Usually when we talk about the quarterback position we talk about players in the top 12 as 'starts' and players outside the top 12 as 'sits'. It's a simple way to look at things if you view a 12-team league as normal, but it's not always representative of the facts on the ground. This week is a good example of why, with Trevor Lawrence and Kyler Murray projected outside of the top 12.
I have Lawrence and Murray projected within a point of QB11 this week and less than two points away from QB9. They might be sits if you happen to have them on a team alongside one of my top-12 QBs, but I'm certainly not looking to sit them.
Lawrence in particular is in a promising spot. The 48.5 total in the Jaguars game against the Texans is tied for the highest on the slate and Lawrence is coming off the best start of his season from a Fantasy perspective. The only red light is that Lawrence has thrown one touchdown pass and four interceptions in his last three starts against the Texans.
Murray has looked exceptional as a rusher and I think that will be enough to keep him in the 20-point range. Just don't sleep on the elite upside he still possesses if he and Marquise Brown get on the same page again.
Don't feel uncomfortable at all if Lawrence or Murray are your best option to start this week, despite their ranking.
Tampa Bay has allowed the fourth-most Fantasy points to QBs this season, but even that doesn't tell the full picture. Three of the last four quarterbacks who have faced the Buccaneers have scored at least 32 Fantasy points. Minshew and the Colts offense should be sharp coming off the bye.
If Carr clears the concussion protocol he may just be the best streaming option this week. The Falcons have allowed 22 or more Fantasy points to four of the last five QBs they have faced and Carr had 300 yards passing or two touchdowns in five straight starts before his injury.
If you have QB concerns and an opening at the end of the roster, Kenny Pickett might be worth the space. He's been abysmal so far, but what if at least some of it actually was Matt Canada's fault? Pickett has Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Pat Freiermuth, and a fantastic closing schedule. Let's see how he looks in that first game without Canada.
Hurts is only half a point behind Josh Allen in year-to-date FPPG and I like his matchup against Allen's Bills better than Allen's matchup against the Eagles. This is the top game to stack on the main slate and you should have a large chunk of it in cash games, starting with Hurts.
With both Hurts and Allen on the slate, this is the rare chance to get Mahomes at somewhat of a low roster rate. He's been in a slump and the wide receivers may not get better, but if one of them steps up this week, Mahomes could go bananas indoors against the Raiders.
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Heath's projections
My full set of Week 12 Fantasy Football projections for every position are now available on SportsLine. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 12. Projected stats for all starting quarterbacks are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.
