2022 Fantasy Football: Week 12 Quarterback Rankings

Welcome to Week 12, folks. The good news is that we don’t have to navigate any pesky bye weeks this week. Yay! The bad news is that there are a couple of injuries and possible quarterback changes that will affect the Week 12 quarterback rankings. Boo! So before we dive into the rankings, let’s take a quick look at some of those injuries and possible changes under center.

On the injury front, Justin Fields is day-to-day after suffering a left shoulder injury. The Bears have their bye in Week 14, so it’s possible Fields is kept out for extra recovery time. If Fields misses any time, Trevor Siemian will get the start. It’s unclear who will start for the Rams in Week 12. Matthew Stafford missed Week 10 with a concussion.  He’s now being monitored for another injury after he left Week 11 early. Third-stringer Bryce Perkins took over in Week 11, with John Wolford out with a neck injury. As always, be sure to stay on top of the injury reports throughout the week and adjust your lineups accordingly.  UPDATE:  Matthew Stafford is out with a strained neck and Bryce Perkins will get the start.

There’s been a quarterback change in Carolina.  Sam Darnold is starting against Denver this week, replacing Baker Mayfield. In Houston, head coach Lovie Smith has yet to commit to Davis Mills remaining the team’s starting quarterback. Backup Kyle Allen could see playing time starting in Week 12. Similarly, Jets’ head coach Robert Saleh was noncommittal about Zach Wilson starting in Week 12 against Chicago. Either Joe Flacco or Mike White could get the starting nod. Stay tuned.  UPDATE:  Zach Wilson was benched and Mike White will start in Week 12.

Quarterback Notes

• Tua Tagovailoa was unstoppable heading into his Week 11 bye. He threw three touchdowns in each of his last three games and averaged 323 passing yards per game over that span. Tagovailoa will get a challenge this week against a Houston defense that has been one of the toughest teams to score on. However, don’t sweat the matchup too much as the Texans have yet to face a receiving duo as dangerous as Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Tagovailoa and company should be able to rise to the challenge in Week 12. He’s my QB5 this week.
• Lamar Jackson is coming off a QB16 finish where he completed 24-of-33 passes for 209 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. He also punched in a touchdown on the ground and rushed for 31 yards – his second-lowest rushing total of the season. While Jackson started the season strong, he’s topped 20 fantasy points only once since Week 4. However, he gets a nice bounce-back opportunity this week against a Jacksonville defense allowing the 10th-most fantasy points to quarterbacks. They’ve also given up the ninth-most rushing yards to the position – an area that Jackson can exploit. Jackson always has the ability to go off, but given his recent struggles, he’s my QB8 in Week 12.
• Geno Smith has had no problem scoring this season, with his 17 passing touchdowns ranking as sixth-best at the position. Over the past month, Smith has thrown two touchdowns in each of his last four games, scoring at least 19 fantasy points in three of them. That should continue this week in a juicy matchup against Las Vegas. The Raiders are allowing the third-most fantasy points, as well as the third-most passing touchdowns (17) to quarterbacks this season. Fire up Smith with confidence this week.
• Taylor Heinicke has posted single-digit fantasy points in each of the last two weeks. But to be fair, he faced Philadelphia and Houston, both top-three defenses against quarterbacks. This week, Heinicke should be able to right his fantasy ship in a favorable matchup against Atlanta. The Falcons have been a friendly defense against quarterbacks, allowing the eighth-most fantasy points to the position. They’ve also been vulnerable through the air. Atlanta has given up the most passing yards to quarterbacks this season, and the 16 passing touchdowns they’ve surrendered are tied for the fourth-most. Heinicke is a solid QB2 with scoring upside this week.

Week 12 Quarterback Rankings

More Week 12 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings