Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Kirk Cousins

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.

Tuesday, November 25, 1:08 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins did enough to help his team win on Sunday, leading them to a 24-10 victory over the Saints. He completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 199 yards and two touchdowns along with one interception, adding two rushes for five yards. It's probably the best fantasy managers could have hoped for without top receiving option, Drake London (knee), and with the running backs tallying 26 carries. With Michael Penix Jr. (knee) out for the rest of the season, Cousins will get a handful more opportunities in the coming weeks, including a favorable matchup Week 13 against the Jets, a team that has yielded the 12th-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this year. Despite the decent matchup, it will be on the road in the cold, possibly without London again, and the 37-year-old will likely be a low-end QB2 option for that contest.