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Who Should I Start for Week 17? Fantasy Football outlooks for Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Shough, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Shedeur Sanders, Drake Maye, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Shough, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Shedeur Sanders, Drake Maye, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers. However, don't worry, we are here to help you make these decisions and build winning lineups in Week 17. Set your optimal fantasy football lineups for Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season. Our free Who Should I Start? tool will help make your fantasy football lineup decisions. Compare up to four NFL players, and we tell you who to start... all free! Get your winning lineups set, and make the right decisions.
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Fantasy Football Matchup Outlooks
Below are some fantasy football outlooks written by our NFL team here at RotoBaller, bringing you their fantasy football analysis and advice on which players to consider starting in Week 17:
Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has given fantasy managers some lackluster performances during the second half of the season. Over his last six games, Mayfield has only surpassed 200 passing yards in a single game once. Mayfield has also only thrown for multiple touchdowns once during that span. It has been a struggle lately for Mayfield, but he does head into a favorable matchup in Week 17.
He'll draw a matchup against a shaky Miami Dolphins defense, a unit that has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. It's a must-win game for the Bucs, so Mayfield needs to be at the top of his game. The hope is that Mayfield can offer fantasy managers low-end QB1 value for this one.
Aaron Rodgers, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (left wrist) is listed on the team's injury report but practiced in full all week and does not carry an injury designation ahead of a Week 17 divisional showdown with the Cleveland Browns. Still, his status as the starter will be worth monitoring. The Green Bay Packers are set to host the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, and if the Ravens lose, Pittsburgh will clinch the AFC North title before Sunday's contest kicks off. In that scenario, the Steelers could opt to start Mason Rudolph and rest Rodgers ahead of the playoffs.
If Rodgers does play, he could struggle to provide fantasy value on the road against a Cleveland defense that has surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks. Additionally, he will be without his top wide receiver, as DK Metcalf begins a two-game suspension following an altercation with a fan in Week 16. Desperate fantasy managers could view Rodgers as a low-end QB2 if he starts, but this situation is best avoided if possible.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is a risky streaming option against a talented Carolina Panthers pass defense in Week 17. The Seahawks' passing game has been inconsistent in recent weeks, further adding to the risk factor for Darnold. Carolina is No. 8 against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy. They have also forced 13 interceptions, which is good for No. 9 in the league. Darnold himself has thrown 13 interceptions this season. Seattle should be able to move the ball on the ground, and they may lean less heavily on Darnold and the passing game this week than in normal weeks.
Darnold, of course, should continue his smooth connection with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but a high enough passing output to merit a fantasy start may not be in the cards. Proceed with caution with Darnold in Week 17 if you have struggled with injuries at quarterback this year.
Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is looking to build off an impressive win over the Baltimore Ravens in which he had 380 passing yards, 25 rushing yards, and a pair of touchdowns. He takes on the New York Jets in Week 17, and while this favorable matchup could see the Patriots run the ball often, Maye still has a chance to rack up fantasy points and touchdowns. The Jets have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points and seventh-most passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks in 2025, which is good news for Maye and his fantasy managers.
In his last game against the Jets, he amassed 281 passing yards, one touchdown, and zero turnovers. However, there's bad news, too: the Patriots' receiving corps is limping into Week 17. At the wide receiver position, Kayshon Boutte (concussion) is ruled out, Mack Hollins (abdomen) is ruled out, and DeMario Douglas (hamstring) is listed as questionable. Maye's top passing options in the passing game will be Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, and Hunter Henry. Those are three dependable targets, but Maye will have fewer options if he's looking to spread the ball around.
Despite the depleted supporting cast, we still expect Maye to take full advantage of this very favorable matchup. He ranks as a top-five fantasy quarterback for Week 17.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been a pleasant surprise for fantasy managers in the 2025 season. Not only has he become a consistent streaming option, but he has managed to take the Cardinals' passing attack to the next level. The 33-year-old had his first misstep in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons, and finished outside of the Top-12 quarterbacks for the first time since becoming the Cardinals' starting quarterback in Week 6. Heading into Week 17, Brissett is RotoBaller's ninth-ranked quarterback in a favorable matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals' defense has allowed the third-most passing touchdowns and the sixth-most passing yards this season. In an expected high-scoring game on Sunday, there should be plenty of points to go around on the field and fantasy scoreboards for fantasy football championships. Brissett can comfortably be interested in lineups as a QB1 in Week 17.
Who Should I Start Tool
You can also see the Who Should I Start tool here.
Week 17 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Shough, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Shedeur Sanders, Drake Maye, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers. These are some of the most common searches for fantasy football lineups in Week 17.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player name. In the second box, search for the second player name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Start? button to see who the recommended starts are based on weekly fantasy football matchups.
Improvements For Who Should I Start? You may have noticed that our 'Who Should I Start?' tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win your fantasy football matchups each week. You'll see NFL player tiles with headshots and bye weeks, stats, projections, strength of schedule, players news, and enhanced search results with data to compare with a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!
How It Works. Each week our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy football rankings and projections based on their research. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked. If someone is out for the week, they will not appear in the search results.
Scoring Formats. Fantasy football managers play in various types of leagues, and this tool allows you to choose whether it's PPR scoring, Half-PPR scoring, or Standard (Non-PPR) scoring. The second thing you want to do, is to select the scoring format. There are three small radio buttons (small circle), so click on the scoring format you prefer. The results may vary based on the scoring format you select.
Popular Week 17 Searches. Curious to see some tough lineup decisions for Week 17 (2025)? Below you will find a list of some popular Who Should I Start? searches that RotoBaller readers are looking at this week. Click any of the links to see the result and recommendation.
Popular Week 17 Searches - Start/Sit Player Comparisons
Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Start tool for Week 17 for Baker Mayfield, Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Shough, Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Shedeur Sanders, Drake Maye, Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rodgers:
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