Early Week 17 Fantasy QB Rankings: Fantasy championship start-sit quarterbacks, best sleepers, top streamers

Check The Sporting News' Week 17 QB fantasy rankings to set your lineups. See Tim Heaney's best matchups, top waiver-wire adds, and sleeper streamers for one-QB, superflex, and 2-QB leagues.

Early Week 17 Fantasy QB Rankings: Fantasy championship start-sit quarterbacks, best sleepers, top streamers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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In most league formats, the fantasy football playoffs start in Week 16. For the quarterback position, all starters are in play -- for better or worse.

Well, except for Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL as the Chiefs' playoff hopes for this season also ended.

Luckily, in most fantasy games, quarterback replacements from the waiver wire at least have a high weekly floor compared to other positions, and Mahomes managers have plenty of replacements.

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Fantasy QB Rankings Week 17: Start-sit quarterback lineup advice for your league playoffs

These Week 17 quarterback rankings are based on 4-point passing touchdowns and one point for every 25 passing yards.

↕️ Fantasy Rankings for Week 17

RkTrNameTMOPP
11Drake MayeNE@NYJ
21Matthew StaffordLAR@ATL
31Trevor LawrenceJAX@IND
42Jalen HurtsPHI@BUF
52Brock PurdySFCHI
62Bo NixDEN@KC
73Caleb WilliamsCHI@SF
83Josh AllenBUFPHI
93Jared GoffDET@MIN
104Joe BurrowCINARI
114Dak PrescottDAL@WAS
124Jacoby BrissettARI@CIN
134Baker MayfieldTB@MIA
144Jaxson DartNYG@LV
155Sam DarnoldSEA@CAR
165Justin HerbertLACHOU
175Aaron RodgersPIT@CLE
185Bryce YoungCARSEA
196Tyler ShoughNO@TEN
206Kirk CousinsATLLAR
216Quinn EwersMIATB
226Tyler HuntleyBAL@GB
236Shedeur SandersCLEPIT
246Geno SmithLVNYG
257Malik WillisGBBAL
267C.J. StroudHOU@LAC
277Philip RiversINDJAX
287Cam WardTENNO
298Josh JohnsonWASDAL
308Max BrosmerMINDET
318Brady CookNYJNE
329Chris OladokunKCDEN
3310Riley LeonardINDJAX
3410Tua TagovailoaMIATB
3510Kenny PickettLVNYG
3610Dillon GabrielCLEPIT
3710Kedon SlovisARI@CIN
3810Mason RudolphPIT@CLE
3911Jameis WinstonNYG@LV
4011Davis MillsHOU@LAC
4111Joe FlaccoCINARI
4211Nick MullensJAX@IND
4311Tanner McKeePHI@BUF
4411Teddy BridgewaterTB@MIA
4511Trey LanceLACHOU
4611Jake BrowningCINARI
INJ--Lamar JacksonBAL@GB
INJ--Jordan LoveGBBAL
INJ--J.J. McCarthyMINDET
INJ--Marcus MariotaWASDAL
INJ--Gardner MinshewKCDEN
IR--Jayden DanielsWASDAL
IR--Patrick MahomesKCDEN
IR--Daniel JonesINDJAX
QUE--Justin FieldsNYJNE
QUE--Tyrod TaylorNYJNE

📋 BEST PLAYOFF PICKUPS: Week 17 waiver wire guide

Which QB injuries should I monitor for fantasy Week 17?

Too many, really:

  • The Ravens' Lamar Jackson (back) left Sunday Night Football with a back injury, replaced by Tyler Huntley.
  • Jordan Love (concussion) was replaced by Malik Willis during the Packers' Saturday night loss to the rival Bears.
  • J.J. McCarthy (hand) might need season-ending surgery, leaving the Vikings to be stuck with potentially another Max Brosmer experiment.
  • Marcus Mariota (throwing hand/quadriceps) day-to-day for the Commanders, leaving the definition of "journeyman" Josh Johnson as a possible replacement with Jayden Daniels (elbow) already shut down for the season.
  • The Chiefs fear that Gardner Minshew suffered some type of season-ending knee injury. With Patrick Mahomes (torn ACL) already done for the year, that leaves Chris Oladokun as a possibility to take snaps while Kansas City plays out the string on its lost season.

Who are the best Week 17 fantasy QBs?

Who's left? Trevor Lawrence has etched his name into the "breakout star" list from this season, who heading into his three-touchdown Week 16 hadn't finished lower than QB13 in his previous six outings -- including back-to-back QB1 overall finishes before Sunday.

The magical Liam Coen potion has revitalized another lost quarterback at the best possible time for fantasy players.

That being said, Lawrence sits behind Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, who thrived even with Davante Adams (hamstring) on the sidelines.

🐐 See where Trevor Lawrence ranks among QBs: Who has the most fantasy points in a game?

Who are the best Start 'Em QBs for Week 17?

While calling them "sleepers" is a stretch, the fact that every healthy QB is available shouldn't keep us from giving these names a boost:

  • With the surging 49ers' full cast of characters healthy, Brock Purdy is a strong top-5 option against a Bears secondary that caught a break with Jordan Love's injury Saturday. That defensive backfield will wilt against San Francisco's cadre of pass-catchers.
  • Keep rolling out Joe Burrow (vs. Cardinals) and Dak Prescott (at Commanders), despite both teams' elimination from postseason contention.
  • The Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield should rebound after a tough draw against the Panthers against a Dolphins defense that won't contain Mike Evans and co.
  • Tyler Shough (at Titans), Kirk Cousins (vs. Rams), and even Quinn Ewers (vs. Buccaneers) deserve superflex/2QB matchup consideration, too, especially if you've lost Mahomes or Daniels recently and/or could face more injury woes with any of the handful in jeopardy.

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Who are the riskiest Sit 'Em QBs for Week 17?

We're not keen on taking any of the top 13 quarterbacks out of lineups, but if you're streaming, Sam Darnold could fall short of QB1 expectations against a Panthers defense that can contain top quarterbacks. 

Same goes for Justin Herbert, who must deal with the Texans' elite pass defense.

Which fantasy QBs are on bye this week?

The NFL has no more weekly byes for the 2025 regular season. All active fantasy players are available for lineups.

Category: General Sports