Fantasy managers considering who to start in fantasy football at quarterback are staring down some tough decisions in Week 12. The first half of the season has seen many of the NFL’s 32 teams dogged by widespread injury. This has specifically been a problem for managers weighing who to start at QB, since many of those injuries have sidelined both star quarterbacks and some of their backups.
Top QBs like Joe Burrow, Jayden Daniels, Kyler Murray, Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy and Justin Fields have already missed extensive time due to injury. The Vikings have been without both starter J.J. McCarthy and backup Carson Wentz at various points, while other teams, like the Bengals, the Vikings and the Browns, have had a rotating cast at the position. Plus, many teams are dealing with injuries to key offensive weapons, like Malik Nabers, Tyreek Hill and Terry McLaurin.
If you’re fretting over who the top quarterbacks to start for Week 12 are, or which players should be riding your bench this week, here’s our fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em Week 12 quarterbacks guide to help you get an edge in your league this week.
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Start ‘Em/Sit ‘Em Week 12, 2025 – Quarterback
So, who should you absolutely slot into your lineup for Week 12, and who’s better of left on your bench? Let’s take a look.
Quarterback Start of the Week
Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (vs. New York Giants): The Lions are already one of the most dynamic offenses in the NFL, but they’re likely getting a feast delivered to them when the New York Giants roll into town. Sure, Goff has been in a bit of a fantasy rut as of late, but he’ll have a solid opportunity to bounce this week against a 28th-ranked Giants defense that has given up over 20 points per game on average to quarterbacks, can’t seem to mount any sort of meaningful pass rush and has a weak secondary. Start Goff wherever possible.
Quarterbacks to Start in Week 12
Drake Maye, New England Patriots (at Cincinnati Bengals): No one expected the New England Patriots in their first year under Mike Vrabel to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders with the league-best record, but here we are. Maye showed flashes of his potential last season, but he’s stepped into a league of his own this year. He’s been one of the most consistent fantasy QBs this season, and he’ll go to work against a league-worst Bengals defense this week.
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Stafford only put up 13 points last week, but he was one of the best QBs in fantasy over the three weeks prior. He’ll be up against the Buccaneers defense, which has allowed north of 20 points per game on average to quarterbacks this season. His receiving corps, which includes Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, is also back at full strength.
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars): Jacoby Brissett has been a consistently, if surprisingly, good start for fantasy managers after replacing an injured Kyler Murray under center in Week 6. He’s scored nearly or over 20 points in each of his starts this season and seems more than comfortable airing the ball out. The Jags have been allowing at least that many points per game to other QBS, so Jacoby gets the nod from us this week.
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Indianapolis Colts): Remember the early-career days when Mahomes was the most sought-after QB in fantasy? Many of us thought those times were over after he burnt many a manager over the last few seasons, but he’s been on a tear this year. Indianapolis has been pretty weak against passing games, and Mahomes will likely lean in there to put up some big points this week.
For a full look at the top QBs in the NFL right now, check out our 2025 Quarterback Rankings.
Quarterback Sit of the Week
Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts (at Kansas City Chiefs): Speaking of the Colts, Daniel Jones is our Sit of the Week against a Kansas City defense that ranks close to the top of the league. The Chiefs know how to pressure a QB, and Jones will be facing plenty of it this week. They’ve been very effective at shutting down passing all season, which means Jonathan Taylor will likely get a heavy workload over the Colts receivers against KC. Sit Jones for sure.
Quarterbacks to Sit in Week 12
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. New England Patriots): Flacco has been the spark the Bengals needed after losing QB Joe Burrow, likely for majority of the season, but he posted less than 10 points last week and will face one of the league’s best defenses, the New England Patriots, in Week 12. Say “No” to Joe this week.
Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Arizona Cardinals): The Jags have been pulling off wins by the skin of their teeth all season long, and Trevor Lawrence has been, once again, a bit underwhelming as a starting QB for fantasy. He’s only scored more than 20 fantasy points on two occasions this season and hasn’t posted meaningful TD numbers either on foot or through the air. Arizona has been stingy to the QB position, so we’ll leave Lawrence on the bench.
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (vs. Philadelphia Eagles): Dak has returned to the Cowboys line up in force this season, and he’s been a strong start most weeks. This is not one of them. He’ll be up against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles defense. Even though the Philly D is hanging out in the middle of the defensive rankings, they’ve been very good at shutting down passing touchdowns this season. Overcoming that will be a tall order for Prescott, even with CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens at his disposal. We’d rather not roll the dice here.
Week 12 QB Matchups: Avg. Fantasy Points Allowed to QBs by Team
To help you make your QB start or sit decisions, here’s how many fantasy points on average every team in the league has given up to the quarterback position through Week 11:
| Team | Avg. Fantasy Points Allowed to Quarterbacks |
| Dallas Cowboys | 24.2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 21.7 |
| New York Giants | 21.6 |
| Chicago Bears | 20.8 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 20.7 |
| Washington Commanders | 20.4 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 20 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 19.7 |
| Miami Dolphins | 19.4 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 19.2 |
| New York Jets | 18.6 |
| Detroit Lions | 18.5 |
| Tennessee Titans | 17.8 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 17.7 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 17.5 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 17.2 |
| New England Patriots | 17.1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 17 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 16.7 |
| New Orleans Saints | 16.7 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 16.3 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 16.1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 16.1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 15.7 |
| Green Bay Packers | 15.1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 15.1 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 15 |
| Buffalo Bills | 14.1 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 14.1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 13.8 |
| Denver Broncos | 13.2 |
| Houston Texans | 12.4 |
Week 12 Fantasy Football QB Rankings
Here are the rankings for the top quarterbacks for Week 12:
| Rank | Player | Team | Opponent | Proj. Fantasy Points |
| 1 | Drake Maye | NE | at CIN | 23.5 |
| 2 | Lamar Jackson | BAL | vs. NYJ | 22.1 |
| 3 | Josh Allen | BUF | at HOU | 21.6 |
| 4 | Jalen Hurts | PHI | at DAL | 20.8 |
| 5 | Patrick Mahomes II | KC | vs. IND | 20.4 |
| 6 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | vs. TB | 19.9 |
| 7 | Jared Goff | DET | vs. NYG | 19.4 |
| 8 | Brock Purdy | SF | vs. CAR | 18.9 |
| 9 | Jacoby Brissett | ARI | vs. JAC | 18.6 |
| 10 | Dak Prescott | DAL | vs. PHI | 18.1 |
| 11 | Jaxson Dart | NYG | at DET | 17.7 |
| 12 | Caleb Williams | CHI | vs. PIT | 17.4 |
| 13 | Daniel Jones | IND | at KC | 17.1 |
| 14 | Baker Mayfield | TB | at LAR | 16.8 |
| 15 | Sam Darnold | SEA | at TEN | 16.6 |
| 16 | Jordan Love | GB | vs. MIN | 16.3 |
| 17 | Trevor Lawrence | JAC | at ARI | 16 |
| 18 | Joe Flacco | CIN | vs. NE | 15.8 |
| 19 | Bryce Young | CAR | at SF | 15.5 |
| 20 | Tyler Shough | NO | vs. ATL | 15.1 |
| 21 | J.J. McCarthy | MIN | at GB | 14.8 |
| 22 | Davis Mills | HOU | vs. BUF | 14.4 |
| 23 | Mason Rudolph | PIT | at CHI | 14 |
| 24 | Kirk Cousins | ATL | at NO | 13.5 |
| 25 | Tyrod Taylor | NYJ | at BAL | 13 |
| 26 | Geno Smith | LV | vs. CLE | 12.3 |
| 27 | Shedeur Sanders | CLE | at LV | 11.2 |
| 28 | Cam Ward | TEN | vs. SEA | 9.9 |
| 29 | Aaron Rodgers | PIT | at CHI | 7.9 |
| 30 | Jameis Winston | NYG | at DET | 0.8 |
| 31 | Dillon Gabriel | CLE | at LV | 0.7 |
| 32 | Justin Fields | NYJ | at BAL | 0.6 |
| 33 | Andy Dalton | CAR | at SF | 0.5 |
| 34 | Jalen Milroe | SEA | at TEN | 0.6 |
| 35 | Tyler Huntley | BAL | vs. NYJ | 0.5 |
| 36 | Joe Burrow | CIN | vs. NE | 0.5 |
| 37 | Max Brosmer | MIN | at GB | 0.5 |
| 38 | Russell Wilson | NYG | at DET | 0.4 |
| 39 | Mac Jones | SF | vs. CAR | 0.5 |
| 40 | Tyson Bagent | CHI | vs. PIT | 0.4 |
Watch NFL Football on DIRECTV
You can see all of these quarterbacks and the rest of the players on your fantasy roster rack up points all season long on by watching NFL games every week on DIRECTV.
Frequently Asked Questions
What goes into determining whether to start or sit a QB in fantasy football each week?
Multiple factors contribute to a decision to start or sit a quarterback in fantasy football, including whether they're injured or questionable to play, the strength of the opposing defense, especially against the pass, specific QB vs. defensive player matchups, recent performance and available offensive weapons, especially wide receiver. Additionally, the QB's wide receivers' matchups can factor into the decision.
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