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Who Should I Start for Week 17? Fantasy Football outlooks for Malik Willis, Brock Purdy, Jaxson Dart, Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers, Sam Darnold.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Malik Willis, Brock Purdy, Jaxson Dart Justin Herbert Philip Rivers, Sam Darnold. 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.
Compare up to four players and we'll tell you who to start...
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:
Malik Willis, QB, Green Bay Packers
He also rushed 10 times for an additional 44 yards on the ground. Willis suffered a shoulder injury in the process. He's currently questionable for this game, but he'll make the start for the Packers if he's cleared to play. Otherwise, Clayton Tune might come off the practice squad and start if Willis is also ruled out. Willis is enough of a dual threat to be viewed as an option in superflex formats. Fantasy managers in standard 12-team formats should be able to find a more trustworthy streaming option at QB.
Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
The Bears have given up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks and are tied with two other teams for the third-most passing touchdowns allowed. Tight end George Kittle (ankle) will be a game-time decision, but deep threat Ricky Pearsall (knee, ankle) is trending towards playing. Purdy projects as a QB1 given his recent track record and favorable matchup, making him a worthy starter in the fantasy championship round.
Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
The Texans' pass rush, led by Will Anderson Jr., poses a significant threat to a Chargers offensive line that remains in shambles with Jamaree Salyer (hamstring) ruled out. Given that Houston has allowed the fewest passing yards per game, Herbert may need to replicate his recent rushing success to salvage his fantasy floor. Despite his elite talent, the lack of protection and the opponent's lockdown secondary cap his ceiling in the championship round. He is a mid-range QB2 this week.
Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis Colts
However, on Monday evening, Rivers took a massive step forward, going 23-for-35 with 277 yards, two scores, and just one interception during their loss to the 49ers. On Sunday, Rivers has a very favorable matchup against a Jaguars defense that is allowing the ninth-most PPR points to opposing QBs. Rivers carries high-end QB2 upside and viable streaming appeal for those in deeper 12+ team one-QB formats.
Sam Darnold, QB, Seattle Seahawks
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.
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 - Malik Willis, Brock Purdy, Jaxson Dart, Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers, Sam Darnold. 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 Malik Willis, Brock Purdy, Jaxson Dart, Justin Herbert, Philip Rivers, Sam Darnold:
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