Heading into Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season, workloads, snap shares and more trends have been established across the league’s backfields. The fantasy RB landscape hasn’t played out as expected due to injuries, leaving fantasy managers with plenty of tough decisions to make. With that in mind, let’s break down my fantasy football RB start/sit Week 17 picks.
Check out my full Week 17 start/sit article with picks at each position here!
Start ‘Em: Kenneth Gainwell (Pittsburgh Steelers) at Cleveland Browns
Gainwell was one of my starts of the week at RB last Sunday, and I’m running it back.
Pun intended.
Halfway through the season, Pittsburgh’s RB2 was a somewhat overlooked piece of the puzzle. However, over the last six weeks, he’s turned into Aaron Rodgers’ most-trusted playmaker. Gainwell recorded at least 16 fantasy points five times over that span. He’s been more efficient than Jaylen Warren on the ground, and he’s been the Steelers’ top receiver by a large margin.
Now, with DK Metcalf suspended throughout the remainder of the regular season, Gainwell will be relied on even more as a pass-catcher. The dual-threat back is a low-end RB1 this week.
CLICK HERE FOR MY WIDE RECEIVER WEEK 17 START/SIT PICKS!
Sit’ Em: Rico Dowdle (Carolina Panthers) vs. Seattle Seahawks
Dowdle is still the guy in Carolina, but he hasn’t exactly been productive lately, and Chuba Hubbard remains a factor.
After bursting onto the scene for the Panthers earlier this year, Dowdle has failed to average more than 3.22 yards per carry in a contest since Week 12. He’s scored fewer than 13 fantasy points in four straight outings despite seeing decent volume, setting a firm ceiling.
This week, the task is tall for him to break out of that slump. Seattle allows the third-fewest rushing yards per game. If this matchup gets out of hand quickly, game script could force Dowdle out of the equation. There are almost certainly better options out there at RB this week.
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 fantastic 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.
New RB start/sit picks drop weekly! Stay tuned for more RB start/sit Week 17 advice over the next few days.
Those are my RB start ’em, sit ’em Week 17 fantasy football picks! Stay tuned for more fantasy advice throughout the week.
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
