Fantasy Football Week 12 Start ‘Em Sit ‘Em QB rankings: Dak Prescott and CJ Stroud keep rolling

Week 12 of the 2023 fantasy football season will feature a unique schedule as compared to any other week this year. By the time the main slate of games kick off on Sunday, eight quarterbacks will have already played their weekly games. This due to a triple-header on Thanksgiving as well as an afternoon Black Friday game for the first time in NFL history.

This is noteworthy for fantasy managers because they will need to make many of their lineup decisions earlier than usual. Failure to do so may result in missing out on valuable fantasy points, and with the fantasy playoffs right around the corner, this could be extremely costly. This makes it crucial to be ahead of schedule in analyzing all of the available options this week.

With a few rare exceptions, no quarterbacks should blindly be plugged into fantasy lineups. This often results in a failure to maximize weekly scores as it's much more beneficial to capitalize on favorable situations. Determining which quarterbacks to target can be determined by considering a wide range of different variables each week.

Some of the most important factors to weigh before choosing a quarterback include direct weekly matchups, recent individual performances, injury situations to relevant players, projected team score, expected offensive roles, potential game scripts, and many others. Taking all of them into consideration produces the most accurate projections in fantasy football.

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Using our Start/Sit Optimizer is one of the best ways to streamline this complicated process. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable on any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. Managers who take advantage of it will often gain an edge over the rest of their fantasy leagues.

The following list of targets and fades, as well as complete weekly rankings can help managers finalize their lineups in Week 12. It was produced with the help of the Optimizer to pinpoint appropriate starts and sits, serving as a useful tool to stream quarterbacks and make lineup adjustments.

Fantasy Football Week 12 Start 'Em: Quarterbacks

#1 CJ Stroud

CJ Stroud has been excellent during his rookie season with the Houston Texans. He has also been a borderline QB1 on many fantasy rosters due to his consistently strong production. He has finished among the top 13 quarterbacks in seven of his first ten career games. He also has a favorable matchup in Week 12, making him an ideal lineup target.

Stroud will face off against the Jacksonville Jaguars' defense that allows the tenth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. The last time he faced off against them, he ranked as the QB12 with 280 yards and two touchdowns. He has consistently improved his game since that Week 3 game and will rematch a defense for the first time in his career. He appears in line for another big day.

#2 Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott has completely turned things around across his past five games as compared to his first five, where his fantasy football production severely struggled. In his past five, it has been exactly the opposite, as he has been among the top fantasy quarterbacks in the NFL. He failed to finish better than QB17 in his first five games, but has recorded four top-three finishes in his past five.

Prescott has an excellent chance to continue his strong form in a Week 12 when the Dallas Cowboys face off against the Washington Commanders. Their defense has struggled this season in many areas, including allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. This makes Prescott one of the best overall fantasy football options this week.

#3 Josh Dobbs

Josh Dobbs is no longer just a fun story during the 2023 NFL season, but is now a legitimate starting quarterback. After trading by the Arizona Cardinals to the Minnesota Vikings, his fantasy football value has improved even more. He continues to make improvements, finishing among the top eight quarterbacks in three of his past four games and five total times this year.

Dobbs will now face off against the Chicago Bears in Week 12 in an ideal matchup to continue building on his impressive season. Their defense has struggled this year, particularly against the pass, allowing the 11th most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

For managers looking to acquire any of these Week 12 targets, make sure to consult the fantasy football trade analyzer first.

Fantasy Football Week 12 Sit 'Em: Quarterbacks

#1 Will Levis

Will Levis took over as the starting quarterback for the Tennessee Titans four weeks ago. He immediately burst onto the radar in fantasy football by posting an impressive QB6 finish in his first career game. This included throwing four touchdown passes against a solid Atlanta Falcons defense.

Levis has struggled a bit since then, finishing outside of the top 20 quarterbacks in his other three starts. While he faces off against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, one of the worst teams in the NFL, his direct matchup is deceptively challenging. They quietly thrive against fantasy quarterbacks, allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game.

#2 Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson hasn't thrown an interception in his past four games, helping the Denver Broncos achieve an active four-game winning streak. He has also been a solid streamer in fantasy football this year, finishing among the top 15 quarterbacks six times in ten games.

Wilson is on a stretch where he is playing his best football since joining the Broncos and has been a borderline QB1 in fantasy football. Despite all of this, he should be avoided in Week 12 against the Cleveland Browns. Their elite defense has been one of the best overall units in the NFL this season, including allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.

#3 Sam Howell

Sam Howell has been one of the most surprising superstars of the 2023 fantasy football season in his first year as the Washington Commanders' starting quarterback. He has finished among the top ten quarterbacks in six of his past seven games, making him a solid QB1 option and among the most consistently productive players in the position.

Despite his spectacular season, he should be avoided in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys. They currently lead the entire NFL in pressuring opposing quarterbacks, while also allowing the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks.