Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Geno Smith

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.

Sunday, December 7, 7:00 PM

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (shoulder) was ruled out for the rest of Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos due to a shoulder injury that he suffered in the fourth quarter. Smith received tape on his fingers for abrasions he suffered earlier in the game, but ultimately it was a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the 24-17 loss. The veteran quarterback continued to play through that until suffering a shoulder injury. Smith landed hard on his shoulder and was immediately taken to the locker room. Kenny Pickett took over under center for the rest of Sunday's game. Smith completed 13 of 21 passing attempts for 116 yards and one touchdown before exiting the game. It's unclear at the moment if he'll be ready to play against the Philadelphia Eagles next week, but even if he is, the Raiders might decide to turn to Pickett or Aidan O'Connell under center.