Theo Johnson start or sit: Week 17 fantasy football advice

Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season will continue on this afternoon with a “Tank Bowl” as the New York Giants visit the Las Vegas Raiders at 4:05 p.m. ET on CBS. Both teams enter this matchup tied for the league’s worst record at 2-13 and the loser will have the inside track for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Giants dropped their ninth straight game last week in an ugly 16-13 loss to the Vikings, a game where they generated just 141 yards of total offense. To no surprise, that pitiful offensive performance didn’t bode well for tight end Theo Johnson and we’ll see if he can rebound this afternoon.

Below, we’ll go over Johnson’s outlook in fantasy football for Week 17.

Johnson was blanked in last week’s loss to the Vikings as he was targeted just twice and caught approximately zero passes. Yeah, it was a rough day at the office for the entire Giants offense as the unit could only whip up a pair of field goals with the team’s only touchdown on the day coming off a defensive scoop-n-score at the end of the first half.

Johnson’s lack of production came despite him being on the field for 96% of the team’s offensive snaps for the game and he’s actually been one of the more present figures in the unit for the entire season as he only trails Wan’Dale Robinson in snap total. Prior to last Sunday, he had gone above 70 receiving yards in three of five outings, so he’s shown that he can be a solid fantasy option for inquiring managers needing tight end help.

Start. Last Sunday’s game against the Giants might’ve been an aberration and there’s an opportunity for him to bounce back against a Raiders team that is clearly waiving the white flag on the season. If you’re in a deeper league and need an option that could help push you over the top in the championship round, then Johnson is your guy.