NFL week 12 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em

• Start Justin Herbert: The league’s hottest quarterback of the past month is in his most advantageous matchup in recent weeks.

• Sit Nick Chubb: The big running back hasn’t played as well as he did before his injury, and that’s unlikely to change this week.

• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, Start-Sit Optimizer and more. Sign up now!

Expected reading time: 13 minutes

Deciding who to start or sit in fantasy football can be as simple as checking PFF’s rankings and choose the higher ranked player. This starter-sit column goes a step further and examines why a typical starter might struggle in a given week, or why an overlooked player could perform well. While usual starters often remain the best choices, we also focus on the borderline players worth considering.

Click here to jump to a position:

QB | RB | WR | TEA | D/ST | K

QUARTERBACKS

START

Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

After a slow start to the season, Herbert has entered the MVP conversation. His overall grade of 85.6 PFF this season ranks fourth among quarterbacks with at least 500 snaps. He has received at least a 74.0 PFF overall grade in each of the past five games after earning sub-63.0 grades in his first five. That has translated into fantasy success, including a top-10 finish in three of his last four games.

The Chargers face off Baltimore Ravenswho has given up the third most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Teams throw more against Baltimore than anyone else, both because of play scripts and the Ravens’ stout run defense. The quality of the Ravens’ pass defense also hasn’t been as strong as in recent years. They have allowed 7.7 yards per game. attempts and their team coverage rate is below league average.

This is the perfect storm for Herbert to not just finish in the top 10, but also post his first top-five fantasy ranking of the season.