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Dan's top quarterback Week 12 fantasy pickups (2025). The best QB fantasy waiver wire pickups to add and Week 12 QB streamers for 1QB, 2QB, and Superflex leagues.
Week 11 was an odd one for the quarterback position. We got one of the best fantasy performances of the year from Josh Allen, who scored 42.6 fantasy points with three rushing and three passing touchdowns. We also got a 31-point performance from Bryce Young. Unfortunately, they were the only two quarterbacks entering Monday night with more than 22.0 fantasy points.
Between injuries and bye weeks (Denver, Miami, Washington, and the L.A. Chargers), there will be many fantasy managers searching the waiver wire for quarterback options. Thankfully, there are still some quality options that can help fantasy managers push for a playoff spot.
In this article, I will focus on players under 65% rostered in fantasy leagues while adding a couple of deep sleepers for two-quarterback leagues (less than 25% rostered). Let’s look at who you should consider picking up for Week 12 below. All roster percentages will be from Yahoo fantasy leagues.
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Single-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Jacoby Brissett, Arizona Cardinals- 33% rostered
The Jacoby Brissett experience continues to reward fantasy managers. Brissett set an NFL record with 47 completions against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11. That allowed the veteran quarterback to throw for 452 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-22 loss.
35-yard pickup from Jacoby Brissett to Michael Wilson!
SFvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/eFtO17j8UV
— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
It wasn’t all good for Brissett in this game, with the veteran quarterback throwing two interceptions. It was his first interception since Week 6 against the Indianapolis Colts.
Brissett now has at least 258 passing yards and two touchdowns in all five starts this season. He’s also scored at least 19.0 fantasy points in each game, giving him solid low-end QB1 upside.
Brissett has at least 31 passing attempts in every game he’s played this season, surpassing 40 attempts on three different occasions. He’s got another fantastic matchup in Week 12 against a struggling Jaguars secondary.
Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks- 59% rostered
After being a source of high-end quarterback scoring for weeks, Sam Darnold has seemingly come back to Earth. The veteran quarterback has less than 10 fantasy points in three of his last four games after putting together five straight weeks of 15.0+ performances earlier in the season.
Still, Week 11 was a low point for Darnold in 2025. Darnold completed just 29-of-44 pass attempts for 279 yards and four interceptions against the Los Angeles Rams.
Darnold to JSN for a first down 🙌
SEAvsLAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/znOkjrkzAl
— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2025
There is some important context to Darnold’s recent downswing. Two of his poor performances came against Houston and the Rams, two of the best defenses in the NFL. The third came in a blowout win against the Arizona Cardinals, where the team attempted just 12 passes.
Darnold gets a slight reprieve in the coming weeks against the Titans, Vikings, Falcons, and Colts over the next four games. He should be capable of once again being fantasy-relevant during that time.
Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers- 13% rostered
Bryce Young delivered his most impressive performance of 2025 against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. Young threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in the Panthers' 30-27 win.
448 passing yards
3 TDs
31/45@_bryce_young had a career day in the OT win. @FedEx pic.twitter.com/2Fhdzf8BPj— NFL (@NFL) November 16, 2025
Young hadn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 7 and was coming off back-to-back performances with zero touchdown passes and one interception. Week 11 was just the second time this season that Young threw for over 200 passing yards.
More importantly, the Panthers offense is starting to find its footing. The run game looks strong with Rico Dowdle, and the team is figuring out the best ways to utilize Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, and Xavier Legette.
The Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12. The 49ers defense has been decimated by injuries this season, leaving the team with a poor pass rush paired with a questionable secondary.
Davis Mills, Houston Texans- 4% rostered
Davis Mills had a second strong start in Week 11, throwing for 274 yards and a touchdown against the Tennessee Titans in Week 11. It was the second straight game in which Mills attempted 40+ passes and threw for over 250 yards. Mills has also attempted at least two rushes in his three games on the field.
The Texans have already announced that it will be a long shot for C.J. Stroud to return to the field in Week 12 due to a Thursday night game, but there is a chance that he can play. Thankfully, we will know quickly how likely that is through practice plans.
The Buffalo Bills are a difficult matchup for quarterbacks this year, but Mills has been playing well, and the Texans are starting to get solid contributions from some of their young wide receivers.
Two-QB Waiver Wire Pickups and Stashes
Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers- 0% rostered
Early reports indicate that Aaron Rodgers suffered a slight break in his left wrist. We likely won’t know the severity of that injury until later this week, but it appears at this time that Rodgers will miss time healing.
His injury means that veteran Mason Rudolph will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. The Bears had a good showing against J.J. McCarthy in Week 11, but that is more due to his general struggles than the effectiveness of their defense.
Chicago could potentially be missing all three of its starting cornerbacks if Tyrique Stevenson is unable to return after leaving Week 11’s win early.
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints- 3% rostered
Tyler Shough finally showed why he was a second-round pick in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers. In that game, the rookie completed 19-of-27 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns, scoring 20.9 fantasy points in a 17-7 victory. It was the first time that Shough completed a game without throwing an interception.
The Saints had their bye in Week 11, which will give the team a chance to self-scout and figure out the best way to customize its offense to accentuate its rookie quarterback’s skill set. Shough’s first opponent after the bye (Atlanta) just gave up over 400 yards passing to Bryce Young.
Shough is also worth stashing even if you don’t use him in Week 12 with matchups against the Dolphins, Buccaneers, Panthers, and Jets on the horizon.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons- 1% rostered
Michael Penix Jr. left the Atlanta Falcons’ game against the Carolina Panthers in the third quarter due to a knee injury. Initial reports indicate that Penix has reinjured the bone bruise that caused him to miss Week 8. He will have additional testing done on Monday to confirm the injury.
Kirk Cousins relieved Penix in Week 11, completing just 6-of-14 passes for 48 yards. He also struggled in his previous start, throwing for just 173 yards (and 7.1 fantasy points) against a poor Dolphins secondary.
Cousins is far from reliable in fantasy, especially if Drake London also misses time with a knee injury he suffered in the loss as well. But there are a lot of teams that could be missing starters thanks to injuries or bye weeks, so he needs to be included for fantasy managers who are desperate for a quarterback.
Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns- 1% rostered
Dillon Gabriel was well on his way to another mediocre performance in Week 11 before suffering a concussion in the second quarter against the Baltimore Ravens. That gave Shedeur Sanders his first NFL action in 2025.
Sanders was not very good in his first game action, completing just 4-of-16 passes for 47 yards and an interception while adding three carries for 16 yards. He did not lead a single scoring drive in the second half.
If Gabriel is unable to clear concussion protocol before Week 12, then Sanders will be in line to make the first start of his career. Be sure to monitor Gabriel’s practice participation throughout the week to be sure he is ruled out.
Who Should I Pickup Tool
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2025 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players - Jacoby Brissett, Sam Darnold, Bryce Young, and Tyler Shough. These are some common searches for 2025 fantasy football waiver wire pickups.
Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four NFL players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy football rankings, projections, and more.
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