It's Fantasy finals time in most leagues, so the stakes are big and juicy. Injuries to Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, Mike White, Ryan Tannehill and Colt McCoy could make things tricky for some Fantasy survivors.
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Jamey Eisenberg has his Start and Sit calls for QB here. His Waiver Wire column also can direct you to the best options who may be available in your leagues. And don't forget to check out Heath Cummings' quarterback preview for more help with matchup notes, Week 17 numbers to know and more.
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
QBs to Start
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Fields is dealing with foot and shoulder injuries that are worth monitoring, but as long as he plays you should expect him to produce at a high level. He has a great matchup in Week 17 at Detroit, and he beat up the Lions in Week 10 for 167 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception, along with 147 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Fields needs 196 rushing yards to break Lamar Jackson's record of most rushing yards by a quarterback (1,206) set in 2019, and it would be awesome if he did that over the next two games. It also helps that six of the past seven quarterbacks against Detroit has scored at least 22 Fantasy points.
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Cousins is on fire heading into Week 17 with at least 29 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and he has 1,184 passing yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions over that span against Detroit, Indianapolis and the Giants. He scored 23 Fantasy points against the Packers in Week 1, and he has at least 23 points in three of his past five meetings with Green Bay. The Packers have allowed three of the past six opposing quarterbacks to score at least 23 Fantasy points, and this game has shootout potential. Cousins again has top-five upside in Week 17.
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Goff finally played well on the road in Week 16 at Carolina with 31 Fantasy points, and he now has at least 21 points in four of his past five games. Goff only scored 16 Fantasy points at Chicago in Week 10, but he should do much better than that in Detroit. Three of the past four quarterbacks against the Bears have scored at least 26 Fantasy points, and this should be a fun game with plenty of offense. Goff could be a top-five quarterback in Week 17.
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Rodgers hasn't been a good Fantasy quarterback this season, and he started 2022 with a terrible game at Minnesota in Week 1 with just three Fantasy points. He should rebound this week at home as the Packers try to get into the playoffs. Prior to that Week 1 game against the Vikings, Rodgers had destroyed Minnesota with 1,328 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and no interceptions in four previous meetings, and he scored at least 23 Fantasy points on each outing. The Vikings have allowed five of the past seven opposing quarterbacks to score at least 21 Fantasy points, and Rodgers should be considered a low-end starter in all leagues in Week 17.
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It's good to have White back in Week 17 after he missed the past two games with a rib injury. The Jets need him after Zach Wilson has struggled, and Fantasy managers can use White as a low-end starter in all leagues. While he only has one game above 16 Fantasy points in his three starts, he has averaged 317.3 passing yards per game over that span. And the Seahawks have allowed five of the past seven opposing quarterbacks to score at least 20 Fantasy points. White is auditioning for a starting job in 2023 since he'll be a free agent this offseason, and I expect him to play well over his final two games this year.
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Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Minshew is only listed in the sleeper category because there's a chance Jalen Hurts (shoulder) can play in Week 17 against the Saints. If we find out that Hurts is out again and Minshew is starting then I like him as a low-end starter in all leagues. He did well in Week 16 at Dallas with 26 Fantasy points despite three turnovers, and he passed for 355 yards and two touchdowns, along with a rushing score. It's not an easy matchup against the Saints, who have allowed just one quarterback to score more than 19 Fantasy points since Week 6, but Minshew has plenty of weapons to produce at a high level. If he starts in Week 17 then you can trust him as a No. 1 quarterback in your Fantasy championship.
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Jones had a solid Fantasy game in Week 16 at Minnesota with 22 points, and he's now scored at least 19 Fantasy points in five of his past seven games. While Indianapolis has done well against opposing quarterbacks for most of the season, four of the past six quarterbacks against the Colts have scored at least 21 Fantasy points. Jones is worth trusting as a low-end starter in all leagues as the Giants try to lock up a wild-card spot in the NFC.
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Purdy might not have the ceiling to be a top-five quarterback most weeks, but he should once again finish as a low-end No. 1 quarterback again in Week 17 at the Raiders. In four appearances for the injured Jimmy Garoppolo (foot), Purdy has scored at least 18 Fantasy points in each outing. The Raiders have held four quarterbacks in a row to 19 Fantasy points or less, but for the season, Las Vegas is allowing 20.9 points to the position. Purdy's average over the past four games is 20.5 Fantasy points, and he should be in that range again in Week 17.
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QBs to Sit
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It wouldn't surprise me if Brady had a big game in Week 17 against Carolina. The Panthers just lost cornerback Jaycee Horn (wrist) and allowed Jared Goff to score 31 Fantasy points against them in Week 16. But Brady struggled at lowly Arizona in Week 16 with just 13 Fantasy points, and he only scored 11 points at Carolina in Week 7. He has seven interceptions in his past four games, and the Panthers are trying to steal the NFC South title from the Buccaneers in this matchup. I'm not willing to trust Brady as a No. 1 quarterback in the Fantasy championship.
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The Commanders have held their past five opposing quarterbacks to 19 Fantasy points or less, and only two quarterbacks have scored at least 20 points against Washington since Week 4. Watson has scored 18 Fantasy points or less in all four starts with the Browns, and he's been held to 161 passing yards or less in three of those games. There's no way you can trust him in your Fantasy championship in Week 17.
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Bust Alert (Start/Sit)
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I always love the revenge game angle, and Smith started his career with the Jets. And hopefully Smith will get Tyler Lockett (finger) back for this matchup after a one-game absence. But this Jets defense will make things tough on Smith, and I would only start him in Superflex and two-quarterback leagues. Only one quarterback has scored more than 18 Fantasy points against the Jets since Week 3, and it was Josh Allen twice. Smith has struggled of late with a combined 29 Fantasy points in his past two games against San Francisco and Kansas City, and he might be fading down the stretch. I'm worried about Smith in this matchup, especially if Lockett remains out.
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