The Tennessee Titans will face the Jacksonville Jaguars 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 Mason Rudolph.
Is Mason Rudolph Playing in Week 17?
Rudolph is not listed in the injury report this week. Barring any setbacks, he is expected to play this weekend in place of Will Levis, who was benched during Week 15’s game.
We’ll continue to monitor the Titans’ 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 Mason Rudolph in Week 17?
Bar trivia time: Entering Week 17, how many players have an active streak longer than Mason Rudolph in terms of multi-touchdown pass games?
Four.
Rudolph has done it in three straight, a mark that ranks behind only Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jared Goff, and Jayden Daniels.
I could just leave that note there and let you get in your own head about getting creative with Rudolph in deep leagues or DFS formats, but let’s not do that.
The Jags own the lowest blitz rate in the league, and you might assume that means that Rudolph won’t be forced into bad decisions this week. But as it turns out, he’s plenty capable of making those bad throws all by himself.
It’s almost like the Titans have a type.
Rudolph hasn’t just thrown a pick in each of his five starts; he’s thrown a pick when not blitzed in each of them, including three last week in Indianapolis.
If you want to label Rudolph as this game’s most valuable fantasy QB, you have my blessing. If you want to have exposure to him in any capacity, I have questions.
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.
Mason Rudolph’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Sunday morning, Rudolph is projected to score 8.1 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 123.5 passing yards, 0.5 passing touchdowns, and 0.4 interceptions. It also includes 2 rushing attempts for 10.4 yards and 0.1 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 Jaguars' Defense
The Jaguars didn't look awful against the Raiders, but that's a fairly low bar to clear. Jacksonville's 75.3 grade in Week 16 was the team's fifth-best in 2024, but it was also the third-lowest by any defense in a game vs. Vegas this season.
The Jaguars don't rank above average in a single metric that goes into Defense+. They're close on defensive EPA per rush (0.07), which ranks 16th and technically better than the league average of 0.05.
Last year, Mike Caldwell's firing was viewed as a sacrificial lamb for Doug Pederson, and the defense has gotten considerably worse. It seems highly unlikely Pederson and Ryan Nielsen can make a case that things will only get better in Year 2 of their partnership.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Mason Rudolph’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)
Titans at Jaguars Trends and Insights
Tennessee Titans
Team: Tennessee has lost consecutive games when scoring at least 27 points – they had two such losses in their previous 86 games.
QB: Mason Rudolph isn’t leading an offense, but he’s getting rid of the ball – he has more touchdown passes (eight) than sacks this season (seven).
Offense: The Titans are seven-of-seven in the red zone over their past two games, which is great, but they have only converted one fourth-down pass since the beginning of November.
Defense: The Titans have allowed over 38 yards per drive three times this season – they’ve all come in December.
Fantasy: Calvin Ridley is the third Titan receiver over the past 20 years to have seven receptions and three touchdowns, gaining 30+ yards. The others? A.J. Brown (2019-20) and DeAndre Hopkins (2023).
Betting: Tennessee is 2-13 ATS. Unless they cover each of their final two games, they will finish as the worst ATS team of the 2000s up to this point (the 2007 Ravens and the 2014 Titans both finished 3-13 ATS).
Jacksonville Jaguars
Team: Jacksonville was embarrassed in Detroit (Week 11: 52-6 loss), but every Jaguar game since has been decided by seven or fewer points.
QB: Mac Jones completed his first 20+ yard pass of the season last week, which traveled 21+ yards in the air. It was a 62-yard Brian Thomas Jr. score.
Offense: Since Week 8, the Jaguars have turned the ball over on 18.1% of their offensive drives.
Defense: The Jaguars have not forced a turnover in five straight games (10 such performances this season).
Fantasy: Brian Thomas Jr. is one of three receivers since 2000 to post 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns through 16 weeks of his rookie season – and all came from LSU (Odell Beckham Jr. in 2014 and Ja’Marr Chase in 2021).
Betting: The Jaguars are just 3-9-1 ATS in their past 13 home December games.