It’s the week before the playoffs, and every decision has a lot of weight on it. That holds true whether you’re fighting for a playoff spot or fighting for a higher seed. Here are the players to pay attention to for Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 14.
Last week’s Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em was about 50/50 on success rates. Starting Bucky Irving and cautioning against Jordan Addison were the best hits while starting Justin Herbert and Jameson Williams were the biggest misses.
Note: This article is for players who are considered flex options or for matchup-specific reasons. You won’t see players like Travis Kelce and Puka Nacua on here because they should be starting all the time.
Fantasy Football 2024: Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 14
Quarterbacks
Start: Jameis Winston
Jameis Winston isn’t going to have a performance against Pittsburgh like he produced against Denver, but that doesn’t mean he can’t start this week. Since taking over as the starter in Week 8, he’s thrown for 230+ yards in every game but one (219 in the snow against the Steelers). The weather conditions will be better for him than they were two weeks ago, and Winston is someone you can use with six teams on a bye this week.
Sit: Matthew Stafford
The Bills defense has contained some of the best quarterbacks in the league, and Matthew Stafford has been inconsistent this season. He either finishes as a top 10 quarterback or a bottom 10 quarterback with no in between, and that’s not a chance to take if you’re fighting for a playoff spot. Consider other options before looking at Stafford.
Sit: Derek Carr
Derek Carr has a favorable matchup this week against the Giants, but the Saints will want to run the football. Alvin Kamara should get a lot of touches this week and make Carr’s job easy. The Giants don’t have the offense to make it a shootout, so it’s tough to see Carr throwing for 200+ yards and multiple touchdowns.
Read More: Fantasy Football Quarterback Rankings Week 14
Running Backs:
Start: Isaac Guerendo
Isaac Guerendo, come on down! With Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve (again) and Jordan Mason joining him, Guerendo is the RB1 in San Francisco. He’s had two games as the workhorse this season where he averaged 92 yards per game. With the Bears having a strong pass defense, Guerendo should see a lot of work on Sunday and rack up the yards.
Sit: Jonathon Brooks
Jonathon Brooks may seem like an early Christmas present for those who drafted him, but he’s still not up to speed just yet. It’s still Chuba Hubbard’s backfield, but the Eagles defense is one of the better units at stopping the run. As tempting as it may be to play him, avoid Brooks this week and see if his usage slowly increases.
Start: Rico Dowdle
With Cooper Rush running the offense in Dallas, Rico Dowdle is the biggest beneficiary. He’s averaged 99 yards per game the last two weeks and proving why Mike McCarthy should’ve given him reps earlier in the season. Dowdle gets another good matchup against the Bengals on Monday Night Football and should have no issues running the football in Week 14.
Read More: Isaac Guerendo Fantasy Outlook
Wide Receivers:
Start: Jerry Jeudy
Jerry Jeudy won’t replicate his performance from the Broncos game against Pittsburgh either. However, he recorded six catches for 85 yards against Joey Porter Jr. and the Steelers in the snow. Jeudy has emerged as the top option for Winston in Cleveland, and that duo should continue its connection in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
Sit: Adam Thielen
Adam Thielen had a strong game against the Buccaneers with 99 yards and a touchdown, but Cooper DeJean is a different beast compared to Tampa Bay’s secondary. Thielen has missed most of the season, but he hasn’t been the best even when healthy. Save Thielen for Week 15 against the Cowboys where he has a much better matchup.
Start: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (NWI) may very well be this year’s Puka Nacua. He’s seeing a lot of redzone targets and has scored eight touchdowns in as many weeks. NWI has a strong connection with Will Levis, and that should continue against an awful Jaguars defense. He is slowly emerging as the top receiver in Tennessee and is a safe option for flex spots this week.
Read More: Fantasy Football Week 14 Wide Receiver Rankings
Tight Ends:
Start: Will Dissly
Will Dissly was a ghost last week for the Chargers, but the whole offense was atrocious in his defense. He gets a matchup this week against the Chiefs who concede the fourth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season. Kansas City will be trying to take away Ladd McConkey which opens the door for Dissly to get a lot of targets on Sunday.
Read More: Week 14 Waiver Wire Adds
Sit: Tucker Kraft
Tucker Kraft has had a roller coaster of a season in Green Bay and gets a difficult matchup on Thursday Night Football against Detroit. With the Lions defending the run well and the Packers wanting to get Josh Jacobs going, Kraft is expected to do a lot of blocking. He may have two or three catches, but don’t expect anything more than that from him in Week 14.
Main Photo Courtesy of Bob Donnan – Imagn Images
