Brock Purdy start or sit: Week 17 fantasy football advice

The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the best teams in the NFL as they close out the regular season, heading into Week 17 as winners of seven straight. They head on the road Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders, with quarterback Brock Purdy making another start for San Francisco. How viable is the rookie signal-caller as a starter in fantasy lineups this week?

Fantasy Football Analysis: 49ers QB Brock Purdy

The 49ers' offense has seemingly not missed a beat with Purdy under center, and he enters an excellent matchup in Week 17 versus Las Vegas. The only question mark heading into this week was Purdy’s health after being listed with an oblique and rib injury, but the rookie was a full participant on Wednesday, setting him up to take the field on Sunday. With a number of offensive weapons at his disposal, San Francisco should be efficient versus the Raiders.

Las Vegas gives up the sixth-most fantasy points (18.8 PPG) to opposing quarterbacks, and their secondary ranks 27th in the league in pass defense (244.3 YPG allowed). While already a leaky unit, it will also be without starting defensive back Rock Ya-Sin, who was placed on IR on Thursday.

If fantasy managers are playing in superflex or two-quarterback formats, Purdy has strong value as a QB2 heading into this matchup. Amid the news cycle that has surrounded the Raiders this week, it’s not far-fetched to assume a subpar performance from their defense, resulting in Purdy putting together another efficient fantasy performance.

Start or sit in Week 17?

Start. Purdy has a very advantageous matchup in Week 17 and for fantasy managers that are in need of a plug-in at quarterback, Purdy is a solid choice with great upside. Fire him up in respective lineups where necessary.