Let’s dive into some news and notes around the league, my top fantasy plays and favorite picks for Week 14.
Notes:
• The schedule-makers aren’t doing us any justice this year as we have another week with an abnormal lineup of games. There are two games on Monday night, at the same time, so make sure to set your roster accordingly.
• It was another tough week for injuries around the league, as many fantasy-relevant players were knocked out of action. Rhamondre Stevenson, Brian Robinson and Derrick Henry all exited early on Sunday, making their backups priority adds this week. Trevor Lawrence, Derek Carr and Kenny Pickett are the latest injuries to a quarterback position that is already bleak. Tank Dell is out for the season, while Amari Cooper, Marquise Brown and Christian Watson could miss time as well. It’s been brutal for quarterbacks around the league. Twelve backup QBs will start in Week 14.
• Those injuries have left us with just a handful of reliable quarterbacks, but here are some of the names to finish in the top 12 in scoring in Week 13: Geno Smith, Brock Purdy, Jake Browning, Jordan Love, Gardner Minshew and Joe Flacco. If you’re a Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes owner, who are having “down” years by their standards, be grateful your QB is still standing.
• De’Von Achane returned to action this week and was right back to finding the end zone on a regular basis. Excluding Week 11 when he played just a few plays, the rookie has found pay dirt nine times in four games, and is averaging an absurd 9.5 yards per carry on the season. Meanwhile, his running made in Miami, Raheem Mostert, is RB2 in scoring. There are few cases where you can start two running backs from the same team, but this is one of them. Start both with confidence.
• I’m an advocate for scooping up as many handcuff running backs as possible because you can find a diamond in the rough at this point of the season. That’s not the case for receivers. Many of your usual suspects rounded out the top 12 this week. DK Metcalf and Deebo Samuel both scored three times to lead the position, while high draft picks Tyreek Hill, CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase were among the top six as well. Nico Collins, who led the league in receiving in Week 13 with 191 yards, has back-to-back top-six finishes. You can find running back help late, but receivers are hard to come by.
• Let’s make another list of names that will surprise you. The top five tight ends this week were Sam LaPorta, Trey McBride, Evan Engram, Jake Ferguson and Taysom Hill. LaPorta continues to shatter the narrative that rookie tight ends cannot make an instant impact, while McBride might be the midseason MVP at the tight end since taking over for an injured Zach Ertz in Week 9. Travis Kelce garners much of the attention, but the future looks bright at a once brutal position.
• Matchups are key as we enter crunch time of the fantasy season, so it’s important to find the best defenses and kickers each week as every point matters. Target kickers who play in domes or warm-weather cities. As far as defenses go, look for those who are going against the league’s worst offenses. The Saints have the Panthers and Giants the next two weeks. The Chiefs play New England and Las Vegas in Weeks 15 and 16. The Packers have Tampa Bay, Carolina and Minnesota in Weeks 15-17. Targets those defenses rather than sticking with the Bills or Ravens defenses. Each has a rough stretch of opponents during the fantasy playoffs.
Thursday Game: Patriots vs. Steelers
Sunday Night Game: Eagles vs. Cowboys
Monday Night Games: Titans vs. Dolphins, Packers vs. Giants
Top Pickups of the Week: Ezekiel Elliott, Tyjae Spears, Antonio Gibson, Elijah Moore, Saints D/ST
Send to the Waiver Wire: Tank Dell, Jahan Dotson, Khalil Herbert
Start ‘Em:
Quarterback: Jordan Love
Running Back: Jerome Ford
Wide Receiver: Jakobi Meyers
Tight End: Gerald Everett
Defense: Texans
Sit ‘Em:
Quarterback: Matthew Stafford
Running Back: Najee Harris
Wide Receiver: Chris Godwin
Tight End: Tyler Higbee
Defense: Eagles
Sleepers:
Quarterback: Jameis Winston
Running Back: Kenneth Gainwell
Wide Receiver: Cedric Tillman
Tight End: Chig Okonkwo
Defense: Raiders
NFL Picks for Week 14:
Weekly Pick ‘Em (Season Record: 121-72)
Steelers (vs. Patriots)
Jaguars (vs. Browns)
Ravens (vs. Rams)
Lions (vs. Bears)
Saints (vs. Panthers)
Falcons (vs. Buccaneers)
Bengals (vs. Colts)
Texans (vs. Jets)
49ers (vs. Seahawks)
Vikings (vs. Raiders)
Broncos (vs. Chargers)
Bills (vs. Chiefs)
Cowboys (vs. Eagles)
Dolphins (vs. Titans)
Packers (vs. Giants)
Five Picks Against The Spread (Season Record: 31-34)
Lions -3 vs. Bears
Falcons -2.5 vs. Buccaneers
Texans -6.5 vs. Jets
Vikings -3 vs. Raiders
Bills +2.5 vs. Chiefs
Five Over-Under Totals (Season Record: 33-32)
Patriots-Steelers under 30.5
Colts-Bengals under 40.5
Vikings-Raiders over 40.5
Titans-Dolphins over 47
Packers-Giants under 37.5
One Bold Prediction for the Week
Week 1: Sam Howell finishes as a top-five fantasy QB against Cardinals. (miss)
Week 2: Michael Thomas leads all players in receiving yards in the two Monday night games. (miss)
Week 3: Justin Fields leads the league in rushing yards in an effort to keep up with the Chiefs. (miss)
Week 4: Travis Kelce has more receiving yards than Zach Wilson has passing yards in the “Sunday Night Football” game. (miss)
Week 5: The Bills put up 50-plus points against the Jaguars in London. (miss)
Week 6: Josh Jacobs has more total scrimmage yards than Mac Jones has passing yards. (miss)
Week 7: The Eagles hold Tyreek Hill to under 50 receiving yards. (miss)
Week 8: The Jets and Giants score more points than the Patriots and Dolphins. The Jets-Giants total is 36.5, while Patriots-Dolphins total is the highest of the week at 47. (major miss)
Week 9: Tee Higgins leads all receivers in yardage against Bills. (miss — finished fifth)
Week 10: With Travis Kelce on a bye, a tight end leads the league in receiving. (miss)
Week 11: Jordan Love is a top-five QB in fantasy this week. (miss)
Week 12: Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen combine to score four rushing touchdowns in the Bills-Eagles matchup. (finally got one!)
Week 13: Rachaad White leads the league in scrimmage yards. (miss)
Week 14: Jared Goff and Justin Fields throw for more combined yards than Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in their respective games.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox