Finally, the 2025 fantasy football championship has arrived for most leagues! With one matchup left to make or break your season, this is my most important round of picks yet. After 16 weeks, workloads, target shares, and other general trends have been established across the league. With all of that in mind, let’s break down my start/sit Week 17 fantasy football picks.
Click here for my Week 17 WR start/sit picks!
Quarterbacks
Start ‘Em: Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars) at Indianapolis Colts
Don’t look now, but Trevor Lawrence is THE QB4 in 2025!
It’s been an outrageous second half to the season for the former No. 1 overall pick. Lawrence has scored north of 20 fantasy points in four of his last five outings, and combined for a whopping 75 over his last two.
The Colts have been solid against QBs all season long, but there is no signal caller on the planet hotter than Lawrence right now. Fire him up as a strong QB1 as the Jaguars continue their push for the AFC South title.
Sit ‘Em: Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) at Minnesota Vikings
Typically, you don’t sit a guy who has scored north of 25 points in back to back contests.
However, there’s nothing typical about this Vikings’ pass defense. Brian Flores operates his unit like a madman, sending constant pressure and uniquely disguised secondary schemes. The DC’s goal is to create chaos, and he’s succeeded in doing so at virtually every turn.
Minnesota is allowing the second fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, just over 12. They stymied Jaxson Dart and Dak Prescott in back-to-back matchups, and I fear the same could be coming for Goff. Detroit should rely on their running game in this battle.
Running Backs
Start ‘Em: Rhamondre Stevenson (New England Patriots) at New York Jets
Offensive Rookie of the Year contender TreVeyon Henderson exited New England’s game against Baltimore early with a rough-looking concussion. In his absence, Rhamondre Stevenson stepped in as the undisputed lead back.
It seems people have forgotten that when he’s not putting the ball on the ground, Stevenson is one of the more talented playmakers in the NFL. The veteran averaged 6.4 yards per carry in the Patriots’ comeback win, finding the end zone once. He’s elite both in pass protection and as a receiving option.
Considering the talent disparity in this matchup, even if Henderson clears concussion protocol, the team should probably play it safe with him. Stevenson is primed for a massive workload against a decimated defense, giving him high-end RB2 value with upside.
Sit ‘Em: Breece Hall (New York Jets) vs. New England Patriots
Let’s flip to the other side of this matchup for my RB sit of the week.
The Jets have tried to keep Breece Hall busy over their last few contests, but it has to have been incredibly frustrating for him. The fourth-year back has failed to score double-digit points in three straight games. He’s running behind a porous offensive line, averaging just 2.9 yards per attempt over that span.
Those struggles will almost certainly continue against the Patriots. New England is surrendering the third-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. This could end up being another Isaiah Davis day if the game gets out of hand early as expected.
Click here for the rest of my RB start/sit picks for this week!
Wide Receivers
Start ‘Em: Stefon Diggs (New England Patriots) at New York Jets
In the words of Michael Corleone, or more recently, Silvio Dante…
Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
They, of course, being Stefon Diggs in this situation. After dropping off the face of the earth from Weeks 12-15, the veteran showed up when he was needed most in Baltimore. Diggs hauled in nine of 10 targets for 138 yards, pacing New England’s improbable fourth-quarter comeback.
With a blowout likely coming over the Jets, there is potential for a dud here if Diggs doesn’t get involved early. However, I think 2.5-3 quarters of football will be enough for him to rack up high-end WR2 numbers as he chases that 1,000-yard season.
Sit ‘Em: Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) at Miami Dolphins
After one of the hottest starts to a career in NFL history, Egbuka has gone ice cold just as fast. The rookie has failed to record double-digit fantasy points in four of his last five matchups.
With Mike Evans back in the equation, Egbuka has seen a usage rate below 65% in back-to-back contests. He earned a career-low two targets against the Panthers. All signs are pointing down for the former Rookie of the Year contender. If you were thinking about starting him in the fantasy championship, there have to be better options out there.
Check out the rest of my WR start/sit picks for this week here!
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Tight Ends
Start ‘Em: Harold Fannin (Cleveland Browns) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns’ season may be over, but Harold Fannin isn’t playing like it.
The rookie tight end has emerged as one of Cleveland’s top playmakers over the last few weeks. He’s scored double-digit points in four straight contests, finding the end zone four times over that span.
In his most recent game against a tough Bills defense, Fannin scored a receiving and rushing touchdown, finishing just shy of 20 fantasy points. He’ll remain a true TE1 option in this week’s clash with the Steelers.
Sit ‘Em: Dalton Kincaid (Buffalo Bills) vs. Philadelphia Eagles
The last few weeks have provided a surprise twist to Buffalo’s offense.
After returning from injury, Dalton Kincaid has apparently ceded the TE1 role back to Dawson Knox. The veteran has seen a significantly higher snap share, along with more targets and catches over the last three games. Kincaid played just 38% of plays against the Browns, failing to haul in his only target.
The talent is there, but the production continue to evade him. Don’t chase upside that likely won’t translate in the fantasy championship.
Those are my start/sit Week 17 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more start/sit Week 17 positional analysis over the coming days.
