Week 17 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Flex, PPR Advice for Fringe Fantasy Football Stars

It's that time, fantasy fans! Week 17 will kick off on Thursday night, which means that championship rounds in most season-long leagues are also about to begin. Ideally, managers will be able to largely lean on the players who got them here.

Of course, injuries and bad matchups will inevitably leave some trusting fringe starters this week.

Here, you'll find a look at some of the best and worst point-per-reception (PPR) plays for fringe flex starters in Week 17.

Running Back

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Patriots RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Start: Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots

This week, the New England Patriots may or may not have standout rookie TreVeyon Henderson, who suffered a head injury on Sunday night. If they don't, veteran back Rhamondre Stevenson figures to be a high-end PPR play.

While Henderson has largely taken over the backfield, Stevenson should have a solid floor, even if the rookie plays. He's had double-digit fantasy points in three straight games, and he tallied 17.8 points in Week 17.

The Patriots are set to visit the New York Jets, who have surrendered the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.

Sit: Rico Dowdle, Carolina Panthers

Ricoe Dowdle pushed a lot of fantasy managers into the playoffs as a waiver-wire pickup. He had some monster games earlier in the year and has been a reasonable flex option in recent weeks. However, he'll be hard to trust this week against a tough Seattle Seahawks defense.

Seattle has surrendered the fourth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2025. No team has surrendered fewer yards per carry than Seattle, which doesn't bode well for Dowdle.

While Dowdle does have a role in the passing game, he's still splitting reps with Chub Hubbard. He's fallen short of double-digit fantasy points in two of the last three games.

Wide Receiver

AP PhotoMatt Patterson

Vikings WR Jordan Addison

Start: Jordan Addison, Minnesota Vikings

There are multiple reasons to be concerned about Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison this week. For starters, he hasn't reached double-digit fantasy points since Week 14.

Secondly, J.J. McCarthy is injured again, now dealing with a hand injury. Max Brosmer's only start this season did not go well, though Addison did have a somewhat respectable 8.6 fantasy points in that game.

Still, it's worth taking a flier on Addison this week against a bad Detroit Lions defense. Detroit has surrendered the second-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.

Sit: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey isn't worth the risk this week against a brutal Houston Texans defense. Houston has surrendered the second-fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs, and McConkey hasn't been the same go-to target he was as a rookie last year.

While McConkey has averaged 11.8 fantasy points this season, his production has been spotty. He had 14.3 fantasy points in Week 16, but a combined 6.2 fantasy points in the previous two weeks combined.

Tight End

AP Photo/Kirk Irwin

Browns TE Harold Fannin Jr.

Start: Harold Fannin Jr., Cleveland Browns

Can the Cleveland Browns play spoiler against the Pittsburgh Steelers this week? Probably not, but tight end Harold Fannin Jr. may spoil things for many a fantasy opponent.

Fannin has become Shedeur Sanders' favorite target and has topped 11 fantasy points in four straight games. He's likely to be an even bigger part of the offensive game plan this week, as Quinshon Judkins is done for the year, and Cleveland is likely to take a pass-heavy approach.

The Steelers, meanwhile, have surrendered the third-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this season.

Sit: Theo Johnson, New York Giants

With several bad matchups for tight ends this week, Theo Johnson may be serviceable in some deeper leagues. However, managers should look to avoid him if possible.

Johnson topped 10 fantasy points in Week 15 but was blanked in Week 16. This week, he has a less-than-ideal matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Yes, the Raiders have been bad this season. They've also done a respectable job against opposing tight ends, surrendering the fourth-fewest fantasy points to the position.

*Fantasy scoring information from FantasyPros.