Week 17 Wednesday Fantasy Football Starting Options: Should You Be Starting Chiefs' Xavier Worthy, Ravens' Mark Andrews, Texans' C.J. Stroud, Steelers' Najee Harris and More

Week 17 of the NFL regular season has games across four different days.

Things kick off with two Christmas games - Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans. Let’s take a look at the top fantasy options from those two games.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson will battle in one game, while Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Houston’s C.J. Stroud face off in the other.

Mahomes was dealing with an ankle injury last week, but still had 260 passing yards and a touchdown, while avoiding an interception against the Texans. He added 33 rushing yards and a touchdown, showing his ankle was just fine.

Wilson had 217 passing yards, two touchdowns and a pick against the Ravens in week 16. He rushed for 27 yards and also lost a fumble.

Jackson has been one of the top fantasy quarterbacks all season, and has been on fire of late. He has 497 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception, along with 87 rushing yards and a fumble across the last two games.

Stroud had one of his better fantasy showings in recent memory in week 16. He had 244 passing yards, two touchdowns and two picks, along with 23 rushing yards.

The best fantasy matchup between these four quarterbacks belongs to Stroud. Jackson and Wilson have pretty average tests, while Mahomes has the toughest matchup ahead.

In the weekly projections, it’s Jackson up top at 20 fantasy points. Mahomes is at 18 points, while Wilson and Stroud are at 14 each.

At this point of the fantasy season, I tend to trust the players who have been the best performers over the course of the season. That’s Jackson, and I would take him first among these four quarterbacks, even though any of them are capable of leading the way.

Mahomes seems like the next-safest starting option to me despite the tougher matchup. I’d take Stroud over Wilson for the final spot, with the matchups being the difference there.

Running Backs

Derrick Henry and Justice Hill have been the leaders in the Baltimore backfield this season, but with Hill dealing with a concussion, it’s worth mentioning Rasheen Ali as well. Joe Mixon has been the Texans’ workhorse when healthy, and it’s not even worth mentioning anyone else with him off the injury report.

Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren lead the Pittsburgh backfield. Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco power the Kansas City backfield nowadays.

Henry is coming off a monster 189-yard performance in week 16, but he didn’t score for a fourth straight game. Still, the big yardage output should ease the minds of some fantasy owners going into week 17.

Hill has been an option in PPR leagues with his pass-catching ability, but he’s been more of a starting option in favorable matchups, not a weekly starter. On a short week, it seems unlikely he’d be able to play.

Ali only has nine rushing attempts on the season. He'll only be really involved offensively if the Ravens are up by a bunch, or Henry goes down with an injury.

Mixon was limited to 71 total yards on 15 touches in week 16. He’s had some lower-output fantasy showings of late, but as the team’s workhorse, he remains a good weekly starting option.

Harris had just 42 yards on nine touches (all carries) last week. He has three single-digit fantasy performances in the past five weeks.

Warren went for double digit fantasy points last week, with five receptions really helping out there. He had single-digit fantasy performances in weeks 14 and 15.

Hunt hasn’t relinquished the Chiefs’ backfield despite the return of Pacheco. Hunt had 13 touches in week 16 (and scored to hit double figures) and was at 14 touches in week 15.

Pacheco hasn’t found the end zone or hit double-digit fantasy points in his four games since returning from injury. He got eight touches in the first game back, 16 the next week, 14 in week 15 and then just 10 last week.

No back playing on Christmas has even an average matchup. All four of these defenses rank in the top 10 in slowing opposing fantasy backs.

The weekly projections have Mixon as the top fantasy player - he’s at 16 PPR points. Henry is at 14 points, Pacheco and Harris 11 each, Hunt and Warren eight each and Hill seven (for now).

I’m going to keep trusting the players who delivered all season, and think Mixon and Henry need to be starting regardless of the tougher clashes. 

I like Harris next, but think he’s more on the start/sit line than a locked-in starter. Pacheco comes next for me, and then Hunt and Warren. Hill would be a risky starting option if he ends up playing - I wouldn’t play Ali if Hill is out.

Wide Receivers

Zay Flowers, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor have been the top wide receivers for Baltimore this season. Nico Collins is the clear top option in Houston, especially with Tank Dell out for the season now. Robert Woods and John Metchie each played 34 snaps last week, while Diontae Johnson just was claimed by the team.

George Pickens could return for the Steelers, otherwise Calvin Austin will continue to lead the way - Van Jefferson played a healthy amount of snaps last week and is worth mentioning. Xavier Worthy, DeAndre Hopkins, and Marquise Brown were the top-three KC fantasy wideouts last week.

Flowers, who is working through a shoulder injury, had 100 yards on five catches and eight targets last week. He’s scored in double figures in five straight games, but last week was his best showing.

Bateman caught one pass last week, but it was a 14-yard touchdown to save an otherwise down fantasy outing. He’s scored a touchdown in four of the past six games.

Agholor, who is working his way back from a concussion, has just one catch over the past five weeks. He only has 231 yards and two touchdowns on the season.

Collins has scored at least 13 fantasy points in four straight games. With Dell out for the year, he should be a huge part of the offense.

Hutchinson has just nine catches for 91 yards on the season despite so many injuries to his wide receiver teammates. Woods only has 143 yards on 16 grabs.

Johnson is on his third team this season, but is needed depth for the Texans. He did some nice things with the Panthers before only having one catch across several games with the Ravens.

Pickens hasn’t played the past three weeks, but is clearly the top Steelers’ wideout with 850 yards and three scores this season. He has at least nine fantasy points in six straight appearances.

Austin has been in double figures as a fantasy performer in two straight games. If Pickens is back, Austin’s fantasy value will be significantly lower.

Jefferson has 258 yards and two scores on the season, but hasn’t gone over two catches since week 8.

Worthy has at least 10 fantasy points in six straight games, scoring around 20 points the past two games. He’s got 11 targets in each of the past two weeks.

Brown made his season debut last week, catching five of his eight targets for 45 yards. He only played 20 snaps.

Hopkins has just nine catches and 73 yards over the past two games combined. He was in double figures as a fantasy scorer in the previous three games before that.

The clash for the Texans is the most favorable matchup for the teams playing Wednesday. The Ravens also have an above-average matchup. The Steelers’ wideouts have a pretty average matchup, while the Chiefs’ group has a slightly below-average test.

In the weekly projections, Collins leads the way with 17 projected PPR fantasy points. Flowers is at 15 points.

Worthy and Hopkins are both at 11 points. Austin is at 10, Bateman nine and Brown just four. Pickens doesn’t have a projection, but would probably be one of the top options if he ends up playing. Johnson also doesn’t have a projection at this point.

I think Collins is the no-brainer No. 1 fantasy wideout in this game. I’d take Flowers next, and he’s the last locked-in starter in my eyes.

Pickens is a player I’d start, as long as no report comes out that he’ll be limited in any way. Worthy is a borderline standard league starter, but definitely one to play in a deeper league. Austin would be in the same boat as Worthy if Pickens is out - otherwise, he’s just a deep-league option.

Bateman, Brown and Hopkins are all deep-league options for me. I’d sit Johnson, Agholor, Woods, Jefferson and Metchie.

Tight Ends

Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are the tight ends worth mentioning for Baltimore. Dalton Schultz is the Texans’ tight end.

Pat Freiermuth is the only Pittsburgh tight end who I’d consider in any leagues this week. Travis Kelce and Noah Gray are options for Kansas City.

Andrews scored last week, marking his fourth straight game with a score. He’s only topped 50 yards once in that span.

Likely scored last week as well, and has two scores over the past three weeks. He hasn’t been over 40 yards in the past four weeks.

Schultz scored last week and also has two scores over the past three games. He should be more involved this week with Dell now out.

Freiermuth only had 16 yards on three catches last week. He had scored in three straight games coming into last week.

Kelce had 30 yards on five grabs last week. He hasn’t gone over 50 yards in any of the past three games. 

Gray had a 10-yard catch last week. He’s failed to top 30 yards in each of the past three games.

The matchup is the best for Freiermuth. The KC duo and Schultz also have above-average matchups. The Ravens’ duo have the only tougher matchup.

In the weekly projections, Kelce leads the Christmas game tight ends with 13 PPR points. Andrews and Freiermuth are at 10 points each. Schultz is at nine points, while Likely and Gray sit at seven. 

Most of these TEs are pretty bunched up for me, so I’d take the best matchup and go Freiermuth first. Kelce comes second, and then I’d go with Schultz. All three are standard league starters for me.

Andrews is next and is on the start/sit line - I’d prefer to play him just in deeper leagues. I’d take Gray over Likely, but both are just deep-league options.