If you're reading this Week 14 Start' Em & Sit 'Em column right now, it's likely that you made it to the Fantasy playoffs -- congratulations. Or your league could have one more week in the regular season. Or you could just like seeing my start and sit suggestions to make fun of me when I'm wrong. Either way, we're glad you're here.
It's crazy to think that we finally made it to the Fantasy playoffs. It feels like just yesterday it was August, and we were wondering if the season was even going to happen because of COVID-19. We were also pondering the players to select in our Fantasy drafts.
For fun, go back and look at your Fantasy draft. See the picks you made that you regret -- and hopefully the ones who succeeded. And then realize just how different your Fantasy team is now compared to how it started.
It's amazing how much a Fantasy roster can change over the course of the season due to injuries, trades and making moves on the waiver wire. But that's the fun of playing this game -- to manage your Fantasy roster.
And now is the time to manage it to a Fantasy championship. It's a three-week sprint to the title, and hopefully your team is healthy and ready to go. And if you have any lineup decisions, we're here to help. Good luck to all of you still fighting for something special in your Fantasy leagues. And if you're just here for the entertainment and learning about certain players -- as well as making fun of any wrong selections -- I appreciate it. Feel free to stop by any time.
Start 'Em & Sit 'Em
Start of the Week
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The Titans were embarrassed in Week 13 against the Browns in a 41-35 loss at home, but the score didn't reflect it. Cleveland led 38-7 at halftime, and it was an ugly performance for a playoff-caliber team like Tennessee.
For Fantasy managers, it was a great game for Ryan Tannehill, who scored 33 Fantasy points. We don't care about the actual score of the real game, we just want Tannehill to play well. And he did with 389 passing yards, three touchdowns and one interception. We'll take that again this week against the Jaguars.
Now, it's doubtful the Titans are chasing points against Jacksonville, although it was a 33-30 Tennessee victory in Week 2. In that game, Tannehill had 34 Fantasy points, and he could have a similar performance this week. He also scored 36 Fantasy points against the Jaguars in one meeting last year.
Jacksonville is No. 2 in touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks, and six quarterbacks in a row have passed for at least two touchdowns against the Jaguars. Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins have each scored at least 22 Fantasy points against the Jaguars in back-to-back weeks.
Tannehill hasn't been as good this season as last year, but he does come into Week 14 with three games in a row with at least 20 Fantasy points. And this matchup should allow him to keep rolling. I like Tannehill as a top-five quarterback at the start of the Fantasy playoffs.
More Week 14: Start 'Em & Hit 'Em | PPR Cheat Sheet | Non-PPR Cheat Sheet | Starts & Sits, Sleepers & Busts | Game Previews | Matchup Notes | QB Preview | RB Preview | WR Preview | TE Preview | Week 13 Winners | Losers | Believe It Or Not
START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Quarterbacks
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Herbert was awful in Week 13 against the Patriots with just four Fantasy points, and he's now combined for 22 points in his past two games against Buffalo and New England. He should bounce back this week against the Falcons, who are No. 1 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing quarterbacks. For the season, seven quarterbacks have at least 300 passing yards against Atlanta, and five have scored at least three total touchdowns.
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Hill is expected to get at least one more start in place of Drew Brees (ribs), and that's a good thing for Fantasy managers. Give Hill credit, he's been a nice surprise and a great Fantasy asset over the past three games, scoring at least 23 points in two of those outings. He finally threw a touchdown pass in Week 13 at Atlanta, and he's run for at least 44 yards in all three starts, with four rushing touchdowns over that span. The Eagles have allowed some big games to running quarterbacks this year, including Lamar Jackson (nine carries for 108 yards and a touchdown) and Daniel Jones (13 carries for 156 yards and a touchdown in two games). Hill once again has top-10 upside this week.
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Brady, at 43, probably needed the bye week to recharge. And even though this is a new team for him this year, he has scored at least 23 Fantasy points in three of his past five games coming off a bye. This is a good matchup for him against the Vikings, who have an inexperienced secondary and a less-than-stellar pass rush. Six quarterbacks have at least 280 passing yards against Minnesota, and five quarterbacks have at least three passing touchdowns. Brady also has scored at least 27 Fantasy points in his past two afternoon games, and this kickoff is at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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It's been a rough season for Jackson, but he reminded us of his greatness Tuesday against Dallas with three total touchdowns, including 94 rushing yards on the ground. That's only the fifth time he's scored more than 20 Fantasy points this season, if you can believe that, and one of them was against Cleveland in Week 1 when he had 33 points. He has a tremendous history in four starts against the Browns, passing for 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions over that span, along with 56 carries for 314 yards and two touchdowns. It's safe to trust Jackson again this week.
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Pittsburgh's offense hasn't looked great the past two games against Baltimore and Washington, but playing the Ravens on Wednesday and the Football Team on Monday might have something to do with that. The Steelers also might want to invest in some better gloves -- or glue -- for their receivers based on the amount of drops they've had recently. Despite all the mistakes, Roethlisberger still has at least 20 Fantasy points in four of his past five games, and he's attempted at least 42 passes in each game over that span. We love the volume, and he should have another big game against Buffalo this week. The Bills have allowed three of their past four opposing quarterbacks to pass for at least 316 yards, and two quarterbacks over that span have at least three total touchdowns.
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Sleepers
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It should be tough for the Raiders to run on the Colts, and Carr has been good this season when attempting at least 31 passes. He has eight games with at least 31 pass attempts, and he's scored at least 22 Fantasy points in six of them. The past four quarterbacks with at least 31 pass attempts against Indianapolis all have at least 311 passing yards, and two of them have scored at least three touchdowns.
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Rivers has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in three games in a row, and he gets a great matchup in Week 14 at the Raiders, who are No. 10 in Fantasy points allowed against opposing quarterbacks. Despite playing through a toe injury, Rivers has attempted at least 35 passes in five games in a row.
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Trubisky flopped as a Fantasy quarterback in Week 13 against the Lions with just 14 points, but he should rebound this week against the Texans, who just struggled with Rivers. Seven of the past eight quarterbacks against Houston have at least 283 passing yards, including five with multiple touchdowns.
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Sit 'Em
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Newton had a solid Fantasy game in Week 13 against the Chargers with 24 points, but it was because of two rushing touchdowns. He's obviously always a threat to score on the ground -- he has 11 rushing touchdowns on the season -- but his passing stats have been awful for the past two weeks. Against the Cardinals and Chargers, Newton has passed for 153 yards on 21-of-37 passing with one touchdown and two interceptions. The Rams have allowed five touchdowns and six interceptions in the past four games to opposing quarterbacks, and they haven't allowed a rushing touchdown to a quarterback since Week 5.
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Mayfield has been great for the past two games against the Jaguars and Titans with 58 Fantasy points over that span, including six passing touchdowns and no interceptions. But this is a step up in competition against the Ravens, who held Mayfield to 11 Fantasy points in Week 1 on 189 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, along with 3 rushing yards. Mayfield also has just one game with more than 19 Fantasy points against Baltimore in five career meetings, which was Week 17 in 2018.
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Goff doesn't like playing at home for some reason, at least statistically. In five games in Los Angeles, he's averaging just 10.6 Fantasy points per game, which included a 20-point outing in Week 7 against Chicago. I'm sure he'll do better than that against the Patriots, but the last time he faced a Bill Belichick defense he was held to 229 passing yards, no touchdowns and an interception in Super Bowl LIII, when the Rams scored just three points. New England also has held Kyler Murray and Herbert to 379 passing yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions in the past two games.
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Cousins is more of a bust alert than a must-sit quarterback since he's been great the past five games, scoring at least 21 Fantasy points in each game over that span. But four of those games were at home, and he's performed poorly on the road for most of this year. In five road games this season, Cousins is averaging 12.8 Fantasy points per game, which included a 21-point outing in Week 10 at Chicago. The Buccaneers should be fresh coming off a bye, and I don't want to trust Cousins in this matchup at Tampa Bay.
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Bust Alert
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I'm still starting Murray in the one league where I have him, and I don't expect many of you to bench him. But this could be a rough week on the road against a Giants defense on the rise. In their past four games, the Giants have 12 sacks and four interceptions, and they've held Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Seattle to 20 points or less. Murray has scored at least 21 Fantasy points in all but one game this season, but he's been held under 175 passing yards in each of his past two games against the Patriots and Rams. And he's not running at a high level right now with 31 yards or less in three games in a row, including no rushing touchdowns over that span. I'm hopeful for a strong finish for Murray in the Fantasy playoffs, but this could be a week where he struggles.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Running Backs
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Taylor is hot right now, and that should continue this week against the Raiders, who have allowed a running back to score in three games in a row, including five total touchdowns over that span. In his past two games against Green Bay and Houston, Taylor has at least 16 total touches, 114 total yards, three targets and three catches, and he scored a touchdown against the Texans in Week 13. This is the guy we've been waiting for all season.
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Bruce Arians plans to commit to Jones, although we've heard that before -- many times. But this seems like a logical time to lean on Jones with Tampa Bay coming off a bye against the Vikings, who have allowed three total touchdowns to running backs and two guys to gain at least 110 total yards in their past three games. Jones has scored at least 16 PPR points in two of his past three outings, and he should have the chance for a big game here at home.
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I expected Gallman to struggle in Week 13 at Seattle with Colt McCoy under center, but I was wrong. Gallman was awesome with the best rushing performance of his career, gaining 135 yards on 16 carries. I didn't like that he didn't have a catch or that Alfred Morris stole two touchdowns, but it's hard to argue with what Gallman has done as the replacement for Devonta Freeman (ankle). He comes into Week 14 with six games in a row with at least 12 PPR points, including six touchdowns over that span. He should stay hot against the Cardinals, who have allowed five rushing touchdowns in their past three games.
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I likely would have listed McKissic as a sleeper given his matchup with the 49ers if Antonio Gibson (toe) was healthy. But with Gibson likely out, McKissic should be treated as a starter in all PPR leagues and a flex in non-PPR formats. He comes into Week 14 with at least 10 targets and seven catches in three of his past five games. I don't expect Washington to lean on Peyton Barber this week, and McKissic again has the chance for double digits in targets, with an uptick in carries as well. There have been six running backs with at least five targets against the 49ers this year, and all six had at least seven PPR points with just their receiving totals alone. That gives McKissic the chance for a nice floor if his targets remain constant.
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Sleepers
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We'll put Akers here because he has the chance to be a flex option this week against the Patriots. Akers has scored in three games in a row, and he was finally the lead back for the Rams in Week 13 at Arizona, playing 63 percent of the snaps compared to 22 percent for Darrell Henderson and 16 percent for Malcolm Brown. Hopefully, Akers can get at least 14 carries against New England, and he had 21 carries in Week 13. There have been eight running backs with at least 14 carries against the Patriots, and all of them have at least 80 total yards this year.
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It will take a high level of trust to use Bernard this week since he's been terrible in his past four games, but the matchup is great against the Cowboys. Part of the problem for Bernard has been the offense with Joe Burrow (knee) getting hurt in Week 11, and he's faced some tough matchups over that stretch against Pittsburgh, Washington, the Giants and Miami. He's been at 14 total touches or less in each game over that span, and he's scored eight PPR points or less in each outing. But here come the Cowboys. Dallas has allowed a 100-yard rusher in three games in a row against Dalvin Cook, Antonio Gibson and Gus Edwards, and there have been five rushing touchdowns scored over that span. Bernard is a low-end starter this week.
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No team allows more Fantasy points to opposing running backs than the Lions, including 23 total touchdowns to the position. That's great news for Aaron Jones, but Williams could also be considered a flex option in this matchup. He had eight carries for 63 yards in Week 2 against Detroit in tandem with Jones, and six times this season a pair of running backs against the Lions has scored at least eight PPR points, including each of the past two games against Houston and Chicago.
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Edmonds, who played at Fordham, loves going back to the New York area. Last year against the Giants, Edmonds went off for 27 carries for 126 yards and three touchdowns, along with two catches for 24 yards. And this year against the Jets in Week 5, Edmonds had three carries for 36 yards and a touchdown, along with five catches for 56 yards on six targets. The Giants are tied for second in receptions allowed to running backs with 74, which bodes well for Kenyan Drake and Edmonds, and Edmonds should be considered a flex play in PPR.
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Sit 'Em
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Booker got the start for the Raiders in Week 13 at the Jets with Josh Jacobs (ankle) out, and he failed to impress with 16 carries for 50 yards, along with one catch for 1 yard on two targets. It was great that he had 17 total touches, and he will likely have that workload again, which makes him a flex play in most leagues. But I'm not excited about Booker taking on a Colts team that has been tough to run on all season when healthy.
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I'm extremely hopeful that Jalen Hurts taking over for Carson Wentz at quarterback for the Eagles will be good for Sanders, but it's hard to trust him this week against the Saints. New Orleans has now gone 50 games in a row in the regular season without allowing a 100-yard rusher, and the Saints lead the NFL in fewest touchdowns allowed to running backs with three rushing and five total. Sanders has combined for 16 PPR points in his past three games and has just 18 total touches in his past two outings. He also hasn't scored a touchdown since Week 5.
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The good news for Harris is the Rams have allowed a running back to score in five games in a row. The bad news for Harris is he only has two rushing touchdowns on the season, and Cam Newton is always a threat to steal rushing scores. The Rams also haven't allowed a running back to gain more than 48 yards on the ground since Week 6, and Harris is limited in the passing game with just four catches on five targets for the season. Harris is a flex option in non-PPR leagues and someone to avoid in PPR.
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I'd like to avoid Moss and Devin Singletary if possible, but Moss is an easy guy to bench this week. He fumbled an exchange with Josh Allen in Week 13 at San Francisco and was limited to three carries for 9 yards, along with one catch for 5 yards. Singletary, who has scored 11 PPR points in consecutive games, likely won't fare much better than Moss this week against the Steelers, who are No. 3 in Fantasy points allowed to opposing running backs this year. Even with Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane (knee) out, I still wouldn't trust Moss this week in most leagues.
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Bust Alert
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I still plan on starting Mostert as a low-end No. 2 running back in non-PPR leagues and a flex option in PPR this week, but I'm concerned about his performance. The Washington run defense is stout, and the Football Team hasn't allowed a running back to score on the ground in four games in a row. In fact, Washington has allowed just one rushing touchdown to a running back since Week 5. And in Week 13 against Buffalo, Mostert played less snaps than Jeff Wilson, along with Tevin Coleman and Jerick McKinnon getting touches. I'm still hopeful Mostert can be the lead running back for the 49ers, but it's hard to start him with confidence this week.
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START 'EM & SIT 'EM
Wide Receiver
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Davis has been fantastic this season and finally has performed like a standout receiver in Fantasy and reality. He just had 35 PPR points in Week 13 against Cleveland, and he should stay hot again this week against the Jaguars. I expect A.J. Brown to rebound as the No. 1 receiver for the Titans, but Davis can still be considered a No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues. He had three catches for 36 yards and a touchdown on five targets against Jacksonville in Week 2, and the Jaguars have allowed eight pairs of receivers to score at least 11 PPR points in the same game this year.
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We don't know the status of D.J. Moore (ankle/illness) or Curtis Samuel (illness) as of Wednesday, but both could be out in Week 14 against the Broncos, who just lost cornerback A.J. Bouye (suspension) for the rest of the season. Anderson has performed well when Moore and Samuel were healthy, and he's scored at least 11 PPR points in all but three games this year. The Broncos haven't allowed a receiver to score in the past two games against New Orleans and Kansas City, but that's deceiving because Tyreek Hill could have had two touchdowns against Denver in Week 13. I like Anderson even if Moore and/or Samuel play, but I love him if both are out.
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The only fear with Johnson is Steelers coach Mike Tomlin getting mad at him if he drops the ball this week against the Bills, but it would be a surprise to see him benched. He's been Ben Roethlisberger's go-to receiver with at least 10 targets in five games in a row. He's scored at least 12 PPR points in each game over that span, including two games with more than 100 yards and two touchdowns. The 49ers just had two receivers score at least 13 PPR points against Buffalo in Week 13, and I expect Johnson to be fine this week in a potential shootout.
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Aiyuk came back from a one-game absence after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list with a strong performance in Week 13 against the Bills. He scored 20 PPR points with five catches for 95 yards and a touchdown on nine targets, and he's now scored at least 17 PPR points in four games in a row. He has at least nine targets in three games in a row, and he looks like the go-to option in San Francisco's passing game. I also like Deebo Samuel this week, and he's scored at least at least 13 PPR points in each of his past two games. A pair of receivers have scored at least 14 PPR points against Washington in three of its past four games.
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John Brown (ankle) has now missed four games this season, and Beasley is averaging 17.8 PPR points over that span. He just scored 28 PPR points in Week 13 at San Francisco with nine catches for 130 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets, and the Steelers secondary could be banged up this week with Joe Haden (concussion) and Steven Nelson (knee) battling injuries. Stefon Diggs should also take advantage of Pittsburgh's defense if those guys are out, but Beasley is also worth starting as a low-end No. 2 Fantasy receiver in all leagues.
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Sleepers
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I'm sticking with Coutee as a low-end starter in all leagues after what he did in Week 13 against the Colts in the first game without Will Fuller (suspension). Coutee had eight catches for 141 yards on nine targets, and he should continue to be a go-to target for Deshaun Watson. Chad Hansen is also worth a look in deeper leagues after he had five catches for 101 yards on seven targets at the Colts. I still prefer Brandin Cooks as the No. 1 receiver for Watson, but Coutee will hopefully perform well once again against the Bears.
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