Fantasy Football Week 12 Quarterback Start/Sit: Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, and More

Superstar quarterback performances win fantasy weeks. QBs generally score more fantasy points than other positions, so when a guy really goes off, his score can tower above the field. That player was Josh Allen in Week 11.

Allen threw for 317 yards and three touchdowns, a good day by itself, but then added 40 yards and three more scores on the ground. He had huge individual days both passing and running and combined them for over 40 fantasy points, surely winning many leagues single-handedly.

While we probably won't find another performance like that, let's look at three quarterbacks to start and three to sit in Week 12 of the NFL season. There won't be any obvious names below, like Allen. Instead, we have six guys who are worth fantasy consideration some weeks but better left on the bench other times. Most stats are from NFL.com.

Use FantasySP's weekly projections to help make your toughest lineup decisions each week.

Start

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks @ Tennessee Titans

Darnold had a rough game last week, as his 279 yards were offset by four interceptions (and no touchdowns) in a game that the Seahawks lost by two points. Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones said it best when he scolded anyone who wanted to discredit Darnold, correctly pointing out that he has been great all year and put the Seahawks in position to win.

That doesn't take away from his poor performance, but things are likely to flip back the right way this week, as the Titans might be the worst team in the league. They have given up the sixth-most yards per pass attempt, and while Tennessee ranks 13th in fantasy points per game allowed to QBs, that has to do with volume, not efficiency.

Tennessee has faced the eighth-fewest pass attempts, and they are only 23 passes short of third place. Teams beat up on the Titans and don't have to throw much; their minus-130 point differential is 24 points worse than the next closest team (Cincinnati).

This sets up well for Seattle to get back on track after a tough loss. Darnold has been efficient with volume all season, and he could find more of the same in this one.

Aaron Rodgers or Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers @ Chicago Bears

Rodgers suffered a wrist injury and left last week's game, getting replaced by Rudolph in Pittsburgh's 34-12 win over Cincinnati. Both quarterbacks played well with low volume, each throwing for around 120 yards on about 7.8 per attempt. They led by at least eight points for around the final 16 minutes and didn't have to throw much late.

That was a fantastic matchup against the Bengals, and this week is just as good. The Bears have allowed the fourth-most yards per pass attempt and the fourth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

The matchup is right, but we don't know who will start yet. While it would seem like Rodgers should miss at least a game after suffering a wrist fracture, he says he wants to play this week, and the quarterback's status is up in the air. With his future not a big concern, Pittsburgh doesn't need to be cautious with the veteran QB.

There is risk to both players, as Rodgers could aggravate the injury and leave the game if he plays, and Rudolph is a backup for a reason and doesn't have a high ceiling. Those who like playing it safe will want to stay away. If you find yourself scrambling, though, there is a great matchup waiting for whoever stats under center for the Steelers.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We talked about Darnold's tough day against the Rams, but Stafford wasn't much better, throwing for 130 yards on just 4.6 yards per attempt. His two touchdowns helped both his team and his fantasy score, but that's a putrid performance from a guy who has a real MVP case.

Also like Darnold, Stafford gets a much better outlook this week against a weaker defense. Tampa Bay has allowed the fifth-most yards per pass attempt and the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The Bucs are another team that has dealt with a ton of injuries, and that extends to the defense (even though the offense has felt it more).

As good as Stafford and the LA offense have been, we have to expect them to bounce back on Sunday night. Those two TDs from last week give him a league-leading 27 with just two interceptions, six more touchdowns than anyone else. He is also averaging 255.7 passing yards per game, regularly putting up big numbers.

Stafford is a great fantasy option this week. His lack of running keeps his ceiling lower than some other guys, but Stafford should be able to throw it all over Tampa.

Sit

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Los Angeles Rams

Let's jump to the other side of that Bucs/Rams matchup, as Mayfield has the opposite outlook of his LA counterpart. The Rams have allowed the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt and the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Mayfield had his own stretch of MVP-level play, but it was surrounded by more middling performances, even as Mayfield has mostly been successful. His 17 touchdowns to just three interceptions are great, but Mayfield is averaging 7.0 yards per attempt, which is right in the middle.

He had three games under 200 yards and another at 215; Mayfield was also under 7.0 yards per pass in six of 10 games. Running is a big part of his game when Mayfield is at his best, but he had three straight games with zero yards on zero attempts prior to Week 11.

With Mayfield showing uneven fantasy production and the matchup heavily against him, it's probably best to leave the Tampa Bay quarterback on your bench. There's always a bit of a high ceiling because he runs, and this could become a shootout, but I'm betting that Los Angeles stifles the Bucs' passing game.

J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers

McCarthy has only started five games. It's not fair to make definitive statements about his chances of finding NFL success after such a small sample. Many QBs struggle in their first handful of starts, and everyone has stretches of five bad games.

After missing his entire rookie season, though, McCarthy will be halfway through his rookie contract at the end of the year (not counting the fifth-year option), and the Vikings aren't likely to have much evidence that he is the future.

After both Kirk Cousins and a formerly inept Sam Darnold both excelled in Minnesota, many thought that McCarthy could at least look average upon taking over (me included). That has been far from the case, as McCarthy missed time with an injury and been below average when on the field.

This is also a bad matchup, as the Packers have given up the second-fewest yards per pass attempt and the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. McCarthy has found a little fantasy success by running the ball, but Green Bay has allowed just nine rushing yards per game to QBs, with only four players even reaching double digits.

We have a quarterback who has struggled mightily with a tough matchup here; it's a recipe for disaster. McCarthy was bad with a great matchup against the Bears last week, so I'm not excited about his prospects against a strong defense in Green Bay.

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles

We have precedent for this matchup: Dallas and Philadelphia faced off in Week 1, and Prescott threw for 188 yards on 5.5 per attempt with no touchdowns and no interceptions. The Eagles have continued as a strong defensive team, allowing the seventh-fewest yards per pass attempt and the 10th-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

Prescott went on a heater after that quiet Week 1, topping 250 yards in five of the next six games and spending time atop the passing yard and fantasy QB rankings. Prescott ranks as QB9 right now, having slowed down a little but still putting up good numbers, like his 268 yards and four touchdowns against Las Vegas on Monday night.

Prescott's damage has come more as a result of volume than efficiency, as he is averaging 7.1 yards per pass attempt but ranks fifth in passing yards and tied for second in passing touchdowns. That means he can have a good day without being efficient, but it leaves a lower floor when they are stymied by a tough defense.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Prescott put up something close to his Week 1 numbers, with around 200 yards and maybe a touchdown. Prescott has a low floor without the high ceiling to make it worth the risk, so I'm skipping the Dallas QB this week.