Week 17: The pressure mounts. The trophy, the bragging rights, and the group chat dominance are all at stake. No matter what drives you, it culminates here. Every mock draft, podcast, and bold decision, every win and heartbreak, lead to this final moment: Championship Weekend. Starting with a Christmas tripleheader on Thursday, we’re diving into Start/Sits early this week. Every point is crucial, and with the holiday rush, preparation is key to avoiding stress. Losing D.K. Metcalf to a suspension or Jordan Love to concussion protocol is stress enough. I am relying on the Fantasy Footballers’ Start/Sit tool for those season-defining decisions. It’s the difference between lifting the trophy and saying, “next year.”
Gear up, as Week 17 promises to be quite a ride.
Brock Purdy or Trevor Lawrence?
When you see Brock Purdy in a game with a 52.5 total, your instinct is probably to slam the start button. But Chicago hasn’t been the same QB matchup lately. Over the last six weeks, the Bears have allowed just 13 fppg to opposing QBs, making them a much tougher matchup than their season-long ranking (22nd) suggests. That said… Purdy is cooking right now, finishing as the QB5 and QB4 over the past two weeks. His five-TD primetime eruption was historic for San Francisco. There are, however, some real variables to monitor. George Kittle left Monday night with an ankle injury, and losing one of Purdy’s most trusted weapons would matter. Chicago also has plenty to play for, while the 49ers are focused on seeding rather than survival. Still, Purdy in a home Sunday night spot with San Francisco pushing for the No. 1 seed and the offense humming sets up for fantasy points galore.
Trevor Lawrence and the Jags just dominated the Broncos 👀 pic.twitter.com/Hwcr8yyc6P
— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) December 22, 2025
Speaking of fantasy points, you can’t talk about elite QB play and fantasy points without mentioning Trevor Lawrence. And yeah, I know, it took a minute. New system, new voice in his ear with Liam Coen, some early bumps. But whatever clicked? It’s fully clicked now. Lawrence is playing loose, decisive, and confident. Over the last four games? No turnovers. Twelve TDs. That’s the version of T-Law we’ve been waiting for. Last week was the final “okay, this is legit” stamp. He went into Denver, one of the toughest pass defenses in football, and casually dropped 279 yds and three TDs. Oh, he ran in 4th TD, too. Turnovers? Zero. The Jags went 4-for-5 in the red zone against the best red zone defense in the league. Now he gets Indy in a game with a total of 47.5. The Colts are just 19th against QBs and literally just gave up 31 fantasy points to Brock Purdy. This isn’t the week to get scared.
Verdict: Purdy’s ceiling is obvious in a 52.5 total, but Chicago has quietly turned it up against opposing QBs. The potential loss of Kittle doesn’t help the situation. Lawrence, on the other hand, is playing his best football. Now he gets Indy, fresh off allowing 31 fantasy points to Purdy himself. Start Trevor Lawrence.
Alec Pierce or Parker Washington?
Parker Washington just popped for a career day in Week 16 (6-145-1.) But here’s where you need to pump the brakes just a bit. The production came on just a 56% snap share, and he finished 4th on the team in routes. Denver’s coverage funneled targets away from Jakobi Meyers and BTJ, opening the door for Washington to eat. Still, this is Washington’s third game with double-digit targets. With Trevor Lawrence playing at an elite level, this is the kind of offense you want pieces of in fantasy. The matchup couldn’t be better for Washington. The Colts rank 30th against WRs, just got shredded by Brock Purdy, and could be without key defenders. DeForest Buckner is questionable with a neck injury, and CB Sauce Gardner is dealing with a calf injury. I already like Trevor Lawrence in this spot, and when the matchup is this good, you want exposure to the passing game. If you’re chasing ceiling in the fantasy playoffs, Washington fits the bill as a boom-or-bust flex.
Just when we thought the Colts’ pass catchers were dead for fantasy, 44-year-old Phillip Rivers shows he still has it. What a time to be alive. Last week, Alec Pierce benefited. He turned four targets into 86 yds and two TDs. Pierce is a true field-stretcher (18.1 air yds per target) and has now cleared 75 receiving yds in five of his last seven games. That kind of consistency in yardage paired with big-play scoring is hard to ignore. The matchup against the Jaguars this week will help. They rank 20th against WRs. Just a couple of weeks ago, Pierce came down with five catches and 80 yds against them. Pierce is also sitting 129 yds away from his first career 1,000-yd season. A milestone on the Colts’ radar.
Verdict: Give me Parker Washington. He’s attached to the hotter QB, the better matchup (30th vs WRs), and a Colts defense that’s banged up and actively leaking fantasy points. The Phillip Rivers comeback story has been fun, but banking on it in the finals isn’t a risk I’m willing to take.
Blake Corum or Chris Rodriguez Jr.?
Blake Corum just keeps forcing his way into the fantasy conversation. He’s had four straight games of 13+ points with a TD in every one. He’s also averaging double-digit carries over that stretch, even with a healthy Kyren Williams. What started as a clear RB2 role has quietly drifted toward a true 1A/1B situation with Kyren. Even at the goal line, it’s not one-sided anymore: both backs got three cracks last week. The Rams’ offensive line took a hit last week. Kevin Dotson was spotted on crutches, wearing a walking boot, with a sprained ankle. He’s doubtful to suitup this week. The matchup helps. Atlanta has been a defense we’re comfortable attacking on the ground, and the Rams’ offense is humming enough to support two fantasy-relevant backs.
Chris Rodriguez Jr. is a sneaky start this week. The Commanders’ offense isn’t pretty, but even without Jayden Daniels, they’re still averaging 117.5 rushing yds over the last two weeks. With Marcus Mariota now banged up, Josh Johnson is taking over under center. This has all the makings of a “keep it simple and lean on the run” game. Rodriguez’s role has been steady. He’s now handled double-digit carries in four straight games, and even in the Week 16 blowout loss to Philly, he still saw 15 carries for 63 yds and a TD. The efficiency has been there, too; he ranks first in yards after contact per attempt. Yes, Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt is still mixing in, and the goal-line work has been more split than we’d like, but the matchup tips the scales. Dallas’ defense has been getting absolutely bullied on the ground, allowing the highest rushing TD rate in the league since Week 12. If Washington is going to score, there’s a very good chance it’s coming via Rodriguez.
Verdict: I’m rolling with Rodriguez. Corum has been great, but his ceiling is capped by Kyren and now a banged-up offensive line. Rodriguez is walking into a run-first game script against a Dallas defense that allows rushing TDs to everyone.
Harold Fannin Jr. or Kyle Pitts Sr.?
Harold Fannin Jr. keeps checking boxes, and now the matchup finally lines up in his favor. Pittsburgh has been a welcome sight for TEs all season, giving up over 1,000 receiving yds and 10 TDs to the position, along with 17.1 FPPG. That’s the third most fantasy points given up to TEs by any team. The Browns have been getting a good look at their rookies, with Fannin playing at least 86% of the snaps in five straight games. The outcome? TDs in three of his last four games. Shedeur Sanders trusts him, and it shows in the way the offense flows. That puts Fannin in a great spot again this week.
Rookie TEs with 70/700/5 over the last 35 years
1990-2022:
2023: Sam LaPorta
2024: Brock Bowers
2025: Harold Fannin Jr. (+ probably Tyler Warren)— Kyle Borgognoni (@kyle_borg) December 22, 2025
Kyle Pitts has finally shown some real life with Kirk Cousins under center: TE3 last week after dropping a monster TE1 performance the week before. Cousins at QB has had a lot to do with it, no doubt, but Pitts has also been running hot in some very friendly matchups. That changes in Week 17. The Rams have been a nightmare for TEs, holding the position under double digits every week since Week 11. So while the role with Cousins is encouraging, the matchup brings real risk. And yeah, it feels wrong even talking about benching Pitts after he probably helped drag a lot of teams into the championship round. But this doesn’t look like a game where Atlanta lights up the scoreboard. Limited scoring chances plus a brutal TE matchup? For me, that’s enough to step away. I’m out.
Verdict: Give me Fannin this week. Pitts has been awesome lately, but this is a brutal matchup against a Rams defense that’s erased TEs for over a month.
That’s a wrap on this week’s Start/Sit breakdown! I hope this helped you feel a little more confident heading into a massive Week 17. Thank you for taking a moment out of your week to read, support, and grind through these tough calls with me all season long. It truly means a lot. If you’ve got any last-minute lineup questions, drop a comment below or hit me up on X, I’ve got you. Be sure to lean on the Ballers’ Start/Sit tool and weekly rankings to squeeze out every edge, and don’t miss Mike’s Sunday Start/Sit Show before kickoff. Wishing the entire FootClan a holiday filled with great food, quality time with family, and plenty of football.
Let’s go win a championship.