Top daily fantasy football quarterback plays for Week 12

Welcome to Week 12 of the Daily Fantasy season. Pricing has stabilized as trends have emerged but there are still bargains to be found and even some higher-priced options that will go under-owned and can make a difference in your lineups. This article looks at some of the projected lesser-owned plays at quarterback who could provide huge boosts to your tournament lineups, as well as some trap plays to avoid.

You know it’s been a rough season for the Panthers when its Week 12 and Newton is priced as the eighth-most expensive quarterback on FanDuel. But his (presumably temporary) fall from grace is our benefit, as Newton is now well undervalued for his talent level. And against a defense that ranks among the league’s worst against both the run and the pass, Newton is in prime position to deliver the kind of game that made him league MVP in 2015. He might never be priced this low again, so jump on board and enjoy the discount.

If you haven’t noticed, Wilson’s ankle feels much better and he has regained his elite form, scoring at least 24 FanDuel points the past three weeks in a row. For whatever reason, Wilson is still being priced as a mid-level quarterback, not the dual threat that usually puts him in the $9,000 range. Like Newton, Wilson faces a defense this week that is near the bottom in both pass and run defense, playing to Wilson’s strengths. He’s even cheaper than Newton and could easily end up the top QB play on Sunday.

There’s no question that Palmer is on the downside of his career in Arizona and the production level that made him a fantasy darling in 2015 is no longer within his grasp. But that doesn’t mean he still can’t roll back the clock and deliver a big game, and taking on the QB-friendly Falcons could allow Palmer one more day in the sun (even in a dome).

McCown’s inability to produce fantasy points has nothing to do with his talent level as a quarterback and everything to do with staying on the field. When he’s healthy, McCown gets the ball to his receivers and gets points, and as long as he doesn’t get hurt on Sunday, there’s no reason to think he can’t make value on a $6,400 price tag. The Browns will probably fall to 0-11, but for our purposes, McCown could be a big winner for the owner with the guts to play him.

The claims were that Goff wasn’t NFL-ready, and though he certainly struggled from a fantasy standpoint last week against the Dolphins, he looked like a quarterback who could get it done under the right circumstances. Taking on the Saints in the Superdome definitely qualifies as the right circumstance, especially with the Rams indicating the training wheels are coming off early. The Coors Field effect in New Orleans will be put to the test this week, but at $6,000 that’s a chance worth taking.

The Bears have nothing on offense. Nothing. No one. Matt Barkley is not an NFL quarterback. This game is going to get ugly quickly and there will be almost no reason for Mariota to be airing it out, probably as early as the third quarter. He might throw a couple TD passes before the Titans go into full run mode, but this is not the week to expect Mariota to make value at $8,300.

It will be fascinating to see where the offense goes now that A.J. Green and Giovani Bernard are out for the season. I would not want to risk my fantasy roster on it, however. Dalton is just too expensive to play against a tough Baltimore defense with half an offense on the field with him.