Matthew Stafford Injury Update Creates Fantasy Value for Jeff Driskel Against Redskins in Week 12

Matthew Stafford has quietly been playing like an MVP candidate this season. He's top 5 in touchdown percentage (6.5 percent), passing yards per game (312.4) and passer rating (106.0).

Unfortunately, Stafford has been sidelined since Week 9 due to broken bones in his back. While his absence is a bummer for his fantasy owners and the Detroit Lions alike, Stafford's backup Jeff Driskel has quickly made himself fantasy relevant with his impressive play.

It's a small sample size, but Driskel is averaging 22.3 fantasy points per game across his two games, which is the fourth-best mark in the NFL. He adds quite a bit of fantasy value because of his ability as a runner, averaging 44.0 rushing yards per game this season.

He also draws an ideal matchup in Week 12 against the Washington Redskins. Washington is the seventh-worst defense in the NFL against the pass, per Football Outsiders' DVOA rankings. The Redskins just surrendered 293 passing yards and four TDs to Sam Darnold.

As long as Stafford is sidelined, it looks like Driskel is going to be fantasy viable, and he could be a great streaming option as well. He didn't crack the top 36 in our Week 12 fantasy football rankings, but he looks poised for a decent game this weekend.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.