Who Should I Start? Trevor Lawrence or Michael Penix Jr.

Saturday, November 22, 2:57 PM

The Jacksonville Jaguars have limited quarterback Trevor Lawrence's pass volume over the past two weeks. Lawrence attempted 23 passes in Jacksonville's Week 10 loss to the Texans, then 22 in last week's win over the Chargers. He's thrown a touchdown and an interception in both games, while making an impact on the ground, scoring his fifth rushing touchdown of the season against the Chargers. From Weeks 1 through 9, the Jaguars leaned slightly more pass-heavy, ranking ninth in pass rate over expectation (+4%). In the past two weeks, they've dropped to 23rd with a -4.2% pass rate over expectation, per Fantasy Points Data Suite. The Jaguars have started to rely more on their dynamic running back duo of Travis Etienne Jr. and rookie Bhayshul Tuten, which may limit Lawrence's fantasy upside. However, he draws a matchup in Week 12 against an Arizona Cardinals defense that just allowed 41 points to Brock Purdy and the 49ers last week. Lawrence ranks as RotoBaller's QB16 for 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.