Top Fantasy Football Stories for Week 12: New York QBs, Niners Without Brock Purdy, Panthers' Backfield and More
These are all the key stories and biggest headlines that you should be keeping an eye on this week.
One New York Team has a New Starting Quarterback and Other Wishes They Did
The quarterback situations have been ugly in New York this season, and things went from bad to worse for both starting quarterbacks this week.
The Giants decided to bench Daniel Jones this week, much in part due to an injury clause in his contract that would have the team on the hook for guaranteed money if he were to suffer a major injury before the end of the 2024 season. However, the entire situation was handled poorly and blew up in the team's face almost immediately.
Jones was relegated to QB3 duties and not even serving as the backup. This led to discourse in the Giants' locker room with players speaking out in support of Jones. Ultimately, the team's hand was forced and they moved on from Jones.
He was cut just days after his demotion and the subsequent reaction. Tommy Devito will now be the starter for the Giants, with Drew Lock sliding into a backup role. This move could have a significant impact on star rookies Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy Jr. This has suddenly become an offense to keep an eye on, for better or for worse.
Speaking of poorly handled situations, the Aaron Rodgers experiment has gone predictably awful and may end up setting back the Jets franchise years.
Both the locker room and front office are in the process of a total implosion. Reports surfaced this week that owner Woody Johnson wanted Rodgers benched earlier in the season because of poor play and that he is now ready to move on from the declining quarterback after the season.
If nothing else, it will be intriguing to watch this dumpster fire go up in flames and see if they can hold it together for the remainder of the season with nothing to play for. There are still huge fantasy options on this team, like Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams, and Breece Hall. Things can still get much worse for the Jets and it could impact your fantasy team.
How will the Niners Look Without Brock Purdy?
After a week of alarming reports regarding Purdy's injured shoulder including MRIs and missed practices for what was originally described as a "soreness", he has been ruled out for Week 12 and there is fear that his absence may extend beyond this week.
We will put long-term health concerns aside because at this point it would just be speculation. However, we do have to focus on the immediate impact Purdy's absence will have on all the fantasy options on the 49ers' offense.
Brandon Allen has been named the Week 12 starter and we don't have a ton to go off of as far as past performance goes. It's safe to assume that he is a downgrade for every fantasy option, with Jauan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall taking the biggest hit. All we can hope is that Kyle Shanahan's system can mask some of Allen's shortcomings and maintain some value for their stars. Because of their skillsets and roles, Deebo Samuel Sr., George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey could all still be strong options with a new gameplan that limits the QB's downfield passing.
Jayden Daniels Looks to Get Back on Track
Daniels seems to have come back down to earth and hit the rookie wall after back-to-back subpar performances against the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers. However, it may not be time to sound the alarm yet being that those are two of the best defenses in the NFL.
Both are in the top five when it comes to slowing down fantasy QBs this season. He will have a much more favorable matchup on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys, who are in the bottom five when it comes to slowing down fantasy QBs in 2024.
If he gets back on track this week, then you have nothing to worry about and just chalk his slump up to a rookie going up against elite defenses. On the other hand, if he continues to struggle against a porous Cowboys' pass defense this week, then there is cause for concern and he may need to be downgraded heading into the fantasy playoffs.
Keep an Eye on the Panthers' Backfield
Stud rookie Jonathon Brooks is finally set to make his NFL debut this week. He will be joining a backfield led by Chuba Hubbard, who has been outstanding for over a full year now and just signed a lucrative extension with Carolina.
The assumption was that Hubbard was keeping that job warm for Brooks, who would eventually take over as the bell-cow back. Hubbard's extension changed that outlook in a major way. This now becomes the most interesting fantasy backfield in the league, both for the immediate and long-term future. We will have to monitor how Brooks looks on the next level as well as how snaps and touches are distributed as we enter the most important point of the fantasy season.
