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Come Fan with UsFriday, June 19, 2026

Fantasy football Week 17: Start or sit Philip Rivers?

Rivers will need to step up for the Chargers to have a chance at the playoffs. We break down the fantasy impact.

Los Angeles Chargers v New York Jets
Los Angeles Chargers v New York Jets
Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Chargers playoff hopes are still alive but they will need to get past the Oakland Raiders first. Quarterback Philip Rivers will need a big outing in Week 17 to make that happen. Rivers bounced back Sunday after a terrible Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs. He completed 22 passes on 40 attempts for 290 yards and a touchdown in the Week 16 win over the New York Jets. The 14-year play caller was held under 300 yards for the second game in a row after stringing together three straight games with at least 319 yards and a touchdown.

Rivers will look to improve on his Week 16 performance Sunday in a must-win game at home against Oakland. The Raiders have a soft passing defense that gives up a lot of yards and scores. They also have the fewest interceptions in the league. They played well against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night though. Rivers did not take full advantage of the matchup in their first meeting. He finished the Week 6 win over Oakland with 268 yards and a touchdown.

Fantasy impact: The Chargers will use their full arsenal against the Raiders on Sunday. The Raiders defense is not great but they do not give up a lot of points to their opponents. They held the No. 1 team in the league to 19 points Monday night. Rivers has to have a strong showing against Oakland. He should be able to pull off the win and hopefully have a better fantasy outing while doing so Sunday. He still has starter potential for the final game of the season.

Recommendation: Start

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