fantasy football Week 17 start/sit

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 17

Fantasy’s top hot starts and cold sits for NFL Week 17.

We’re heading into Week 17 in the National Football League, and it’s a holiday week. We get the rare Wednesday games due to the Christmas holiday, so we’re getting this content out there earlier than usual.

If you’re still trying alive in your fantasy playoffs, good luck this weekend. We hope you’re able to raise the fantasy trophy and talk that smack to your buddies, co-workers, family, etc. It’s always nice to see the hard work from a season-long league pay off.

Doing start/sit articles can be a little challenging. The players featured on the list below should not be taken as “must starts” or “must sits.” Instead, these are more suggestions on what we believe managers should do with fringe players heading into the weekend. The choice is ultimately up to the manager.

Just because a player is listed as a “start” doesn’t mean he should be put in the lineup over the secure, bona fide studs. Vice versa for the “sits.” If there’s no better option on the waiver wire or the bench, a manager shouldn’t automatically sit the player. That’s why these can be tricky waters to navigate.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@danieledobish), or check out our start/bench list for Week 17:

Fantasy football inactives, injuries and weather: Week 17

Week 17 weather, injury updates and gameday inactives for the fantasy football lineup decisions.

Sunday updates will begin when teams start releasing official pregame inactives and starter information to the league. This is typically around 60-90 minutes prior to the kickoff of their game.

Weather forecasts are courtesy of The Football Database.

Week 17 gameday inactives, weather and notes

KEY GAME-TIME DECISIONS

Early games: QB Kyler Murray (active), TE Cole Kmet (active), RB Josh Jacobs (inactive), WR Puka Nacua (active), RB Raheem Mostert (inactive), WR Zay Flowers (active), TE Hunter Henry (inactive), RB Alvin Kamara (active), WR Michael Pittman Jr. (active)
Afternoon games: WR DK Metcalf (active), RB Kenneth Walker III (active), WR Jerry Jeudy (active), WR Ja’Marr Chase (active)
Sunday night: WR Jordan Addison (active)

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 34°F, cloudy

Patriots

Inactives: RB JaMycal Hasty, DT Sam Roberts, OT Trent Brown, TE Hunter Henry, WR Kayshon Boutte, SS Jabrill Peppers and QB Nathan Rourke

Lineup notes: RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) went on IR, and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle) joined him on Saturday. TE Hunter Henry (knee) will miss another game, and LT Trent Brown joins him as an apparent healthy scratch after being cleared of an early-week illness. CB Jonathan Jones (knee) and S Kyle Dugger (illness) are active. S Jabrill Peppers (hamstring) went on IR.

Bills

Inactives: OG Alec Anderson, CB Kaiir Elam, S Damar Hamlin, DL Linval Joseph and LB Von Miller

Lineup notes: S Micah Hyde (neck) didn’t garner an injury tag and will be back on the field. EDGE Von Miller is a healthy scratch.

Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 36°F, cloudy, WNW 10 mph

Falcons

Inactives: QB Logan Woodside, DE Joe Gaziano, OT John Leglue, DT Tommy Togiai, TE John FitzPatrick and OG Jovaughn Gwyn

Lineup notes: RT Kaleb McGary (knee) is ready to roll.

Bears

Inactives: LB DeMarquis Gates, QB Nathan Peterman, S Quindell Johnson, RB D’Onta Foreman, OT Ja’Tyre Carter and WR Darnell Mooney

Lineup notes: WR Darnell Mooney (concussion) is out. TE Cole Kmet (knee) and C Lucas Patrick (knee) will be out there. RB D’Onta Foreman will not be available.

Las Vegas Raiders at Indianapolis Colts (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 34°F, cloudy, W 11 mph (retractable-roof dome)

Raiders

Inactives: C Hroniss Grasu, RB Josh Jacobs, DB Tyler Hall, TE Zach Gentry, QB Brian Hoyer, DL Byron X. Young and TE Michael Mayer

Lineup notes: RB Josh Jacobs (quadriceps) is inactive after sitting out all week. TE Michael Mayer (toe) also will not play again.

Colts

Inactives: DT Adetomiwa Adebawore, OG Jack Anderson, LB Cameron McGrone, DB Henry Black, RB Zack Moss and DB Kenny Moore II

Lineup notes: RB Zack Moss (forearm) is out. WR Michael Pittman Jr. (concussion, shoulder) and RT Braden Smith (knee) are ready to roll. CB Kenny Moore (back) couldn’t get ready in time.

Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 39°F, cloudy

Rams

Inactives: OT Alaric Jackson, CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, DE Ochaun Mathis, DE Earnest Brown and RB Zach Evans

Lineup notes: WR Puka Nacua (hip) is active after sitting out Friday.

Giants

Inactives: S Gervarrius Owens, OG Sean Harlow, DL Timmy Horne, LB Benton Whitley, WR Dennis Houston, CB Deonte Banks and WR Parris Campbell

Lineup notes: RT Evan Neal (ankle) went on IR. WR Wan’Dale Robinson (quadriceps) is ready after limited work Friday. RB Saquon Barkley (elbow) and TE Darren Waller (knee) practiced Friday and will go. PK Mason Crosby was elevated to the 53-man roster.

Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 42°F, cloudy

Cardinals

Inactives: OT Dennis Daley, LB Trevor Nowaske, TE Blake Whiteheart, DE Cameron Thomas, OT Carter O’Donnell and S Qwuantrezz Knight

Lineup notes: WR Marquise Brown (heel) went on IR and is out for the season. QB Kyler Murray (illness) is active after limited work and a questionable designation on Friday.

Eagles

Inactives: DT Marlon Tuipulotu, CB Bradley Roby, QB Tanner McKee, OT Tyler Steen, LB Zach Cunningham and CB Darius Slay

Lineup notes: LG Landon Dickerson (thumb) practiced all week and is good to go. LB Zach Cunningham (knee) downgraded on Saturday from questionable to doubtful and won’t be out there. CB Darius Slay (knee) also will not play.

New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 63°F, mostly clear

Saints

Inactives: RB Kendre Miller, DL Isaiah Foskey, LB Monty Rice, CB Cameron Dantzler, QB Jake Haener and CB Lonnie Johnson

Lineup notes: RT Ryan Ramczyk (knee) went on IR. RB Alvin Kamara (illness) was questionable but will play. RB Kendre Miller (ankle) is not available. WR Chris Olave (ankle) was limited Friday but will be able to play.

Buccaneers

Inactives: LB Shaquil Barrett, DT Deadrin Senat, OT Brandon Walton, TE Ko Kieft, CB Carlton Davis, LB JJ Russell and QB John Wolford

Lineup notes: LB Shaq Barrett (groin) and CB Carlton Davis (concussion protocol) have been ruled out.

San Francisco 49ers at Washington Commanders (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 44°F, partly cloudy

49ers

Inactives: DL Arik Armstead, QB Brandon Allen, LB Jalen Graham, WR Jauan Jennings, OG Jaylon X. Moore, S Ji’Ayir Brown and TE Ross Dwelley

Lineup notes: RB Elijah Mitchell (knee), WR Deebo Samuel (neck), LT Trent Williams (groin) and QB Brock Purdy (shoulder) practiced Friday and will go. DT Arik Armstead (foot/knee) won’t be out there.

Commanders

Inactives: QB Jacoby Brissett, TE Cole Turner, DE Jalen Harris, OG Andrew Wylie, CB Kendall Fuller, CB Benjamin St-Juste and WR Mitchell Tinsley

Lineup notes: RB Chris Rodriguez Jr. (ankle) was placed on IR. QB Jacoby Brissett (hamstring) popped up as questionable Friday after limited work, and QB Sam Howell will start. RB Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring) carries no injury designation after limited work all week. Washington placed LT Charles Leno (calf) placed and C Tyler Larsen (knee) were placed on IR.

Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 58°F, clear

Panthers

Inactives: CB CJ Henderson, OT Ricky Lee, OT Ilm Manning, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., WR Mike Strachan, CB Troy Hill and DT Chris Wormley

Lineup notes: LT Ikem Ekwonu (foot) is active after limited practices Thursday and Friday. RB Chuba Hubbard (hamstring), RB Miles Sanders (toe) and RT Taylor Moton (knee) are expected to go. CB Troy Hill (concussion) was ruled out, but CB Jaycee Horn (toe) is active despite being listed as questionable.

Jaguars

Inactives: DT Angelo Blackson, OG Cole Van Lanen, QB Trevor Lawrence, LB Yasir Abdullah and WR Zay Jones

Lineup notes: QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) is out. QB C.J. Beathard (shoulder) practiced all week and will start. WR Zay Jones (knee, hamstring) is inactive, whereas LT Cam Robinson (knee) was activated from IR. OT Walker Little (hamstring) had limited work Friday but is good to go.

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 45°F, partly cloudy

Dolphins

Inactives: RB Raheem Mostert, DL Emmanuel Ogbah, OT Robert Hunt, QB Skylar Thompson, WR Jaylen Waddle and TE Tyler Kroft

Lineup notes: WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) is out. RG Robert Hunt (hamstring) won’t go, but RT Austin Jackson (oblique) is ready. RB Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) couldn’t get right in time. WR Tyreek Hill (ankle), QB Tua Tagovailoa (thumb, quadriceps) and RB De’Von Achane (toe) had a full session Friday and will play. CB Xavien Howard (hip/thumb), CB Jalen Ramsey (knee), and S Jevon Holland (knees) were questionable but are active.

Ravens

Inactives: OG Kevin Zeitler, CB Brandon Stephens, S Kyle Hamilton, OT Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, QB Malik Cunningham, QB Josh Johnson and CB Damarion Williams

Lineup notes: TE Mark Andrews (ankle) and RB Keaton Mitchell (knee) will end the season on IR. WR Zay Flowers (calf) is active after being a game-time decision. RG Kevin Zeitler (knee, quadriceps) and S Kyle Hamilton (knee) can’t go.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans (1:00 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 68°F, clear

Titans

Inactives: CB Tre Avery, OG Calvin Throckmorton, LB Trevis Gipson, DT Quinton Bohanna, TE Trevon Wesco, WR Kyle Philips and QB Malik Willis

Lineup notes: QB Will Levis (ankle) practiced Friday and will start.

Texans

Inactives: TE Andrew Beck, QB Case Keenum, DL Maliek Collins, LB Jonathan Greenard and OT Joshua Jones

Lineup notes: QB C.J. Stroud (concussion), WR Nico Collins (calf), WR Noah Brown (knee) and LT Laremy Tunsil (knee) practiced Friday and will play. DE Will Anderson Jr. (ankle) and DT Sheldon Rankins (ankle) are active.

Late afternoon games

Pittsburgh Steelers at Seattle Seahawks (4:05 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 47°F, cloudy

Steelers

Inactives: CB Darius Rush, DL DeMarvin Leal, OT Dylan Cook, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, LB Elandon Roberts, S Trenton Thompson and QB Kenny Pickett

Lineup notes: QB Kenny Pickett (ankle) is out, and QB Mason Rudolph will start. RB Najee Harris (knee) will play after a full practice Friday. LB Elandon Roberts (pectoral), S Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee), and S Trenton Thompson (neck) were ruled out.

Seahawks

Inactives: CB Kelvin Joseph, OT Raiqwon O’Neal, RB Kenny McIntosh, OT Jason Peters, DL Mario Edwards Jr., OG McClendon Curtis and LB Jordyn Brooks

Lineup notes: RB Kenneth Walker III (shoulder, illness) and WR DK Metcalf (back) are active. TE Noah Fant (knee) and WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba (knee) had full practices Friday and will go. S Jamal Adams (knee) was placed on injured reserve. LB Jordyn Brooks (ankle) isn’t ready, but CB Devon Witherspoon (hip) will be out there.

Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 37°F, cloudy

Chargers

Inactives: WR Keenan Allen, LB Kenneth Murray, DL Nick Williams, TE Donald Parham, WR Joshua Palmer, OG Zion Johnson and S JT Woods

Lineup notes: LB Joey Bosa (foot), WR Keenan Allen (heel) and WR Joshua Palmer (concussion) are out. LT Rashawn Slater (ankle) had a full practice Friday and will play. LG Zion Johnson (neck) won’t be available.

Broncos

Inactives: WR Marvin Mims, C Alex Forsyth, LB Baron Browning, S JL Skinner, DL Thomas Incoom, DT Elijah Garcia and WR Courtland Sutton

Lineup notes: TE Greg Dulcich (hamstring, foot) and WR Courtland Sutton (concussion) are out. WR Jerry Jeudy (illness) will tough it out, whereas WR Marvin Mims (hamstring) couldn’t get healthy enough in time. WR Phillip Dorsett was elevated to the active roster. QB Russell Wilson was benched for QB Jarrett Stidham.

Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs (4:25 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: 33°F, cloudy, NNW 10 mph

Bengals

Inactives: OT D’Ante Smith, DT Travis Bell, CB Jalen Davis, C Trey Hill and RB Chris Evans

Lineup notes: WR Ja’Marr Chase (shoulder) is active. RB Joe Mixon (ankle) was limited Friday, but he carries no injury designation. CB Cam Taylor-Britt (ankle) was activated from injured reserve.

Chiefs

Inactives: DL Malik Herring, DE B.J. Thompson, OT Donovan Smith, DT Neil Farrell, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire, WR Kadarius Toney and CB Nic Jones

Lineup notes: WR Skyy Moore (knee) and now RB Jerick McKinnon (groin) are on IR. LT Donovan Smith (neck) and WR Kadarius Toney (hip) are out. RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (illness) won’t be out there, either, but RB Isiah Pacheco (concussion, shoulder) is good to go. WR Mecole Hardman (thumb) came off IR and was removed from the injury report on Saturday. RB Keaontay Ingram was elevated from the practice squad. CB L’Jarius Sneed (calf) will give it a whirl.

Sunday Night Football

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (8:20 p.m. ET)

Kickoff Weather: Dome stadium

Packers

Inactives: LB De’Vondre Campbell, WR Dontayvion Wicks, DL Brenton Cox, OT Caleb Jones and WR Christian Watson

Lineup notes: CB Jaire Alexander was suspended by the team for one game. LB De’Vondre Campbell (neck) and WR Christian Watson (hamstring) are inactive. WR Dontayvion Wicks (chest, ankle) also won’t be available. RB AJ Dillon (thumb), RB Aaron Jones (knee, finger), WR Jayden Reed (toe, chest) were limited Friday but are good to go.

Vikings

Inactives: OG Chris Reed, WR Jalen Nailor, DT Jaquelin Roy, CB Theo Jackson, OT Hakeem Adeniji, CB Byron Murphy and QB Joshua Dobbs

Lineup notes: TE T.J. Hockenson (knee) went on IR and is out for the season. WR Jordan Addison (ankle) overcame a questionable listing and will be out there. RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) had a full session Friday and will play as a reserve.

Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em: Week 17 championship

Check out these starts and sits for Week 17.

The fantasy football season comes to a close for the majority of leagues this week, which means managers have just one more weekend of making start/sit decisions in their lineups.

Feel free to ask any specific start/sit questions via X, formerly Twitter, (@KevinHickey11), or check out our start/bench list for Week 17:

The best fantasy football gamble of Week 17

There’s sneaky value to be found in this versatile wideout.

Every week, at least one player becomes my fascination of whether he’s worthy of a fantasy football start as a streamer. The decision can be a mental wrestling match, but for the purpose of brevity, only one player can be chosen as my favorite fantasy football gamble of the week.

The players chosen in this series are meant to be fliers for fantasy owners in desperate situations or those willing to take an intentional risk. No player is intended to be a lineup lock for guaranteed results, hence the name of the series.

The best fantasy football gamble for Week 17

Tracking my 2023 predictions: 7-9-0
All-time record: 26-40-3 (39.9%)

Win: Player produces ≥ 75% of projected fantasy points
Loss: Player produces >75% of projected fantasy points
Tie: Player is ejected, leaves with an injury, or is ruled out after publishing

This year, we’ll also track the accuracy on a percentage basis to show relative results, since sometimes calling a player a loss doesn’t actually hurt gamers. An example would be if a projection narrowly falls short of the 75 percent threshold, the player is still of use in a lineup.

Wk	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
%	55	74	41	20	150	66	16	25	88	121	138	80	87	64%	48%	95%
Grade	E	C	F-	F-	A+	D	F-	F-	B+	A+	A+	B-	B+	D	F	A

As they say in golf, there are no pictures on the scorecard. The Week 16 selection of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Nick Mullens was a solid win for this article’s purposes, but it didn’t play out as foreseen. Mullens threw for 123 more yards than projected, which helped buoy his value after coming one TD pass short and tossing three more picks than forecasted. His strong fantasy day was good enough for QB9 overall in the fantasy divisional round, presuming your league doesn’t overly penalize for gifting the ball to the opposing team.

This week, we head to the East Coast and put faith in one of the game’s most erratic wide receivers going against a name-brand defense that alone might deter otherwise intrigued gamers.

Washington Commanders WR Curtis Samuel vs. San Francisco 49ers

The inspiration behind playing Samuel really isn’t based much on what he has done but more so the extenuating circumstances around him. Washington moves on to veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett as the starter after he made relief appearances for a struggling Sam Howell each of the last two games. (12/29 update: Brissett suffered a hamstring injury and is questionable, but Samuel’s recommendation still stands with either quarterback. It’s slightly safer with Brissett, however.) Typically more of a game manager, Brissett is still capable of spinning it but offers more appeal for his ability to diagnose defenses and get through his progressions. Samuel is a primary checkdown read on many plays, and he also will get his number dialed up for manufactured touches.

Samuel has posted three double-digit PPR showings in the last four games, although Week 16’s was a flop with just three points to his credit vs. the toughest fantasy defense of his position. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying as he was targeted six times and rushed the ball on four plays. The prior week, vs. the Los Angeles Rams, this former Carolina Panther went for a 5-41-2 line through the air, and the second touchdown came from Brissett’s hand.

Prior to that recent four-game stretch, Samuel was utterly useless in fantasy, topping out at 6.5 points in PPR scoring over the previous month of play. Earlier in the year, his streakiness was on full display with Samuel going for 11 or more points in four of the first six outings.

So we’ve established most of the risk here comes from Samuel himself, but there’s also the factor of his opponent. The 49ers instill fear in many fantasy owners who blindly take name value into consideration.

[lawrence-related id=486256]

Make no mistake, this isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to the San Francisco’s defense getting thumped last week by Baltimore, but some of this recommendation is actually nod to how the Niners should respond on offense rather than defense. You can be sure the 49ers will be looking to run up the score a week after Brock Purdy tossed four interceptions. That is a recipe to force Washington to hoist the rock all day long, which will benefit Samuel, especially if San Francisco blankets Terry McLaurin.

In the last five weeks, the position has averaged the 14th-most catches per game, resulting in four touchdowns at the 20th-highest rate. The 128.4 yards allowed, on average, checks in as the ninth fewest. On the year, the position has fared much better. WRs have posted 13 receiving scores in 15 games, and 19 players have tallied at least 10 PPR points.

It’s unlikely the injury-ravaged Washington backfield will do much on the ground, and we could see Samuel be called upon to act as a short-area extension of the running game to help eliminate a lot of third-and-long scenarios. Plus, there’s always the potential bonus if Washington utilizes Samuel as an occasional rusher.

What is the expected baseline here to consider starting Samuel a success? Something in the neighborhood of WR3 returns should make the juice worth the squeeze, but there’s upside for more if Washington has to pass north of 40 times.

My projection: 8 targets, 5 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD, 1 rush, 4 yards (17.7 PPR points)