Nov 18, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA;  Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) warms up before the game against the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Top 10 Player Props For NFL Week 12

If watching the Cleveland Browns upset the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football makes you think twice about betting on Sunday games — well, you don’t have to. If you don’t want to fall victim to the next upset, bet on one of the many NFL player props offered by online sportsbooks instead.

“Many” doesn’t really do the number of player props available for each game justice; there easily be a couple of hundred per game. But don’t worry about needing to review them all. All you need to do is take a look at our top 10 NFL player props for Week 12, listed in no particular order.

NFL Week 12: Player Props

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders

Cooper Rush, O/U 201.5 passing yards at -115/-115 (BetMGM)
O/U 33.5 pass attempts at -102/-128 (FanDuel)
O/U 18.5 completions at -130/+100 (DraftKings)

For most of the season, the Cowboys have insisted on trying to establish the run even though they must know it isn’t a strength. But they changed course in their Week 11 loss to the Houston Texans, and Cooper Rush threw 55 passes, of which 32 were caught for 354 yards.

It might seem hard to believe after the 13-for-23, 45-yard debacle in a 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 10, but Rush is not a bad quarterback. After all, he was 5-1 as a starter when called to fill in for Dak Prescott in the 2021 and ‘22 seasons.

Just as they did when they lost 34-10 to the Texans, the Cowboys will fall behind against the Commanders and will need to pass if they are going to try to catch up. So, the volume of attempts for Rush will be there again, as will the yardage against a lackluster Washington pass defense.

Don’t expect Rush to throw the ball 50-plus times again, but his attempts aren’t likely to fall in the mid-20s, either, as in the previous two starts. Opponents are averaging 27.1 attempts per game vs. Washington — but they are also running the ball 30.5 times per game.

Dallas will not run the ball 30 times; they average 21.5 carries per game this season. Take the OVER for Rush passing yards.

If you’re going to take the OVER on his passing yards and attempts, then it almost makes sense to take the OVER for his pass completions. Opponents are completing 65.8 percent of their passes vs. the Commanders. At that rate, to clear 19.5 completions, he’ll need to throw roughly 30 passes.

Yeah, take the OVER.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Giants

Mike Evans, O/U 50.5 receiving yards at -115/-115 (BetMGM)
O/U 3.5 receptions at -140/+105 (BetMGM)

Baker Mayfield fared well in the first couple of games with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, but the dynamic duo suffered injuries in their Oct. 21 game against the Baltimore Ravens. Godwin is out for the season, but Evans is expected to return this week against the Giants.

If they are going to stay in the wild-card hunt, the Buccaneers will need to win this game after four consecutive losses. To that end, Mayfield probably will target his star wide receiver early and often. It would be surprising if he didn’t have four catches in the first half.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers

Christian McCaffrey, O/U 17.5 rushing attempts at +100/-130 (BetMGM)
O/U 108.5 rushing and receiving yards at -113/-115 (FanDuel)

Jordan Love, O/U 0.5 interceptions at -125/-105 (DraftKings)

With Brock Purdy out, the 49ers probably will lean on the run game. When you have the most dangerous offensive player in the NFL in your backfield — Christian McCaffrey — you should. He had 19 carries last week vs. Seattle. He’ll probably get a similar number this week, if not higher.

Without Purdy on the field and backup Brandon Allen in his place, it’s hard to know whether McCaffrey will be more productive for the passing game or the running game or equally proficient. But you typically can count on him being productive. He’s gone for 106 and 107 combined rushing and receiving yards, respectively, in the two games he’s played since his return from an injury that had sidelined him to start the season.

It would not be a stretch for him to get a few more yards and exceed a total of 108.5 rushing/receiving yards. Take the OVER.

Jordan Love has thrown at least one interception in every game he has played this season. The 49ers defense has 11 picks on the year. They’ll make it 12 — if not 13 or 14 — in this game. Take the OVER.

Tennessee Titans vs. Houston Texans

Tim Settle Jr. O/U .25 sacks at +105/-135 (DraftKings)
Joe Mixon, O/U 21.5 rushing attempts at -110/-120 (BetMGM)

The Houston defense is among the league leaders in sacks this season with 34. Tennessee’s quarterbacks are among the most sacked in the league. Danielle Hunter co-leads the team in sacks, making him a solid choice. However, the odds on his OVER are -176, while Tim Settle Jr. has plus money odds.

With the Titans having injury issues with the interior of the offensive line, a defensive tackle has a shot at breaking through and getting credit for at least half of a sack. Take the OVER.

The Texans have been at their best when Mixon is getting 20-plus carries; every time he has, he’s gone for 100-plus yards. It might be hard to gain 100 or more yards against the Titans’ defense, but Houston will make sure he gets his carries.

–Field Level Media

Jun 4, 2024; Frisco, TX, USA;  Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and quarterback Cooper Rush (10) and quarterback Trey Lance (19) talk during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility in Frisco, Texas. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys’ Cooper Rush remains QB2 ahead of Trey Lance

Cooper Rush will back up Dak Prescott, while Trey Lance will remain the third quarterback to start the season in Dallas, coach Mike McCarthy said Monday.

The Cowboys open the season on the road Sunday against the Cleveland Browns.

Rush, 30, is entering his seventh campaign with Dallas (2017-19, 2021-23). He is 5-1 as a starter, completing 60.6 percent of his passes in 26 total games for 1,619 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.

Lance, 24, was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was traded to the Cowboys before the 2023 season for a 2024 fourth-round draft pick. He did not take any snaps for Dallas last season.

Lance was 2-2 with the 49ers from 2021-22, completing 54.9 percent of his throws in eight total games for 797 yards with five TDs and three picks. He also rushed for 235 yards and one score.

Lance had a miserable showing in the Cowboys’ final preseason game, tossing five interceptions in a 26-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Aug. 24.

–Field Level Media

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins (90) warms up before facing the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

Nfl Las Vegas Raiders At Tennessee Titans

Cowboys place DT Johnathan Hankins on IR

The Dallas Cowboys placed Johnathan Hankins on injured reserve Wednesday, sidelining their massive defensive tackle for the rest of the regular season.

The team is hopeful Hankins (pectoral) will return for the postseason. He was injured in last Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans.

The team also officially put offensive tackle Terence Steele on injured reserve with a torn ACL. His 2022 season is done.

Hankins had started the past three games for the Cowboys, who acquired the 340-pounder from Las Vegas in late October. Hankins has 10 tackles in five games (three starts) for the Cowboys.

The Cowboys signed defensive tackle Anthony Rush to their practice squad on Wednesday and released linebacker Malik Jefferson.

Rush, 26, has 40 tackles in 30 career games (10 starts) for five teams. He started four games for the Atlanta Falcons to start this season before getting released on Oct. 6. He was just released from Philadelphia’s practice squad last week.

Steele, 25, was also injured against the Texans. He started all 13 games for the Cowboys this season and 40 of 45 since signing with Dallas in 2020.

–Field Level Media

Oct 9, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) sets to pass in the first half against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys QB Cooper Rush preparing to start vs. Eagles

Cooper Rush is preparing to start for the fifth consecutive week as the Dallas Cowboys monitor the recovery of fellow quarterback Dak Prescott from thumb surgery.

Rush is 4-0 since entering the lineup as an injury replacement for Prescott, whose initial medical prognosis called for a 4-to-6 week recovery window.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Prescott would need to be convincing in workouts this week with his ability to “spin the football,” a reference to his ability to grip the ball and throw it on target with needed velocity. Prescott was not able to fully grip the ball last week, and head coach Mike McCarthy described his practice activity on Wednesday — four days before the primetime matchup against the host Philadelphia Eagles — as “light throwing” on the side.

“We are preparing for Cooper to start against the Eagles,” McCarthy said Wednesday.

Prescott said he felt “great” throwing for the first time. He got backing from a wide receiver as well.

“It was good to see him out there doing it,” Michael Gallup said, per The Dallas Morning News. “He’ll be back out there soon.”

Prescott told the Fort Worth-Star Telegram that he’s “antsy” to return.

“But excited that my guys are doing what they got to do,” he said Wednesday.

Prescott has been part of the “rehab group” in practice since surgery on Sept. 12, McCarthy said. His limited participation this week would represent a step forward, but the giant stride toward starting for the Cowboys appears to be at least one week away.

The Eagles (5-0) are the NFL’s only undefeated team, while Dallas has leaned heavily on a strong defense to hold second place in the division at 4-1.

The Cowboys’ strong pass rush leads the NFL in quarterback hits and Dallas has 20 sacks this season.

–Field Level Media

Nov 7, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) and quarterback Dak Prescott (4) before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Denver Broncos at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Jerry Jones: Cowboys to test Dak Prescott’s ‘spin’ Wed.

Dak Prescott could get the thumbs up for Week 6, but only if he passes the spin test.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday the doubt around Prescott is whether he has enough hand and grip strength in his right thumb to spin the ball with the velocity needed to throw passes on target. If he can, Jones and the Cowboys should get Prescott back in the lineup Sunday with the NFC East lead on the line against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles (5-0).

“He’s gotta really be able to spin the ball,” Jones said. “We’ll start working on that Wednesday real hard. We know Dak Prescott can play, but can he spin the ball?”

Backup Cooper Rush spun a four-game winning streak since replacing the injured Prescott. Dallas scored a defensive touchdown to down the Los Angeles Rams last week and improve to 4-1, firmly in second place in the division by virtue of a head-to-head win over the 4-1 New York Giants.

Grip was the issue for Prescott last week. He attempted to strengthen his hand and right thumb following the removal of a stitch left over from surgery last month. But Prescott couldn’t keep the ball locked in with his grip and continued in the rehab phase.

Jones said there is no thought from the franchise that Rush would remain in the lineup even after Prescott is fully cleared.

“When we get him back, that’ll be a real additive. We’ll be a mess (for opponents) if we can keep playing defense like this,” Jones said.

Defense has driven the Cowboys’ rise in the standings.

Dallas ranks first in quarterback hits, is tied for first in rushing touchdowns allowed (1), second in sacks (20) and third in points allowed per game (14.3).

–Field Level Media

Atlanta Falcons NFL defensive tackle Anthony Rush

Falcons release DT Anthony Rush

The Atlanta Falcons released starting defensive tackle Anthony Rush on Thursday.

Rush had seven tackles while playing 33.3 percent of the defensive snaps through four games.

Atlanta didn’t immediately announce a corresponding move.

Rush, 26, has seen action in 30 games (10 starts) over four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (2019), Green Bay Packers (2020), Seattle Seahawks (2020), Tennessee Titans (2021) and Falcons. He has 40 career tackles and 0.5 sacks.

–Field Level Media

Oct 2, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) on the field before the game against the Washington Commanders at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott can’t grip football ‘well enough to play’

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Tuesday that Dak Prescott’s thumb is improving but the quarterback still can’t grip a football “well enough to play.”

Jones made the comments during an interview on Audacy’s 105.3 The Fan in Dallas.

“Well, I know that it’s better, and I know that he’s going to go out there every day and make progress towards being able to grip the ball,” Jones said on the show.

When asked if Prescott can grip a football now, Jones answered, “No, not well enough to play.”

Prescott is scheduled to meet with doctors later Tuesday.

“I don’t know that you could ask for better news technically, physically in how it’s responding, how it’s healing so to speak,” Jones said. “So all of those things are on go and I don’t know that as we bid bye to each day if considering the injury, considering the location of the injury, I don’t know that you could make any more progress. There’s some things here about healing that again I often say only the man upstairs knows how that works, but he’ll have a big week and he’ll be hard on himself getting it ready to go.”

Prescott has not been ruled out for this week’s game against the Los Angeles Rams, but both Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy want a full week of practice with Prescott before turning him loose.

“We need to have that process before we (go) in a ballgame,” Jones said. “Can’t eliminate the week’s work and be ready to go, especially not at quarterback.”

Prescott said last week he’s targeting this week to return after fracturing his thumb in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was projected to miss six weeks.

Cooper Rush has led the Cowboys to three straight wins in Prescott’s absence. With Sunday’s win, Rush became the first Cowboys QB to win the first four starts of his career. He went 1-0 in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Sep 11, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA;  Dallas Cowboys defensive end Tarell Basham (93) reacts against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys place DE Tarell Basham (thigh) on IR

The Dallas Cowboys placed defensive end Tarell Basham on short-term injured reserve Saturday among a series of roster moves.

The team officially signed new starting quarterback Cooper Rush and kicker Brett Maher to the active roster and elevated backup quarterback Will Grier and center Alec Lindstrom from the practice squad. The Cowboys released defensive tackle John Ridgeway.

Basham sustained a thigh injury in the fourth quarter of the season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will be sidelined for a minimum of four games.

Basham, 28, played 25 snaps against the Bucs.

Rush gets the nod Sunday against the visiting Cincinnati Bengals with Dak Prescott recovering from thumb surgery. Rush relieved Prescott against Tampa Bay and completed 7 of 13 passes for 64 yards.

Rush, 28, will be making just his second NFL start since joining the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2017. He threw for 325 yards on 24-of-40 passing with two touchdowns and one interception in a 20-16 win at Minnesota in Week 8 last season.

Maher, 32, accounted for the only Dallas points in Week 1 with a 51-yard field goal.

–Field Level Media

Oct 31, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (calf) ruled out vs. Vikings

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will miss Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings due to his calf injury.

Prescott tested his strained right calf prior to Sunday’s contest in Minneapolis and the Cowboys decided he wasn’t physically fit to play.

Team trainer Britt Brown and coach Mike McCarthy apparently relayed the decision when they huddled with Prescott on the field.

Cooper Rush will make his first career start in place of Prescott. The 27-year-old has thrown three career passes, all in 2017.

Prescott was listed as questionable for the contest but wanted to go through the weekend to see if the calf improved.

Prescott sustained the calf strain in a Week 6 victory over the New England Patriots. The Cowboys followed with a bye week, but that wasn’t enough time to allow the injury to heal.

Not playing against the Vikings gives Prescott the chance to get the calf healthy prior to next Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos.

Prescott has passed for 1,813 yards, 16 touchdowns and four interceptions this season.

Entering the week, the Cowboys led the NFL in both scoring offense (34.2 points per game) and total yardage (460.8).

Will Grier will be the Cowboys’ backup quarterback on Sunday. He was claimed by Dallas in early September after being released by the Carolina Panthers.

Grier, 26, started two games for the Panthers in 2019 and lost both. He passed for 228 yards and four interceptions without throwing a touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Oct 10, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) warms up prior to the game against the New York Giants as Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush (10) looks on at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys QB Dak Prescott still in limbo; Cooper Rush prepares to start

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is listed as questionable for Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings due to his troublesome calf injury.

The Cowboys would like to decide Saturday but are willing to wait until Sunday before determining whether or not Prescott will play.

If Prescott sits out, Cooper Rush will make his first NFL start. He has thrown three career passes, all in 2017.

As for Prescott, he was a limited participant on Friday but reported soreness in the morning after pushing the pace during Thursday’s practice.

“He’s confident. He doesn’t waver. He wants to play, and he wants to continue to work toward that,” Dallas coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Friday.

Prescott sustained the calf strain in a Week 6 victory over the New England Patriots. The Cowboys followed with a bye week but that wasn’t enough time to allow the injury to heal.

He displayed earlier this week that he understands there is a risk if he returns too soon. Also, team trainer Britt Brown has to clear Prescott.

“It’s not fully my decision because there is a bigger picture,” Prescott said. “It’s more than just one game.”

The Cowboys have given Rush the bulk of the practice repetitions all week while Prescott has mainly been involved in individual drills and rehabbing the calf.

“That helps more than usual,” the 27-year-old Rush told reporters. “Usually you’re preparing for a game as the backup without getting any reps all week. So definitely going into it, you feel a whole lot better.”

McCarthy indicated he isn’t concerned if Rush gets the call.

“He’ll be ready to go,” McCarthy said. “If he’s up, he’ll be ready to go. We’ve still got some time.”

In addition to Prescott, Dallas listed left tackle Tyron Smith (ankle) and defensive end Dorance Armstrong (ankle) as questionable.

Minnesota will play without defensive tackle Michael Pierce (elbow), defensive end Patrick Jones II (knee) and tight end Ben Ellefson (knee, foot). Ellefson was placed on injured reserve Thursday and must miss at least three games.

Vikings wideout Dede Westbrook (ankle) is questionable.

–Field Level Media