Who Should I Start? Joe Flacco or Patrick Mahomes

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.

Wednesday, November 26, 4:20 PM

The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, battled back from an 11-point deficit to defeat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, and he will look to carry that momentum in their Thanksgiving matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. Mahomes completed 29 of 46 pass attempts (63%) for 352 yards and zero touchdowns. The superstar quarterback did not find the endzone through the air or on the ground while also taking four sacks and throwing an interception. It was a mixed bag for Mahomes because he set a new season-high in passing yardage, but he finished with zero touchdowns for the second time this year. Both of his zero-touchdown games have come in the past three contests, which is discouraging for fantasy managers, but he could turn it around this week. The Chiefs take on the Cowboys, who have given up the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. Mahomes was listed on the injury report with a groin injury, but practiced in full all week and does not have an injury designation for Thursday's game. Mahomes is ranked QB1 in our RotoBaller rankings, meaning that fantasy managers can feel confident with him in their starting lineups.