- Start Trevor Lawrence: He was on fire, scoring more than 30 points in back-to-back weeks with eight passing touchdowns in that span.
- Is Justin Herbert: The Houston Texans have allowed just 12 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, the second-fewest in the NFL.
- Receive PFF+ with a 30% discount: Use promotional code HOLIDAY 30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more – everything you need to win your season.
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Having trouble determining your fantasy lineups for Week 17? Maybe I can help… Below you can find my top Fire (boom) and Ice (bust) players at each position for Week 17. I also list my sleeper of the week at each position in case you’re in a deeper league or need a replacement for an ice player.
Don’t miss my fire and ice map at the bottom of this page. There, I’ve listed all of my Fire, Good, Sleeper, and Ice plays for Week 17 of the 2025 fantasy football season.
Quarterbacks
Brand QB Start of the week: Trevor Lawrence (at IND)
Trevor Lawrence has been on fire, scoring more than 30 points in back-to-back weeks with eight passing touchdowns in that span. Since Week 12, Lawrence leads the NFL with 15 passing touchdowns and his hot streak should continue into Week 17 at Indianapolicy. The Colts have allowed the second-most passing yards in the NFL this season, behind only the Dallas Cowboys. Brock Purdy just outplayed the Colts’ secondary, throwing five touchdowns against them in Week 16.
Sleeper QB of the Week: Tyler Shough (at TEN)
The New Orleans Saints have started to look like a competitive team over the past month, and Tyler Shough’s performance has been a big reason for that. Shough has scored at least 17 fantasy points in four straight games and had a career-high 308 passing yards against the New York Jets last weekend. He will face the Tennessee Titans in Week 17, who have allowed the seventh-most points to the quarterback position in 2025.
Ice QB Start of the Week: Justin Herbert (vs. HOU)
After a month of terrible fantasy performances from Justin Herbert, he finally had a big performance against the weak Dallas Cowboys defense in Week 16. However, you shouldn’t count on him playing another big game this weekend. The Houston Texans have allowed just 12 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks this season, the second-fewest in the NFL. The Texans have allowed only one quarterback to score 20 points against them: Jacoby Brissett, who needed 40 passing attempts to score 20.6 fantasy points. Herbert hasn’t even had 30 pass attempts in any of his last five games.
Running backs
Fire RB Start of the Week: Saquon Barkley (at BUF)
The Buffalo Bills run defense has been giving up fantasy points to running backs all season. They have allowed the third-most rushing yards per game, second-most yards per carry and most rushing touchdowns in the NFL through 2025. On the other hand, Saquon Barkley has caught fire during the fantasy playoffs, averaging 21 carries per game while putting up over 120 rushing yards in two of the last three weeks.
Sleeper RB of the Week: Blake Corum (at ATL)
It’s been four straight weeks that Blake Corum has scored at least thirteen fantasy points, scoring a touchdown in each of those games. Last week, in a tough game against the Seattle Seahawks, Corum had a career-high 14 carries. If he gets that workload again, he should have a big game against the Atlanta Falcons, who have been beatable on the field for most of this season. The Falcons have averaged the ninth-most fantasy points allowed to the running back position since Week 5.
Ice RB Start of the week: Breece Hall (vs. NE)
Breece Hall hasn’t scored nine fantasy points in the last three weeks. His efficiency on the ground has been atrocious over the past month, averaging just 3 yards per carry since Week 16. Additionally, he’s seeing very little work in the receiving game with Brady Cook under center. Hall has recorded just four receptions for 23 yards through the air in the last three games he played with Cook.
Wide receivers
Fire WR Start of the week: Chris Olave (at TEN)
The New Orleans Saints enter Week 17 on a three-game win streak, and a big part of that is the production of Chris Olave, who is quietly the overall WR6 of the year. Olave has done especially well with Tyler Shough at quarterback, averaging 61.9 yards per game in Shough’s seven starts this season. Dating back to Week 8, the Tennessee Titans rank seventh in the league, giving up 161.8 receiving yards per game to opposing receivers and one of only seven teams to have allowed double-digit receiving touchdowns at the position during that span.
Sleeper WR Start of the week: Wan’Dale Robinson (vs. LV)
Wan’Dale Robinson is coming off one of his worst performances of the season, totaling just three catches for 19 yards in the Week 16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. However, his consistent volume and a favorable matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders make him an intriguing option for those in full PPR scoring leagues who need a flexible game. Robinson has had five-plus receptions in three of the last four weeks, including two games of 50-plus yards and a score.
Ice WR start of the week: DeVonta Smith (at BUF)
The Eagles’ passing game has had its ups and downs this season, leaving fantasy managers on a bit of a rollercoaster. This week’s game against the Buffalo Bills won’t help matters. The Bills have allowed the sixth-fewest receiving yards per game to opposing WRs and the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game this year. Smith has scored just once in the past six games, while surpassing 50 receiving yards just once in that span.
Tight ends
Fire TE Starter of the Week: Kyle Pitts (vs. LAR)
The only tight end with more receiving yards than Kyle Pitts (854) this season is Trey McBride (1,098). Since Week 12, when Kirk Cousins stepped into the starting role, Pitts leads all tight ends in fantasy production, averaging 19.8 fantasy points per game. Pitts has helped fantasy managers through their fantasy playoffs, and he should continue to shine this weekend in what should be a high-scoring game against the Los Angeles Rams.
Sleeper TE of the Week: Colston Loveland (at SF)
Since Week 10, the San Francisco 49ers have allowed the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends (18.5), including the third-most receiving yards per game (72). Rome Odunze has already been ruled out for Week 17, which should put Loveland in line for more receiving work. Loveland has had five or more goals in each of its last five games.
Ice TE Start of the Week: Dalton Kincaid (vs. PHI)
Not only do fantasy managers have to worry about Dawson Knox cutting away goal-line goals from Dalton Kincaid this week, but they also have to worry about a challenging matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles to significantly lower his ceiling (and floor) in championship week. The Eagles have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season, with a league-low 30.7 receiving yards per game to the position and just three receiving touchdowns to TEs.
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