The Detroit Lions will face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 17. Here’s the latest fantasy football news and advice to help you with your lineups this week and moving forward, especially regarding QB Jared Goff.
Is Jared Goff Playing in Week 17?
Goff is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play on Monday.
We’ll continue to monitor the Lions’ 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 Jared Goff in Week 17?
Goff isn’t going to win the MVP, but he is certainly playing like one, and it’s finally spilling over into our world with consecutive top-five finishes. This is a potential pace-down spot against the 49ers, but efficiency has been the name of the game all season long for the Lions. That should again be the case against the NFL’s third-worst red-zone defense.
The home/road splits are still a thing for Goff, but he’s posted a passer rating north of 135 on the road three times this season. I’m not worried about that narrative and have him ranked as my QB8.
Are you looking for start/sit advice for other players in your lineup? Read our Week 17 Fantasy Start-Sit Advice Cheat Sheet for every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jared Goff’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Sunday morning, Goff is projected to score 18.4 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 273.7 passing yards, 1.8 passing touchdowns, and 0.6 interceptions. It also includes 1.9 rushing attempts for 3.8 yards and 0 touchdowns.
Check out the free PFN Fantasy Start-Sit Optimizer for the latest projections and advice for your lineups this week.
PFN Insight on the 49ers' Defense
The decline of the 49ers' defense this season compared to the last two is a concern. Having been a top-seven unit each year between 2019 and 2022, they ranked 10th last year and have slipped further this season.
A week after posting their second-best grade of the season, the Niners regressed and posted their second-worst grade (69.1) in the Week 16 loss to the Dolphins. San Francisco has posted three "D" grades in the last five weeks after never doing that the first 11 weeks of the season.
The 49ers' run defense had another rough game, posting the fourth-worst success rate (45.2%) of Week 16 and the team's second-worst of the season. San Francisco ranks 27th in run success rate for the season, which is actually identical to where last year's much better unit ranked.
The Niners' final overall rank could drop should they choose to sit some banged-up veterans, such as Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, now that they've been formally eliminated from playoff contention.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Jared Goff’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 7:25 AM ET on Sunday, December 29. If you're in a Superflex league, make sure you check out our Weekly Consensus Superflex Rankings.
Week 17 QB PPR Rankings
1) Josh Allen | BUF (vs. NYJ)
2) Lamar Jackson | BAL (at HOU)
3) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
4) Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs. ATL)
5) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
6) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. GB)
7) Kyler Murray | ARI (at LAR)
8) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (at CIN)
10) Jared Goff | DET (at SF)
11) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
12) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
13) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
14) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
15) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
16) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
17) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
18) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at BUF)
19) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
20) Bryce Young | CAR (at TB)
21) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
22) Joe Flacco | IND (at NYG)
23) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
24) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Aidan O'Connell | LV (at NO)
27) Tyler Huntley | MIA (at CLE)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Kenny Pickett | PHI (vs. DAL)
30) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
31) Drew Lock | NYG (vs. IND)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (vs. LV)
33) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
Lions at 49ers Trends and Insights
Detroit Lions
Team: The Lions are unbeaten on the road, and success on the road has been a common trait on Super Bowl winners ... the past five Super Bowl champions won 81.3% of regular season road games
QB: Much gets made of the home/road splits for Jared Goff, but his QB+ in Detroit this year (81.1) is nearly identical to his grade away from his loyal fans (80.8).
Offense: The Lions and Bears combined for 557 yards of offense in the first half on Sunday. That’s the fourth most in a game this season – it’s the third most in a Lions game this season.
Defense: The Lions held the Bears to 20% on third downs, the fifth time this season that they have held an opponent to that rate or lower.
Fantasy: Amon-Ra St. Brown is the first Lion with multiple seasons of 100 catches,1,000 receiving yards, and 10 touchdown catches. How many players would you draft ahead of him in 2025?
Betting: The Lions' seven straight long rest spots have gone over the total, and they have covered 10 of their past 12 such games.
San Francisco 49ers
Team: In 2019, the 49ers made the Super Bowl and followed it up by winning seven fewer games than the year prior. They are 6-9 this season after making the Super Bowl last season (2023 regular season: 12-5 record).
QB: Brock Purdy’s birthday is on December 27th and one of his wishes will be to cure his recent struggles under pressure (last two games: nine-of-23 for 93 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions).
Offense: San Francisco has converted just 51.8% of their red zone trips into touchdowns this season, down from 67.2% a season ago.
Defense: The 49ers are allowing 31.1% more points per drive this year than last year (allowing a touchdown on 24.4% of drives)
Fantasy: Deebo Samuel Sr. has produced 15% below PPR expectations this season, the lowest rate of his otherwise very efficient career. His points per target (1.57) also sits at a career low, and his expected points per game are down 6.4% from a season ago.
Betting: San Francisco has failed to cover five straight long rest games (0-2 this season).