Fantasy Football Playoffs Week 17 Quarterback Preview: Championship streaming options, DFS plays, and more

Caleb Williams, Kyler Murray, and Anthony Richardson all scored at least 22 Fantasy points in Week 16. There’s a decent chance if you started them in your Fantasy Football semifinal you have a decision to make in Week 17. And there’s a good chance if you’re rostering one of these three quarterbacks you have accustomed to making difficult lineup decisions.

For Week 17 my favorite of the three is Murray. He’s been the best of the three so far this season, with an average of 19 FPPG, and he has the longest history of starter production in Fantasy. Murray faces a Rams defense that he torched earlier this year to the tune of 34.5 Fantasy points. Of course, Murray also has the downside of six interceptions and just four passing TDs in his last five games combined. You also never know how a team is going to respond the week after being knocked out of the playoffs like Murray’s Cardinals just were.

Williams is my second favorite for Week 17 as he faces Seattle on Thursday night. Since Week 12 he has been the number eight QB in Fantasy, with an average of 23.6 FPPG. He has at least 27 yards rushing in five of his last six games but still hasn’t scored a touchdown on the ground all season. The 20-point implied total for his Bears on Thursday night is the lowest of these three quarterbacks and highlights the risk of starting Williams.

Speaking of risk, I’m not sure there has been a more boom/bust QB in Fantasy than Anthony Richardson this season. Last week was his fourth of the season with at least 22 Fantasy points. He also has six games with fewer than 15 Fantasy points. I wouldn’t even put Richardson in the same class as Murray and Williams if it wasn’t for his choice matchup against the New York Giants. That matchup is why Richardson’s Colts have an implied total of 24.25, and why Richardson still ranks as a borderline top-12 QB.

Let’s get to the rest of the preview:

Fantasy Football Week 17 QB Preview

• 27 — Matthew Stafford has thrown 27 passes or fewer in three of his last four games. That’s not enough volume for a QB who does nothing with his legs.
• 256 — Aaron Rodgers has thrown for at least 256 yards in three straight games. If he gets a second touchdown he’s a Fantasy starter.
• 23.1 — Patrick Mahomes has averaged 23.1 FPPG since Week 8. He’s a low-end starter.
• 8 — Justin Herbert had eight rush attempts last week against Denver. Hopefully his ankle is closer to 100%.
• 11 — Anthony Richardson has scored at least 11 Fantasy points as a rusher each of the last three weeks.

My full set of Week 17 Fantasy football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. You’ll find them here. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don’t live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 17. Projected stats for all starting running backs are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.