Our Week 12 fantasy QB rankings will take you through all the NFL stats and matchup analysis you need to know for the best fantasy quarterbacks this week. From highlighting quarterbacks with great fantasy matchups against some of the worst pass defenses in the NFL to some signal-callers with sub-par matchups that could lower their potential output. With that in mind, let’s dive into our fantasy QB rankings for Week 12.
15. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams – vs Philadelphia Eagles
Matthew Stafford took full advantage of a bad New England Patriots defense this past week. Unfortunately, the Week 12 slate delivers a much tougher matchup. From Weeks 2-11, the Philadelphia Eagles have allowed opposing quarterbacks to average just 156 passing yards and 0.6 touchdowns per game, with a 74.3 average QB rating and 3.1 sacks taken per contest. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp give Stafford a chance at decent numbers, but this could be another off night for the Rams offense on the national stage.
Related: 2025 NFL Draft order
14. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks – vs Arizona Cardinals
As always, our concern with Geno Smith’s fantasy outlook comes down to the offensive line. He saved the day with a rushing touchdown in Week 11, but Smith has a troubling 6-7 TD-INT ratio in the last five contests. With how well this Arizona Cardinals defense is playing – the fifth-lowest Dropback EPA (-0.045) since Week 7 – Smith barely cracks QB1 status in 14-team leagues this week and that’s with six quarterbacks on bye.
13. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions – @ Indianapolis Colts
While we’re projecting a big win for the Detroit Lions, our fantasy expectations for Jared Goff are a bit lower in Week 12. Since Week 6, the Indianapolis Colts have allowed just 205.8 passing yards per game with an 8-5 TD-INT ratio and this defense ranks fifth in Dropback EPA (-0.037) over that span. Goff will still put up fine numbers, but we think the Lions defense and running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery will do most of the damage on Sunday.
Related: Detroit’s Ben Johnson among top 2025 coaching candidates
12. C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans – vs Tennessee Titans
The Houston Texans offensive line is the biggest reason why C.J. Stroud is consistently falling short of a top-10 spot in our fantasy QB rankings. Tennessee knows how to get after the quarterback and even with injuries, its secondary is holding up decently. We do think Stroud can surpass the season averages allowed by the Titans’ defense – 164.6 passing yards per game – but it’s not going to be a monster performance.
11. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers – vs Baltimore Ravens
Following his Sunday Night Football performance, Justin Herbert is now averaging 268 passing yards per game and 8.75 yards per attempt since Week 6. He. also boasts an 8-0 TD-INT ratio with a 104.9 QB rating and 158 rushing yards (26.3 per game) over that span. We do think the Baltimore Ravens have made some improvements defensively and this might be a lower-scoring game than some expect. With that said, Herbert remains a must-start in 12-team leagues.
10. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos – @ Las Vegas Raiders
We’d like the record to reflect that we had Bo Nix in the 10th spot of our fantasy QB rankings this week before he lit up the Atlanta Falcons. The Denver Broncos rookie signal-caller is averaging 257.3 passing yards per game with a 9-1 TD-INT ratio and 72.9 percent completion rate in the last four games. As for the matchup, the Las Vegas Raiders defense has allowed 10 passing touchdowns, 255.3 pass ypg and a 72.6 percent completion rate in the last three weeks.
Related: Week 12 fantasy rankings
9. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers – vs San Francisco 49ers
With the San Francisco 49ers potentially missing Nick Bosa (oblique) in Week 12, it’s hard to see how this defense consistently puts pressure on Jordan Love. If the Green Bay Packers quarterback is given time to throw, at least one of Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Christian Watson or Tucker Kraft will be open. Love’s risk-taking lowers his fantasy ceiling, but he remains one of the best fantasy quarterbacks because his NFL stats (260.1 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns per game) are consistently great for fantasy football.
8. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins – vs New England Patriots
The New England Patriots defense just surrendered 4 touchdowns and 295 yards to Matthew Stafford. It’s the third time in the last four weeks that a quarterback posted 220-plus yards with multiple touchdowns against New England. While we do think the Patriots pass rush can have a little success against the Miami Dolphins offensive line, those moments when Tua Tagovailoa gets the football out quickly will help him finish as a top-10 fantasy quarterback this weekend.
Related: NFL Week 12 power rankings
7. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – @ New York Giants
It comes down to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive line. Arguably a top-12 unit in pass protection, Tampa Bay’s ability to keep Dexter Lawrence and the Giants defensive lien out of the backfield is paramount. We’re fairly confident the Buccaneers will be able to keep Baker Mayfield’s jersey relatively clean, allowing him to eclipse 220-plus total yards with 2 touchdowns.
6. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals – @ Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks’ defensive performance against Brock Purdy forced us to move Kyler Murray down a few spots in our preliminary fantasy QB rankings this week. With that said, he’s still one of the best options with six quarterbacks on bye. Murray only has 46 total rushing yards in the last three games, but he’s also averaged 242.3 pass ypg with a 76.25 percent completion rate. We think 2 touchdowns with 200 passing yards and 30-plus rush yards is doable for Murray.
Related: NFL kicker rankings, Week 12 fantasy kicker rankings
5. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs – @ Carolina Panthers
It’s been a rough season for Patrick Mahomes but he finally draws a cushy fantasy matchup in Week 12. Through 10 games, the Carolina Panthers defense has allowed the fourth-highest QB rating (103.9) with opponents averaging 1.8 passing touchdowns per game. Carolina also can’t get to the quarterback and Mahomes can do wonders when he’s actually given time to throw.
4. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers – @ Green Bay Packers
Brock Purdy didn’t have a ton of success through the air (159 yards and 1-1 TD-INT against the Seattle Seahawks, but he saved fantasy managers with 40 rushing yards and a score. The dual-threat ability is making Purdy one of the best fantasy quarterbacks this season and he’s averaged 30.5 rushing yards per game with 4 touchdowns since Week 3. Facing a Green Bay Packers defense that just allowed 70 rushing yards to Caleb Williams and really struggles to generate pressure puts Purdy up higher than usual in our Week 12 fantasy QB rankings.
Related: NFL Week 12 predictions for every game, including 49ers vs Packers
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens – @ Los Angeles Chargers
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has a career 100.6 QB rating with a 6.2 percent touchdown rate, Hall of Fame numbers. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Jackson has a 66.7 QB rating with a 3 percent touchdown rate. All of this is to say that Jackson can put up elite fantasy numbers as long as he’s not facing Pittsburgh. Besides, you just saw Joe Burrow put up 3 touchdowns and over 370 total yards against this Los Angeles Chargers defense.
2. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles – @ Los Angeles Rams
As long as A.J. Brown and Saquon Barkley are on the field, Jalen Hurts will be near the top of our fantasy QB rankings. Hurts has cleared 200 passing yards in four consecutive games and he has a rushing touchdown in five straight contests. That alone gives him the floor to be one of the best fantasy quarterbacks. Add to it a potential high-scoring matchup with the Eagles’ advantages out wide against the Rams’ secondary, Hurts can have another elite fantasy performance.
Related: NFL defense rankings, Week 12 fantasy defense rankings
1. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders – vs Dallas Cowboys
Jayden Daniels has not been one of the best fantasy quarterbacks in recent weeks, scoring just 4 total touchdowns with fewer than 240 passing yards and 3 rushing yards per game over the last month. We see the turnaround coming in Week 12. From Weeks 5-10, the Dallas Cowboys allowed an 11-1 TD-INT ratio (2.2 passing touchdowns per game) with a 123.2 QB rating and a 68.5 percent completion rate. This is a get-right game for Daniels and Terry McLaurin.