The final stretch of the fantasy season is here, as most leagues have only three weeks left before the playoffs. For most of us, securing a week 12 win can make or break our shot at the postseason, and with two big time teams (Kansas City and Arizona) on bye, we have a list of potentials that can save your week. And when we say "potentials"...we're just looking for double-digit points out of these guys.
Six teams played on Thanksgiving, and I doubt you rolled the dice on Andy Dalton or Trevor Siemian with Mahomes on bye. Dak Prescott and Josh Allen performed well, but overall it was not a good day for QBs.
Anyways, here are the fringe QBs we like this week, and the ones we don't.
Ball 'Em
Taylor Heinicke, WFT
Heinicke is on a roll and a matchup against the reeling Seahawks is perfect to keep the momentum going. If you are streaming a QB, or just need one to get you through the bye week, Heinicke is your guy. He also has Logan Thomas and Curtis Samuel returning from IR, giving him his full arsenal for the first time all season.
Cam Newton, CAR
I don't expect Cam to put up monster numbers every week, but he does have a rushing touchdown in each game since being back with the Panthers. We've seen a boost to DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey as well, in comparison to the dumpster fire that Sam Darnold quickly became. Newton is a strong streaming QB especially against Miami in week 12.
Kirk Cousins, MIN
The 49ers have been allowing points to opposing QBs as of late, and Cousins is on fire after a close victory over the rival Packers in week 11. I expect another close game with both defenses struggling a bit, but Cousins and his weapons have been connecting at a high rate, especially Justin Jefferson. Look for him to continue the roll.
Sleepers
Trevor Lawrence, JAX
Tyrod Taylor, HOU
Bench 'Em
Joe Burrow, CIN
Despite how exciting the Bengals offense can be at times, that hasn't translated to fantasy dominance for Joe Burrow. The matchup this week against Pittsburgh is similar to several others this year, where we may see the Bengals offense have success but not necessarily through Burrow. Depending on what you are needing out of your QB this week, Burrow profiles to be in the 15-18 range, so while he has a decent floor there isn't the ceiling required for many trying to replace Pat Mahomes for a week.
Carson Wentz, IND
Just because the Colts are surging doesn't mean Wentz is. The Indy running game, coupled with a supremely poor outing by the Bills, might be skewing the narrative that Wentz has potential. After a stretch of decent fantasy starts (where the Colts didn't win very much), Indy began to run the ball more effectively, win games, and that means using Wentz less. Tampa Bay has a solid defense that won't allow Jonathan Taylor to run all over them like Buffalo did, which means Wentz will have more opportunities to throw, but that also means more opportunities for the mistakes he is so prone to. There are better options on the waiver wire than Wentz.
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