Who Should I Start? Kirk Cousins or Sam Darnold

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, 6:40 PM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is in the streaming conversation in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans. Despite two horrific fantasy outings in a row, Tennessee presents a great chance for Darnold to get back on track. The Titans have been one of the worst defenses in the league in just about every category. The only reason they are middle-of-the-pack against opposing quarterbacks in fantasy is because they are often down by so many points early in games that teams turn to the run to salt away their victory. Darnold is coming off a performance in which he tossed four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams. In Week 10, his services were hardly needed because the Arizona Cardinals fell behind so early in the game that the Seahawks essentially coasted after one quarter. The Titans could present a similar situation in Week 12, but look for Darnold to throw a couple of touchdown passes before this game gets out of hand. He is a low-end QB1 or high-end QB2 in Week 12.