Week 17 Injury Update, Start/Sid advice, projections and more

The Chicago Bears will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and going forward, especially regarding QB Caleb Williams.

Will Caleb Williams play in Week 17?

Williams is not listed on the injury report this week. Barring setbacks, he is expected to play on Thursday.

We will continue to monitor the Bears’ injury report. You can also visit and bookmark our NFL Injury Tracker and Fantasy News Tracker for the latest updates.

Should you start or sit Caleb Williams in Week 17?

Williams has three games with 330+ passing yards and multiple passing scores – Andrew Luck is the only QB with more such games as a rookie (four).

I think it’s safe to say that this season hasn’t gone quite as Williams’ truths had hoped. But like some of the other young quarterbacks, there are enough signs pointing in the right direction that I’m interested.

Williams isn’t going to impact any QB leagues this season, but savvy managers will keep an eye on his late-season development and keep it in mind for September drafts.

Looking for starting/his advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advisory cheat sheet for every fantasy-eligible player in every game.

Caleb Williams’ Week 17 Fantasy Points Projection

As of Thursday, Williams is projected to score 13.1 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 171.4 passing yards, 0.7 passing touchdowns and 0.5 interceptions. That also includes 3.5 rushing attempts for 26.4 yards and 0.2 touchdowns.

Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.

PFN Insights on the Seahawks’ Defense

After three straight weeks of above average marks, Seattle’s defense has regressed in a pair of critical home losses to the Packers and Vikings. Week 16 produced a Defense+ grade of 73.2 (C-), which ranks ninth out of the Seahawks’ 15 games played this season.

The Seahawks have boasted an above-average red-zone defense that ranks 13th in TD rate allowed. However, they gave up touchdowns on both of the Vikings’ trips to the red zone on Sunday, contributing to the team’s fifth-worst defensive EPA per dropback average (-0.11) on the season.

This comes a week after the Seahawks averaged their second-worst defensive EPA per game. dropback and pass success rate on the season in the Packers’ loss.

While Mike Macdonald’s bold midseason personnel changes helped this unit make tremendous strides, it appears that another offseason of evaluation and turnover is needed for the unit to thrive against the NFC’s best offenses.

For more insight into every other team’s defense, go to our PFN Defence+ Metric Analysis.

Caleb Williams’ Fantasy Ranking

Our weekly consensus PPR rankings are below – both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 a.m. ET on Wednesday, December 25. If you’re in a Superflex league, be sure to check out our weekly consensus Superflex rankings.

Week 17 QB PPR Rankings

1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. NEW)
2) Lamar Jackson | BALL (at HOU)
3) Regret hurts PHI (vs. DAL)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
5) Jayden Daniels | VAR (vs. ATL)
6) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
7) Sam Darnold | MIN (relative to GB)
8) Kyle Murray | ARI (by LAR)
9) Bo Nix | THE (by CIN)
10) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
11) Jared Goff | IT (at SF)
12) Anthony Richardson | IN (at NYG)
13) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
14) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
15) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
16) CJ Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
17) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
18) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
19) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
20) Aaron Rodgers | NEW (at BUF)
21) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
22) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
23) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
24) Bryce Young | CAR (in TB)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
27) Aidan O’Connell | LV (at NE)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
30) Tommy DeVito | NEW (vs. IN)
31) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (relative to LV)

Seahawks at Bears Trends and Insight

Seattle Seahawks

Team: The Seahawks are 0-3 against the NFC North this season, allowing 27+ points in each of those losses (8-4 against everyone else with 27+ points allowed just three times).

QB: Geno Smith has been much more aggressive under pressure this season (8.1 aDOT) than last (6.4).

Crime: This Seattle offense was behind the eight-ball for most of Week 16. Their average starting field position was their lowest of the year (their own 22.5-yard line).

Defense: The Seahawks allowed the Vikings to average 2.1 points per game. drive Sunday and fell to 0-6 this season when allowing at least 1.9 points per game. driving.

Fantasy: All three of Kenneth Walker III’s career games with at least seven receptions have come this season (Weeks 5, 6 and 16). Fantasy managers can increase his game play projection in a significant way when you pencil in Seattle to lose – they are 1-9 when he sees at least five targets in a game.

Bet: Seattle has covered four straight road games, all by more than six points.

Chicago Bears

Team: The Bears have lost nine carries this season with a rookie QB. If they lose their last two games, it will run their total to 11 straight — only twice in the 2000s has a team had a longer such streak in a single season (2017 Browns and 2001 Panthers)

QB: Caleb Williams has rushed for at least 27 yards in five of his last six games and has thrown for multiple scores in four of his last five (first 10 games: three multi-pass TD games)

Crime: The Bears averaged 39.4 yards of offense per carry. drive Sunday against the Lions, their second-highest rate of the season.

Defense: Chicago forced a punt on a season-low 10% of possessions last week against Detroit (three of their four lowest opponent punt rates have come since Week 11).

Fantasy: Williams has three games with 330+ passing yards and multiple passing scores – Andrew Luck is the only QB with more such games as a rookie (four).

Bet: Overs are 8-4 in Chicago’s last 12 games played as an underdog on short rest