Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or DK Metcalf

Sunday, November 23, 9:38 AM

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco will get one more opportunity to start after Joe Burrow (toe) was ruled out for Sunday's Week 12 contest against the New England Patriots. While Burrow was trending in the right direction for this week, the Bengals have ultimately decided to keep him on injured reserve for at least a few more days. As a result, Flacco will remain installed as Cincinnati's starting quarterback for Week 12. He's coming off an uninspiring 199-yard clunker against the Steelers, and although he has five touchdowns over his last two games, he also has four turnovers during that span. To make matters worse, he'll be without Ja'Marr Chase (suspension), shifting Tee Higgins to the top receiver role. New England's defense has been strong this season, but it's best at stopping the run. The Patriots have allowed the ninth-most passing yards, seventh-most passing touchdowns, and 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks in 2025. This matchup and situation are best defined as "good, not great." That sentiment is reflected in RotoBaller's ranking of Burrow as the overall QB17 this week.

Friday, November 28, 2:14 PM

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf (ankle) will play this week against the Bills after an ankle injury caused him to miss Wednesday's practice. He returned to full participation by Thursday, and according to head coach Mike Tomlin, he will carry no injury designation into an AFC clash with notable playoff implications. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (wrist) has also been cleared to play on Sunday, a week after Mason Rudolph was forced into a start against the Bears in which he threw for fewer than 175 yards on 5.5 yards per attempt. The connection between Rodgers and his top wide receiver has looked hit or miss throughout the year, but against an ailing Buffalo defense that has allowed 30+ points in two of its last three contests, Metcalf remains a viable WR2/Flex play and is RotoBaller's WR21 in a week with no teams on bye.