• The San Francisco 49ers might lose badly to the Lions, but Brock Purdy is still a great start in Week 17: Despite recent poor play from Purdy, he has still scored over 20 fantasy points in two of the last three weeks. Purdy should have no issues putting up a huge fantasy day on Monday night against an injury-riddled Detroit Lions defense.
• Terry McLaurin is eyeing the franchise record: McLaurin needs one more touchdown to break the Washington Commanders‘ single-season receiving TD record. He has a great chance to find the end zone at least once this Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons defense, which has allowed the most touchdowns to the WR position this year.
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Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
Are you struggling to set your championship fantasy lineup? Maybe I can help… Below you can find my top fire (boom) and ice (bust) players at each position for Week 17. I also include my sleeper of the week at each position in case you are in a deeper league or in need of a replacement for an ice player.
Don’t miss my Fire & Ice chart at the bottom of this page. There, I have listed out all of my fire, good, sleeper and ice plays for Week 17 of the 2024 fantasy football season.
Quarterbacks
Fire QB Start of the Week: Brock Purdy (vs. DET)
The 2024 San Francisco 49ers offense has been an overall massive disappointment, and Brock Purdy has been struggling to lead his team to many points as of late, but that hasn’t stopped him from putting up 21 and 22 fantasy points in two of the last three weeks. If the weather is bearable, Purdy is a good fantasy asset. In his previous seven games that he has not played in either a blizzard or downpour, he has averaged 22 fantasy points per game.
Purdy will have to throw a ton in this matchup to keep up with the Detroit Lions’ high-flying offense. I expect a 300-plus-yard and multiple-touchdown performance from him on Monday night.
Sleeper QB of the Week: Anthony Richardson (at NYG)
Anthony Richardson has scored at least 20 fantasy points in three of his five games since being “un-benched.” He has scored five rushing touchdowns during that span with a season-high 70 rush yards in Week 16.
The New York Giants have allowed three different quarterbacks to put up 50-plus rush yards in their matchup against them this season – Geno Smith had a career-high 72 rush yards against them in Week 5, Joe Burrow had a season-high 55 rush yards and his only rush TD of the season against them in Week 6, and Lamar Jackson put up his typical 65 rush yards against them in Week 15,
Ice QB Start of the Week: Aaron Rodgers (at BUF)
Rodgers had a big game against the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ porous defense in Week 15 but came right back down to life in Week 16 against the Los Angeles Rams. His 30-point performance against the Jaguars was just his third fantasy performance with 18-plus points this season. The Bills have not allowed a quarterback to hit 18 fantasy points against them in Buffalo this season.
Running Backs
Fire RB Start of the Week: Bucky Irving (vs. CAR)
Last weekend, Bucky Irving played on 57% of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ snaps in Week 16, his most in a game since Week 6, and had 16 carries, while no other Tampa Bay running back had more than three. Irving gets a great matchup in championship weekend against the Carolina Panthers defense that has allowed the most rushing yards and fantasy points to the running back position in 2024. In the Buccaneers' first matchup against the Panthers this season (Week 13), Irving led the offense with 25 carries, 152 rush yards and a rushing touchdown. He scored 26 points in that game and finished as the top fantasy RB that week.
Sleeper RB of the Week: Tyjae Spears (at JAX)
Tyjae Spears has sneakily been a fantasy beast, scoring 49 fantasy points over the last two weeks. He played on a season-high 61% of the Tennesee Titans offensive snaps in Week 16 while out-snapping Tony Pollard 36-23 in addition to getting each of the team’s four red zone carries and both goal-line attempts in the game.
Spears should have his third straight big fantasy performance this weekend against the Jaguars who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to running backs this year, behind only the Carolina Panthers. Even the Las Vegas Raiders‘ underwhelming RB duo of Ameer Abdullah and Alexander Mattison each put up over 15 fantasy points a piece against the Jaguars in Week 16.
Ice RB Start of the Week: Rico Dowdle (at PHI)
Rico Dowdle should only be trusted in fantasy lineups when he has a favorable matchup — he is not the type of back that will overcome tough run defenses. Last week, against the Buccaneers' top-five run defense, Dowdle averaged just 1.8 yards per carry while scoring only 8.1 fantasy points. He gets another hard matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, who have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs this year.
Dowdle has scored just one rushing touchdown this entire season and will need to be heavily involved in the passing game to have a good fantasy day in Philadephia. Unfortunately, he has had three or fewer targets in each of his last five games.
Wide Receivers
Fire WR Start of the Week: Terry McLaurin (vs. ATL)
Ja’Marr Chase (16) is the only player in the NFL with more receiving touchdowns than Terry McLaurin (12) this season. McLaurin needs just one more touchdown to break the Commanders' single-season receiving touchdown record, and he will have a fantastic opportunity this Sunday to do it. No defense has allowed more receiving touchdowns to wide receivers than the Atlanta Falcons in 2024. I am predicting a 100-plus yards and multi-touchdown performance from McLaurin this week.
Sleeper WR Start of the Week: Jauan Jennings (vs. DET)
Outside of his big Week 14 performance, it has been a rough stretch for Jauan Jennings since Week 12. But to give that stretch context … Brandon Allen started at QB for the 49ers in Lambeau in Week 12, Jennings played in a blizzard in Week 13 in Buffalo, and then torrential downpour in Week 15, and lastly had to see a ton of Jalen Ramsey in coverage last weekend.
Jennings has averaged 10 targets, 91 receiving yards and 23 fantasy points per game over his last three matchups that he wasn’t either playing with a backup QB, playing in terrible weather, or being shadowed by Jalen Ramsey.
Ice WR Start of the Week: DeVonta Smith (vs. DAL)
With Jalen Hurts still in concussion protocol and Kenny Pickett dealing with a rib injury, the Philadelphia Eagles may have to turn to Ian Book, who they just signed to their active roster, as their starting QB in Week 17. Either way, if it is Pickett or Book under center, I do not feel confident that DeVonta Smith will be productive against the Dallas Cowboys‘ tough cornerback duo. Smith has had 51 or fewer receiving yards in four of the last five weeks, including a game against the Cowboys in which he scored just 3.4 fantasy points on two receptions for 14 yards.
Tight Ends
Fire TE Start of the Week: George Kittle (vs. DET)
I don’t need to talk anyone into starting George Kittle — he has been a beast all season and has over 100 yards in two of the last three weeks. But … he is on a four-game drought without a receiving touchdown, and I am here to say that will end this weekend.
The Detroit Lions have allowed both Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft and Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet to find the end zone against them since Week 14. This game should be a very high-scoring affair, and I expect Brock Purdy to throw multiple touchdowns — Kittle will come down with at least one of those.
Sleeper TE of the Week: Chig Okonkwo (vs. JAX)
Despite Mason Rudolph starting just four games and Will Levis starting 11, Chig Okonkwo has seen more targets (33) and receptions (24) from Rudolph than Levis this season. Okonkwo has 21 targets and 33 fantasy points over the last two weeks while recording season highs in targets (11), receptions (9), and receiving yards (81) in Week 16. Yes, he was facing defenses that struggles to cover the tight end position in both of those games (CIN and IND), but he gets another favorable matchup this Sunday. The Jacksonville Jaguars have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to tight ends in 2024.
Ice TE Start of the Week: Zach Ertz (vs. ATL)
Zach Ertz has been an OK fantasy producer in games he scores a touchdown, but when he doesn’t find the end zone, his fantasy managers have been highly disappointed. He has averaged just 6.9 fantasy points in the 11 games he had zero touchdowns this year. Ertz has not been putting up many receiving yards, with fewer than 40 in each of his last four games. This is not a favorable matchup for TD-dependent tight ends as the Atlanta Falcons have allowed just three touchdowns to tight ends all season long.
Fire & Ice Fantasy Football Plays
Here, I categorize every relevant fantasy player into five different buckets: (1) fire starts (best starts of the week); (2) thumbs up (good starts); (3) Risky players with upside (sleepers); (4) Ice starts (predicting bad performance from good player); (5) Stop (must sits).
Note: If a player/defense is not listed, I am not considering starting them in your Week 17 fantasy championship lineups. 7. Also, I did not include Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, or Houston Texans players as they already played on Christmas Day.
Fire 🔥
- QB: Josh Allen, Jayden Daniels, Joe Burrow, Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts (if he plays),
- RB: Saquon Barkley, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jonathan Taylor, Bijan Robinson, Kyren Williams, Bucky Irving
- WR: Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson, Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua, Brian Thomas Jr., Tee Higgins, Keenan Allen
- TE: George Kittle, Brock Bowers, Jonnu Smith, Trey McBride
- DEF: Colts, Dolphins, Chargers
Thumbs Up 👍
- QB: Jared Goff, Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix, Sam Darnold
- RB: Zach Charbonnet, De’Von Achane, Chase Brown, Josh Jacobs, James Cook, Chuba Hubbard, Jerome Ford, Aaron Jones
- WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, A.J. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Davante Adams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Courtland Sutton, Ladd McConkey, Jordan Addison, Malik Nabers, Mike Evans, Tyreek Hill, Cooper Kupp, Garrett Wilson, Jauan Jennings, Adam Thielen
- TE: Sam LaPorta, T.J. Hockenson, Tucker Kraft
- DEF: Vikings, Raiders, Bills, Seahawks, Eagles, Cowboys (if Hurts is out)
Upside 📈
- QB Anthony Richardson, Jordan Love, Caleb Williams, Bryce Young
- RB: Breece Hall, Tyjae Spears, Tyrone Tracy Jr., Brian Robinson Jr., Tank Bigsby, J.K. Dobbins (if he plays), Rachaad White
- WR: Calvin Ridley, Deebo Samuel, DJ Moore, Jameson Williams, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Jakobi Meyers, Darnell Mooney, Jalen McMillan, Josh Downs
- TE: Chig Okonkwo, David Njoku (if he plays), Payne Durham, Hunter Henry, Brenton Strange
- DEF: Packers, Jaguars, Titans, Commanders, Rams, Buccaneers
Ice 🥶
- QB: Kyler Murray, Matthew Stafford, Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers, Geno Smith
- RB: Raiders RBs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Tony Pollard, Travis Etienne
- WR: DeVonta Smith, DK Metcalf, Drake London, Khalil Shakir, Marvin Harrison Jr.
- TE: Zach Ertz, Dalton Kincaid, Cole Kmet, Jake Ferguson
- DEF: Bears, Broncos, Falcons, Saints, Browns, Giants
Stop 🚫
- QB: Drake Maye, Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush
- RB: Broncos RBs, D’Andre Swift, Kendre Miller
- WR: Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Amari Cooper, Michael Pittman Jr., Quentin Johnston, DeMario Douglas
- TE: Kyle Pitts, Tyler Higbee
- DEF: 49ers, Lions, Bengals, Jets