Fantasy Football Playoffs Quarterback Rankings - Weeks 16, 17

December 17, 2025

Fantasy football playoffs quarterback rankings - Weeks 16, 17 rankings for 2025. Read the top-accuracy fantasy football playoffs rankings for half-PPR leagues.

If you don't have a must-start stud at QB, you've likely played the matchups and streaming game at the position all season long. Making the right call at QB has never been more important, so we're here to help you with our fantasy football playoffs quarterback rankings for Weeks 16 and 17. In these rest-of-season rankings, you will see where signal-callers like Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford, J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix, Jordan Love, Jared Goff, and Marcus Mariota stand among all top 32 QB options.

Nick Mariano puts together our fantasy football playoffs rankings. Below the rankings, you will also find a summary of the important fantasy football news for this week. There are always key injuries and developments to keep track of, so check back throughout the week for updates.

Be sure to bookmark our fantasy football rankings portal and check back regularly for updates. Most importantly, our free mobile app is a must-have - download it and configure your push notifications. We deliver all the top NFL news, injuries, and fantasy analysis 24x7 with our free push notification alerts... all for free!

Fantasy Football Playoffs Positional Rankings

Be sure to check out all of our fantasy football playoffs rankings:

• Overall fantasy football playoffs rankings (all positions)
• Running Back fantasy football playoffs rankings
• Wide Receiver fantasy football playoffs rankings
• Tight End fantasy football playoffs rankings
• Kicker fantasy football playoffs rankings
• D/ST fantasy football playoffs rankings
• FLEX fantasy football playoffs rankings

Fantasy Football Playoffs Quarterback Rankings (Weeks 16, 17)

Fantasy Football Playoffs Quarterback Rankings Outlooks

Jaxson Dart, New York Giants

After missing two games due to a concussion, New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart recorded a season-low four rush attempts in his first game back against the New England Patriots in Week 14. However, Dart got back to his aggressive style of play in Week 15 against the Washington Commanders, recording 63 rushing yards on nine attempts. The 22-year-old also completed 20 of 36 pass attempts for 246 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Across 11 games (nine starts) in 2025, Dart has thrown for 1,802 yards and 13 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 400 yards and seven scores. When healthy and let loose, Dart has proven to be one of the NFL's premier dual-threat quarterbacks. As long as New York continues to let him run, Dart's legs give him fantasy upside every week. The Giants will face the Minnesota Vikings in Week 16 and the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 17.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold has only turned in two solid fantasy days in his last six outings. Darnold and the Seahawks' offense have failed to do well to find the end zone in recent weeks. Additionally, Darnold has been turning the ball over far too much. Although the Seahawks continue to win, their recent success is largely attributed to their stellar defensive play. Based on what we saw earlier in the season, we know what Darnold and this offense are capable of.

However, NFL defensive coordinators are very adaptable, and they may have figured out the ticket to stopping Seattle. With matchups against the Rams, Panthers, and 49ers remaining, Darnold will face three solid-to-great defenses in a row. Streaming Darnold was fun earlier in the season, but it may not be feasible in the fantasy playoffs.

Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Gardner Minshew is in line to start the rest of the season after Patrick Mahomes (knee) suffered a torn ACL in the Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. Minshew completed three of five passes for 22 yards and a game-ending interception in relief of Mahomes in the fourth quarter. The 29-year-old has been serviceable in the past as a starter, with his best season coming in 2023 with the Indianapolis Colts. He completed 62.3% of his passes for 3,305 yards, 15 touchdowns, and nine interceptions in 13 starts.

Minshew most recently started for the Las Vegas Raiders last season, where he wasn't quite as effective in a worse offensive environment, throwing more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (nine) over nine starts. Minshew doesn't profile as a fantasy option in standard formats, but he has appeal in superflex leagues for a favorable Week 16 matchup against the Tennessee Titans.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson said last week that he was "feeling better" after battling through multiple lower-body injuries this season, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN. Although Jackson's performance was pedestrian in the 24-0 shutout win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the team snapped a two-game losing streak, and Jackson looked more like himself. He had the fewest completions of his eight-year career in a full game with eight, throwing for 150 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

The two-time MVP's 136 passing yards were his most in a first half this season, and he was back to producing touchdowns and stretching the field. Jackson ended a career-worst streak of five games without multiple TD passes. The 28-year-old's production has dipped recently in tandem with his reduced practice time, as he's missed at least one full practice in each of the last five games due to ankle, knee, and toe ailments. If Jackson is indeed putting his injuries in the rearview mirror, we could finally start to see the high-end QB1 version, although it might already be too late for fantasy managers.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud is coming off one of his most efficient performances of the season against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15, completing 22 of 29 passes for three touchdowns. It marked his fourth game this season in which he completed more than 75% of his passes with at least two touchdown passes, tying for the second-most in the league.

The third-year signal-caller is emerging as a strong streaming option with the Texans' offense finding its best form and an ideal Week 16 matchup on deck against the Las Vegas Raiders. While he doesn't add much value as a runner, Stroud is showing the passing upside to be worth consideration as a plug-and-play starter this week.

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy had a rough start to the season, with mistakes and injuries keeping him from being a fantasy option in almost all formats. In the last few weeks, though, the Michigan man has found a very nice groove while leading his team to wins over the Commanders and Cowboys. On Sunday Night Football, he completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 250 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 15 rushing yards and a third score on the ground.

He has six total touchdowns and just one turnover in those two games, and he has a great matchup to keep his momentum going in Week 16 as the Vikings head to New York and face the Giants. If you're looking for a second QB or are desperate for a streaming option, McCarthy's rushing potential makes him a solid snatch and start option this week.

Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota will remain under center for the rest of the regular season after the team officially shut down Jayden Daniels (elbow) for the final three games. Mariota has started seven games this season and has posted top-10 fantasy value in three of them.

The 32-year-old had a less-than-ideal outing versus the New York Giants on Sunday, throwing for 211 yards with a touchdown while rushing the ball 10 times for 43 yards on the ground. He doesn't have the strongest arm, but his dual-threat ability gives Mariota streaming appeal the rest of the way. He'll head into a challenging matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16. Mariota should still offer superflex value as a QB2 in a difficult home matchup.

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