Who To Start And Sit For Your Week 14 Fantasy Football Playoffs Lineup


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Things were much simpler back in September. We were younger, we weren’t crushed under the heavy existential weight of a Tweetin’ Prez, and we had a full fantasy football season ahead of us. It was a clean slate — this was our year until it wasn’t. Now, 13 weeks later, we limp defiantly onto the battlefield. Some of us wear scars in the shape of Rob Gronkowski’s goofy grin and most of us look like John McClain at the end of Die Hard 1 and 2 (bloody wearing a warm jacket because it’s getting cold out).

It is the fantasy football playoffs. (Read our complete waiver wire advice column here.)

Start of the Week

Jameis Winston: Don’t be fooled by the Saints and their decent defense over the last few weeks — they’ve played Jared Goff and Trevor Siemian so they’re bound to improve statistically. Have no doubt that these are the Saints we know and love, and Jameis Winston should put up some big numbers at home. When TB has gone against weak secondaries (ATL, OAK, SF), Winston has been averaging 3 TDs.

This might happen a couple times:

Start/Sit

QUARTERBACK STARTS

Matt Ryan: The Rams are giving up the 7th-most points to opposing QBs in the last two weeks, and are in the top ten over the last month. Best of all, their offense can’t stay on the field. Matt Ryan could stumble into points, even with Julio Jones suffering from turf toe, and Atlanta playing in LA across the country, it’s best you roll out Matty Ice™.

If your offense is always on the field, your offensive players will score points, right?

Andy Dalton: You want A.J. Green to be there, but Dalton has been absolutely serviceable in his stud WR’s absence. Last week he only targeted Tyler Eifert twice and still came out with his best score of the season. Now he plays the Browns. The Browns in week 14. It’s perfect, this timing from the fantasy gods.

Russell Wilson: He started the season hurt before loosening up then blazing a trail of domination across the league for a month, then came back down to earth over the last two weeks against the Bucs and the Panthers. Now he’s traveling to Green Bay, who is giving up the most points to QBs over the last month. This should be one of those high-scoring, Russell Wilson Does Whatever He Wants games, weather permitting. This is Russ’ time of year. Play him.

QUARTERBACK SITS

Derek Carr: There’s a chance Derek Carr goes out there and plays like 2016 Derek Carr has all season, but we don’t know how well Oakland will react to what are reported to be near-zero temperatures in Kansas City. If you were wise enough to get Derek Carr as your second QB and you have, say, a Jameis Winston or Matt Ryan as your second QB, you can consider sitting Carr. We just don’t know about Oakland in the elements. Look at what happened to the 49ers last week.

Colin Kaepernick: This falls into a “don’t get cute” category more than anything. Last week was a disaster for Kaep and the 49ers in the snow, and he was benched despite throwing the ball 5 times. The 49ers have a good matchup against the Jets (at home), but this is the playoffs! Don’t get cute! Not now! Do you want to see your quarterback to be hit like this NFL Blitz player in the greatest video ever found on the internet?

Dak Prescott: He finally came back down to earth against the Vikings in Week 13, now he’s facing a Giants D that has turned into a formidable unit that can give any team problems. If you’re starting Prescott in a 12 or even 14-team league, you have another option out there. Don’t pretend you don’t.

You don’t want to see this with your fantasy life on the line.

WIDE RECEIVER STARTS

Malcolm Mitchell: This is what fantasy football careers are made on (or killed on). Amendola may miss the rest of the season, Gronk is gone, and Malcolm Mitchell is ready to step up and be the deep threat for Tom Brady and the Patriots. His targets have increased starting in week 10 with 2, to 5, 7 and 10 last week. Brady likes him, so you should too.

Golden Tate: This stings for the people that dropped Golden Tate after an awful start to the season. It really stings. Tate has parlayed Marvin Jones’ injury and Jim Bob Cooter’s faith into some massive games over the last 6 weeks. He’s currently averaging just over 9 targets per game and gets the lowly, lowly Bears at home. This is a dream playoff matchup.

Larry Fitzgerald: He’s the youngest player in NFL history to reach 1,100 catches, he entering the elite of the elite marks in the NFL history books, and he’s tag-teaming with David Johnson as one of the only two players you can trust on the Cardinals. Carson Palmer is going to feed him targets all day against Miami, a bottom-10 WR defense, and Larry Fitz will eat it all up. He’s a top-14 play this week, easily.

Here’s an arbitrary placement of Raiders kicker Marquette King celebrating with a flag. Maybe in Honor of Larry?

WIDE RECEIVER SITS

Allen Robinson: The man is far too garbage time dependent, and while his volume has remained consistently around 10+ targets per game, you just never know if you’re going to get 6 points or 16. Now he faces a Minnesota defense that has actually been in the bottom ten in points to receivers over the last month, but Robinson will likely be the assignment of Xavier Rhodes who has the ability to shut him down completely.

Sammy Watkins: Even though Watkins has increased his reps back into a full workload, this is a bad week for Watkins owners. Pittsburgh is currently a top 5 defense against the pass, Charles Clay, and Robert Woods will be back. Additionally, the Bills are leaning on their RBs heavily, rushing 30 times last week. Try Jamison Crowder, Malcom Mitchell… You’ve gotten through the entire season without Sammy, wait one more week and get through this until Watkins gets Cleveland next week.

Kelvin Benjamin: Cam Newton’s struggles have completely hamstrung Greg Olsen and Kelvin Benjamin. Ted Ginn and Jonathan Stewart have improved into top 36 players at their positions, but Benjamin and Newton have looked completely out of sync. Benjamin has 41 targets, 14 catches and 1 TD over the last 4 weeks. Panthers coach Ron Rivera recently said that Benjamin was possibly rushed back from his ACL injury, and now his shoulder is injured. The targets are there, but the Panthers host the Chargers, who have been excellent against No. 1 receivers, and top 10 in points allowed by opposing receivers.

RUNNING BACK STARTS

Matt Forte: The 49ers have given up the most points to fantasy running backs this season, but the Jets are turning to Bryce Petty. This means stacked boxes and a heavy rushing attack, but if the Jets lean on Forte for 20+ touches, something he’s accomplished six times this year, this could be a huge game for the ex-Bear (Chicago misses you even though Jordan Howard is pretty OK).

It’s week 14 and he’s still got it.

Thomas Rawls: The job is his and his alone. We know that now. Last week he got 16 touches (15 rushes for 106 yards and 2 TDs/1 catch for 12 yards), and he’s facing Green Bay, who has been one of the worst running defenses in the league over the last month. Seattle will want to dictate the clock and take the cold Green Bay fans out of the equation so game script could dictate an even bigger workload for Rawls. He’s a must-start in DFS and you league.

Latavius Murray: When the year started Murray was getting an inexplicably low amount of touches, then went down hurt and most everyone wrote him off as a bust. Over the last month, he’s quietly been one of the best RBs in football. He’s the Oakland red zone guy, he’s especially nice in PPR, averaging 3.7 catches per game, and the coaches seem to trust him as the best back on the field.

RUNNING BACK SITS

Bilal Powell: He had a golden opportunity for points last week, then he gets 1 total touch, a rush, gaining 3 yards. For what it’s worth, Forte only rushed the ball 9 times in this blowout, so the game script sucked, but typically Powell is more involved when he’s on the field and getting snaps.

He just wasn’t.

The situation is too weird for me to hinge my fantasy playoffs on if I can help it. If you don’t start him, he’ll probably catch 4-6 balls for 55 yards and a touchdown, maybe rush it 5 times for 20 yards.

James Starks/any Green Bay running back: This goes for Ty Montgomery, if he’s an RB for you. The Packers are officially a pass-only team, and even though Seattle, whose travelling to Green Bay, have been a bottom-10 rush defense over the last month, it’s best not depend on a back that could possibly only get 10-15 touches at best. Montgomery had 6 rushes for 40 yards and 2 catches for 16 yards against Houston in the snow on Sunday, but that won’t cut it in PPR leagues. Try to avoid these guys. It’s no one’s clear-cut job and Christine Michael is making this a weird 3-headed monster.

Figuring out what’s going to happen in the Green Bay backfield is more difficult than assembling the Shrine of the Silver Monkey

Devontae Booker: The Titans have been a top 7 rush D over the last month, and Devontae Booker isn’t wowing anyone, even with the lion’s share of the rushing work. Last week against Jacksonville, Booker rushed 18 times for 35 yards. His day was saved by a TD, but last week he had 24 rushes for 79 yards and 24 rushes for 76 yards without finding the end zone. He’s touchdown dependent against a decent D with Paxton Lynch possibly under center. The volume is nice, but it’s risky if Denver has to abandon the run.

TIGHT END STARTS

Ladarius Green: Sammie Coates is recovering from two broken fingers, Markus Wheaton and Darrius Heyward-Bey are out hurt, and Jesse James was underwhelming. Ladarius Green can do some serious damage in this offense, and he’s only getting healthier. You should’ve picked him up a few weeks ago, now this is your final chance.

Read the rest at our Waiver Wire column (because you have to pick up Ladarius).

You want this, right?

Cameron Brate: I’m a true believer now. Brate had down weeks against KC and Seattle, two of the better defenses against the TE, now he plays the Saints in what could be a high-scoring game. Last week he dominated with a 31 percent target share, getting 9 targets to Mike Evans’ 6. You can depend on him.

Travis Kelce: He’s officially the man in Kansas City while Maclin is out, there’s no denying it. Kelce has 32 targets over the last 3 games and should see at least 9 targets against a good, but not great Oakland defense.

TIGHT END SITS

Martellus Bennett: There are injury concerns surrounding Gronk’s backup, and he simply hasn’t been getting much work even while on the field. He’s only caught 6 of 11 targets over the last 3 weeks and now he’s facing the Ravens who could shut down Brady’s intermediate passes. This doesn’t look like a get-right game for Bennett at all.

He’s still an excellent blocker and will be on the field.

Delanie Walker: He’s a stud and you should always play your studs, but the Denver defense has been especially stingy against the TE over the last 2 weeks, holding them to far and away a league best 1.6 points per game in standard leagues. Mariota gonna Mariota, but keep this in mind when the TE position is relatively deep. This could be ugly.

Coby Fleener: My personal philosophy on playoff runs is to mitigate risk and get the most amount of sure things in your starting lineup as possible. That leads to fantasy championships won with un-sexy lineups, but who cares? Don’t get sucked into cute plays like this one. Sure, Saints TE Josh Hill injured his ankle and Fleener is a possible TE 1 if he gets all his snaps back, but what if Sean Payton goes full Sean Payton and Fleener gets 1 target? Playoffs. We’re talking about the playoffs. Playoffs?!

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