It’s fantasy championship week, folks! Let’s set those fantasy lineups and take home a championship! Start ‘Em, Sit 'Em is the ultimate look at the best and worst matchups in a given week for fantasy football leagues. Each week, I'll examine the quarterbacks who could either exceed or fail to meet expectations based on their weekly opponent.
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All Positions: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Ks & DSTs
Fabs’ Top 10 Kickers
1. Ka’imi Fairbairn vs. Ravens (Wed.)
2. Chase McLaughlin vs. Panthers
3. Brandon Aubrey at Eagles
4. Chris Boswell vs. Chiefs (Wed.)
5. Cameron Dicker at Patriots (Sat.)
6. Jake Bates at 49ers (Mon.)
7. Tyler Bass vs. Jets
8. Wil Lutz at Bengals (Sat.)
9. Justin Tucker at Texans (Wed.)
10. Jason Myers at Bears (Thurs.)
Complete Week 17 kicker rankings
Week 17 Start ‘Em: Kickers
Start of the Week
Chase McLaughlin vs. Panthers (1 p.m. ET, CBS): McLaughlin has scored 15 or more points in two of his last four games, including 15 points against this week’s opponent, the Panthers, in Week 13. Carolina has allowed at least eight fantasy points to kickers 10 times, including nine who have scored at least 12 points and five with 14 or more points.
Start ‘Em
Jake Bates at 49ers (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): Bates has scored a modest 14 combined points in his last two games, but I’d stick with him in what is a plus matchup against the 49ers. Over the last eight weeks, their defense has allowed the sixth-most points a game to kickers, surrendering an average of 9.6 fantasy points. Bates should be a top-10 option.
Tyler Bass vs. Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS): Bass has scored a combined 22 fantasy points in his last two games, and a matchup against the AFC East rival Jets makes him a nice option. The Men in Green have allowed the second-most points per game to kickers since Week 9 (10.6 PPG), and four have scored at least 10 points against them since Week 11.
Kickers With Good Matchups
- Justin Tucker at Texans (Wed. 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)
- Jason Myers at Bears (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
- Riley Patterson at Commanders (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
Week 17 Sit ‘Em: Kickers
Sit of the Week
Jason Sanders at Browns (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Sanders went off last week against the 49ers, scoring a season-high 21 fantasy points. That sort of stat line makes it tough to sit him in championship week, but the Browns have allowed just 6.3 points per game to the kicker position at home. There could also be rain showers in the area on Sunday.
Sit ‘Em
Harrison Butker at Steelers (Wed. 1 p.m. ET, Netflix): Butker has been inconsistent this season, scoring single digits in four of his last eight games while averaging a modest 8.4 points overall. I’d keep him sidelined against the Steelers, who have allowed just eight field goals and an average of 5.8 points per game to kickers on their home field in 2024.
Matt Gay at Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Starting Gay hasn’t made fantasy managers merry, as he’s failed to score more than eight points in four straight games and five of his last six. That trend is likely to continue against the Giants, who have allowed just six field goals and the second-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing kickers at MetLife Stadium.
Kickers With Bad Matchups
- Cairo Santos vs. Seahawks (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video)
- Daniel Carlson at Saints (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Anders Carlson at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Fabs’ Top 10 Defenses
1. Dolphins defense at Browns
2. Bills defense vs. Jets
3. Colts defense at Giants
4. Commanders defense vs. Falcons
5. Chiefs defense at Texans (Wed.)
6. Chargers defense at Patriots (Sat.)
7. Seahawks defense at Bears (Thurs.)
8. Eagles defense vs. Cowboys
9. Vikings defense vs. Packers
10. Saints defense vs. Raiders
Complete Week 17 defense rankings
Week 17 Start ‘Em: Defenses
Start of the Week
Dolphins defense at Browns (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS): Fantasy managers looking to stream a DST this week should look no further than the Dolphins. Defenses have feasted on the Browns offense in terms of fantasy points, as Cleveland has committed 21 giveaways and allowed 26 sacks over the last eight weeks. Miami is on the waiver wire in leagues, too.
Start ‘Em
Colts defense at Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox): The Giants offense is a mess, as we saw last week when the Falcons beat them for a bananas 25 fantasy points. New York has put up an average of just 14 points and 279.3 yards per game since Week 9, and their line has surrendered 12 sacks in that time. You can probably find Indianapolis on the wire, too.
Chargers defense at Patriots (Sat. 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network): The Chargers defense has not looked great lately, but a matchup against the Patriots does make it a streamable play in Week 17. The Patriots have committed 13 giveaways in the last eight weeks, and enemy defenses have averaged the fifth-most fantasy points when facing New England in 2024.
Defenses With Good Matchups
- Commanders defense vs. Falcons (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC)
- Saints defense vs. Raiders (1 p.m. ET, Fox)
- Jaguars defense vs. Titans (1 p.m. ET, CBS)
Week 17 Sit ‘Em: Defenses
Sit of the Week
Jets defense at Bills (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Jets defense has been a shell of its former self compared to last season, and a matchup in Buffalo won’t help it turn things around. While the Men in Green did hold Matthew Stafford in check last week, Josh Allen will be looking to bounce back from a bad stat line in Week 16, and the Jets will no doubt be his victims.
Sit ‘Em
49ers defense vs. Lions (Mon. 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN): The Niners defense has been less productive this season, sacking the quarterback just 15 times since Week 9. That’s tied for the eighth fewest in that time. San Francisco has also forced a league-low two takeaways since Week 9, and the Lions' offense has been one of the NFL’s most explosive in 2024.
Defenses With Bad Matchups
- Texans defense at Ravens (Wed. 1 p.m. ET, Netflix)
- Steelers defense vs. Chiefs (Wed. 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)
- Packers defense at Vikings (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Kickers and Defenses for Fantasy Football Week 17.
