Week 14 of the NFL season is right around the corner, and fantasy football owners everywhere are trying to optimize their lineups. Deciding on who to start and sit isn’t easy, especially when a player like James White finally plays up to his potential. Let’s take a dive into all of the best start em’, sit em’ matchups of the week to put together the best possible lineup.
Week 14 Wide Receiver Start Sits
James White, Phillip Lindsay Highlight Fantasy Football Week 14 Running Back Start Sits
Start: James White
James White is a must-play in Week 14. The running back in name only has been something of a disappointment this year, but he finally had a breakout game against the Houston Texans. Compiling most of his numbers in garbage time, White finished the night with eight receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 79 rushing yards. White obviously won’t put up those types of numbers again, but he should have another strong game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The New England Patriots don’t have many reliable weapons in the passing game. Quarterback Tom Brady is still working on incorporating all the new faces into the offense and head coach Josh McDaniels should give White a large share of the pie against Kansas City. This should be a high-scoring affair and White should see a good percentage of the targets.
Sit: Phillip Lindsay
Phillip Lindsay is a talented running back, but that doesn’t really matter in this offense. Lindsay is in a timeshare with Royce Freeman, limiting his productivity and volume. If Lindsay is going to have a big day for fantasy, he’ll need to score. Unfortunately, scoring opportunities are few and far between with Royce Freeman taking goal line work and Denver’s offense not being in the red zone that frequently.
Lindsay is seeing a decent amount of carries, but they’re not coming in the valuable part of the field. Additionally, he also hasn’t seen more than three targets since Week 8. You can put him in as a flex play in deep leagues, but you should probably try to find somebody else.
Start: Saquon Barkley
It feels blasphemous to put Saquon Barkley on this list, but here we are. The former second-overall pick hasn’t played up to his draft pedigree, causing fantasy football owners throughout the land to grow frustrated with the star runner. While he certainly hasn’t played up to expectation, he’s still seeing far too many opportunities to put him on your bench.
Barkley has yet to record single-digit carries in any game he started and finished. While he hasn’t found the end zone since Week 8, he’s still on the field for over 80% of snaps. He’s a threat in the passing game and carries far too much upside to bench. Barkley clearly isn’t 100%, but he doesn’t need to be to give you a solid performance in the fantasy playoffs.
Sit: Jonathan Williams
The Jonathan Williams hype train is officially dead. Williams had two weeks of fantasy glory while filling in for an injured Marlon Mack. Williams’ first big game came while Jordan Wilkins was injured, but his second came with Wilkins on the sideline. At first glance, it appeared as though Williams was the unquestioned star of the backfield.
However, it turns out Wilkins just needed more time to get up to speed. In Week 13, Wilkins recorded more carries and more snaps than Williams. Even if Mack doesn’t return in Week 14, you need to leave Jonathan Williams on your bench.
Start: Sony Michel
Starting two running backs on the same team can be dangerous, but Sony Michel and James White can both carry fantasy relevance in this matchup. The Kansas City Chiefs are surprisingly good against the pass this year but still cannot stop the run to save their lives. The Patriots always play to exploit matchups, so New England should use Sony early and often in this one.
Sony Michel is only as good as his blocking, but the blocking has improved with Isaiah Wynn back in town. Elandon Roberts is coming on as a solid fullback and should be able to open running lanes for Michel. Just like in the 2018 AFC Championship Game, look for White to get a lot of work in the passing game and Michel to cap off drives in the red zone.
Wait and See: Darwin Thompson
Darwin Thompson had one of the biggest offseason hype trains of any rookie among the fantasy football community. The sixth-round pick was a priority pickup on this weeks’ waiver wire list and could be a solid play if Damien Williams and Darrel Williams miss time. Head coach Andy Reid has publicly stated that he doesn’t want to use LeSean McCoy as a three-down running back, which means Thompson could see a decent percentage of the snaps.
Darwin Thompson is a lot better than his sixth-round draft pedigree would imply. He looked like a star in the preseason and even earned some first-team reps throughout the offseason workout program. The New England Patriots obviously have a great defense, but they don’t have good coverage linebackers. Andy Reid is the best at scheming throws to running backs, and Thompson should have a favorable matchup. If Damien and Darrel Williams don’t play, you can comfortably start Darwin Thompson.
Auto-Starts (Better Than James White)
Christian McCaffrey, Leonard Fournette, Nick Chubb, Le’Veon Bell, Dalvin Cook, Saquon Barkley, Austin Ekeler, Melvin Gordon, Ezekiel Elliott, Alvin Kamara, Aaron Jones, Derrick Henry
Week 14 Wide Receiver Start Sits
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