SuperFlex & 2QB Rankings for Week 12 (Fantasy Football)
Ciao, FootClan! Welcome to Week 12 of our SuperFlex & 2QB discussion.
Our Week 11 predictions were a smashing success. Anthony Richardson re-entered the chat, Jameis Winston continued his gunslinging ways, and Drake Maye‘s young career displays plenty of promise once again. The QB2 landscape is barren this week, but we will aim to build on our success and identify a few more hidden gems at the position.
| Player Highlighted | Week 11 Ranking | Week 11 Finish |
| Jameis Winston | 16 | 6 |
| Drake Maye | 17 | 13 |
| Anthony Richardson | 23 | 3 |
For the first time this year, we have no new names to add to our QB1 list. At least for the moment, we will be holding steady with 36 different QB1s through the first 11 weeks of the season:
Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Anthony Richardson, Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr, Geno Smith, CJ Stroud, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford, Kyler Murray, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow, Deshaun Watson, Aaron Rodgers, Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy, Malik Willis, Andy Dalton, Justin Fields, Jared Goff, Joe Flacco, Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Justin Herbert, Jameis Winston, Patrick Mahomes, Will Levis
Today, we will identify three QBs (ranked outside the top 12) who hold QB1 upside this week. To reference the Ballers’ Week 12 QB Rankings, be sure to click here, and don’t forget to check for updates before kickoff!
13. Geno Smith
This is admittedly low-hanging fruit at a ranking of QB13, but there is a lot to like about Geno this week, and credit is well overdue for this season’s QB12 in PPG.
Geno Smith just completed his 10th game winning drive since 2022… the most in the NFL during this stretch #Seahawks pic.twitter.com/VESmBFe1y4
— Kole Musgrove (@KoleMusgrove23) November 18, 2024
Week 12 looks promising for Geno, as the Seahawks hit the road to take on the surprising divisional leaders in Arizona. While Noah Fant (groin) has still yet to practice, Seattle has a fully healthy trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and the finally blossoming Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who all project well against a middling Arizona secondary ranking 14th in PPG to opposing QBs.
Starting S Jalen Thompson has yet to resume practice after missing their last game, and if he is unable to go, this will force fourth-round rookie Dadrion Taylor-Demerson into his second start of the season. Taylor-Demerson played admirably in in place of Thompson in Week 10, but this would still be less than ideal for Arizona’s defense, who rank 27th in EPA per play, 23rd in catch rate allowed, and 30th in pass rush grade, via PFF.
The biggest question mark will once again be Seattle’s new-look offensive line, which simultaneously took a big step forward and back last week. It started with the surprising and unfortunate news of C Connor Williams announcing his retirement, forcing second-year pro Olu Oluwatimi into action, but also took a positive turn with the return of starting T Abraham Lucas, who was able to make his first start since his offseason knee surgery.
The result last week was fantastic, with Oluwatimi and Lucas pacing Seattle’s line with their highest blocking grades (via PFF), but only time will tell if they can build off this momentum for a second straight week. PFF has Seattle favored heavily in their OL/DL models, which at least on paper signifies that Geno should be well-protected in the pocket this week.
Where Geno has stepped up for fantasy purposes this season is in his rushing abilities. This is something he strayed from last year, but his 222 yards on the ground have already surpassed the 155 he put up in 2023. Over the past four games, he’s averaging 19 yards on 4.75 carries/game and potentially saved Seattle’s season last week with a game-winning scamper against San Francisco. While these are not the numbers we see from the elite fantasy QBs, he has shown us this before, putting up exactly 366 yards (21.5) on the ground in 2022, which resulted in the best fantasy output of his career. Every point matters in fantasy football, and I am stoked if my QB is quietly adding an extra two points on the ground each week.
The Seahawks enter as 1.5-point underdogs with a team-implied total of 23 (13th). They will need to keep pace with Kyler Murray in a projected shootout with a 47.5 O/U, marking a pass-heavy game script for the Seahawks. Geno should have all the motivation in the world coming into the week, knowing that he is not only playing for the Seahawks season but also his job.
GENO SMITH 34-YARD TD RUN.
📺: #DENvsSEA on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/3EsyP3rbfe— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Dynasty Rant: Hold / Buy
You can find my dynasty thoughts on Geno in great detail in our Week 9 projections, and I haven’t changed my tune.
In fact, on a contending team, I just traded away JJ McCarthy for Geno, Joe Mixon, and a late 2025 first. I felt this was more than a fair return for McCarthy, and was able to apply tactics from recent articles such as The Psychology Behind Dynasty Fantasy Football Trading to recognize my trade partner’s motive and negotiate to my advantage.
Geno is currently putting up low-end QB1 numbers but is valued as the QB25 or the equivalent of a 2025 mid-second-round pick on KeepTradeCut. If you are a contender, it’s difficult to find that sort of value in your second or third QB, but as we can see here, that opportunity is very possible with Geno.
Geno Smith busting out the GTS 🙏 pic.twitter.com/LR25EIGcEL
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 18, 2024
14. Anthony Richardson
My, my, my. How the turntables. Sitting at a ranking of QB14 is 2024’s most polarizing QB: Anthony Richardson.
We spoke about Anthony Richardson last week and watched it all come to fruition with a career-high in passing yards (272), a game-winning touchdown run, and the QB4 overall fantasy performance against a solid Jets defense.
🚨 Content Warning
Anthony Richardson kills a man pic.twitter.com/Rg1X2ni2dw
— Jeremiah (@ColtsTopic) November 17, 2024
Richardson finds himself in another tough matchup this week against the Lions, but as we have already seen, his athleticism alone gives him the highest ceiling and lowest floor of any QB on a week-to-week basis.
What was a glaring weakness coming into the season has become a completely retooled Lions secondary, ranking fourth in PPG to opposing QBs. They have been lights out this season, especially at safety, where Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are currently PFF’s two best overall rated players at the position. How is that even possible?
CB Carlton Davis III is also PFF’s 19th-ranked player at his position (of 112 qualified), but where they are beatable is by attacking CBs Amik Robertson and Terrion Arnold, who rank 87th and 96th in coverage grades, respectively. This is good news for Josh Downs, who has emerged as the team’s top receiving threat this season, and should be lining up almost exclusively against Robertson.
Unfortunately for the Lions, they took another huge hit on defense last week, losing LB Alex Anzalone for six to eight weeks with a broken forearm. This is a sound defense and well-coached team, but this will be the second defensive captain lost in the past month, and they will need their depth players to step up once again as they continue their potential Super Bowl run. But, with that said, this article is about Richardson, and there’s no denying that the absence of Anzalone can only help his cause.
Truthfully, I don’t love this situation. It feels like a trap. But the Colts have a team-implied total of 21.5 (16th) and are 7.5-point underdogs, so we can fully expect AR to be pushing the ball downfield and trying to make plays with his legs to keep them in the game. The QB2 landscape is rough this week, but AR has as much upside and athleticism as anyone and just needs one broken play to break the week.
Anthony Richardson’s 4th quarter highlights, he delivered when it mattered most
➖8-10
➖129 Yards
➖2 Total TD’sQB1 pic.twitter.com/89QG6T6zbv
— Austin Abbott (@AustinAbbottFF) November 18, 2024
Dynasty Rant: Hold / Sell
In my Week 11 rant about Richardson, I called him a “Hold / Buy,” so I want to be clear about my thought process here.
As I mentioned last week, I still have plenty of skepticism about AR as a long-term prospect. He clearly needs a lot of work and time to develop, and the NFL has become long for patience over the years.
With that said, he was hand-picked by Head Coach Shane Steichen and still has (at least) two years remaining on his rookie contract. He is the most athletically gifted QB we’ve seen since Cam Newton and has QB1 overall upside if he’s able to pull it together. He is the definition of high risk, high reward.
So while I was screaming “buy” coming into last week, the Richardson manager is likely inching his window shut as we speak. In fact, he’s already bounced back from QB21 to QB17 since last week’s article, showing us his value is increasing by the minute, and the asking price just got significantly higher.
So, if I have Richardson on my team, I am seeing what it would take to move up to someone like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. According to KTC, a mid-2025 second gets it done, and while that of course is not the case in every league, that is a move I personally would make today.
While neither of those players is a physical specimen like Richardson, they both carry underrated athleticism, and both of their situations should improve this offseason—whether it be by the coaching staff or surrounding cast. Caleb specifically has a gauntlet of a schedule to end the season, so his value will be one to monitor with the potential of a few poor performances to close out his rookie year.
I’m certainly not saying “sell” just to sell, but if there is a window to move up to a young, safer player like Brock Purdy, Kyler Murray, or Justin Herbert, I would make the move.
Me waiting for Daniel Jones, Anthony Richardson, and Will Levis to become the “next Josh Allen“. pic.twitter.com/edG6uTDtrV
— 7️⃣1️⃣6️⃣ TJ (@TJDMCR) November 22, 2024
16. CJ Stroud
With an ADP of QB5 before the season, there were plenty of reasons to buy into a top-five finish from Stroud. He finished 2023 with one of the most impressive rookie campaigns we have seen in recent memory, and the team invested heavily in the skill players around him. With the return of Tank Dell and the additions of Stefon Diggs and Joe Mixon, the sky appeared to be the limit for Stroud.
Unfortunately, despite holding a firm two-game lead in the AFC South, things haven’t quite panned out for Stroud’s fantasy prospects:
- Nico Collins has emerged as the clear leader in this receiver room but missed five games due to a hamstring injury.
- Tank Dell has not quite reached the same level of play he hit during his breakout freshman year.
- Stefon Diggs played well but was also lost for the season to a knee injury in Week 8.
- Joe Mixon has been an absolute stud, adding balance to the offense with 10 touchdowns on the ground—which was not taking place last year.
This has resulted in just two QB1 games this season, and the QB25 overall in PPG. That’s just 0.1 points ahead of Daniel Jones‘ season average, for all of you haters out there, and arguably isn’t even worth rostering in traditional leagues.
This week, the Texans take on the lowly Titans, who are currently competing with Jacksonville for the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. The Titans’ defense has been their lone bright spot this season, but they have faced some detrimental injuries over the past few weeks, including the losses of starting S Quandre Diggs (foot) and LB Jack Gibbens (ankle), who will officially miss the remainder of the season after receiving surgery. To top it off, CB L’Jarius Sneed (quadriceps) has already been ruled out for Sunday’s game and CB Roger McCreary (knee) was a DNP on Wednesday. His status will be worth monitoring, but regardless, this secondary is not quite the force it was to start the season.
Both of Stroud’s QB1 performances were with Nico Collins in the lineup, who appears to be fully healthy with no setbacks after last week’s game against the Cowboys. In fact, what did not show up in the box score for Stroud or Collins last week was a 77-yard screen pass for a touchdown on the very first play of the game, which was called back due to an illegal man downfield. Had that been the start of this game, there would be a very different air around Stroud right now, and certainly a different vibe on Twitter.
The Texans are home favorites (-7.5) with a team-implied total of 24 (ninth). As long as they can find a way to protect him from Tennessee’s dominant defensive line duo, Stroud should have plenty of opportunity to get back into QB1 status for the first time since Week 4.
Yes, Nico Collins is VERY important for CJ Stroud to be successful 🗣 pic.twitter.com/Yye6kSpfpG
— CJ Anderson SzN 💫 (@AyooTexanNation) November 20, 2024
Dynasty Rant: Hold / Buy / Sell
I find that Stroud is in a unique position right now where there is an opportunity to sell high and buy low, and I believe there’s merit in both conversations.
At 23 years old, he is currently valued as the QB6 on KTC. He has already shown elite-level traits as an NFL QB and put up QB1 numbers in just his rookie season. He is one of the most valuable assets in the game and has a long career ahead of him.
Hold: If you have Stroud, the simplest move would be to just hold and build around him. I likely wouldn’t even entertain an offer that didn’t include at least two firsts, or give me at least a solid QB (and more) in return.
Sell: With that said, he is currently valued as the QB6 without ever producing QB6 numbers, so there is an argument to be made for selling high on name value. If you are looking to sell as a contender, I would consider using him in an attempt to move a tier up toward Josh Allen or Joe Burrow. However, if you need more pieces or are looking toward the future, I would also consider “tiering down” to try to gain a few pieces on top.
- Example A: I sold Stroud before the season in exchange for Caleb Williams and two future seconds. While Caleb has not quite put together the season we had hoped for, he has shown flashes and sits (tied with Daniel Jones) at just 0.1 PPG behind Stroud. So far, this has been a lateral move at QB, but has gained me two future seconds.
- Example B: KeepTradeCut today considers Stroud for Jared Goff + Joe Mixon an equal trade. This is also a trade I would consider completely acceptable considering Goff has always outperformed Stroud, and you could add an RB1 on top for the chance at a championship.
Jake Browning and Desmond Ridder have as many top-5 fantasy finishes as CJ Stroud does since the start of the 2023 season. pic.twitter.com/LQfEuzcMJv
— Tom Strachan (@NFL_TStrack) November 21, 2024
Buy: Whether you’re rebuilding or contending, I also see merit in buying Stroud. With Collins back in the lineup, we can expect better performances through the back half of the season, and I would send offers now with the public perception of being frustrated with his play. With more question marks in the 2025 QB class, I wouldn’t even hesitate to start the conversation with an early 2025 first and see where things go. Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders both seem like top-10 locks, but there is no unanimous QB1, and almost all SuperFlex mock drafts are considering RB Ashton Jeanty to be the top pick. While Jeanty looks like he’s going to be an absolute baller, I generally value the QB position higher in SuperFlex.
CJ Stroud is 5th in the league in passing yards and has lead his team to a 7-4 record yet many will tell you he’s having a “sophomore slump” 💀 pic.twitter.com/E8JJerRo6v
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) November 19, 2024