Brock Purdy or Tua Tagovailoa: Who should I start in Week 17 Fantasy Football?

The championship round of the 2023 fantasy football playoffs will take place in Week 17 in most leagues. Managers who have made it this far are likely well aware of how important the quarterback position can be to the outcome of any fantasy matchup. They are often among the highest-scoring players each week, so starting the most favorable options is always crucial .

Many managers might be debating between Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa when setting their Week 17 fantasy football lineups. Both quarterbacks have proven to be capable of massive performances and have each been among the favorites to win the NFL MVP award this year.

The following breakdown can help guide managers through this difficult decision.

Is Brock Purdy a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

Brock Purdy

Some managers may be reluctant to start Brock Purdy in Week 17 fantasy football lineups after his disastrous performance last week. He threw four interceptions in the worst game of his career, and was even benched in favor of Sam Darnold.

However, the San Francisco 49ers have made it clear that Purdy is still their permanent starter moving forward, despite the way the game played out against the Baltimore Ravens' elite defense.

Prior to last week's disappointing performance, Purdy had been one of the hottest overall fantasy football quarterbacks in the NFL. He finished as the QB6 or better in five of the past six weeks leading up to the game, while throwing for 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions during that streak. He also ranks as the overall QB4 and has an excellent matchup in Week 17.

The Washington Commanders have been one of the worst overall defenses this year, ranking towards the bottom of the NFL in many categories. This includes allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

This makes Purdy an ideal bounce-back candidate and one of the best quarterbacks to target this week.

Is Tua Tagovailoa a good fantasy pick in Week 17?

Tua Tagovailoa

The first half of the 2023 NFL season featured Tua Tagovailoa as one of the best overall fantasy football quarterbacks. In his first eight games with the Miami Dolphins this year, he finished among the top 12 weekly quarterbacks five times, including three top-three finishes. He averaged more than two touchdown passes per game during this hot streak.

Tagovailoa has cooled off considerably across his past seven games, finishing better than QB12 just once during that time.

The player is also averaging just a bit more than one touchdown per game in the second half of the year, cutting his average in half compared to his hot start in their first eight weeks. He has also failed to record a multi-touchdown performance in any of his past three games.

Tagovailoa's next opportunity to get back on track in fantasy football will come in Week 17 against the same Ravens defense that dominated Brock Purdy last week.

They rank towards the top of the NFL in most defensive categories, including allowing the second-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. This presents a massive challenge for Tagovailoa and his fantasy managers this week.

Brock Purdy vs. Tua Tagovailoa: Who should I start in Week 17 fantasy football?

Purdy vs Tagovailoa

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, Brock Purdy makes for a better quarterback option than Tua Tagovailoa in Week 17 fantasy football lineups.

This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Purdy for a higher output.

These projections highlight the importance of recent trends and direct matchups when assigning weekly fantasy values to players. While Purdy was awful last week, he has still been the much hotter quarterback in the second half of the season.

He also has the more favorable matchup this week, as Tagovailoa faces one of the best overall defenses. All of this and much more contribute to the Optimizer's decision to suggest Purdy.