Booms and Busts - Fantasy Football Starts and Sits for Week 17 Lineups (2025)

December 28, 2025

Dave's fantasy football start 'em and sit 'em booms and busts for Week 17 of 2025. Sneaky starts that may boom, and typical starters who will disappoint.

It all comes down to this. Championship weekend is here! It has been a long season, which has been complicated by a slew of injuries during the fantasy playoffs. Perhaps you've been lucky, and your team enters the finals fully healthy. If so, congratulations, because that might give you a massive advantage over your opponent this weekend. If you find yourself in a different boat and are missing some of your top players, that certainly is not a good feeling. But try to remember, anything can happen in one week. Injuries can occur, stars can bust, and unexpected players can explode for a league-winning performance.

We'll do our best to guide you in the right direction for one last week. So let's not waste any more time and discuss some players who will help or hurt your chances of taking home a fantasy football championship.

Make sure you’re following RotoBaller on X and download the RotoBaller app for all your fantasy football needs. Let's run it back one last time and dive into my boom/bust picks for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season.

Sonic Boom of the Week

Ashton Jeanty - RB, Las Vegas Raiders vs. New York Giants

Jeanty is coming off an out-of-nowhere explosion game against the Houston Texans in Week 16. The Raiders' RB1 torched one of the best defenses in the NFL for 188 scrimmage yards and scored two touchdowns. He would finish the week as the PPR RB3.

ASHTON JEANTY ALL THE WAY!

LVvsHOU on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/szuynuAtqu

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025

This was tough to watch as many gamers left Jeanty on their bench. Sometimes, fantasy football is just cruel.

Fast forward to this weekend, and Jeanty is lined up for another monster performance. The New York Giants have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL and allow 150.9 rushing yards per game, which is the second most in the league. New York also ranks 32nd in FTN Fantasy's defensive rushing DVOA and has allowed the second-most PPR points to running backs this year per Fantasy Football Today.

This should be a competitive game, and Las Vegas may be playing with a lead for most of this contest. That would mean an ideal game script for Jeanty, and he'll have a real shot at his third 100-yard rushing game of the season.

Start him as a backend RB1. Hopefully, he pops for another huge game and wins you a title in the process.

Other Week 17 Fantasy Football Booms

Brock Purdy - QB, San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears

Purdy has been an absolute monster so far during the fantasy playoffs. He's thrown eight touchdowns over the last two weeks and has finished as QB4 and QB1 during that span.

Brock Purdy is now the first 49ers’ QB to throw five touchdown passes on MNF.
pic.twitter.com/MkxkteXtY7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 23, 2025

Managers who have started him in the last two weeks are certainly happy with that decision. Now Purdy draws another plus matchup in the fantasy finals.

The Bears are winning games, but their passing defense has been a major liability. Chicago ranks 21st in defensive passing DVOA and has allowed the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. The Bears have also allowed the fifth-most passing touchdowns, so this looks like another spot where Purdy is live for multiple scores.

There's no reason to hop off the Purdy express this weekend. If you've been starting him this far, leave him in there for one more game. He is live for another monster performance and can be a major difference maker at the quarterback position.

Jakobi Meyers - WR, Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts

Meyers is coming off a down game in Week 16 and took a backseat to Parker Washington. However, this weekend is the perfect opportunity for a bounce-back game. Indianapolis has allowed the third-most fantasy points to receivers and ranks 29th in PFF's pass coverage grade.

The current Jacksonville regime has raved about Meyers' presence and what it's done for the team's offense. He is a favorite of the coaching staff and has a clear role on offense. This is a matchup where quarterback Trevor Lawrence's hot streak should continue. That would mean good things for Meyers.

Gamers should start him as a WR3 or flex play.

Mike Gesicki - TE, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals

Gesicki posted a 3-35-1 line on four targets last weekend against the Dolphins. His touchdown catch was his second of the season, and he's now scored in two of his last three games.

Gesicki draws another good matchup this weekend. Arizona currently ranks 31st in DVOA against tight ends and allows an average of 67.4 receiving yards per game to the position. The Cardinals have also allowed the sixth-most receiving touchdowns to tight ends this year. Joe Burrow and the Bengals' passing game should have zero issues moving the football through the air. This game also has the highest projected total on the Week 17 card, so we should see plenty of points scored.

If you're looking for a tight end streamer, Gesicki is a good pick. Consider him a touchdown or bust option this week.

Michael Carter - RB, Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals

We'll stick with this game for our final boom call. Carter only ran for 65 yards against the Atlanta Falcons last week, but he did average a healthy 5.91 yards per carry.

Cincinnati's run defense has been downright awful, and the team has allowed the most rushing yards in the league through 16 weeks. As a result, the Bengals rank 30th in defensive rushing DVOA, 31st in PFF rushing defense grade, and have allowed the most PPR points per game to opposing running backs.

Even though there is some risk he gets game-scripted out of the offense, this matchup is too good to ignore. Plus, given the overall state of the Bengals' defense, Arizona could very well be competitive for the entirety of this game. That would help insulate his fantasy value.

If your team has been decimated by the slew of recent injuries and limped into your championship match, you could do a lot worse than throwing Carter into your lineup. Consider him a fine flex option or even a desperation RB2 play this weekend.

Landmine of the Week

Justin Herbert - QB, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Houston Texans

Herbert popped for one of his best games of the season last week against the Dallas Cowboys. He threw for 300 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and scored on the ground, too. He would finish Week 16 as the overall QB4.

That performance surely helped managers advance to their title game. However, those who rode him last week may want to consider sitting him on the bench this weekend.

The Houston Texans present a tough matchup and currently rank first in defensive passing DVOA. Houston has also allowed the second fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year.

Hebert also struggled mightily against this defense in the Wild Card Round of last year's NFL playoffs. He completed just 14 of 32 passes and tossed four interceptions in a 32-12 loss. We will also likely see Houston's defense come out motivated this week after a mediocre showing against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 16.

None of this sounds good for Herbert, and he is at risk of posting a major dud here. Leave him on your bench.

Other Week 17 Fantasy Football Busts

Breece Hall - RB, New York Jets vs. New England Patriots

Hall has really struggled the last two weeks with Brady Cook under center. He's run for just 77 rushing yards and is averaging a pathetic 2.75 yards per carry over that span.

Unfortunately for Hall and the entire Jets offense, head coach Aaron Glenn has already announced that Cook will get the nod this weekend. Combine that with the fact that the Patriots have allowed the fourth-fewest PPR points to running backs, and it's hard to see a scenario where Hall is a good play.

Hall's days as a Jet could be numbered as he's set to hit free agency this offseason. Hopefully, he avoids the franchise tag and lands in a much better situation next year. For now, there's not too much to get excited about regarding Hall's fantasy outlook this weekend. Send him to the bench in favor of another running back.

Jaylen Waddle - WR, Miami Dolphins vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Waddle was fairly involved in Quinn Ewers' first career start against the Bengals in Week 16. He was targeted nine times and posted a 5-72-0 line.

The Buccaneers are in the middle of a massive tailspin, and their secondary has been a large part of the problem. However, head coach Todd Bowles' defenses have notoriously fared better against inexperienced quarterbacks than against savvy veterans. While Ewers looked good early against the Bengals last week, it became clear as the game progressed that he is not quite ready to lead an NFL offense.

This looks like a good spot for the Buccaneers to end their three-game losing streak and pick up a much-needed win. That likely means Ewers will struggle, and that would make Waddle a casualty.

Dallas Goedert - TE, Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills

Goedert is in the middle of a major heater. Over his last three games, he's caught 17 receptions for 180 receiving yards and has scored three touchdowns.

Hurts to Goedert! @Eagles take the lead 🦅

PHIvsWAS on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/aDERBAmSo0

— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025

However, he draws a brutal matchup in the fantasy finals. Buffalo has been very effective at limiting tight production throughout the 2025 season. Even though the team ranks 15th in DVOA against tight ends, Buffalo allows an average of 34.2 receiving yards per game to the position. The Bills have also allowed the fewest PPR points to tight ends this year.

Even though he's been productive lately, starting Goedert in this matchup feels very dangerous. He is at risk of being completely shut down in this game, and that could be disastrous for managers in their championship match. That means it's best if managers leave Goedert on the bench and target other tight ends with better matchups.

Thank you all for reading my Booms/Busts article this year! Obviously, I did not get every call right, but I hope I provided you with some sound advice/options that helped get your team this far. Good luck in your title games, and see you again in 2026!

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