This week is the first week of the rest of your metaphorical lives. It’s playoff week (or very close to it), and now are the times when which player you put in your lineups could determine the outcome of your season.
I’m here to help you with these tough decisions. Here are my Week 14 Fantasy Football Starts and Sits:
QB Start: Kirk Cousins @ Lions
Kirk Cousins didn’t have a good game against the Jets in Week 13. He wasn’t connecting with his receivers, and it led to the Vikings’ offense sputtering for most of the first half. This week, Cousins gets the Lions, a team that he threw for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns against earlier in the season. It’s a favorable matchup for Cousins to bounce back, and I expect him to have a big week. Start Cousins this week.
QB Sit: Daniel Jones vs. Eagles
Daniel Jones, believe it or not, is the QB9 right now in Fantasy Football. However, Jones gets a matchup against the Eagles. Philadelphia has been solid against quarterbacks this season, and it’s possible we see the Giants’ offense struggle in this game. After what the Packers did against the Eagles, we’ll most likely see New York attack Philadelphia on the ground. This isn’t favorable for Daniel Jones, so I’ll keep him on my bench this week.
RB Start: Tony Pollard vs. Texans
Every time Tony Pollard touches the football, it feels like he does something with it. This is a true committee now in Dallas. I’m not a fan of assuming anything will happen in a game, but this one should most likely be a blowout. Everybody on the Cowboys should get their own, and I expect Pollard to have another big week. Start Tony Pollard in Week 14.
RB Sit: Jerick McKinnon @ Broncos
Jerick McKinnon had a really solid game against the Bengals last week. Unfortunately, this is one of the only games this season where McKinnon has been serviceable. I don’t see it continuing, especially against a Broncos defense that has been the lone bright spot of their team. Volume will be an issue for McKinnon, so he’s staying on the bench for this matchup.
WR Start: DeVonta Smith @ Giants
A.J. Brown might be the star of the Eagles’ offense, but this passing game certainly gets spread out. DeVonta Smith is putting up numbers on a relatively consistent basis. Volume is never an issue, though. Smith gets a lot of targets every game and gets opportunities to make an impact. The Giants’ secondary just got killed by Taylor Heinicke and the Washington offense, so it’s reasonable to assume the Eagles will do the same, if not better. With a focus on Brown during this game, Smith should be poised for a big performance.
WR Sit: Donovan Peoples-Jones @ Bengals
The Browns’ offense in Deshaun Watson’s first game back was… not great. Watson was missing easy throws, and if it weren’t for the defense and special teams, the game would have been a lot closer. The Browns face a better defense in the Bengals, and Watson will most likely struggle again. This is going to hurt the Browns’ receiving group, and Donovan Peoples-Jones just won’t get the opportunities he needs to make an impact.
TE Start: Dalton Schultz vs. Texans
Dalton Schultz might be my tight end start every week for the rest of the season. He was probably the only Cowboys player not to score against the Colts, which gives me even more confidence that he’ll find the end zone this week. The Texans are a bad team, so Schultz should find the end zone in this one. With the number of injuries to tight ends, if you have Schultz on your roster, congratulations.
TE Sit: Evan Engram @ Titans
Evan Engram found the end zone in garbage time against the Lions, and that was pretty much the only reason he had any sort of value last week. The Titans will pressure Trevor Lawrence even more than the Lions did, and Engram will go back to taking a backseat in this offense. I don’t trust the volume, so Engram is on the bench in Week 14.
