As we head into the fantasy football championships, every start ’em or sit ’em decision carries more weight than ever and can become the difference between taking home the glory or coming up just short. With not all matchups being equal, here are our top start ’em and sit ’em plays for Week 17.
Additionally, if you need to look to the waiver wire to help bolster your roster for the championships, here are our early Week 17 waiver wire suggestions.
NFL Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 17: Quarterbacks
While the focus in the majority of fantasy leagues falls on skill positions, quarterbacks — in most cases — consistently bring the highest weekly total. Which QBs are must-starts, and who should remain on the bench in Week 17?
Start ‘Em | Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. KC)
I mean, what is there left to say about Joe Burrow? The guy is good at football. Against the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes for a ridiculous 525 yards and 4 touchdowns. He had 5 TDs at one point, but one was called back due to a penalty. His 525 yards were the fourth-most passing yards in a game since 1950.
Burrow is one of the top six QBs in the NFL, and he has two top-12 wide receivers in Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Oh, and if that somehow isn’t enough, the Bengals also have Joe Mixon, who is one of the most talented RBs in the league. Cincinnati’s game against the Chiefs in Week 17 could be one of the best contests of Week 17. Kansas City is No. 27 vs. QBs on the season and No. 15 over the last four games (15.18 points per game). Burrow is a QB1 in Week 17 for fantasy.
Sit ‘Em | Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (@ BUF)
For several seasons, Matt Ryan was a locked-in QB1. He threw for over 4,000 yards each year from 2011 to 2020, but this season he lacks any upside. He is getting older and he’s on a team that lacks talent and is in a transition period.
Ryan has thrown for over 300 yards only once since Week 7 and has thrown for 1 or fewer touchdowns in eight of his last nine games. He has finished as a QB1 (top-12) just once since Week 5 and should be avoided as the Falcons head to Buffalo to face their No. 1-ranked defense vs. QBs (11.69 ppg).
Running Backs
While these RBs found themselves with adjusted roles following injuries to surrounding players and poor play from others, they are on opposite sides of start/sit debates for Week 17. Let’s look at the top start and sit options from RB committees around the league for this week.
Start ‘Em | Rashaad Penny, Seattle Seahawks (vs. DET)
Out of all the things I thought would happen in the 2021 fantasy football season, trusting Rashaad Penny with championships on the line was not on my bingo card. Yet, here we are, and so is Penny for basically the first time in his career. He rushed 17 times for 135 yards with a touchdown against the Bears in the snow. It was his second game of 100+ yards in his last three outings.
What is just as impressive is Penny averaged 5.6 yards after contact per carry, meaning he was shedding tackles and kept churning out the yards. Although he didn’t have a reception, his 11 routes were a positive sign that the opportunities are there. The Detroit Lions are No. 24Â against RBs over their last four games (24.8 PPR ppg), and Penny should have another massive game. He is an RB2 for fantasy championships.
Sit ‘Em | Devonta Freeman, Baltimore Ravens (vs. LAR)
Devonta Freeman’s struggles continued in Week 16. He rushed 6 times for 17 yards but salvaged his day with a 2-yard touchdown. It’s his second contest in a row with 25 or fewer yards.
The concerning part is that he is watching Latavius Murray gain more and more work in Baltimore’s backfield. Given how this backfield has struggled with the loss of Lamar Jackson — and the difficult challenge that is the Rams defense (No. 8 vs. RBs) — Freeman comes in as a low-end RB3 who likely should not be in lineups.
NFL Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em for Week 17: Wide Receivers
The WR position is the deepest in fantasy football, with a plethora of quality starting options to choose from every single week. As matchups can be the final deciding factor, here are some of our start ’em or sit ’em recommendations for Week 17.
Start ‘Em | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (@ SEA)
Look, if there is one thing about me, I am consistent. Sure, that’s because I’m stubborn, but when I’m in, I am all in. That is me and Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has made this list for each of the last three weeks. And all he has done is produce at a level that rivals a majority of WRs in the NFL despite having multiple QBs under center and playing for the Detroit Lions.
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In Week 16, St. Brown had 9 receptions on 11 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown while also adding 19 yards on 2 carries. In the last four weeks, St. Brown has hauled in 35 of 46 targets for 340 yards and 3 TDs and has seen 11 or more targets in every game. He has also scored 23+ fantasy points in three of the last four, with his only contest below that total coming in Week 15 (15.3 PPR points). I’m once again firing up St. Brown as a WR2 for the fantasy championships.
Sit ‘Em | Chase Claypool, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)
Chase Claypool is one of the biggest disappointments of the season. After a rookie breakout campaign that included 11 total touchdowns, he has just 1 score this season. Even in a blowout game where there should have been garbage points, Claypool had just 41 yards on 4-of-6 receiving.
He either boom — as he did in Weeks 11, 12, and 14 with 80+ yards and double-digit points — or he busts with 50 or fewer yards and less than 8 PPR points. There is no in-between. He has an underdeveloped route tree and, despite Claypool’s incredible physical prowess, is hamstrung on an offense led by an aging QB. He is what he is — a boom-or-bust low-end WR3.
Tight Ends
It’s notoriously hard for fantasy managers to find consistent production from the tight end position. In Week 17, start ’em or sit ’em decisions could mean the difference between a win or loss as the margins are razor-thin.
Start ‘Em | Zach Ertz, Arizona Cardinals (@ DAL)
With DeAndre Hopkins out of the lineups, Zach Ertz continues to be a massive contributor despite the Cardinals’ offense being shaky at times. Ertz caught 8 of 13 targets for 54 yards in Week 16 and has now seen 7 or more targets in four of his last five games.
Ertz led the Cardinals in routes ran in Week 16 and will continue to be a TE1 against the Dallas Cowboys, who are No. 16 in points allowed to the position with 12.8 in PPR.
Sit ‘Em | Austin Hopper, Cleveland Browns (@ PIT)
The Browns’ passing game is a mess, and Austin Hooper is stuck in a three-person committee that he cannot escape. He played on just 54% of Cleveland’s offensive snaps and caught 3 of 5 targets for 26 yards.
Both Harrison Bryant and David Njoku continue to be involved in the passing game. Hooper has over 50 yards receiving in just one game this season and has finished as a TE1 twice. Add in the Steelers No. 7-ranked defense vs. TEs, and Hooper should not be on championship fantasy rosters.
