Fantasy Football Week 12: Start or Sit Dak Prescott, Andy Dalton, or Kirk Cousins?
Week twelve is upon us, which means that some of us are just two games away from worrying about our fantasy football playoffs. If you’re still reading this, congratulations, the marginally-long slog of the fantasy football season hasn’t broken you yet. Every week, we at Football Absurdity like to highlight players with marginal matchups that you might get a wild hair about. We hope to provide you with some basic facts to help you inform your start or sit decisions. These guys below have had inconsistent years and face questionable matchups in week twelve.
Start or Sit Dak Prescott versus Washington
Fantasy football players who have trusted “start” with their “start or sit Dak Prescott” decisions lately have had a mixed bag. He hasn’t cratered (like Marcus Mariota) or collapsed under the pressure (Alex Smi—actually, bad example). He’s been perfectly serviceable. Since the ‘Boys acquired Amari Cooper, Prescott has 15.82, 21.7, and 14.82 fantasy points in four-point per passing touchdown leagues. The 21 fantasy points was a nice peak, but Prescott has done more to provide a nice floor. Until now. In what should have been a shootout in one of the best situations for a QB, Dak deferred to Zeke to the tune of just 208 yards passing, with zero passing TDs, and zero interceptions. The Cowboys took Dak out of the equation last week, in what should have been the best game of the season for him. He gets a not-great situation this week against Washington on a short week. On paper, Washington seems to be a top-half of the league matchup, and one Dak could probably do okay versus (such a resounding endorsement). However, they have allowed multiple passing touchdowns just once in their last five games (to Matt Ryan). While they yield a ton of yards, their bend-but-don’t-break has left opposing QBs mostly out in the cold. Dak’s legs could provide you with a decent floor, but nothing he will do on the field will shake you from your turkey-induced haze. If you need a big punch from your QB, sit Dak this week.
Start or Sit Andy Dalton versus Cleveland
Dalton actually had a decent game last week against a Ravens pass defense that ranks among one of the best in the league. He pulled off 19.34 fantasy points (four-point per passing TDs) and made those who trusted him with their start or sit decisions happy. However, he cratered in two of the previous three weeks (posting 8.92 fantasy points in each of those two weeks(. Ultimately, the decision to start or sit Andy Dalton comes down to trust. Can you trust Dalton? Can you trust him with or without A.J. Green? That is the real question. He started off the season hot, throwing eleven touchdowns in his first four games. It’s been downhill since then, as he’s tossed just nine TDs (and four picks) in his six games since then. Like Prescott, he is unlikely to produce with a high ceiling. Unlike Prescott, he does not provide a decent floor. This week he gets a quality Cleveland defense coming off of a bye. I don’t trust Andy Dalton not to vomit all over himself, and his ceiling is not high enough to take the risk. Personally, I would sit Andy Dalton this week against the Browns. I highly doubt Hue Jackson will give him the secrets to beat the Browns (since attacking Hue’s idiocy was the secret to beating the Browns).
Start or Sit Kirk Cousins versus Green Bay
If you box score surf, then Kirk Cousins had a pretty decent week eleven. 262 yards, a couple of TDs. You don’t like the two picks, but he still mustered a top-ten QB day. However, a ton of that came in the last two minutes of the game, after the Bears had gone up 25-14 (70 yards and a touchdown). It took two minutes, and they scored with 0:52 left on the clock. It was a garbage time play that saved his fantasy bacon. Without it, he sat at 192 yards and one score. Not a great week for Captain Kirk. This week, he gets his second-straight NFC North matchup as the Vikes take on the Packers. Their draft DB investment has seemingly paid off, as they allow the sixth-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Cousins carved them up for four touchdowns in week two, but since then, only Jared Goff has more than two scores against them. Cousins is no Goff, and the Vikings are no Rams. If you’re hoping for some insight as to whether you should start or sit Cousins, I would sit him if there is a better player out there, but I would not go out of my way to do so.
BONUS: Start or Sit Colt McCoy at Dallas
lol of course not what is wrong with you
If you need to decide which trainwreck you should start or sit, I would go with
- Dak Prescott
- Kirk Cousins
- Andy Dalton
If you need more start or sit advice, check out the remainder of our start and sit articles for week twelve!
Start or Sit Baker Mayfield, Nick Mullens, or Eli Manning?
Start or Sit Mohamed Sanu, Keke Coutee, or Sterling Shepard?
Start or Sit Marques Valdez-Scantling, Christian Kirk, or Corey Davis?
Start or Sit Marlon Mack, Gus Edwards, or Josh Adams?
Start or Sit Adrian Peterson, Chris Carson, or LeSean McCoy?
Start or Sit Cam Brate, Vance McDonald, or Jordan Reed?
Start or Sit Evan Engram, Kyle Rudolph, or Jared Cook?
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