Week 17 Fantasy Football Start/Sit Candidates: Quarterbacks
Wondering whom to start and sit at quarterback this week? Below are two top-notch start and two sit options at the quarterback position for Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season.
Week 16 Review – half-PPR scoring
Starts
- QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) @ Miami Dolphins – 14.32 fantasy points (QB14)
- QB Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks) @ Kansas City Chiefs – 13.20 fantasy points (T-QB18)
- QB Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) vs. New York Giants – 24.16 fantasy points (QB6)
Sits
- QB Derek Carr (Las Vegas Raiders) @ Pittsburgh Steelers – 9.36 fantasy points (QB27)
Quarterback – Starts
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions) vs. Chicago Bears
The Detroit Lions versus Chicago Bears game is the only Week 17 matchup whose over/under, 52.0 points, is set higher than 49.5 points.
Chicago’s 19.9 fantasy points allowed makes for fantasy football’s fifth-most quarterback-friendly defense, per 4for4’s Schedule-Adjusted Fantasy Points Allowed, setting up Detroit quarterback Jared Goff for a ceiling game.
Detroit’s top-eight 8.8% explosive pass play pairs nicely with Chicago’s 8.5% explosive pass plays allowed rate, the 10th highest in the league per 4for4’s NFL Team Stats Explorer.
Chicago placed cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kindle Vindor on Injured Reserve last week.
Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers) @ Las Vegas Raiders
The San Francisco 49ers are implied to score a fantasy-friendly 25.25 points against the Las Vegas Raiders and fill-in quarterback Brock Purdy has a smash spot this week as Las Vegas is allowing 18.4 fantasy points per game, the ninth most in the NFL.
The table below ranks Purdy’s passing data among 41 NFL quarterbacks with at least 125 dropbacks. The data comes from 4for4’s NFL Player Stats Explorer.
| NFL QB Passing | Pass EPA/Play | Comp. Rate | Adj. Yards/Attempt | TD Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brock Purdy | 0.195 (No. 5) | 67.0% (No. 9) | 8.15 (No. 5) | 7.0% (No. 1) |
Las Vegas coverage linebacker Denzel Perryman’s career year was just derailed due to a dislocated shoulder suffered in Week 16 and running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle will be running free as a result.
Since taking over as the starter in Week 13, Purdy’s three rush attempts inside the opponent’s five-yard line are tied for second-most among all NFL quarterbacks, per SportsInfoSolutions.
Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) @ Green Bay Packers
The Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers game boasts a boisterous 48.5-point over/under.
Minnesota’s passing game is on a three-game heater, averaging 360.7 yards per game with a 12.4% explosive pass plays rate, both marks sitting atop the league. Their 12.6% play-action rate ranks No. 4.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins heads to Green Bay to face a banged-up defense missing edge rusher Rashan Gary, cornerback Eric Stokes, and potentially both safety Rudy Ford and slot cornerback Keisean Nixon. Cousins threw for 277 yards and a pair of touchdowns versus a far healthier Green Bay in Week 1.
*Checkout out our full QB Rankings here.
Quarterback – Sits
Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks) vs. New York Jets
The Seattle Seahawks offer fantasy managers a lackluster 20.25-point implied team total versus the New York Jets’ fourth-ranked pass defense (193.4 passing yards allowed per game).
New York has not allowed a 300-yard passer this year and just one quarterback has tallied north of 252 passing yards. Quarterbacks are averaging just 12.5 fantasy points per game against them, putting Seattle’s Geno Smith in a tight spot, likely without wide receiver Tyler Lockett (finger). Smith struggled without his route running savant in tow last week, throwing for just 215 yards, his lowest single-game sum since Week 8.
