Fantasy Football Week 17 Late-Game Quarterback Who Should I Start? Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, and More
Comparing Matthew Stafford to four quarterbacks playing in the late/night games who he has been matched up with often on the FantasySP start/sit tool.
Matthew Stafford and the Rams play on Monday night against the Falcons. What a daunting matchup on fantasy championship week: trophies hanging in the balance, and guys like Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Bijan Robinson playing in the last game of the week.
Stafford has been great in both fantasy and real-life football, but with nothing left to lose, fantasy owners are turning over every leaf and checking all options. Because of that, Stafford has been showing up all over our FantasySP start/sit tool.
Let's look at Stafford and four quarterbacks playing in the late/night games who he has been matched up with often on the start/sit tool. We'll do a head-to-head quick-hit exercise to determine the best starter in each situation. Most stats are from NFL.com.
Use FantasySP's Who Should I Start? tool to compare players and help make your toughest lineup decisions each week!
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams @ Atlanta Falcons
Stafford is averaging 278.6 passing yards per game with 40 touchdowns and just five interceptions, helping him to a fantasy QB2 standing entering Week 17. That interception number is partly driven by luck, but there's no denying that Stafford has been great and is deserving of his place in the MVP race.
The Falcons sit right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to quarterbacks. Atlanta started the year really good against the pass, but they have been beaten in the second half of the season, including allowing more than 240 passing yards to the opposing team in six of their past eight games.
We were avoiding the Falcons early in the year, but that has definitely turned. With a great passing game coming to town, I'm looking for LA to do their thing against Atlanta without a ton of resistance.
That would give Stafford a strong outlook, with the only downside being that the team could get an easy victory and focus on the running game. The Rams have been winning all season, though, and that hasn't been a problem.
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills vs. Philadelphia Eagles
I wrote more about Allen recently, so I'll keep this one shorter. Buffalo's quarterback is again the best quarterback in fantasy football, a title he has held or been in contention for every season of his career. This year is no different; Allen belongs in lineups every week.
The only reason there is even a question is because the Eagles offer a tough matchup, allowing the third-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They are also generally good against the QB run, though a few guys have put up bigger numbers.
Advice: Start Josh Allen over Matthew Stafford. This one is about as close as could be; these two are QB1 and QB2 in fantasy. Allen just has a bigger upside because of his running, and I can't pick against him in the biggest week of the fantasy season.
Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles @ Buffalo Bills
Like Allen, Hurts is usually a no-question fantasy starter who has QB1 upside every week. He was QB6 heading into Week 17; same old, same old. Also like Allen, Hurts has a question this week because of his tougher matchup.
The Bills have allowed the eighth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Hurts will always be a threat to run the ball, and Buffalo has been susceptible. It's very similar to Philly's own defense in that they have been good overall against the QB run but have been beaten up by a few good runners, like Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields.
Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Jalen Hurts. I want to pick Hurts for the same reason that I picked Allen (running upside), but the Philadelphia quarterback just hasn't been his peak self this season, so I'll give Stafford the slight edge.
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. Chicago Bears
Purdy has missed time with injury, playing in just seven of the team's 15 games. They stayed afloat and put up stats without their top QB, and Purdy has been good when on the field, averaging 248.1 yards and 2.4 touchdown passes per game.
We know what San Francisco can do when at full strength, and while they aren't quite to that level (and won't be for the rest of this season), the 49ers are still dangerous with Kyle Shanahan calling the plays and guys like Purdy and Christian McCaffrey on the field (though George Kittle is expected to miss this game).
Chicago offers a good matchup, as they have allowed the seventh-most yards per pass attempt and the 10th-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The Bears started off as one of the worst pass defenses in the league, but they have looked much better recently, holding four of their past six opponents under 200 passing yards and under 7.0 yards per attempt.
Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Brock Purdy. Stafford has just a little stronger outlook (though he's also missing a high-level pass catcher in Davante Adams). With Chicago looking better recently, I will favor the LA quarterback.
Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers
Williams ranked as fantasy QB11 entering the week, only a few points from eighth place. His completion percentage is down from last season, but Williams is on pace to add 450 passing yards, six passing touchdowns, and four rushing touchdowns to last years total. He will lose a few rushing yards, but Williams is also on track to be sacked 42 fewer times (!!!).
Williams is a fringe fantasy starter each week who should always be considered along with the matchup. San Francisco sits right in the middle in both yards per pass attempt allowed and fantasy points given up to quarterbacks; that leaves Williams as a very middling play.
Advice: Start Matthew Stafford over Caleb Williams. Williams is fine if you don't have a better option, but Stafford has much more upside this week.
