Week 14 of the NFL Season is crucial. With the new 18-week, 17-game schedule, this is the final week of the regular season for most leagues. For others, the playoffs are here. Either way, every lineup decision matters. Below are my suggestions for a sit/start from each position in Week 14. But before we look ahead, let’s review how I did in Week 13.
For transparency purposes, we’ll measure quarterbacks and tight ends against Top 12 finishes (QB1 and TE1), and we’ll measure running backs and wide receivers against Top 24 finishes (RB1-2, WR1-2). All finishes come from Fantasy Pros PPR scoring leaders lists found here.
Week 13 Starts
QB: Jalen Hurts, DNP miss. I loved the matchup with the Eagles, which proved right as Gardner Minshew finished as QB10. Sadly, Hurts missed due to injury.
RB: Leonard Fournette, RB5 hit. I thought Fournette would be good, and I nailed it.
WR: Brandon Aiyuk, WR40 miss. I thought Aiyuk would be good with Deebo out, but Jimmy only had eyes for Kittle.
TE: Dawson Knox, TE30 miss. It wasn’t a good night for passing in Buffalo.
Start Record: 1-3
Week 13 Sits
QB: Ben Roethlisberger, QB9 miss. Big Ben was better than expected, taking advantage of a beat-up Ravens’ secondary.
RB: Rex Burkhead, RB40 hit. I avoided the Texans’ backfield, and that was a good call.
WR: Laquon Treadwell, WR35 hit. I avoided the Jaguars’ receivers, which seemed to be a good plan.
TE: Jack Doyle, TE36 hit. I didn’t trust Doyle’s big breakout, which was the right move.
Sit Record: 3-1
Quarterbacks
Start: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
About: My projection for the Top 12 this week is fairly vanilla given the teams and matchups. I’m highlighting Rodgers because of his matchup with the Chicago Bears. In Week 6, Rodgers faced the Bears and threw two touchdown passes, rushing for another and famously saying “I own you” to the Chicago crowd. He was QB9 that day, and I suspect he’ll be in for more of the same on Sunday.
Sit: Teddy Bridgewater, Denver Broncos
About: You probably weren’t playing Teddy anyway, but just in case you thought about starting the quarterback playing the Lions this week, I wouldn’t. I expect Denver to play good defense and run the ball, especially with Javonte Williams (more on that below). He’s QB17 on the year, but he’s been trending down. Since Week 10, Teddy is just QB25.
Running Backs
Start: Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos
About: Williams was, in a word, amazing in Week 13. He posted nearly 30 PPR points, finishing as RB1. Melvin Gordon is moving closer to a return, but in a decent matchup, I suspect Williams is still going to get the lion’s share of the workload. Will he be RB1 again? Probably not, but he’s RB19 on the season, so I think he’s at least going to be a solid RB2.
Sit: Alex Collins, Seattle Seahawks
About: Collins seems to be on track to return for the Seahawks, but it doesn’t matter. With no Chris Carson, there’s been no point in playing a back for the Seahawks. The team also has a menagerie of Adrian Peterson, Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, and Deejay Dallas on the roster, many of whom will also get carries. Collins could be the starter, but he’s RB53 on the season, averaging 6.6 points per game. Pass for me.
Wide Receiver
Start: Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
About: The Bengals have been stout, cruising toward a winning season and a playoff berth. While Ja’Marr Chase has at times been otherworldly, his second-year running mate Higgins has been good, too. He’s WR25 for the season but averaging 14.6 points per game, tied with Michael Pittman for WR20 on a point-per-game basis. He’s been particularly hot of late, sitting at WR15 since Week 10. I suspect that continues as the Bengals battle the 49ers this week.
Sit: Julio Jones, Tennessee Titans
About: Jones is tracking toward coming off IR and playing for the Titans. Tennessee could use him, too, as injuries have decimated the offense. You might be excited to throw him out there too, and I get it. But I’m going to be cautious in his return. The matchup with the Jaguars doesn’t figure to be incredibly challenging, and receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has been solid of late. Jones has only appeared in six games for the Titans, none since Week 9, so he hasn’t developed a great rapport with Ryan Tannehill. Since Week 3, he’s only seen more than five targets in any game, and he only has one game with more than four receptions. He has caught 21 passes for 336 yards and no touchdowns. I have him as more of a Flex option this week.
Tight Ends
Start: Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
About: The expectations for Pitts pre-season were astronomical, and for the most part, it hasn’t matched his production, which has been steadier and more unimpressive week-to-week for the beat-up Falcons. And yet, Pitts quietly sits as TE9 on the season. He’s had at least two catches in every game and seen fewer than five targets only once this season. He might not be producing monster numbers, but he’s been a steady producer and is still the best receiver on his team right now. He’s worth a start each week.
Sit: Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks
About: Everett was bad last week. I mean, so bad that some were arguing he should be cut. He had two fumbles and some costly drops. But, as my podcast partner Dennis Bennett pointed out on our Monday show, those were his only two fumbles this season. The Seahawks also won. Everett will be fine, but he’s not going to be in my lineup this week. Everett is TE25 on the season, at best the third option on his team. I don’t see the consistency to warrant putting him in my lineup.
Matthew Fox is a die-hard NFL fan and Broncos’ homer. He’s a member of the FSWA. You can find more from him on Twitter @knighthawk7734 or as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast, a part of the Campus2Canton Network.
