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Who Should I Start for Week 17? Fantasy Football outlooks for Tyler Shough, Dak Prescott, Jacoby Brissett, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Drake Maye, Max Brosmer, Brady Cook.
Who Should I Start? Who Should I Sit? Some of the most common Week 17 fantasy football lineup decisions involve players like Tyler Shough, Dak Prescott, Jacoby Brissett, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Drake Maye, Max Brosmer, Brady Cook. 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:
Max Brosmer, QB, Minnesota Vikings
With Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (hand) ruled out with a hairline fracture in his hand, rookie signal-caller Max Brosmer is in line to make his second start of the season in Week 17 against the Detroit Lions on Christmas Day. Brosmer's first start of 2025 was a disaster, as he completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 126 yards, zero touchdowns, and four interceptions in Minnesota's 26-0 Week 13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
However, the 24-year-old was much better after taking over for McCarthy in Week 16. He completed seven of nine pass attempts for 52 yards and avoided turning the ball over, helping the Vikings hold on for a 16-13 win over the New York Giants. Brosmer's second start will be against a far easier opponent than his first, as the banged-up Lions have allowed at least 27 points in five straight games. Still, fantasy managers may want to downgrade Minnesota's offensive weapons heading into Week 17.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (back) was listed as a non-participant in Tuesday's walkthrough practice, according to Josh Tolentino of The Baltimore Sun. Jackson bruised his back in Sunday night's loss to the New England Patriots in the second quarter and never returned. As of right now, the two-time MVP is being considered day-to-day heading into a Week 17 matchup against the Green Bay Packers on Saturday.
If the 28-year-old signal-caller doesn't improve enough to get the green light to play this weekend, Tyler Huntley would make the start at Lambeau Field. It's been an injury-plagued 2025 campaign for Jackson, which has made him less explosive as a dual threat for fantasy managers. You'll need a backup plan in Week 17 at QB. If Huntley makes the start, he'll merely be a low-end QB2 option in superflex formats in a tough matchup on the road.
Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has been playing really well of late, scoring 17 or more fantasy points in five of his last six starts. What is providing him a safe floor during this stretch is that he is averaging five rush attempts per contest and has built an excellent rapport with wide receiver Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson. For the season (nine games), Shough has thrown for 1,792 yards, completing 66 percent of his passes, thrown for seven touchdowns and five interceptions, and has rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns.
Depending on his matchup for the week, he is borderlining the QB1 ranks, but given his limited experience and upside, he usually finds himself in the QB2 ranks. Shough is a solid Superflex (two-quarterback play) and should be viewed as a higher-end QB2 in Week 17 against the Tennessee Titans, who are vulnerable against the passing game.
Brady Cook, QB, New York Jets
New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn said that Brady Cook will remain the team's starting quarterback, per Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Cook has started each of New York's last two games after taking over for veteran quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the middle of the Jets' Week 14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. An undrafted rookie out of the University of Missouri, Cook has struggled in his first taste of NFL action. Across three games (two starts), he's completed 59.2% of his pass attempts for 527 yards, one touchdown, and six interceptions.
However, there's little incentive at this point in the season for the 3-12 Jets to do anything but attempt to improve their 2026 draft pick, which may be the reason why Glenn is sticking with Cook under center. Heading into a difficult Week 17 matchup against the New England Patriots, fantasy managers should avoid Cook and may want to move away from Jets running back Breece Hall as well.
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 - Tyler Shough, Dak Prescott, Jacoby Brissett, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Drake Maye, Max Brosmer, Brady Cook. 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 Tyler Shough, Dak Prescott, Jacoby Brissett, Brock Purdy, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, Drake Maye, Max Brosmer, Brady Cook:
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