Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

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Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

We have arrived. They are here. It is time for the Fantasy Football Playoffs. While the playoffs have already begun in some leagues and formats, most fantasy leagues will begin their postseason this week, Week 14. Good luck to all who advanced. Now, let’s go win a title.

Here are the other NFL news, rumors, and injuries that could affect your fantasy football lineups for Week 14.

The following is a recap of the players from my Fantasy Football Sleepers article last week, you can read that here.

Fantasy Sleepers Week 13: Full-Disclosure

Player	Position	PPR Rank	PPR Points
Jared Goff	QB	QB7	24.1
Mitchell Trubisky	QB	QB24	13.3
Devontae Booker	RB	RB40	6.1
James White	RB	RB56	3.1
J.K. Dobbins	RB	RB20	13.1
Deebo Samuel	WR	WR38	913.6
Sterling Shepard	WR	WR81	5.2
Corey Davis	WR	WR1	35.2
Anthony Firkser	TE	TE18	10.1
Kyle Rudolph	TE	TE51	0

QB Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

Kirk Cousins

ESPN Start-Percentage: 23.9

Kirk Cousins had a rough start to 2020, but he’s caught fire of late. In his past seven games since Week 6, Cousins has gone for 20+fantasy points five times, including four of his past five games and three straight. He’s finished as the QB11 or better in all of those games.

Now, Cousins will get a Tampa Bay defense allowing the 14th most FPPG (19.3) to quarterbacks. While the Buccaneers’ defense was better earlier in the year, they have been going in the wrong direction allowing at least 27 points in three of their past four games. In their past six games, the Buccaneers’ defense has allowed 20+ fantasy points to the opposing QB five times. In their first six games of the year, they only allowed one QB to end with 20.

As long as the Vikings keep Tampa’s defense honest by employing Dalvin Cook on the ground early and often, Cousins should have no problem picking apart their regressive secondary.

Philip Rivers

ESPN Start-Percentage: 7.7

Philip Rivers may not go off, but he is a quality fantasy QB who won’t lose you the week. And in the fantasy playoffs, it is a win-or-go-home scenario. In his past seven games since Week 6, Rivers has managed 18+ fantasy points in five games with four QB1 finishes. He’s also thrown for 288+ yards and two scores in each of his past three games.

Rivers has an excellent opportunity for another solid game on Sunday against the Raiders, whose defense is surrendering the ninth-most FPPG (20.1) to QBs. In seven games following their Week 6 bye, the Raiders have allowed four different QBs to finish with 19+ points, including Sam Darnold last week. And with the recent emergence of T.Y. Hilton, Rivers has one additional weapon he can depend on for a stretch run, which bodes well for his outlook for the fantasy playoffs.

RB Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

Giovani Bernard

ESPN Start-Percentage: 35.8

Giovani Bernard was a hot commodity for a three-game stretch in the middle of the schedule from Weeks 6-8, scoring four touchdowns in that period. However, in each of his past four games, Bernard has been a no-show. In each of his past four games since Week 10, Bernard has totaled fewer than 55 yards without a score.

Bernard has an exceptional opportunity to get back on track this Sunday against the Cowboys. The Dallas defense is giving up the fourth-most FPPG (22.1) to enemy backs. They have allowed 10+ PPR points to four different backs in their past three games, getting popped by Dalvin Cook and Antonio Gibson in that span.

With uncertainly at the quarterback position for the Bengals — if Brandon Allen (chest) can’t go, Ryan Finley will draw the start — Cincinnati could lean on Bernard in a terrific matchup to take the pressure off their inexperienced starters, who should really be on the practice squad. This is a get-right game for Bernard.

J.D. McKissic

ESPN Start-Percentage: 27.2

Since Antonio Gibson is unlikely to play with a toe injury — he has yet to practice this week — J.D. McKissic is expected to be the primary back for Washington. While Peyton Barber will almost certainly garner carries — he is a short-yardage plodder with touchdown upside at best — McKissic will be on the field for his usual third-down, primary receiver out of the backfield duties, but should also see additional carries as well.

McKissic has finished as an RB1 in four of his past six games with 14+ PPR points in those outings. Last week, following Gibson’s early game-ending toe injury, McKissic was on the field for 73.1% of the team’s offensive snaps while running 29 pass routes, his second-most of the year. McKissic has also drawn 10+ targets in three of his past five games, hauling in at least seven of them in those matchups. McKissic caught a season-high 10 passes last week.

While his upcoming matchup with the 49ers is not the greatest one– the 49ers are surrendering the seventh-fewest FPPG (15.2) to RBs — the sure-handed satellite back will have the opportunity to have another solid outing. The 49ers have allowed the opposing team’s top-scoring fantasy back to accumulate 11+ PPR points in each of their past five games since Week 7.

Jamaal Williams

No other team gives up as much fantasy production as the Lions. They are surrendering the most FPPG (27.8) to RBs. And while Aaron Jones is the de facto RB1 on the Packers, Jamaal Williams gets his fair share of the pie, or at least enough to tap dance on fantasy relevancy. The Lions have allowed 13 different backs to finish with 10+ PPR points against them in 12 games. There were three games this season in which the Lions let two different backs drop 10 PPR points against them in the same contest.

Jones will dominate this game. However, if the Packers jump out to an early lead, we could see a lot of Williams in the second half in an attempt to preserve Jones for a January run. In Week 2 against the Lions, Jones went for 45 PPR points on 236 total yards and three scores on 22 touches. Williams only managed 6.8 PPR points that game but was uber-efficient with his touches. Williams went for on eight carries. A TD would have put him over the top. I like Williams to score this week on top of his usual stat line.

RB Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

Robby Anderson

ESPN Start-Percentage: 25.7

With D.J. Moore already ruled out as he tested positive for COVID earlier in the week and as a result, was placed on the reserve/ COVID list, Robby Anderson will see an uptick in usage. While Anderson had his best outing in Week 12, preceding Carolina’s Week 13 bye, since Week 5, going for a 4/94/1 line on seven targets, his long touchdown catch and run happened as a result of blown coverage by the Vikings.

This time around, Anderson has a tough matchup with the Broncos, a team allowing the seventh-fewest FPPG ( to WRs). The matchup is not the greatest, but Denver will be without Bryce Callahan and potentially A.J. Bouye for Sunday’s matchup. Even missing one of those players opens up the secondary for Teddy Bridgewater to exploit. Even amidst a crowded Panthers wide receiver room, Anderson has drawn 7+ targets in 1-0-of-12 games. The opportunity will be there for Anderson to once again pop.

T.Y. Hilton

ESPN Start-Percentage: 16.7

In each of his past two games, T.Y. Hilton has played his best football of 2020. A disappointment for most of the year, Hilton managed 18+ PPR points in both outings. Prior to the past two games, Hilton only went for double-digit points one other time this season, back in Week 5. Hilton has gone for 5+ targets, 4+ receptions, 81+ yards, and a touchdown in each of his past two outings since Week 12, finishing as the WR17 and the WR8 consecutively. Last wee, Hilton went for an 8/110/1 line on 11 targets, all season bests.

In his upcoming matchup with the Raiders, Hilton should once again be effective. The Raiders are allowing the 12th most FPPG (24.9) to opposing wideouts. The Raiders have yielded 10+ PPR points to 16 different WRs in 12 games played this season. It finally looks like Hilton and Philip Rivers developed their rapport. If Hilton continues to play at this level, he could lead you to a fantasy championship.

Antonio Brown

ESPN Start-Percentage: 8.6

Although Antonio Brown has not lived up to the hype since joining the Buccaneers, coming off of their Week 13 bye, he has an excellent matchup with the Vikings to catch stride. The Vikings are allowing the third-most FPPG (28.9) to WRs this season. On top of surrendering 10+ PPR points to a ridiculous 23 different wideouts in 12 games, the Vikings are also giving up the second-most TDs (19) to the position.

For Brown, he could get going in this one. While he only drew three targets back in Week 12, Brown saw target shares of 5,8,13 in the three games leading up to that dud matchup. In four games played this season, Brown has gone for 13+ PPR points twice. Both of those games were matchups in which he saw at least eight targets, hauling in at least seven of them or 57 yards. He has yet to score this season. That could change this week.

TE Fantasy Football Sleepers Week 14

Dalton Schultz

ESPN Start-Percentage: 16.4

Dalton Schultz has not been the same player since the Dak Prescott injury. No Cowboys player was been. However, in the fantasy football tight end pool in almost mid-December, you can do a lot worse. Schultz has a terrific matchup with the Bengals this week. The Cincinnati defense is allowing the second-most FPPG (10.5) to enemy tight ends. While Schultz has not scored in two games, he has an excellent chance to end that slide in Week 14. The Bengals are yielding the third most TDs (7) to TEs this season as well as the fourth most receptions (62) and a league-best 822 yards.

While Schultz only drew four targets last week, in the four games preceding Week 13, he saw target-shares of 8,7,6,5, and last week the aforementioned four in descending order since Week 8. Schultz will finish as a TE1 if he gets into the end zone in an Andy Dalton revenge game.

Jordan Akins

ESPN Start-Percentage: 1.3

Jordan Akins only topped 10 PPR points one time in his past seven games, including a three-game drought. However, with the Texans’ wide receiver corps decimated, Akins will have a larger role in the offense. Last week, Akins played in 75.4% of the team’s offensive snaps, his most since Week 2. He also ran a season-high 36 pass routes. Despite his uptick in snaps and routes, Akins only drew three targets last week in a tough TE matchup with the Colts.

Getting the Bears in Week 14, Akins could ball-out. The Chicago defense is terrific, especially at home, but they are still allowing the third-most FPPG (10.4) to the position. You can exploit Chicago’s defense by attacking the middle of the field and creating mismatches with an athletic tight end. That is Akins. Look for Akins to have his most productive game since Week 11 on Sunday.

Thanks for reading my Fantasy Football Sleepers for Week 14!