The Pittsburgh Steelers will face the Kansas City Chiefs 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 Russell Wilson.
Is Russell Wilson Playing in Week 17?
Wilson is not listed on the injury report this week, so barring any setbacks, he is on track to play on Christmas.
We’ll continue to monitor the Steelers’ 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 Russell Wilson in Week 17?
Wilson is averaging just 6.2 yards per pass during the three games in which George Pickens has sat; with just 167.7 pass yards per game, there’s no reason to go this direction in a tough matchup.
Wilson can do enough to keep the Steelers competitive, both this week and during the postseason, but not for your fantasy team. The fewer possessions that are played, the better it is for Mike Tomlin, and that’s not a way to optimize your fantasy lineup.
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.
Russell Wilson’s Fantasy Points Projection in Week 17
As of Thursday, Wilson is projected to score 11.6 fantasy points in Week 17. This includes 150.6 passing yards, 1 passing touchdowns, and 0.3 interceptions. It also includes 2.4 rushing attempts for 9.6 yards and 0.2 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 Chiefs' Defense
The Chiefs had another above-average game in Week 16, posting a 77.8 grade vs. the Texans. Three of this unit’s six best performances have come in the last month, vaulting Steve Spagnuolo’s group hovering around the top 10.
One encouraging sign for the Chiefs? Their steadily improving pass rush.
Kansas City posted its fifth-best non-blitz pressure rate (38.5%) of the season vs. Houston, a week after posting their sixth-best against Cleveland. For the season, the Chiefs have become a slightly above-average pressure unit (14th in non-blitz pressure rate) despite much hand-wringing about the lack of supporting pass rushers next to Chris Jones.
Kansas City’s positive turnover regression luck also continued, as the Chiefs forced two more takeaways against the Texans. That gives KC eight takeaways in its last two games after just 10 takeaways in its first 13 games combined. Only two of those takeaways have come with pressure, so the Chiefs actually have room to grow in that category, even if they can’t rely on averaging four takeaways per game over any sustained period of time.
For more insight on all other team defenses, head to our PFN Defense+ Metric Analysis.
Russell Wilson’s Fantasy Ranking
Our Weekly Consensus PPR Rankings are below — both positional and overall. They were last updated at 3:45 AM ET on Wednesday, December 25. 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) Jalen Hurts | PHI (vs. DAL)
4) Joe Burrow | CIN (vs. DEN)
5) Jayden Daniels | WAS (vs. ATL)
6) Baker Mayfield | TB (vs. CAR)
7) Sam Darnold | MIN (vs. GB)
8) Kyler Murray | ARI (at LAR)
9) Bo Nix | DEN (at CIN)
10) Jordan Love | GB (at MIN)
11) Jared Goff | DET (at SF)
12) Anthony Richardson | IND (at NYG)
13) Brock Purdy | SF (vs. DET)
14) Tua Tagovailoa | MIA (at CLE)
15) Matthew Stafford | LAR (vs. ARI)
16) C.J. Stroud | HOU (vs. BAL)
17) Patrick Mahomes | KC (at PIT)
18) Justin Herbert | LAC (at NE)
19) Caleb Williams | CHI (vs. SEA)
20) Aaron Rodgers | NYJ (at BUF)
21) Geno Smith | SEA (at CHI)
22) Russell Wilson | PIT (vs. KC)
23) Cooper Rush | DAL (at PHI)
24) Bryce Young | CAR (at TB)
25) Drake Maye | NE (vs. LAC)
26) Michael Penix Jr. | ATL (at WAS)
27) Aidan O'Connell | LV (at NO)
28) Mac Jones | JAX (vs. TEN)
29) Mason Rudolph | TEN (at JAX)
30) Tommy DeVito | NYG (vs. IND)
31) Dorian Thompson-Robinson | CLE (vs. MIA)
32) Spencer Rattler | NO (vs. LV)
Chiefs at Steelers Trends and Insights
Kansas City Chiefs
Team: The Chiefs are one of 32 teams in the NFL (3.1%) – they have accounted for 13.3% of the 5+ game win streaks since the start of 2022.
QB: Patrick Mahomes recorded the longest touchdown run of his career on Saturday (15 yards) and now has a 10+ yard carry in three straight games for the first time in the regular season since Weeks 1-4 last year.
Offense: Saturday was the third time this season in which they averaged 3+ points per drive (they had three such games last regular season as well).
Defense: Kansas City has allowed under 20 points in four straight games, their third-longest streak since 2016.
Fantasy: It’s been a struggle for Isiah Pacheco of late, but it hasn’t been all his fault – 0.44 yards per carry before contact over his past three games.
Betting: Since 2022, unders are 8-1 when the Chiefs play on short rest.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Team: From Week 9 of 2022 through Week 2 of this season, the Steelers had one losing streak – they’ve had two since.
QB: George Pickens missed three straight games, and in those contests, Russell Wilson was 10-of-26 with one touchdown and one interception when pressured (two games prior: 14-of-24 with three scores and zero picks).
Offense: Pittsburgh has turned the ball over on 7.2% of their drives at home this season (road: 9.1%).
Defense: The Steelers have allowed 7.7 yards per pass since Week 12 (Weeks 1-11: 6.9). They are 8-0 this season, when allowing under 29 yards per drive (2-5 otherwise).
Fantasy: Najee Harris has yet to reach 45 rushing yards in a loss this season and has just seven receiving yards over his past three games (two targets earned).
Betting: Since 2005, the Steelers are 8-1 ATS on a short week in Week 15 or later (9-0 outright with a +130 point differential).