Fantasy Football Week 14 Starts, Sits: Answers For Toughest Lineup Decisions
It’s now or never for fantasy football owners in their league’s playoffs.
Making the right and wrong decision is everything at this time of the year, and luckily for you, we’ve sorted each position into two groups: players to start and players to sit.
Superstars such as Tom Brady, Julio Jones and Adrian Peterson obviously should be started each week regardless of matchup. Players of that caliber were omitted from this list. Check it out below.
Quarterbacks
Start: Philip Rivers, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Drew Brees, Blake Bortles, Eli Manning, Brian Hoyer, Alex Smith
Sit: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Ryan, Johnny Manziel, Sam Bradford, Kirk Cousins, Teddy Bridgewater, Matt Cassel
Mariota and Winston are both playing well. Even though their teams aren’t legit playoff contenders, winning NFL Rookie of the Year should act as a motivator for the rest of the season. Taylor’s consistent touchdown production (four in Week 13) makes him a good start, too. Bortles, Brees and Manning all have favorable matchups against defenses ranked in the bottom half of the league in passing yards allowed per game.
Ryan, like the rest of the Falcons (except Julio Jones), has been awful the last five or six weeks. Tannehill managed just 82 passing yards against a banged-up Baltimore Ravens defense in Week 14. Bridgewater, who’s thrown for 200-plus yards just once in the last six games, also shouldn’t be started.
Running Backs
Start: Shaun Draughn, David Johnson, T.J. Yeldon, James White, DeMarco Murray, Todd Gurley, Matt Forte, Lamar Miller, Chris Ivory,
Sit: Javorius Allen, Latavius Murray, Eddie Lacy, Karlos Williams, Ronnie Hillman, C.J. Anderson, Ameer Abdullah, Melvin Gordon
Johnson nearly tallied 100 yards and scored a touchdown in his first game as the Cardinals’ starting running back last week, and he’s another great start in Week 14 against a struggling Minnesota Vikings defense. Yeldon is coming off his best game of the season and should be started as an RB1, particularly in PPR leagues given his emergence in the Jaguars passing attack. Gurley has struggled the last few weeks, but he’s primed for a bounce-back against a Detroit Lions defense that’s allowed a league-high 16 rushing touchdowns.
Anderson and Hillman are sharing carries in the Denver Broncos backfield and aren’t finding the end zone consistently. Therefore, neither of them are worth starting. Lacy also is a risky play given his inconsistency and the Packers’ inability to build a lead and lean on the rushing attack late in games.
Wide Receivers
Start: Martavis Bryant, Jarvis Landry, Danny Amendola, T.Y. Hilton, Brandon Cooks, Jeremy Maclin, Jordan Matthews, Allen Hurns, Doug Baldwin, Michael Floyd, Randall Cobb
Sit: Brandon LaFell, Travis Benjamin, Donte Moncrief, Nate Washington, Kamar Aiken, Tavon Austin, Roddy White, Stefon Diggs, Devin Funchess, Brian Hartline
Cooks is finally becoming a trustworthy WR1 as Saints quarterback Drew Brees’ top target. Baldwin has been a touchdown machine with six scores in his last four games and should be started in all types of fantasy leagues.
Washington is a tough player to start against a stingy Patriots defense that ranks inside the top 10 in points allowed and passing yards against per game. Austin is another risk, primarily because his fantasy relevance is too dependent on the big play. Aiken, like the entire Ravens offense, isn’t a smart play against a Seahawks team playing its best football of the campaign.
Tight Ends
Start: Scott Chandler, Jordan Reed, Julius Thomas, Delanie Walker, Gary Barnidge, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates
Sit: Jacob Tamme, Richard Rodgers, Zach Ertz, Charles Clay, Heath Miller, Kyle Rudolph, Eric Ebron, Benjamin Watson
Chandler likely will be targeted often by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman not expected to play against the Houston Texans. Witten has been a favorite target of Cowboys quarterback Matt Cassel and should be started despite a less-than-favorable matchup against the Green Bay Packers.
Tamme is not worth starting against an elite Panthers defense, while Clay and Miller are both questionable for Sunday because of injuries and should not be played. Find a more reliable tight end.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
