Week 14 Fantasy Football Guide

By: Pierce Barker

Undrafted rookie, Phillip Lindsay, hopes to continue his spectacular season thus far on Sunday in San Francisco.

Jumping into Week 14 after a mostly rough Week 13 for many fantasy owners, we have another tough slate full of compelling matchups. First, let’s recap some hits and misses from last week. Big Hits: Keenan Allen, Phillip Lindsay and Christian McCaffrey. Big Misses: Stefon Diggs and Austin Ekeler. Last week was a huge one for many running backs, and the slate this week is once again leaning towards a heavy running back week. With that being said, let's hop into this week’s Fantasy Game of the Week, Value Plays, and Top 3 PPR players from each position.

Fantasy Game of The Week: Rams @ Bears

Todd Gurley and the Rams battle the Bears defense and the rest of the Monsters of the Midway this Sunday night in The Windy City.

This week, there are few games on the schedule that stand out with star players. However, this game is huge with primetime implications. A big test for the Bears as they hope to prove to be be a legit contender in the brutal NFC, they will hope to minimize and contain an explosive Rams offense full of superstars. While this game may not be the typical shootout that we have been seen all over the league over the last couple of weeks, it should be a hard fought good football game full of big numbers from players like Jared Goff, Mitchell Trubisky, and Todd Gurley.

Player of the Game: Look for Tarik Cohen to make a big impact on this game, mostly as a receiver. Rams corners’, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, should have the outsides shut down for the most part, paving way for another big game from Tarik Cohen, who will likely have linebackers covering him out of the backfield. Cohen has been inconsistent this year, but this matchup looks pleasing for fantasy players.

Value Plays of The Week:

The slithery WR, Golden Tate, hopes to assist Carson Wentz and the Eagles’ hopes of an NFC East title with a win in Dallas this weekend.

Jeff Wilson Jr: RB 49ers vs Broncos (5,600 FanDuel) (3,800 DraftKings)

With Matt Breida expected to miss another week, be on the lookout for Jeff Wilson Jr. Last week, not was he only a force on the ground, but through the air as well from quarterback, Nick Mullens. Wilson Jr. caught 8 balls on 9 targets for 73 yards and came out of nowhere to put on a nice performance against Seattle. If he is able to repeat that success this week and possibly find the endzone against an inconsistent Denver run defense, this is a great value play.

Jaylen Samuels: RB Steelers vs Raiders (4,600 FanDuel) (3,700 DraftKings)

James Conner went down last week with an ankle injury, pivoting the way for Jaylen Samuels to take the lead role in the Pittsburgh backfield. In limited time, he caught 3 balls for 20 yards and a touchdown against a solid Chargers’ unit. This week, against a horrible Raiders defense, expect the Steelers to run the ball early in the game and give the ball to Samuels on the ground.

Golden Tate: WR Eagles vs Cowboys (5,700 FanDuel) (4,800 DraftKings)

The Eagles made it a priority to give Golden Tate the ball last week, and it payed off with a huge performance on Monday Night Football. The Cowboys have one of the best secondaries in the league, but with top corner Byron Jones not likely to guard Tate from the slot, look for him to feast in Jerry World this Sunday.

PPR Plays of The Week:

QBs:

Quarterback, Deshaun Watson, hopes to keep pace for a first-round bye in the AFC this weekend in a battle with the Colts.

Andrew Luck: Colts vs Texans

This is a big week for Indianapolis, after a major step back last weekend against the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars. The Colts are in must-win territory against the Texans this week, with the AFC Wild Card race starting to heat up, so Indy should put up a big fight. Expect Luck to return to his MVP form and for the Colts’ offense to get going once again vs the Texans.

Deshaun Watson: Texans vs Colts

Fantasy owners should love the QB matchup this week between Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck. The Texans have the upper hand in the division against the Colts right now, so expect them to come out with a confident game plan with an even ratio of pass/run. However, in a game of this magnitude, look for Texans’ head coach, Bill O’Brien, to have an aggressive mindset in his play calling featuring a huge mix of Watson’s big arm and elusive legs.

Drew Brees: Saints vs Buccaneers

Drew Brees looked shook last Thursday night against a young, but suddenly dominant Dallas’ defense. Last week was the first time ever that Brees started a game 0-4 in passing attempts, showcasing how much of an outlier his performance was last week. Expect Drew Brees to light up the Bucs’ defense this week, simply because what else would Drew Brees do after having an off game?

RBs:

If the Bears want to beat the mighty Rams this weekend, they must feature a heavy dose of creative play calling featuring the excellent running back, Tarik Cohen.

RB: Phillip Lindsay: Broncos vs 49ers

This is now back to back weeks in which Phillip Lindsay has made the list, and do not expect him to leave this list to until he proves he is human. Denver is red-hot, now winning three in a row and looking to somehow find a way into the playoffs, mostly due to an outstanding rookie class featuring Lindsay and pass rusher, Bradley Chubb. As the undrafted rookie is taking the league by storm and shows no signs of slowing down, he is now a must-start every week.

Tarik Cohen: Bears vs Rams

Tarik Cohen is proving to be the Darren Sproles of this generation. With his next-level speed, he is able to make a big play out of nothing and has shown time and time again that he is a threat to be reckoned with. One can expect Tarik Cohen to catch everything that is thrown his way this week, against a Rams’ defense that allows a lot of big plays. If you are playing in PPR leagues, Tarik Cohen is a must-start.

Jaylen Samuels: Steelers vs Raiders

How do the Steelers pull all of these good backs out of their pockets so smoothly? Jaylen Samuels has a great matchup against the Raiders this week, and we anticipate him to take full advantage of it. Ben Roethlisberger has played sloppy football lately, so look for him to pound the ball with Samuels early and often in a must-win for Pittsburgh.

WRs:

TY Hilton, the Colts’ small, yet elite offensive weapon, hopes to put on a show this weekend for Indy.

WR: TY Hilton: Colts vs Texans

The Texans’ defense is proving to be elite, but that won't stop Andrew Luck's favorite target and one of the best deep threats in football from having a day. Luck rarely has back-to-back poor performances, so expect him to look for his safety valve in Hilton often in this key AFC South battle.

DeAndre Hopkins: Texans vs Colts

Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins have an unmatched chemistry on the field, and the duo has shown no signs of stopping. These two offensive stars have led the Texans to 9 straight wins and they hope to continue their performances with a strong win against Indianapolis this weekend. Expect Hopkins to have over 100 yards and see the endzone against a relatively weak Colts’ secondary.

Golden Tate: Eagles vs Cowboys

The Eagles’ offense seemed to get back on track in Week 13 against the injury-prone Redskins, and Golden Tate was a huge part of it. Coming into a huge game that will decide first-place in the NFC East, Philadelphia and Dallas should put up an epic fight in a must-win game for both teams. With Carson Wentz finally catching his stride following his recovery from a torn ACL, look for Tate, one of the best slot receivers in the game, to do his thing this Sunday against the ‘Boys in Dallas