Fantasy Football Week 17 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em QB rankings: Brock Purdy looks to bouce back

Week 17 will mark the conclusion of the 2023 fantasy football season in many leagues. Most formats ignore Week 18 in their playoff tournaments to avoid starters potentially sitting out on NFL teams that have nothing left to play for. Leagues that don't host their championships this week are most likely in their postseason semifinals, so either way, managers are facing elimination games.

In this pivotal week when a loss probably means removal from championship contention, managers must make sure to have their quarterback position solidified. They are often the highest-scoring fantasy football players each week, so they usually play a major role in the outcome of any matchup. To find the best ones, managers should seek out the most favorable weekly situations.

Determining which quarterbacks to target each week is based on a large number of variables. Some of the most important factors to consider include direct weekly matchups, recent individual performances, injury situations to relevant players, projected team score, expected offensive roles and potential game scripts.

Utilizing the Start/Sit Optimizer is one of the best ways to streamline this complicated process. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable on any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. Managers who take advantage of it will gain an edge over their competition, which can be crucial in their quest for a fantasy championship this week.

The optimizer was also used to help generate the following list of potential starts and sits in Week 17. It can be extremely valuable for managers who prefer to stream their weekly quarterbacks, which has become a popular strategy in many fantasy leagues.

This focuses only on their weekly situation, as opposed to their season-long value, to pinpoint specific targets and fades. This strategy highlights the importance of targeting matchups more than previous production.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Start 'Em: Quarterbacks

Murray vs. Mayfield

Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray missed about the first half of the 2023 fantasy football season for the Arizona Cardinals to recover from his offseason surgery. He made an immediate impact when he returned, quickly posting two weekly finishes among the top 10 quarterbacks with his elite combination of passing and rushing.

While Murray has failed to do so again this year since then, he has an ideal opportunity to bounce back in Week 17. The Philadelphia Eagles have been torched by quarterbacks all season long, allowing the most total points to the position this year. In a game script that suggests a pass-heavy approach for the Cardinals, Murray is an excellent lineup option.

Brock Purdy

Brock Purdy turned in a disastrous performance for the San Francisco 49ers, throwing four interceptions and recording zero touchdowns, on Monday. The potential NFL MVP candidate was also benched in favor of Sam Darnold late in the game.

Managers shouldn't worry about Purdy being the starter this week, as he has been excellent for most of the year. He was also facing the Baltimore Ravens, one of the best overall defenses in the NFL.

Week 17 will see the opposite situation against arguably the worst overall defense in the Washington Commanders. This includes allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, suggesting Purdy should get back on track.

Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott has finished outside of the top 12 quarterbacks in each of the past three weeks, putting an end to his scorching hot streak. Before his relative regression, he had finished among the top three fantasy football quarterbacks in six of his previous seven games.

He is in the right situation in Week 17 to get back to his dominance when the Dallas Cowboys host the Detroit Lions. Prescott has been significantly more productive when playing at home, and the Lions struggle in defending quarterbacks. They are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to the position.

Fantasy Football Week 17 Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks

Prescott vs. Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa

Tua Tagovailoa was one of the most consistently dominant fantasy football quarterbacks during the first half of the 2023 NFL season. He finished inside of the top 10 weekly quarterbacks four times in his first eight games but has failed to do so again since then. This makes him a borderline lineup option in most weeks, but a fade candidate in a brutal Week 17 matchup.

The Miami Dolphins are set to face the Baltimore Ravens, one of the best overall defensive teams in the entire NFL. They rank towards the top of most statistical categories, including allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Tagovailoa has also finished outside of the top 20 fantasy football quarterbacks in four of his past five games, so he should be avoided in Week 17 lineups.

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield has been a solid weekly streamer in fantasy football when playing in the right matchups this season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has finished among the top 12 weekly quarterbacks in seven of his 15 games and has only finished outside of the top 20 once in the past 10 weeks.

This demonstrates that Mayfield only makes for a target in traditional one-QB leagues when playing in favorable situations. Week 17 isn't one of them against the New Orleans Saints. They are allowing the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to his position, so he should only be considered an option in Superflex or 2QB lineups.

Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco has seen an incredible resurgence since taking over as the Cleveland Browns' starting quarterback three weeks ago. He has recorded multiple touchdown passes in all three of his games and hasn't finished any worse than QB13 as a starter. This has resulted in him scoring the third-most points of any fantasy football quarterback over the past three weeks.

Despite his impressive run in his new role, Flacco is better off avoided in Week 17 in one of the most brutal matchups possible. The New York Jets have arguably been the best passing defense all season long, and Flacco has no rushing upside to fall back on. The Jets have allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, so Flacco should be faded.

Week 17 QB rankings for 2023 fantasy football

1. Jalen Hurts
2. Dak Prescott
3. Lamar Jackson
4. Brock Purdy
5. Josh Allen
6. Justin Fields
7. Patrick Mahomes
8. CJ Stroud
9. Matthew Stafford
10. Kyler Murray
11. Russell Wilson
12. Jared Goff
13. Trevor Lawrence
14. Jordan Love
15. Derek Carr
16. Tua Tagovailoa
17. Jake Browning
18. Joe Flacco
19. Gardner Minshew
20. Nick Mullens
21. Baker Mayfield
22. Geno Smith
23. Bryce Young
24. Taylor Heinicke
25. Easton Stick
26. Mason Rudolph
27. Tommy DeVito
28. Will Levis
29. Aidan O'Connell
30. Sam Howell
31. Bailey Zappe
32. Trevor Siemian