Fab's Five Big-Name Fantasy Football Players Who Could Be Busts in Week 17

Michael Fabiano | 1 Hour Ago

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams faces the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Big-name and highly drafted fantasy football players can be challenging to keep out of your starting lineups, but sometimes recent poor statistics or a bad matchup warrant doing just that (or at least thinking about it). Here are five players who fit the bill going into this week. 

Fantasy Starters Who Could Bust In Week 17 

Justin Herbert vs. Texans (Sat. 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network): Herbert’s stat last week shone brighter than the Griswold house on Christmas Vacation, as he scored 30.2 fantasy points. Of course, that came against the lowly Cowboys defense. Next on the slate is a much more formidable foe, as the Texans top-ranked defense visits Sofi Stadium. All but four of the quarterbacks they’ve played have been held under 16.2 points in 2025. 

Breece Hall vs. Patriots (1 p.m. ET, Fox): I tried to have faith in Hall last week based on a plus matchup against the Saints, but it didn’t work out … he scored just 8.3 points and has now been held to single digits in three straight games and four of his last six. This week’s matchup against the Patriots isn’t terrible on paper, but a negative game script is almost a guarantee. If you can afford to bench Hall, it’s definitely a move worth making.

Jameson Williams at Vikings (Thurs. 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix): Williams is nearly impossible to sit, as he’s scored 16-plus fantasy points six times since Week 9, but I would be wary of a game in Minnesota. Their defense is playing at a high level, allowing no touchdowns and the fourth-fewest points to perimeter receivers in the last four weeks. Also, only CeeDee Lamb has had more than 7.1 points against them since Week 10. 

Emeka Egbuka at Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, Fox): Egbuka’s stats have fallen off a cliff higher than the Grinch’s home above Whoville, as he’s been held to single digits in five of his last six games. He’s also scored no more than 10.4 points in that span, and the return of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin has pushed him down the pecking order. So, while this week’s matchup in Miami isn't overly daunting, I simply can’t trust Egbuka.

Travis Kelce vs. Broncos (Thurs. 8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video): It’s not often that you see Kelce as a sit ’em, but that’s what happens when you lose both Patrick Mahomes and Gardner Minshew in consecutive weeks. As a result, the Chiefs will be forced to start Chris Oladokun, a seventh-round pick in 2022. Kelce has also been held to fewer than two fantasy points in three of his last four games, so I’d sit him down if possible.