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In most league formats, the fantasy football playoffs start in Week 16. For the quarterback position, all starters are in play — for better or worse.
Well, except for Patrick Mahomes, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL as the Chiefs’ playoff hopes for this season also ended.
Luckily, in most fantasy games, quarterback replacements from the waiver wire at least have a high weekly floor compared to other positions, and Mahomes managers have plenty of replacements.
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Fantasy QB Rankings Week 17: Start-sit quarterback lineup advice for your league playoffs
These Week 17 quarterback rankings are based on 4-point passing touchdowns and one point for every 25 passing yards.
↕️ Fantasy Rankings for Week 17
| Rk | Tr | Name | TM | OPP |
| 1 | 1 | Drake Maye | NE | @NYJ |
| 2 | 1 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | @ATL |
| 3 | 1 | Trevor Lawrence | JAX | @IND |
| 4 | 2 | Jalen Hurts | PHI | @BUF |
| 5 | 2 | Brock Purdy | SF | CHI |
| 6 | 2 | Bo Nix | DEN | @KC |
| 7 | 3 | Caleb Williams | CHI | @SF |
| 8 | 3 | Josh Allen | BUF | PHI |
| 9 | 3 | Jared Goff | DET | @MIN |
| 10 | 4 | Joe Burrow | CIN | ARI |
| 11 | 4 | Dak Prescott | DAL | @WAS |
| 12 | 4 | Jacoby Brissett | ARI | @CIN |
| 13 | 4 | Baker Mayfield | TB | @MIA |
| 14 | 4 | Jaxson Dart | NYG | @LV |
| 15 | 5 | Sam Darnold | SEA | @CAR |
| 16 | 5 | Justin Herbert | LAC | HOU |
| 17 | 5 | Aaron Rodgers | PIT | @CLE |
| 18 | 5 | Bryce Young | CAR | SEA |
| 19 | 6 | Tyler Shough | NO | @TEN |
| 20 | 6 | Kirk Cousins | ATL | LAR |
| 21 | 6 | Quinn Ewers | MIA | TB |
| 22 | 6 | Tyler Huntley | BAL | @GB |
| 23 | 6 | Shedeur Sanders | CLE | PIT |
| 24 | 6 | Geno Smith | LV | NYG |
| 25 | 7 | Malik Willis | GB | BAL |
| 26 | 7 | C.J. Stroud | HOU | @LAC |
| 27 | 7 | Philip Rivers | IND | JAX |
| 28 | 7 | Cam Ward | TEN | NO |
| 29 | 8 | Josh Johnson | WAS | DAL |
| 30 | 8 | Max Brosmer | MIN | DET |
| 31 | 8 | Brady Cook | NYJ | NE |
| 32 | 9 | Chris Oladokun | KC | DEN |
| 33 | 10 | Riley Leonard | IND | JAX |
| 34 | 10 | Tua Tagovailoa | MIA | TB |
| 35 | 10 | Kenny Pickett | LV | NYG |
| 36 | 10 | Dillon Gabriel | CLE | PIT |
| 37 | 10 | Kedon Slovis | ARI | @CIN |
| 38 | 10 | Mason Rudolph | PIT | @CLE |
| 39 | 11 | Jameis Winston | NYG | @LV |
| 40 | 11 | Davis Mills | HOU | @LAC |
| 41 | 11 | Joe Flacco | CIN | ARI |
| 42 | 11 | Nick Mullens | JAX | @IND |
| 43 | 11 | Tanner McKee | PHI | @BUF |
| 44 | 11 | Teddy Bridgewater | TB | @MIA |
| 45 | 11 | Trey Lance | LAC | HOU |
| 46 | 11 | Jake Browning | CIN | ARI |
| INJ | — | Lamar Jackson | BAL | @GB |
| INJ | — | Jordan Love | GB | BAL |
| INJ | — | J.J. McCarthy | MIN | DET |
| INJ | — | Marcus Mariota | WAS | DAL |
| INJ | — | Gardner Minshew | KC | DEN |
| IR | — | Jayden Daniels | WAS | DAL |
| IR | — | Patrick Mahomes | KC | DEN |
| IR | — | Daniel Jones | IND | JAX |
| QUE | — | Justin Fields | NYJ | NE |
| QUE | — | Tyrod Taylor | NYJ | NE |
📋 BEST PLAYOFF PICKUPS: Week 17 waiver wire guide
Which QB injuries should I monitor for fantasy Week 17?
Too many, really:
- The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (back) left Sunday Night Football with a back injury, replaced by Tyler Huntley.
- Jordan Love (concussion) was replaced by Malik Willis during the Packers’ Saturday night loss to the rival Bears.
- J.J. McCarthy (hand) might need season-ending surgery, leaving the Vikings to be stuck with potentially another Max Brosmer experiment.
- Marcus Mariota (throwing hand/quadriceps) day-to-day for the Commanders, leaving the definition of “journeyman” Josh Johnson as a possible replacement with Jayden Daniels (elbow) already shut down for the season.
- The Chiefs fear that Gardner Minshew suffered some type of season-ending knee injury. With Patrick Mahomes (torn ACL) already done for the year, that leaves Chris Oladokun as a possibility to take snaps while Kansas City plays out the string on its lost season.
Who are the best Week 17 fantasy QBs?
Who’s left? Trevor Lawrence has etched his name into the “breakout star” list from this season, who heading into his three-touchdown Week 16 hadn’t finished lower than QB13 in his previous six outings — including back-to-back QB1 overall finishes before Sunday.
The magical Liam Coen potion has revitalized another lost quarterback at the best possible time for fantasy players.
That being said, Lawrence sits behind Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, who thrived even with Davante Adams (hamstring) on the sidelines.
🐐 See where Trevor Lawrence ranks among QBs: Who has the most fantasy points in a game?
Who are the best Start ‘Em QBs for Week 17?
While calling them “sleepers” is a stretch, the fact that every healthy QB is available shouldn’t keep us from giving these names a boost:
- With the surging 49ers’ full cast of characters healthy, Brock Purdy is a strong top-5 option against a Bears secondary that caught a break with Jordan Love’s injury Saturday. That defensive backfield will wilt against San Francisco’s cadre of pass-catchers.
- Keep rolling out Joe Burrow (vs. Cardinals) and Dak Prescott (at Commanders), despite both teams’ elimination from postseason contention.
- The Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield should rebound after a tough draw against the Panthers against a Dolphins defense that won’t contain Mike Evans and co.
- Tyler Shough (at Titans), Kirk Cousins (vs. Rams), and even Quinn Ewers (vs. Buccaneers) deserve superflex/2QB matchup consideration, too, especially if you’ve lost Mahomes or Daniels recently and/or could face more injury woes with any of the handful in jeopardy.
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Who are the riskiest Sit ‘Em QBs for Week 17?
We’re not keen on taking any of the top 13 quarterbacks out of lineups, but if you’re streaming, Sam Darnold could fall short of QB1 expectations against a Panthers defense that can contain top quarterbacks.
Same goes for Justin Herbert, who must deal with the Texans’ elite pass defense.
Which fantasy QBs are on bye this week?
The NFL has no more weekly byes for the 2025 regular season. All active fantasy players are available for lineups.