Chase Brown Dominates, Jaylen Waddle Suffers Injury & More Week 17 NFL Storylines

From Chase Brown’s championship-swinging performance to Jaylen Waddle’s early exit, here are the biggest fantasy football storylines and stat lines that defined Week 17.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (17) reacts during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Fantasy football championship week is almost over, and all we have left is Monday Night Football. It's a game with massive fantasy implications between the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons. However, before we look ahead, let's take a look back at the week that was. This is the Week 17 fantasy football week in review. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Miami Dolphins

- Jalen McMillan had a big game in Week 17, leading the Bucs with 114 receiving yards on seven receptions. 

- Jaylen Waddle got hurt on his first touch of the game and finished with just one carry for seven yards and zero receptions. 

Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals

- Marvin Harrison Jr was very limited in this game, and he failed to catch his only target. 

- Chase Brown had another big game, rushing 22 times for 101 yards and two touchdowns, and catching three passes for 40 yards. 

Chase Brown put ON A SHOW during the fantasy playoffs 🍿 pic.twitter.com/AmPyJtoRF7

— PFF Fantasy (@PFF_Fantasy) December 28, 2025

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cleveland Browns

- It was tight end Pat Freiermuth who emerged as the leading receiver in Pittsburgh, catching three passes for 63 yards, including a 29-yard reception. 

- Dylan Sampson served as the RB1 for Cleveland, seeing 11 carries and three targets, which he turned into just 27 yards. 

New Orleans Saints @ Tennessee Titans

- Audric Estime stepped up as the clear RB1 for the Saints in this game, rushing 14 times for 94 yards and a touchdown, and catching one pass for four yards. 

- Tony Pollard failed to hit 100 yards again, but he played well, rushing for 85 yards and catching two passes for 10 yards. 

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

- Parker Washington was once again the lead receiver in Jacksonville, catching eight of 10 targets for 115 yards. 

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington (11) makes a catch against the Denver Broncos during the second half at Empower Field at Mile High. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

- Jonathan Taylor rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown in Week 17, and caught three of six targets for 14 yards. 

New England Patriots @ New York Jets

- Drake Maye exploded in this game, throwing for 256 yards and five touchdowns in less than three full quarters. Rhamondre Stevenson also had a big game, totaling 102 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries and five receptions. 

- Breece Hall broke off a 59-yard touchdown run in garbage time, which was the only fantasy value any Jets brought to the game. He finished with 111 rushing yards and 18 receiving yards. 

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers

- Zach Charbonnet went off in this game, rushing for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and catching two passes for 12 yards. 

After endless debates, Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet finished with an IDENTICAL fantasy PPG mark (10.1) this season. pic.twitter.com/1xCEWjGKXG

— Underdog (@Underdog) December 29, 2025

- This was a disastrous fantasy game for all of the Panthers. If you started any of them, you weren't happy. Rico Dowdle rushed for 59 yards and caught three passes for four yards. 

New York Giants @ Las Vegas Raiders

- Wan'Dale Robinson had a big game, catching 11 of his 14 targets for 113 yards. 

- Michael Mayer filled in for Brock Bowers and had a solid game, catching nine passes for 89 yards. 

Philadelphia Eagles @ Buffalo Bills

- Fantasy owners didn't get much value out of the Eagles. AJ Brown was probably the best option, catching five passes for 68 yards. 

- Brandin Cooks was the Bills' leading receiver in this game, catching four passes for 101 yards. 

Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49ers

- Luther Burden III had a huge game, catching eight passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. 

Amon-Ra St. Brown in the fantasy championship as a rookie: 8/111/1

Luther Burden III in the fantasy championship as a rookie: 8/138/1

Ben Johnson really ran it back 💀 pic.twitter.com/XfP0zbMNJ7

— Underdog (@Underdog) December 29, 2025

- Christian McCaffrey had a huge first quarter rushing for more than 100 yards. He finished with 140 rushing yards and a touchdown, as well as four receptions for 41 yards.