FantasyPros - Week 17 Fantasy Football Quarterback & Tight End Rankings & Tiers: Studs, Sleepers, and Must-Starts (Ep. 1918)

Friends, welcome to our week 17 championship ranks for quarterbacks and tight ends on the Fantasy Pros podcast. I’m Chris Welsh, and for our final ranks show of the season, huge props to Fitz and Erickson—this trio clicked all year, and we’re aiming to finish strong; rankings will keep updating at fantasypros.com slash rankings since we recorded a bit early for the holidays.

This season’s been a blast with you two, and I hope we guided more right calls than wrong ones.

I’ve had my best ranking year by staying curious on this show, asking sharper questions, and letting you guys challenge my leans so we all land on better answers.

Quarterbacks up top and a championship dilemma: I’ve got Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence and was tempted to roll Lawrence after that Colts meltdown; is that crazy in a title match?

I’d struggle to sit Allen in a championship, even with Lawrence on a heater; Trevor’s been ultra‑efficient, but if volume dips he can’t match Allen’s two‑score rushing upside.

Since week five, Allen and Lawrence have basically been neck and neck in points per game; if Allen’s lower‑body issue limits his legs, I could see leaning Trevor, but it still takes guts.

Caleb Williams versus the 49ers—startable or too bumpy down the stretch?

His recent passing has been rough with shaky accuracy and yardage, and while the matchup and his legs help, top ten feels a bit rich for me.

I’m more optimistic because this looks like his friendliest spot in weeks, and with his rushing and possibly another receiver back, he can sneak into the backend QB1 range.

Here’s a real start‑sit: Tyler Schuck or Jackson Dart for the title?

Schuck for me; he’s been steady with legs and a soft Titans secondary, while Dart is pure boom‑bust with fewer designed runs post‑concussion and line concerns.

I’m with Schuck; the Giants should protect Dart the rest of the way, and Schuck’s produced four straight solid games against a pass defense in worse shape now.

What about chasing Justin Herbert after last week—any over Schuck cases?

No; that was the friendliest matchup in the league and now he gets one of the toughest, behind a leaky line against a fierce rush—hard pass.

Agree; Dallas game spikes inflate expectations and the follow‑up almost never matches—his recent finishes tell you to look elsewhere.

Tight ends: Trey McBride leads, with Kittle, Brock Bowers, Harold Fanon, Kyle Pitts, and Juwan Johnson next; Dallas Goddard sits lower than usual—Erickson, why so cold?

The Bills are elite versus tight ends, especially inline profiles like Goddard; he can always score, but the role and matchup steer me away this week.

I still keep him startable because Philly features him near the goal line and concentrates targets, but the Bills’ track record at stifling tight ends is real.

Hunter Henry is polarizing—Fitz?

He’s volatile, but the Jets’ pass defense has cratered, so I’m nudging him into TE1 territory by week’s end.

Erickson, smash or pass?

Smash; red zone looks plus late‑season contract triggers can push targets his way in a tight‑end desert.

Taysom Hill’s rank is settling—how aggressive should we be, Fitz?

With the Saints’ backfield banged up, they just fed him his heaviest workload of the year; I expect them to lean back into that hybrid usage in a playable matchup.

Erickson, would you start him in a title game?

Yes, because ceiling wins at tight end; Hill can rack points on the ground, through the air, and as a receiver, which is how you fight a team with Trey McBride.

Chase upside if you’re staring down a juggernaut tight end—think Pitts, Brenton Strange, Henry for touchdowns, and Taysom for explosion. Check our live ranks, find us in Discord and on Twitch, and thanks for riding with us all season; best of luck in your championships, and a good night to all.