Fantasy Football Week 17 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em Quarterbacks: Expect a bounce-back game from Brock Purdy and more
Quarterbacks you want in Week 17 lineups, and who you should avoid
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1 min read
It's championship week in most leagues and if you managed to settle on a QB that remained injury-free and performed relatively well throughout a turbulent 2023 season, then kudos to you. If you're on the fence about your QB heading into the championship game, there are options at the position you may want to consider.
Jamey Eisenberg has all the Start 'Em & Sit 'Em insight you'll need to make sound decisions at quarterback ahead of Week 17, right here. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' quarterback preview for more help with matchup notes, numbers to know and more. Plus check out Heath's Week 17 projections over at SportsLine.
QBs to Start
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Purdy probably lost the NFL MVP award in Week 16 against Baltimore when he threw four interceptions in a 33-19 loss, and he scored a season-low 2.4 Fantasy points. He should rebound this week against the Commanders, who are No. 1 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Five of the past six quarterbacks against Washington have scored at least 22.5 Fantasy points, and Purdy scored 25.4 Fantasy points in three games prior to Week 16, including two on the road at Philadelphia in Week 13 and at Arizona in Week 15. He should have another dominant road outing here.
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Fields got back on track in Week 16 against Arizona with 26.5 Fantasy points, and he did it with his legs with 97 rushing yards and a touchdown. The Falcons faced two rushing quarterbacks this season in Joshua Dobbs and Kyler Murray, and both scored at least 12.6 Fantasy points with just their rushing production alone. Fields is also averaging 26.4 Fantasy points in four home games this season.
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The last time Stafford went to the East Coast he scored 29.7 Fantasy points at Baltimore. Stafford has scored at least 22.5 Fantasy points in five games in a row, and he should stay hot against the Giants. The Giants have allowed Derek Carr and Jalen Hurts to each score at least 25.4 Fantasy points in the past two games.
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Mayfield is hot right now with 84.9 Fantasy points in his past three games against Atlanta, Green Bay and Jacksonville, and he scored at least 23.8 Fantasy points in each outing. Mayfield scored 28.9 Fantasy points in Week 4 at New Orleans with 246 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception, along with 31 rushing yards. It would be great for Mayfield to repeat that kind of performance in the rematch, and the Saints just allowed Matthew Stafford to score 24.7 Fantasy points in Week 16. Mayfield should be considered a top-10 Fantasy quarterback in all leagues.
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Stroud is expected to return in Week 17 against the Titans after missing the past two games with a concussion. He missed the first game against Tennessee in Week 15, but Stroud should do well here. The Titans have allowed two of the past four opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21.3 Fantasy points, and Stroud has been excellent at home this season. He's averaging 27.7 Fantasy points in seven games in Houston, including four games with at least 25.5 points, and he hasn't scored less than 18.1 points at home this year.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Murray had a surprising game in Week 16 at Chicago with 24.4 Fantasy points. He snapped a two-game streak where he scored fewer than 16 Fantasy points, and we'll see how he does in back-to-back road games at the Eagles. Philadelphia has limited the past two opposing quarterbacks to under 15 Fantasy points against Seattle and the Giants, but the Eagles are still No. 2 in most Fantasy points allowed to the position. I don't mind taking a chance on Murray this week as a low-end starter in all leagues.
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The last time Taylor started a game was Week 7 against Washington, and he scored 25.7 Fantasy points with 279 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with 25 rushing yards. He looked good in relief of Tommy DeVito in Week 16 at Philadelphia with 133 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, along with 21 rushing yards, and he has a great matchup in Week 17 against the Rams. Five quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 20.2 Fantasy points against the Rams, and Taylor is a good desperation play at quarterback in this matchup.
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Carr has caught fire in the past two games against the Giants and Rams with a combined 57.2 Fantasy points over that span, and he scored at least 26.3 points in each outing. This week, he has a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers, who are No. 8 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. Three quarterbacks in a row have scored at least 21.5 Fantasy points against Tampa Bay, and hopefully Carr can follow suit in Week 17.
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QBs to Sit
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Jaylen Waddle (ankle) is likely out in Week 17 at Baltimore, and that's just one of several flaws for Tagovailoa in this matchup. He comes into Week 17 with three games in a row scoring 17.5 Fantasy points or less, and the Ravens just had four interceptions against Brock Purdy in Week 16. For the season, Baltimore is No. 2 in fewest Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks, and Tagovailoa should only be started in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues.
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Smith has done well in his past two games against Dallas and Tennessee with at least 21.3 Fantasy points in each outing, but the Steelers defense appeared to get back on track in Week 16 against the Bengals. Pittsburgh intercepted Jake Browning three times and sacked him three times as well. Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) could return in Week 17, and Smith was struggling against the Titans before scoring 11 Fantasy points on his final drive. I would only start Smith in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 17.
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Minshew had a rough game in Week 16 at Atlanta with Michael Pittman (concussion) out, and we'll see if Pittman can return in Week 17 against Las Vegas. With Pittman, Minshew has been inconsistent, and he only has two games with more than 16.1 Fantasy points in his past seven outings. This isn't an easy matchup against the Raiders, who have allowed just three quarterbacks to score at least 21.6 Fantasy points in their past 11 games. Minshew is barely a starter in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues in Week 17.
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