Jamie Calandro's Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings and Outlooks (2025)

Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings Overview

Jamie Calandro shares his Week 17 fantasy football lineup rankings for RB, WR, TE, and QB. After 16 weeks, he is still No. 3 on the leaderboard among the most accurate rankers in the industry and is here to bring his Week 17 rankings. This rankings article also includes rankings analysis that will help with tough sit/start decisions. Regular starting options are included to highlight that some must-start players have a good chance of supplying winning totals, and much of the analysis focuses on decisions between similarly valued players. The rankings are updated as news breaks until the full slate begins on Sunday, and the analysis is based on half-PPR scoring rules.

Running Back Rankings – Fantasy Football Week 17

* Players marked with asterisks have injury designations with uncertainty

In the number one pick bowl, it is impossible to predict what the Giants and Raiders will do, but the expectation is that the Giants will play it straight. Their remaining coaching staff is still auditioning, as are some players. Tyrone Tracy Jr. has 36 touches in the last two weeks, and the Giants have become a complete run-first team, making Tracy a strong championship-week start.

The status of TreVeyon Henderson is huge. He practiced in full on Friday, which is a good sign, but he still needs to be cleared from concussion protocol to be active. If he plays, he has monstrous upside against the Jets, who have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs. If he sits, Rhamondre Stevenson is a must-start and is probably FLEX playable anyway.

Omarion Hampton is a fine start who will rise significantly if Kimani Vidal, dealing with a neck issue, is ruled out Saturday afternoon. It is not an easy matchup, but Hampton is a dynamic runner who will get all the touches. The Browns-Steelers game has a total of 33.5 points, so Raheim Sanders and Dylan Sampson should not be started unless absolutely necessary. Sampson is still questionable, which would make Sanders more intriguing if Sampson is ruled out.

Woody Marks and his 3.4 yards per carry are not appealing against the Chargers, who have allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs, and Nick Chubb and Jawhar Jordan should both have involvement. The Panthers have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points per game to running backs, so the matchup for Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet is solid, but they cannibalize each other's upside.

Tony Pollard has averaged 6.1 yards per carry over his last three games with three touchdowns scored. Tyjae Spears is still involved, especially in the passing game, but the Saints have a below-average run defense that Pollard can exploit. Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren are both solid plays, with Gainwell preferred, and injuries to DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin III could swing even more passing work Gainwell's way.

Wide Receiver Rankings – Fantasy Football Week 17

* Players marked with asterisks have injury designations with uncertainty

Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins are both out, and DeMario Douglas is questionable. Stefon Diggs went off against the Ravens last week and now faces an even weaker Jets secondary, elevating him into top-eight territory at the position. Jaylen Waddle posted a 5-72-0 line on nine targets from Quinn Ewers, suggesting he should be fine to start against the Buccaneers.

DJ Moore needed a long overtime touchdown to salvage his box score, but he remains a start even with Luther Burden III returning. Burden moves into a strong spot, averaging well over two fantasy points per route run. Marvin Harrison Jr. is known as the Michael Wilson destroyer, but both receivers could find success against a Bengals defense that has allowed the most points per game this season. If Harrison, who is questionable, sits, Michael Wilson becomes an obvious beneficiary.

Jakobi Meyers and Brian Thomas Jr. are both excellent plays against a Colts secondary missing its two starting cornerbacks, with Meyers pushing into top-12 territory. Wan'Dale Robinson leads all relevant receiving categories from Jaxson Dart and remains startable, though managers should be mindful of how many players they deploy from that game.

Zay Flowers was heavily targeted after Tyler Huntley entered the game, but he cannot be trusted as much as he would be with Lamar Jackson. He can be started if necessary, but benches should be explored. Similar caution applies to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who are talented enough to start but face a Bills defense built to limit wide receivers.

It is nearly impossible to trust any Raiders pass catcher while the team is openly tanking, but Tre Tucker has the speed to get behind a shaky Giants secondary. Adonai Mitchell is the de facto WR1 for the Jets and leads the team in targets from Brady Cook, with potential garbage-time production making him viable this week.

Among Colts pass catchers, Tyler Warren stands out the most, as Philip Rivers has spread the ball around and the Jaguars pass rush could make life difficult. Josh Downs would be the only other Colts receiver worth a desperation start, with 14 targets from Rivers over the last two weeks.

Tight End Rankings – Fantasy Football Week 17

Colston Loveland's value takes a hit with Luther Burden III returning, but he remains usable against a 49ers defense that has struggled to contain tight ends due to key injuries. Brenton Strange has upside in a red-hot Jaguars offense with an implied total of 28 points, and the Colts have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.

Tyler Warren has the best matchup of any Colts pass catcher, with Indianapolis allowing the eighth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends. Warren leads the team in targets from Philip Rivers. Michael Mayer led the Raiders in targets in one of the three games Brock Bowers missed and played over 90 percent of the snaps in all three, making him a viable streamer.

Darren Waller appears more attractive than he actually is. Even in a pass-funnel matchup against the Buccaneers, he played under half of the snaps against Cincinnati last week. Dalton Schultz has produced strong box scores for two straight weeks but faces a terrible matchup against the Chargers, making him a fade in favor of higher-ranked options.

Quarterback Rankings – Fantasy Football Week 17

Jalen Hurts is not necessarily a must-sit, but several factors work against him. The Bills are built to shut down passing games, and Philadelphia can lean on Saquon Barkley. Hurts still offers upside with his rushing ability and short-yardage scoring, but managers should not blindly start him if they have a clearly better option.

Tyler Shough is the QB7 over the last four months after another 300-yard game and is firmly in play for championships against a Titans defense that ranks in the bottom ten in pressure rate. Quinn Ewers has some hope in a pass-funnel matchup against the Buccaneers and is worth consideration in two-quarterback or SuperFlex formats.

Malik Willis is expected to start for Green Bay but is not a recommended option in standard leagues, as Baltimore has been excellent against quarterbacks over the last five weeks outside of Drake Maye's recent heroics. Jaxson Dart is also a sit despite a solid matchup against the Raiders, as the Giants have become a run-first team and Dart is missing key offensive linemen.

Baker Mayfield has struggled in the second half of the season, but his receiving corps is finally healthy and the Buccaneers need to go all out after losing division control to the Panthers, making him a viable start against Miami. Justin Herbert is one of the toughest decisions of the week; he has been spiking recently, but Houston has allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. He is fine if there are no better alternatives, but streamers such as Shough, Mayfield, or Caleb Williams can be considered.

Additional Fantasy Football Resources

The article also points readers toward broader fantasy football resources, including in-season rankings, start/sit matchup breakdowns, analysis of potential breakouts versus flukes, and waiver wire rankings for upcoming weeks. These tools and articles complement the Week 17 rankings and outlooks by providing context for roster management, injury updates, and long-term planning in season-long formats.