Fantasy Football Week 14: Starts, Sits For Raiders Vs. Chiefs ‘Thursday Night Football’ Game

If your fantasy football team still is vying for a championship, it’s already time to make some big Week 14 decisions.

Luckily for you, we went through the Oakland Raiders-Kansas City Chiefs “Thursday Night Football” matchup and recommended some players to start and sit.

OAKLAND RAIDERS
Quarterback: Derek Carr has 3,375 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns and a 100.3 passer rating. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are allowing the fourth-most total yards per game and have allowed 21 passing touchdowns. Playing in Kansas City is a tough matchup for any opposing quarterback, but Carr has earned the right to stay in your starting lineup.

Running Back: Latavius Murray is coming off one of his best performances of the season in Week 13 against the Buffalo Bills, rushing for 82 yards on 20 carries with two touchdowns and had three receptions. The Chiefs only have allowed six rushing touchdowns this season, but opposing rushers have averaged 121.9 yards per game against them.

Wide Receiver: The Raiders have two definite must-starts at receiver and one dark-horse flex option. Amari Cooper leads the team with 981 receiving yards, while Michael Crabtree has the most receiving TDs (seven). Seth Roberts, meanwhile, has the second-most receiving touchdowns (five), although he’s well behind Cooper and Crabtree in most other stats and should only be considered as a flex if you need one.

Tight End: Clive Walford is No. 1 on the Raiders’ tight end depth chart, but he’s not a viable No. 1 fantasy tight end. He only has 27 receptions for 288 yards with two touchdowns this season, and the most yards he’s had in a game this season is 50.

Defense: The Raiders are one of the best teams in the NFL this season, but not because of their defense. They have allowed the third-most total yards per game, and opponents are averaging just under 25 points per contest.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Quarterback: Alex Smith can win you a lot of games in real life, but not in fantasy. The Chiefs quarterback hasn’t thrown more than one touchdown in a game since Oct. 23, and has only 11 total this season. Keep the game managers on the bench, fantasy owners.

Running Back: Spencer Ware only had 29 yards on 14 rushing attempts last weekend against the Atlanta Falcons, but he did find the end zone twice. His 734 rushing yards and five combined touchdowns make him a smart start, especially against an Oakland team allowing 124.8 rushing yards per game.

Wide Receiver: Even when healthy, Jeremy Maclin hasn’t looked like his old self this season. He only has 376 receiving yards and two touchdowns, and he hasn’t had a reception in a game since Oct. 30 due to his health. So, even if he does play, he’s far from a must-start at this point. Tyreek Hill’s numbers have seen sizeable increases with Maclin out, but you can’t rely on him if Maclin does return for Thursday.

Tight End: The Chiefs’ best receiver actually is their tight end. Travis Kelce leads the team with 815 receiving yards and 65 receptions. He’s one of the best tight ends in the league and should be in your lineup if you have him.

Defense: Kansas City’s defense has the ability to make big plays, as seen in KC’s thrilling victory over the Falcons. That’s a good thing for fantasy owners, although the Chiefs allow the fourth-most total yards. We would say start them most weeks, but the high-flying Raiders are a tough matchup.

Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images