Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Wide Receivers for Fantasy Football Week 17

Michael Fabiano | 13 Hours Ago

Terry McLaurin (left) is a start this week while Marvin Harrison Jr (right) is a sit. / Marvin Harrison Jr: Todd Rosenberg/Getty ImagesTerry McLaurin: Cooper Neill/Getty Images

It’s fantasy championship week, folks! Let’s set those fantasy lineups and take home a championship! Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I'll examine the quarterbacks who could either exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent.

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Fabs’ Top 10 Wide Receivers

1. Ja’Marr Chase vs. Broncos (Sat.)
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown at 49ers (Mon.)
3. Justin Jefferson vs. Packers
4. Nico Collins vs. Ravens (Wed.)
5. CeeDee Lamb at Eagles
6. Puka Nacua vs. Cardinals (Sat.)
7. A.J. Brown vs. Cowboys
8. Mike Evans vs. Panthers
9. Terry McLaurin vs. Falcons
10. Brian Thomas Jr. at Titans

Complete Week 17 wide receiver rankings

Week 17 Start ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Terry McLaurin is the Week 17 WR Start of the Week. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Start of the Week

Terry McLaurin vs. Falcons (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC): McLaurin is low-hanging fruit as far as fantasy predictions, but the matchup against the Falcons makes him a potential top-five wideout this week. Their pass defense has allowed eight touchdown catches, 14.5 yards per catch and the most fantasy points to opposing perimeter receivers over the last eight weeks. In what could be a shootout on Sunday night, McLaurin should post huge totals.

Start ‘Em

Brian Thomas Jr. vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Thomas Jr. is the hottest wide receiver in fantasy football, scoring a combined 60.7 points in his last two games. He’s a virtual set-it-and-forget-it player in championship week, as he faces a Titans defense he beat for eight catches, 86 yards and 16.6 fantasy points back in Week 14. Thomas Jr., who has a very high first-read rate from Mac Jones, could be a major fantasy league winner.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba at Bears (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): Smith-Njigba had yet another big stat line last week, scoring 24 points. He has now finished with no less than 19.6 points in six of his last seven games, and he’s seen a bananas 24 targets in the last two weeks. He should remain a must-start player against the Bears, who have allowed three touchdowns and the sixth-most fantasy points to slot receivers since Week 13.

Courtland Sutton at Bengals (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network): Sutton has seen his point totals decline in three straight weeks, culminating in a 10-point stat line in last week’s loss to the Chargers. I’d continue to start him this week, however, as Sutton has a great matchup against the Bengals next on the schedule. Their defense has allowed 13-plus points to wideouts 15 times, including 10 who have beaten them for 18-plus points.

Jakobi Meyers at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Meyers has seen his stats decline in each of his last five games, but he should bounce back in a plus matchup against the Saints. Over the last eight weeks, their defense has given up eight touchdown catches and the seventh-most points per game to the perimeter. So, even though Meyers has not put up great numbers lately, he’s still worth a look as a flex starter in championship week.

WRs With Good Matchups

• DJ Moore vs. Seahawks (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
• DeVonta Smith vs. Cowboys (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
• Calvin Ridley at Jaguars (1 p.m. ET, CBS)

Week 17 Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

Marvin Harrison Jr. is the Week 17 WR Sit of the Week. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Sit of the Week

Marvin Harrison Jr. at Rams (Sat. 8:15 p.m. ET, NFL Network): Harrison Jr. was in all likelihood my biggest preseason whiff. Despite all the things that seemed to line up for him, he’s been held to single digits in three straight games and four of his last five. He’s averaging just 10.9 points per game this year. So, while he did beat the Rams for 130 yards and 29 points back in Week 2, it’s impossible to trust him in championship week.

Sit ‘Em

Jerry Jeudy vs. Dolphins (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Jeudy was one of the hottest wide receivers in fantasy football, but Jameis Winston’s benching has thrown cold water on his stats. In Week 16, with Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center, Jeudy scored just four points. That’s a far cry from the 21.1 points per game he averaged with Winston. If DTR gets the call again this week, Jeudy will once again be a sit ‘em, this time against the Dolphins.

DeAndre Hopkins at Steelers (Wed. 1 p.m. ET, Netflix): Hopkins has seen his numbers tumble in the last three weeks, scoring no more than 13.2 fantasy points while putting up single digits in each of his last two games. Last weekend’s return of Hollywood Brown has also created more confusion in terms of the target share in what is suddenly a crowded Chiefs pass attack, so Hopkins will be tough to trust in fantasy championship week.

Michael Pittman Jr. at Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Pittman Jr. continues to struggle in the stat sheets, as he’s failed to score double digits in three straight games and seven of his last eight games overall. A matchup against the Giants isn’t great on paper either, as their defense has allowed five touchdowns and the eighth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers in the last eight games. Keep Pittman Jr. on the sidelines this weekend.

Jameson Williams vs. 49ers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Williams is coming off a huge, 26-point performance in a win over the Bears. That makes it tough to sit him, and a game against the 49ers could turn into a shootout. Still, the Niners have allowed just 64.4 yards per game to the perimeter, not to mention the third-fewest points to the position in the last eight weeks. That includes holding Tyreek Hill to a mere 29 yards one week ago.

WRs With Bad Matchups

• Quentin Johnston at Patriots (Sat. 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network)
• Darnell Mooney at Commanders (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
• Amari Cooper vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS)