![Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (3) reacts to his first down pickup during the first quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://statico.profootballnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/22223003/fantasy-football-start-em-sit-12-23-25-2-1920x1277.jpg "Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em WR Picks for Week 17 Include Jakobi Meyers, DeVonta Smith, and Emeka Egbuka")
Lineups can swing on just one tough fantasy football start-sit call at wide receiver when every target and big play matters. Weekly matchups, coverage schemes, and shifting roles often matter more than name value at this position. Volume, red-zone usage, and game script can quickly separate a safe floor from a risky upside play. This guide helps managers weigh those factors so they can make confident decisions without everything being spoiled in advance.
Start ‘Em: Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants (at LV)
One of the biggest surprises of the season has been the play of Wan’Dale Robinson. Of course, Malik Nabers’ injury played a big role in Robinson’s strong performance. But he still had to deliver. And he has…just not last week.
In a game where Jaxson Dart could not get anything going, Robinson caught three passes for 19 yards. It was his worst fantasy outing since Week 4. Fortunately, there’s reason to think things will turn around this week.
The Giants get a nice Week 17 matchup against a Raiders defense allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Given how poorly attempting just 13 passes in a game went for the Giants last week, expect a little bit more passing volume this week.
Since Week 6, Robinson has failed to reach double-digit fantasy points a mere three times, but never in consecutive weeks. He should get back on track when fantasy managers need it most.
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
What a strange game. Trevor Lawrence once again played out of his mind, throwing for three touchdowns. Yet, none of them went to Jakobi Meyers. In fact, of Lawrence’s 23 completions and 279 yards, just four for 45 went to Meyers. It marked the first time in five weeks that Meyers failed to reach double-digit fantasy points.
Even amidst the down game, Meyers still saw eight targets, trailing only Parker Washington for the team lead. He remains well ahead of Brian Thomas Jr., who has been relegated to the fifth option in the passing game and is completely irrelevant.
Meyers should get back on track against a Colts defense he just posted 14.8 fantasy points against in Week 14.
The Colts allow the 12th-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. They are a pass funnel defense. With how well Lawrence is playing and the importance of this game for playoff positioning, Meyers is poised for a strong finish to the fantasy season.
Sit ‘Em: DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (at BUF)
Let’s get one thing straight before we get into this. DeVonta Smith is really good at football. On a different team with a different offense, he could easily be an every-week WR1. Unfortunately, he is on the Philadelphia Eagles. His quarterback is Jalen Hurts. And there’s an A.J. Brown across the field from him.
Smith got by last week because he scored. That’s it. Otherwise, it was more of the same from him. Prior to last week, Smith hadn’t hit double-digit fantasy points since Week 12. Unsurprisingly, that was in the most favorable matchup possible against the Cowboys.
This week, Smith gets a Bills defense allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. While this is a game where Hurts might actually have to throw the ball to keep up with a high-octane Bills offense, the game environment might not be as good as it seems.
Both of these teams want to run the ball. Why the Bills are intent upon trying to hide their otherworldly quarterback is beyond me. But that’s how they want to run their offense.
So, it’s a bad matchup, and the Eagles may not possess the ball much because of how the Bills operate. Enjoy Smith’s points from last week, but temper expectations for Week 17.
Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at MIA)
Full disclosure. I’m mostly speaking to myself here. I’ve gotten away with starting Emeka Egbuka all season, not putting him on the bench once. Injuries have been a big reason Egbuka had to remain a starter, but the fact remains, he never should’ve been.
MORE: Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer
Egbuka remains rostered in almost 100% of leagues. Clearly, I’m not the only one who struggled to move past being primed by his early-season production. The reality is he should’ve been dropped months ago.
Since Week 6, Egbuka has exceeded 10.4 fantasy points in a game just once. Over that span, he’s scored 6.5 fantasy points or fewer a staggering five times.
For a while, the volume was there for Egbuka. That necessarily means regression is coming. A player cannot see as much volume as Egbuka did without something changing to normalize it. The hope was that the regression would lead him to start converting more opportunities. Instead, it went in the other direction. The volume went away.
Egbuka’s two lowest snap shares of the season have come in his past two games. From Weeks 7-14, the rookie never saw fewer than eight targets in a game. Last week, he saw just two.
The Dolphins allow the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. But that doesn’t really matter. Even if the Bucs were facing the Cowboys, Egbuka would be a sit because he hasn’t produced in over two months.
