Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Michael Penix Jr.

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.

Wednesday, November 19, 11:40 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) does indeed need surgery that involves "full reconstruction" of his torn ACL and faces "at least" nine months of recovery, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Penix Jr. suffered the injury during his team's Week 11 loss to the Carolina Panthers. The injury occurred in his left knee rather than his right, which is notable considering he tore his right ACL twice during his collegiate career. A nine-month recovery timeline from late November means Penix Jr.'s availability for the start of the 2026 season could be in question. For the remainder of 2025, Atlanta will likely turn to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has struggled across three games (one start) worth of action so far this season. Cousins profiles as a low-end fantasy QB2 heading into a Week 12 matchup against the New Orleans Saints.