Fantasy football is built on making smart decisions about which players to start each week, often relying on matchups and recent trends. This week’s slate presents intriguing opportunities for managers looking to get an edge.
Certain quarterbacks have favorable matchups that could boost your team’s performance, while some popular names face defensive challenges. Staying alert to these dynamics is essential for success in fantasy football.
Start ‘Em: Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals (at PIT)
How is Joe Flacco still doing this at age 40? Regardless of the reason, all that matters is that he’s been fantasy gold ever since joining the Cincinnati Bengals.
In his four starts with the team, Flacco’s worst outing was 18.7 fantasy points. He’s averaging 25.4 fantasy points per game on the Bengals.
Old Man Flacco is now rested and refreshed following the bye week. His reward is a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that he already torched for 342 yards and three touchdowns in Week 7.
The Steelers allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Cincinnati probably won’t win this game, but they should score plenty of points trying.
Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CIN)
It does feel a bit risky simply going with, “Well the last game between these two teams was a shootout, so surely it will happen again!” Cue up a 16-13 stinker.
All we can do in fantasy football is analyze the data and make the best decisions possible. And the data tells us that starting quarterbacks against the Bengals is a great process.
Aaron Rodgers has not been good for fantasy this year. He’s only exceeded 17 fantasy points twice this season. He did it in Week 1 against the New York Jets and in Week 7 against the Bengals.
In that game, Rodgers threw for a season-high 249 yards and four touchdowns, posting 24.5 fantasy points. The Bengals allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. We should see plenty of scoring in this one once again.
Marcus Mariota, Washington Commanders (at MIA)
There are a lot of good matchups this week. As a result, we’re going with three stars instead of the usual even split.
Marcus Mariota is not about to salvage the Washington Commanders’ season or lead them back into playoff contention. But he still has every incentive to put his best foot forward because he’s hoping to get a job in 2026.
MORE: Free Fantasy Start/Sit Optimizer
The Miami Dolphins had a truly shocking victory over the Buffalo Bills last week. This seems like the perfect spot for a letdown from a defense that had previously been very generous to opposing quarterbacks.
The Dolphins still allow the eighth-most fantasy points per game to the position. As much as Mariota may not be winning games, he’s been great for fantasy. The former No. 2 overall pick has reached 17 fantasy points in three of his four starts. He’s thrown a touchdown in all of them and rushed for at least 20 yards.
Mariota has an excellent floor and a high ceiling in a favorable matchup.
Sit ‘Em: Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. LAC)
You probably weren’t thinking about starting Trevor Lawrence anyway. There aren’t many true candidates to sit. So let’s go with a guy who probably won’t be an NFL starting quarterback after this season.
Lawrence predictably struggled against the Texans last week. We won’t hold that against him because everyone struggles against the Texans.
What’s really concerning is that in his last 35 games, Lawrence has thrown for 300 yards just 4 times. None of those instances have been this season.
Lawrence had good performances against the hapless Bengals and Raiders. He also had that anomalously great night against the Chiefs. Otherwise, he’s been mostly terrible.
Now, Lawrence gets a Chargers defense allowing the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. He may or may not have Brian Thomas Jr. back, making Parker Washington his WR1. It would be impossible for an actually talented quarterback to succeed under these circumstances. Good luck to Lawrence.
