Entering Week 17 of the NFL season, some fantasy football leagues remain in operation, heading into respective championship matchups. In such matchups, production will be paramount, adding extra emphasis on roster construction this weekend. Monitoring the wide receiver position, two star wideouts make compelling cases to start among Week 17 lineups: Stefon Diggs and Emeka Egbuka. Both wideouts are slated to offer valuable fantasy production, but who deserves the nod more?
The Case For Emeka Egbuka
Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) walks on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Egbuka opened the season with some of the most valuable production of all fantasy receivers through the first 10 weeks of the year, but has since tapered off in an inconsistent, banged-up Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense. The team’s passing game enters the final week of the regular season ranked 22nd in the NFL, but is presented with a favorable matchup against an equally inconsistent Miami Dolphins defense.Â
This could help Egbuka, who has cracked double-digit fantasy scoring margins just once during the back-half of the season, breakout in the last fantasy week of the year. The rookie sensation has sustained highly encouraging volume, averaging nearly eight targets per game, the most of any rookie pass-catcher in the league entering Week 17.Â
It’s been tough sledding for Egbuka in fantasy, as Mike Evans has emerged as the dominant force in the Buccaneers’ passing game over recent weeks, but consistent volume paired with an immensely favorable matchup could do wonders for the rookie wideout in Week 18. Expect a solid bounce-back effort from the Ohio State product on Sunday.Â
The Case For Stefon Diggs
Dec 21, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) runs the ball against the Baltimore Ravens during the second half of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images
Diggs’ value stretches wider than box score production, serving as a consistent target for second-year quarterback Drake Maye. The veteran wideout has helped the star quarterback amid a breakout campaign, emerging as a reliable option in an efficient New England Patriots passing game.Â
Diggs enters Week 17 coming off a stellar performance last week, hauling in nine of his 10 targets for 138 yards, his second-highest yardage mark of the season thus far. Coming into Sunday’s game, the four-time Pro Bowler needs 131 yards for his first 1,000 campaign since 2023, and will remain an integral contributor as he looks to eclipse his personal mark.Â
A matchup versus a lowly Jets defense offers another favorable matchup for fantasy managers, which could help Diggs post 100 yards for the third time in six games. Diggs’ managers can count on another week of solid production, even if it doesn’t match his Week 16 performance.Â
The Final Verdict
Dec 1, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) runs after a catch during the first quarter against the New York Giants at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images
I’m confidently taking the veteran over the rookie in Week 17, starting Diggs over Egbuka for the final week of the season. For one, Miami’s defense has shown signs of life amid a recent 4-2 stretch from the team, while the Jets’ defense remains one of the worst in the league. New England will surely give the run game plenty of love, but an explosive passing attack remains integral for the offensive gameplan in Week 18. It’s been seven weeks since Egbuka’s last 100-yard game, a mark Diggs has eclipsed with relative frequency over recent weeks, twice in his last five games. The veteran wideout presents a safer floor with an equally elevated ceiling.
Read More Fantasy On SI News