Week 14 Start vs. Sit: Chuba Bubba Max

It’s all coming down to the wire, so don’t look down now! As we enter Week 14, you’re either sitting comfortably with a playoff spot in hand, battling tooth and nail to get in, enjoying the luxury of a bye, hyped for playoff fantasy football, or eliminated with no hopes of emerging from the grave. That’s a lot of potential options. Even more than I thought when I started typing.

Hopefully, you’re not in situation No. 5, or else reading these very words is likely a complete waste of your time, and you need to get back to fulfilling that TPS Report your boss asked about on Monday. Or possibly, you just love fantasy football so much you couldn’t possibly flick off the switch, no matter the circumstances. But regardless if you’re weathering the storm or your entire livelihood is on the line, we’ve got your start vs. sit advice right here. And if you don’t see the player you’re looking for, hit up the comments section, and let’s chat. Week 14 start vs. sit begins right now.

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Quarterback

START: Garnder Minshew (ECR: QB15). The Colts signal caller is coming off 312 yards and two touchdowns last week against the Titans, good for QB12 overall after finishing as QB13 in Week 12. Although he’s a matchup-based streamer, he’s playing with confidence and now gets to face a Bengals pass defense that has nosedived in recent weeks. The Bengals are tied with the Commanders for the most yards allowed per pass attempt (8.1) this season and rank dead last by a wide margin across the last five weeks. Minshew has a clear path to top-10 QB numbers.

SIT: Justin Herbert (ECR: QB9). While the Bengals’ pass defense has plummeted since the season’s midpoint, the Broncos’ D has seemingly found a groove. Although they still rank bottom-five on the season in yards per attempt, Denver wields the second-lowest opponent passer rating and fewest passing scores in the NFL across the last five weeks. Couple that with the Chargers developing issues on offense and that isn’t a tasty soup. It’s pee soup. Herbert hasn’t thrown for over 260 yards or eclipsed three touchdowns since Week 10 vs. the Lions. Avoid.

Running Back 

START: Chuba Hubbard (ECR: RB27): Hubbard has exploded for 40 half-PPR points on 44 touches against the Titans and Buccaneers in the last two weeks. In both games, he finished as an RB1 but is being ranked as an RB3 this week against a Saints defense allowing the sixth-most yards per carry (4.5) in the league.

HAT TIP: Alexander Mattison (ECR: RB26). No in-depth analysis here. While the Raiders have improved in recent weeks, they’ve been an excellent matchup for fantasy running backs this season, and Mattison should carry enough volume to convert that into points. I’d also have a Mattison touchdown on my bingo card in Week 14.

SIT: D’Andre Swift (ECR: RB21): Each of the last two weeks, the Eagles have faced formidable opponents and trailed a halftime. That has derailed Swift’s usage and limited him to a combined 12 half-PPR points. A similar game script will likely occur in Week 14 for the Eagles-Cowboys. Even if it doesn’t, Swift has just one finish inside the RB2 range since Week 9.

Wide Receiver

START: Rashee Rice (ECR: WR24). The rookie out of SMU has finally emerged as the Chiefs WR1, leading the team in targets each of the past two weeks with 10 and nine. Rice earned two of his top-four career PFF grades in those two weeks with an 85.9 and 78.7 grade, respectively. This week, Rice and the Chiefs face the Bills in Kansas City. The Chiefs and the Bills have a history of high-scoring shootouts over the past three years, with an average of 57 points per game across their past five meetings. With Sunday’s matchup having the second-highest over/under of the weekend at 48.5, a pass-heavy game script on both sides is expected.

SIT: Cooper Kupp (ECR: WR25). Cooper Kupp continues on his downward trend as he has failed to surpass 50 yards receiving in six consecutive starts. So far this season, Kupp has a career-low PFF receiving grade of 71.8, a 16.3-point drop off from last season. This week’s matchup for Kupp is a nightmare facing the Baltimore Ravens, who rank second in opponent passing yards per game at 171.7. Additionally, the Ravens defense is expected to get the return of All-Pro corner Marlon Humphrey who hasn’t played since week 10. Kupp will see a mix of Marlon Humphrey and Brandon Stephens, who has fared well in his CB1 role as the 24th-highest-graded corner in the league.

Tight End

START: Gerald Everett (ECR: TE14). This might be the first time all season I’ve recommended a receiver or tight end whose quarterback is labeled as a sit in the same week. Herbert will struggle in Week 14, but Everett might end up being his go-to option, as the Broncos are a bottom-two defense against tight ends, both in the real world and in the fantasy realm. The floor is safe enough to plug him in.

SIT: Evan Engram (ECR: TE9). Obviously, Trevor Lawrence is out and that’s going to directly impact the fantasy value across the Jaguars’ roster. Before last week’s big showing, Engram mustered a combined 15 half-PPR points in Weeks 10-12. Unlike Everett, the floor is very, very long for Engram this week. He’s a back-end TE1/front-end TE2 who should be on your bench if you’re fighting tooth and nail for a final playoff spot.