Merry Christmas! This week’s article isn’t as detailed as usual, but for our complete Week 17 rankings, subscribe to Fantasy Consigliere, and listen to The Fantasy Consigliere Podcast for added insights ahead of the weekend. Best of luck in the fantasy championship!
Quarterback
Start of the Week: Bo Nix (@ KC)
Nix has been excellent in all three games versus the Chiefs (and could easily be 3-0 against them to begin his career). Fire him up as a no-doubt QB1.
Start: Caleb Williams (@ SF)
Getting wide receivers Rome Odunze (foot) and Luther Burden III (ankle) would certainly help, but either way, Williams brings huge upside versus a San Francisco defense that can struggle to generate pressure.
Start: Brock Purdy (v CHI)
On the other side of Bears-49ers, Purdy is coming off a career-high five touchdown passes, and he’s quietly averaging 19.3 fantasy points per game in seven starts.
Start: Tyler Shough (@ TEN)
If you need a streaming option (particularly in a Superflex league), Shough had 308 yards and a touchdown last week—and will now have a Tennessee defense that is better attacked through the air than on the ground.
Sit of the Week: Justin Herbert (v HOU)
Herbert is suddenly at the top of the MVP conversation after beating Dallas, but we should keep in mind that pretty much every quarterback has ripped them this season. I’m concerned about Houston’s defensive line here, and Herbert had four interceptions in the playoff loss to the Texans.
Sit: Jaxson Dart (@ LV)
Limited to just 33 passing yards in the Week 16 loss, Dart is difficult to trust with a drop in his play since Brian Daboll was fired—and he doesn’t have much help around him.
Sit: Aaron Rodgers (@ CLE)
The Steelers already had a low-upside passing attack with everyone on the field, so DK Metcalf being suspended makes Rodgers someone to avoid on Sunday.
Sit: Bryce Young (v SEA)
Young was great last week in the win over Tampa Bay, but similar to Herbert versus Houston, I’d be worried about the Seahawks getting after him. Outside of the 448-yard explosion last month, the Panthers haven’t really unleashed Young with 206 or fewer passing yards in every other game since Week 2.
Running Back
Start of the Week: Derrick Henry (@ GB)
I’m having a difficult time understanding why Henry is ranked as a midrange RB2, but last Sunday night showed his usual December dominance with 128 yards and two touchdowns; and I don’t think Baltimore will go away from him with their season on the line.
Start: Tyrone Tracy Jr. (@ LV)
Tracy emerging has been one of the lone bright spots for the Giants this year, and he’s gone for 71+ total yards in each of his past five healthy games. The Raiders can be tough up front, but Tracy is a volume-based RB2 with underrated ability.
Start: Michael Carter (@ CIN)
The Bengals haven’t been quite as vulnerable versus the run as of late, but Carter is still positioned to be a strong FLEX option as the lead back in a plus matchup.
Start: Steelers RBs (@ CLE)
Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell led the Steelers to a win last week in Detroit, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t be played through again with the Browns struggling to stop the run.
Sit of the Week: Breece Hall (v NE)
In three games where rookie quarterback Brady Cook has seen extensive action, Hall has been limited to yardage totals of 43, 37, and 63—with zero touchdowns. We have him as the overall RB30 for Week 17.
Sit: Dylan Sampson (v PIT)
Sampson (hand) might be out again, but if he suits up, I’d still avoid him in a tough matchup despite liking his talent and possibly having the opportunity to lead the backfield with Quinshon Judkins (fibula/ankle) done for the year.
Sit: Chris Rodriguez Jr. (v DAL)
Quinnen Williams (concussion) being out again would remove Rodriguez from the “sit” side, but I think he’s more of a touchdown-dependent FLEX than his high projection on sites like ESPN might indicate.
Sit: Josh Jacobs (v BAL)
If you have Jacobs and survived the low score last week, you might have no choice but to roll with him again; but the Saturday night outing showed the risk at less than 100%, so he’s a risky low-end RB2.
Wide Receiver
Start of the Week: CeeDee Lamb (@ WAS)
Lamb is obviously locked into every lineup in redraft leagues, but I’m anticipating a monster game from him on Christmas Day. In similar circumstances on Christmas Eve in 2022 and 2023, Lamb went for lines of 10/120/2 and 6/118/1.
Start: Michael Wilson (@ CIN)
Marvin Harrison Jr. being back didn’t matter for Wilson, as he continued to make plays that included a highlight touchdown grab. He can be started confidently as a WR2.
Start: Brian Thomas Jr. (@ IND)
Thomas is firmly a matchup-dependent option for what has been a disappointing Year 2 for him, but he had 87 yards versus the Colts in a limited role to begin this month—and he went for 100 yards against them in both 2024 meetings.
Start: Jayden Reed (v BAL)
We are still waiting for more of a ceiling game for Reed, but he’s been solid with 41+ yards in every game this year—and I think he should get a good draw in the slot versus Baltimore on Saturday night.
Others: Troy Franklin (@ KC), Luther Burden III (@ SF)
Sit of the Week: Emeka Egbuka (@ MIA)
Ebguka was down to 56.3% of the snaps played last week, and Jalen McMillan (and others) being involved behind Chris Godwin Jr. and Mike Evans limits the appeal of the promising rookie.
Sit: Terry McLaurin (v DAL)
Josh Johnson starting in place of Marcus Mariota (hand) creates more uncertainty here, so even a home-run matchup versus Dallas doesn’t make McLaurin anything more than a low-end WR2/FLEX option.
Sit: Khalil Shakir (v PHI)
Shakir will get a difficult draw versus Cooper DeJean in the slot, so he is a player to avoid if you have options—despite Eagles-Bills having the makings of a shootout.
Sit: Stefon Diggs (@ NYJ)
It’d be understandable to go with Diggs after he had nine receptions for 138 yards last week, but we’ve seen him go from a featured role to a modest role throughout the season. In a game New England should handle, things could slant against Diggs this weekend.
Others: Steelers WRs (@ CLE)
Tight End
Start: of the Week: Darren Waller (v TB)
Waller had a solid showing with three receptions for 40 yards last week, and he’s always a threat to find the end zone with six touchdowns in seven games. In a great matchup, the veteran is a TE1.
Start: Ravens TEs (@ GB)
This is more of a feeling, but after quiet games in back-to-back weeks for Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they shined on Saturday night.
Start: Steelers TEs (@ CLE)
The absence of DK Metcalf should lead to all three of Darnell Washington, Pat Freiermuth, and Jonnu Smith getting increased targets—so they’re all worth a shot in lineups (and maybe DFS play).
Sit of the Week: None
Ideally, you are set at tight end and don’t need to stream someone, but there aren’t really any clear options to avoid at the position. In general, I would say to not get away from what worked for you all season.