaje Perine is an issue.
Devin Singletary and Zack Moss, Bills (vs. MIA). Moss was the hot hand last week, but it’s unknown where it will go in this tough spot.
James Conner and/or Benny Snell Jr., Steelers (at CLE). The Browns are solid against the run, and the Steelers won’t run well with their passing game limited, too.
Darrell Williams and/or Le’Veon Bell, Chiefs (vs. LAC). Stay away from this unpredicatable situation, as the offense might not have much juice with a resting Patrick Mahomes.
J.D. McKissic, Washington (at PHI). This is a tough spot for ancillary running backs.
Tony Pollard, Cowboys (at NYG). It’s all stars for the Zeke show.
All Patriots (vs. NYJ). The Jets’ run defense is good, and the Patriots’ offense stinks.
WEEK 17 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Start: Wide receivers
Regular starts
Davante Adams, Packers (at CHI), DeAndre Hopkins, Cardinals (at LAR), Calvin Ridley, Falcons (at TB), Stefon Diggs, Bills (vs. MIA), DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Seahawks (at SF), A.J. Brown, Titans (at TEN), Allen Robinson, Bears (vs. GB), Adam Thielen and Justin Jefferson, Vikings (at DET), Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Buccaneers (vs. ATL), Terry McLaurin, Washington (if he plays, at PHI), Robert Woods, Rams (vs. ARI), Amari Cooper, Cowboys (at NYG), Robby Anderson and D.J. Moore, Panthers (vs. NO), Tee Higgins, Bengals (vs. BAL), Diontae Johnson and JuJu Smith-Schuster, Steelers (at CLE).
Stronger starts
Corey Davis, Titans (at HOU). Davis gets back on track with a smash spot outside.
Marvin Jones Jr., Lions (vs. MIN). The Vikings’ secondary will get shredded here downfield in garbage time.
Emmanuel Sanders, Saints (at CAR). He should see a ton of targets again with limited receiving help elsewhere.
Antonio Brown, Buccaneers (vs. ATL). He should get a chance to make another big-play TD.
T.Y. Hilton, Colts (at JAX). The Jaguars cannot cover him downfield.
CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup, Cowboys (at NYG). They’re sizzling with Andy Dalton and will avoid James Bradberry.
Sterling Shepard, Giants (vs. DAL). He’s looking good again ,and he can run past the Cowboys often.
Nelson Agholor, Raiders (at DEN). He’s acted like a No. 1 of late, and the Broncos’ cornerbacks are shaky.
Russell Gage, Falcons (at TB). He should put up some numbers away from Calvin Ridley in the better cornerback matchup.
DFS Bargains
Brandin Cooks, Texans (vs. TEN, $6,900 on DraftKings, $7,300 on FanDuel). Cooks is burning up with Deshaun Watson, and the Titans’ secondary will get roasted by a No. 1.
James Washington, Steelers (at CLE, $3,500 on DraftKings, $5,200 on FanDuel). They will be careful with Chase Claypool, and Washington should connect with his former college QB Mason Rudolph often.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Sit: Wide receivers
Weaker starts
Marquise Brown, Ravens (at CIN). The Bengals’ secondary isn’t too bad outside should William Jackson play, and Baltimore won’t need him much with the backs doing plenty of damage.
Curtis Samuel, Panthers (vs. NO). He’s very hard to trust with volatile volume.
Keke Coutee, Texans (at TEN). The Titans do their best DB work in the slot with Desmond King.
Chase Claypool, Steelers (at CLE). The big plays will be hard to come by for him with limited targets from Mason Rudolph.
All Browns (vs. PIT). It’s hard to trust who’s going to come off the COVID-19 list.
DeVante Parker, Dolphins (at BUF). He might come back from the hamstring injury only to deal with Tre’Davious White.
Jamison Crowder, Jets (at NE). The Patriots remain tough in the slot.
MORE WEEK 17 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Start: Tight ends
Regular starts
Darren Waller, Raiders (at DEN), Mark Andrews, Ravens (at CIN), George Kittle, 49ers (vs. SEA), Robert Tonyan, Packers (at CHI), Logan Thomas, Washington (at PHI), T.J. Hockenson, Lions (vs. MIN), Rob Gronkowski, Buccaneers (vs. ATL)
Stronger starts
Mike Gesicki, Dolphins (at BUF). The Bills struggle most against this position, and Gesicki should be busy.
Hayden Hurst, Falcons (at TB). Hurst has been involved a lot of late with a better Matt Ryan.
Jared Cook, Saints (at CAR). Cook stays busy against a team that is having plenty of linebacker and safety issues.
Evan Engram, Giants (vs. DAL). The Cowboys have had problems in intermediate coverage all season.
Zach Ertz, Eagles (vs. WAS). He will get plenty of targets from Jalen Hurts with no Dallas Goedert (calf).
Austin Hooper, Browns (at PIT). Regardless of the wide receiver situation, Baker Mayfield should stay locked In to him.
DFS Bargain
Irv Smith Jr., Vikings (at NYJ, $3,900 on DraftKings, $5,600 on FanDuel). Smith is on fire with two TDS last week and the Lions gave up two scores to Gronk in Week 16.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Sit: Tight ends
Weaker starts
Noah Fant, Broncos (vs. LV). The Raiders are pretty good against the position and much weaker vs. wide receivers.
Jonnu Smith, Titans (at HOU). They won’t need him much despite him scoring last week.
Jimmy Graham and Cole Kmet, Bears (at GB). The split is an issue, and you can’t chase Graham’s two TDs.
Eric Ebron, Steelers (at CLE). It’s hard to know how much they will play him vs. Vance McDonald.
Dalton Schultz, Cowboys (at NYG). The other Dalton is now locked into the wide receivers, so it hurts this Dalton’s value.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Start: Defenses
Stronger starts
Ravens (at CIN), Colts (vs. JAX), Rams (vs. ARI), Saints (at CAR), Eagles (vs. WAS), Washington (at PHI), Patriots (at NYJ), Browns (vs. PIT), Bills (vs. MIA), Cowboys (at NYG)
DFS Bargain
Cardinals (at LAR, $2,800 on DraftKings, $3,800 on FanDuel). This is a gimme against a shorthanded offense led by backup quarterback John Wolford.
Fantasy Football Week 17 Who To Sit: Defenses
Weaker starts
Seahawks (at SF), Patriots (at NYJ), Buccaneers (at ATL), Giants (vs. DAL), Packers (at CHI), Steelers (at CLE), Vikings (at DET), Dolphins (at BUF), Chargers (at KC), Raiders (at DEN)
