Hello, Fantasy Football freaks and geeks! Since you are reading this, I am assuming that you are either in contention or in the playoffs in your fantasy leagues. Please give yourself a loud slap on the back!
ALL fantasy owners could relay a horror story of when you started the wrong player in your playoffs. You felt great about your team and scrutinize your lineup more than ever, a paralysis by analysis. It has less to do with you wanting to win the league and more to do with you not wanting to end up losing because we benched the wrong player. Losing always hurts, but it stings more when you outsmart yourself.
There is one fantasy axiom that normally always holds true: ALWAYS START YOUR STUDS! The loss will sting even more with your studs on the bench and fantasy baseball won't be here quick enough to make you forget your blunder.
Who should you start in Week 14? You can also use the Start-Sit tool and you can read the valuable information below to help you in your quest for the fantasy championship. Good Luck!!!
2017 FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEK 14 START-SIT
START
Derek Carr, QB, Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Coming into this game, the Chiefs are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season while surrendering more than 21 points per game over the last six contests.
It was announced this week that their star cornerback Marcus Peters will not play this Sunday due to suspension. With go-to WR Michael Crabtree back following his one-game suspension, there is little holding Carr from a repeat performance that he had in Week 7 when he torched the Chiefs for 417 yards and three touchdowns.
Kenyan Drake, RB, Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
Kenyan Drake put on a show as the feature back for the Dolphins last week. He totaled 141 yards on 26 touches, including a 42-yard touchdown. He played 74 percent of snaps and received 84 percent of the touches, showing that he can handle being the workhorse.
Drake, whose 4.9 yards per carry average ranks ninth in the NFL among tailbacks with at least 60 attempts, should pick up where left off last weekend against a Patriots run defense who has given up a league-worst 4.99 yards per carry this season. Regardless of the game script on Monday night, Drake will be involved. The Dolphins can and will probably get blown out, but Drake will still get his by being active in the passing attack against the Patriots, who are allowing a league-high 54 percent success rate on passes to running backs.
START OF THE WEEK - Josh Gordon, WR, Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers
Flash is back! Gordon became the second receiver to top 85 receiving yards against the Chargers this season. In his return, he played 84% of the snaps and saw a whopping 11 targets. He draws a Packers' secondary allowing the third most points and second-most yards to receivers over the last four weeks.
Gordon flashed his big-play ability and the opportunities will make him almost impossible to sit especially against the Packers, who allow 84.9 yards per game to WR1, third-most in the league. Additionally, Gordon was targeted on 38 percent of his routes, the highest rate of any receiver last week.
Jason Witten, TE, Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants
The Giants are the worst team in the NFL when it comes to defending tight ends. In the season opener, Witten caught seven passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
Witten has done well against the Giants throughout his career. He has a solid floor, especially in PPR and is always a threat for a touchdown grab.
Honorable Mention: Alex Smith, QB, Chiefs vs. Raiders; Jamal Williams, RB, Packers vs. Browns; Marquise Goodwin, WR, 49ers vs. Texans; Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Jets vs. Broncos
SIT
Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings
Cam Newton is taking on a Vikings team that's given up an average of 10 FPPG to QBs over the past three weeks and the fourth-fewest FPPG to QBs overall. Newton, who ranks 25th in passer rating (83.0) with 11 interceptions, will try to use his legs against a defense that have allowed the fewest quarterback yards on the season (56).
Newton has bothered with shoulder discomfort all season and has been inconsistent at best except for one blowout game versus the Dolphins. The Vikings will shut down this one-man gang.
SIT OF THE WEEK - Carlos Hyde, RB, San Fransico 49ers vs. Houston Texans
Carlos Hyde has not had a 100-yard rushing game since Week 2 and hasn't scored a TD in his past six games. He had scored less than 12 FPPG in PPR over his past three games. The Texans have yielded the third-fewest FPPG to RBs.
Additionally, Carlos Hyde’s role as a pass catcher should be minimal this week. Houston is allowing a league-low 16 percent target rate to running backs.
Doug Baldwin, WR, Seattle Seahawks vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Doug Baldwin faces an uphill challenge against a Jaguars defense who allow just 38.4 yards per game to No.1 wide receivers. With Jaguars pressuring Russell Wilson up front all game, and the running game still a work in progress, it will be tough to get the ball to Baldwin down the field.
Normally, Baldwin is a high-end WR2, however, in this matchup, he is a boom/bust WR3.
Jared Cook, TE, Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Jared Cook goes up against the Chiefs who happen to defend tight ends really well. The Chiefs are among the top 10 defenses against the position and have really clamped down over the past four games, limiting TEs to just 3.75 per contest.
If Jared Cook could not get the job done against the lowly Giants, do you really want to rely on Jared Cook in your fantasy playoffs?
Honorable Mention:Â Â Jared Goff, QB, Rams vs. Eagles; Christian McCaffrey, RB Panthers vs. Vikings; Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams vs. Eagles;Â Kyle Rudolph, TE, Vikings vs. Panthers.
Check out the rest of our 2017 Fantasy Football content from our great team of writers.
2 comments
[…] Hamrick’s starts and sits of the week presented by Richard on behalf of Dennis Sosic filling in for Alex this […]
[…] Don’t set that Week 14 lineup until you see who FantasySixPack.net recommends starting and sitting. […]