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Andy's potential Week 17 busts, fantasy football start 'em, sit 'em picks for players who may disappoint. You should consider benching these players in Week 17.
The fantasy championships are here. After a long season of navigating the waiver wire and making trades, your roster is all but set for the final matchup of the year.
As we have all seasons long, we will spotlight one player from each position and analyze if they are a potential lineup bust to avoid in the week's slate of games.
Who should fantasy managers bench in Week 17? Let's dive in!
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Potential Fantasy Football Lineup Busts
QB Bo Nix (DEN) @ KC
Bo Nix has been a reliable QB1 throughout the season. Managers who started him last week were rewarded with one of his best showings of the season as he completed 28-for-47 passes with 352 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Over his last four games, Nix has exceeded 21 PPR fantasy points in all but one game and has averaged a strong 23.7 PPR points per game overall during this span.
Nix. Sutton. SIX.
JAXvsDEN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/XHg8wZueN5
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
However, managers should pivot to an alternative low-end QB1 in their championship. In Week 17, Nix will face the Kansas City Chiefs, who have allowed the 11th-fewest PPR points to opposing QBs. Even though the Chiefs are out of the playoff picture, they still boast one of the toughest defenses in the league.
They held Justin Herbert to just 210 yards back in Week 15 and C.J. Stroud to only 203 yards the week prior.
RB Kyren Williams (LAR) @ ATL
Kyren Williams has still maintained his lead role in the backfield, but he has begun to cede work to second-year back Blake Corum. Over his last six games, Williams has only logged more than 15 carries just once, but has still maintained a high fantasy floor as a high-end RB2 given his scoring upside, punching in five rushing scores over this stretch.
In Week 17, the Rams will face Atlanta's rushing defense, which ranks middle of the pack in terms of PPR fantasy points allowed to the position. However, with the Rams entering as heavy 7.5-point favorites, managers should expect the No. 2 option, Corum, to be given a heavy workload as they look to preserve Williams for the postseason.
If the Rams take care of business in the first half, Williams may fall under the 15-carry mark. While he is not a must-sit, do not be surprised if he falls in the mid-end RB2 territory this weekend.
WR Ladd McConkey (LAC) vs. HOU
Ladd McConkey entered Week 16 in the midst of a rough stretch but was able to snap the skid by bringing in four of his six targets for 43 yards and a score during the team's victory over the Cowboys. In Week 14 and Week 15, McConkey caught just three total passes for a mere 32 yards. Since Week 9, McConkey has been more bust than boom, as he has only eclipsed the double-digit PPR point mark three times over these seven games.
Justin Herbert finds a wide open Ladd McConkey for a Chargers touchdown
LACvsDAL on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/BrC1NvcOLd
— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025
Managers should expect another quiet showing from the Chargers' top wideout as he will line up against a Houston secondary that is allowing the second-fewest PPR fantasy points to top receiving WRs this season.
TE Travis Kelce (KC) vs. DEN
The final player to consider keeping out of your Week 17 lineups is Travis Kelce of the Chiefs. Even though top wideout Rashee Rice (concussion) is trending toward missing another game, Kelce should only be relied on as a high-end TE2 in deeper 12+ team leagues this weekend.
Currently, the KC QB room is decimated with injuries as both Patrick Mahomes (knee) and Gardner Minshew (knee) are out for the season. This leaves third-stringer Chris Oladokun as the expected starter on Christmas Day. In relief last weekend, Oladokun went 11-for-16 with just 111 yards and no scores.
Kelce caught just one of his four targets for six yards in this contest. Facing a potent Denver defense, do not expect the KC offense to find its footing.
Read more player news and updates for Week 17
Who Should I Start Tool
Not sure who to start? Check out the Who Should I Start tool:
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions are regarding players like Bo Nix, Kyren Williams, Ladd McConkey, and Travis Kelce. But not to worry, we are here to help 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.
Week 17 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players -- Bo Nix, Kyren Williams, Ladd McConkey, Travis Kelce. 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's name. In the second box, search for the second player's 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, enhanced search results with data to compare, and 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 circles), 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 Week 17 searches and comparisons from our 'Who To Start' tool for Bo Nix, Kyren Williams, Ladd McConkey, Travis Kelce compared to others:
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