Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Dillon Gabriel

Saturday, November 22, 4:44 PM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will make his second start of the season on the road in Week 12 against the Saints, with the team losing Michael Penix Jr. (knee) to injury for the rest of the year. The 37-year-old started the team's Week 8 contest against the Dolphins, but unsurprisingly looked rusty, completing 21 of 31 passes for 173 yards and no scores (and zero interceptions). Expectations should not be high for managers considering the veteran as a streaming option, as he lost his job to Penix last year and was unable to wrest it back to begin 2025. Also, the Saints have been solid on defense, limiting opposing quarterbacks to the 17th-most fantasy points in the league, and they get the benefit of this game being played in New Orleans. With a low implied point total for Atlanta in this one (19), there isn't expected to be a lot of scoring, and if there is, it could come from the one-two punch of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier on the ground, especially given that top wide receiver Drake London (knee) will be out. As such, Cousins projects as a low-end QB2 in this matchup.

Monday, November 24, 9:30 PM

Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel will serve as the backup option for the upcoming Week 13 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. Gabriel sat out of Sunday's game versus the Las Vegas Raiders due to a concussion. On Monday, Gabriel cleared concussion protocol, but was named the backup for at least one game. Shedeur Sanders played well in his absence and will draw at least one more start for the Browns. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said he won't name a starter past this week, so Gabriel could take over again if Sanders struggles.