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Quarterbacks are generally the highest-scoring position in fantasy football, and a dud game from your QB can sink your week and lose you your matchup. For that reason, it's vitally important that you make good start/sit decisions for this position, perhaps more so than others.
The floor QBs possess is always nice, but nightmare games, like the one Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson put up in Week 11, can be painful. Single-digit scores from signal-callers won't help you win your fantasy games.
So, who are five commonly rostered quarterbacks, and should you start each of them in Week 12? Let's find out.
Should I Start Geno Smith for Fantasy Football?
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is rostered in 62% of Sleeper leagues, and as he's the QB11 on the year, is a popular option for starting lineups this week. He'll face the Arizona Cardinals, who rank right around the middle of the pack in schedule-adjusted points allowed to opposing quarterbacks.
Geno Smith just completed his 10th game winning drive since 2022… the most in the NFL during this stretch #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/VESmBFe1y4
— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) November 18, 2024
He enjoyed a nice game against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11, mostly due to the rushing touchdown he picked up to seal the upset win after SF defender Nick Bosa (hip) picked up an injury and wasn't able to return. Other than that, his day wasn't great. The loss of his center, Connor Williams, to retirement hurts the whole team.
He's a solid starting option in leagues with 12 or more teams. His passing numbers have dipped recently, as he's not been attempting as many passes over the past few games, so his upside has dipped as well.
Should I Start Sam Darnold for Fantasy Football?
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (foot) somewhat redeemed himself in Week 11, tossing for 246 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 18 yards and a rushing score. He had an ugly three-interception game in Week 10, but that was only his second game scoring in the single digits.
Sam Darnold magic 🪄 pic.twitter.com/M9qHxFEwkl
— Patrick Siepman (@PatSieps) November 17, 2024
His Week 11 performance is more impressive considering that it was against the Tennessee Titans, who have one of the best overall defenses in the league. Ugly high-turnover games are just part of the deal with having Darnold on your fantasy teams. He'll have a tough matchup with the Chicago Bears in Week 12, though.
He's a good player to start in all leagues. You can't count the Vikings offense out from being explosive.
Should I Start Jordan Love for Fantasy Football?
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love, much like Darnold, is a huge beneficiary of being on a team with good offensive line play, a great pass-catching corps, and an elite offensive mind for a head coach designing the offense. He's a good player to start in leagues with 12 or more teams as well.
great play by Jordan Love to avoid the safety pic.twitter.com/Xr6dD3CPVY
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) October 6, 2024
Much like Darnold, he also makes "dude, why did you do that" plays, but you'd find yourself inserting him into your starting lineup each week. He does have the occasional bad game, but the majority of the time, he'll at least get you 15-20 points. He's more often a help than a liability at the position for fantasy football.
Should I Start Drake Maye for Fantasy Football?
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looks like a stud, but the problem is the players around him. He has perhaps one of the poorest wide receiver groups in the NFL. His team hung him out to dry by trading down to select wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk in the 2024 NFL Draft with an early pick. He's been dreadful.
Tough for Ja’Lynn Polk pic.twitter.com/jZ7BtTqbjY
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) November 20, 2024
It's clear now that Maye is an excellent passer, so you can't blame him for Polk being one of the worst wideouts in the league. The rookie signal-caller has him, Kayshon Boutte, Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Hunter Henry, and Austin Hooper to work with. Very little help.
Despite this, the new face of the franchise has been surprisingly effective, showcasing fantastic elusiveness and rushing ability. He's rushed for a ridiculous 9.3 yards per carry on the season and accounted for 10 total touchdowns in his last five fully healthy games.
He's a good start in leagues with 14 or more teams. The Miami Dolphins, his opponent in Week 12, have been excellent at limiting quarterback rushing this year, so it may be a struggle for him to pick up extra fantasy points with his legs.
Should I Start C.J. Stroud for Fantasy Football?
Stroud has been one of this season's biggest fantasy busts at quarterback, though it's not his fault. The signing of running back Joe Mixon has led to a much more run-heavy offensive game plan from Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik. The offensive line has also played pretty terribly.
Texans QB CJ Stroud pocket movement here before delivering a strike to Tank Dell 🧑🍳 pic.twitter.com/7e639bHoC3
— DJ Bien-Aime (@Djbienaime) November 21, 2024
He's been under way too much pressure, but he has his elite WR1, Nico Collins, back in the lineup, so he should be fine. He'll face the Titans defense, though, who have been good at limiting the scoring of opposing quarterbacks. He profiles as a mid-range QB2 in this matchup, and he should probably only be started in leagues with 14 or more teams.
The lack of rushing upside and the potential to be under duress for a large part of the game won't help him. He also won't have his WR2, Stefon Diggs (knee), for the rest of the season, as Diggs suffered a torn ACL in Week 8. This leaves Stroud with a depleted WR corps and gives Slowik even more reason to feed Mixon. Not great, Bob.
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