Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Josh Allen

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.

Friday, November 21, 7:54 PM

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was sacked a career-high eight times and hit four other times in the Thursday night loss to the Houston Texans. Allen took a beating, but he said he's fine after having his left shoulder examined by athletic trainers. The 29-year-old stayed in the game and finished with no touchdowns for only the third time in his career. Allen was also seen shaking his right hand after taking a sack, but he said after the game that "we're good." It was a rough game for Buffalo's offense, but the good news is that Allen will have extra time to rest before a Week 13 game on Nov. 30 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Allen's fantasy managers will be hoping that tight end Dalton Kincaid (hamstring) will be back by then, and it's likely that the team will end receiver Keon Coleman's two-game absence for disciplinary reasons. Allen should be able to bounce back against Pittsburgh if he's healthy.