Each week there are some obvious starts and sits in fantasy football. Other decisions are not quite so simple. Here are some of my picks for Week 14 in the latest edition of Studs, Duds & Sleepers.
STUDS
QB: Patrick Mahomes (KC vs. BUF): Mahomes has had three 25-plus fantasy point days all season and is averaging just 17.18 points per game over his last five outings. The Bills could be just what the doctor ordered. In five career games vs. Buffalo averaged 30 fantasy points per game and over the last five weeks only six teams have allowed more fantasy points (24.6 ppg) to opposing quarterbacks.
RB: Zack Moss (IND at CIN): With Jonathan Taylor sidelined Zack Moss is back to being a viable starting option across all fantasy formats. That didn’t come to life last week vs. Indy, but this week’s tilt with the Bengals is a fantasy blessing. Cincinnati has allowed running backs to score fives times over their last four games and yielded more than 140 rushing yards in two of those contests.
WR: Keenan Allen (LAC vs. DEN): After their dud vs. New England this week many fantasy managers are down on the Chargers’ offense, but I’m still viewing Allen a top 10 play this week vs. Denver. He has been targeted nine or more times in all but one game this season and netted over 90 PPR points in his previous three outings before last week’s lackluster turnout at New England.
TE: Jake Ferguson (DAL vs. PHI): With four trips to the end zone over his last six contests, Ferguson has emerged as a solid mid-range TE1. This week his ceiling is even higher as Philly comes to town. The game features the highest total of the week (53) and the Eagles are allowing the eighth most fantasy points per game (15 PPR) to the position. Ferguson enjoyed a 7/91/1 stat line vs. this defense in Week 9.
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DUDS
QB: Geno Smith (SEA at SF): Smith surprised and impressively so at Dallas last Thursday, but I am betting against it as the Seahawks face the 49ers on Sunday. San Francisco held him to just 11.1 fantasy points in Week 12 and have held five of the last seven signal callers they faced under 17 fantasy points.
RB: Devin Singletary (HOU at NYJ): With Dameon Pierce back healthy and eating into his workload, Singletary’s once sizzling fantasy value has simmered quite a bit. The matchup vs. the Jets is better than you might realize, but the floor is too low for him to be trusted.
WR: Tee Higgins (CIN vs. IND): Higgins is working his way back to health and his presence definitely helped open up the Cincinnati offense. However, despite earning AFC Player of the Week honors there are still questions around Jake Browning. Higgins ceiling and floor are lower than my liking to use as anything more than a WR3/flex play. He’s outside my top 40 wideouts for Week 14.
TE: Pat Freiermuth (PIT vs. NE): Freiermuth followed up his huge return performance in Cincinnati with a dud last week against the Cardinals. Having weather issues and your starting quarterback going down with injury didn’t help matters, but with Trubisky under center again on a short week and a stingy Pats’ D you can find better options this week at fantasy’s most crapshoot of positions.
SLEEPERS
QB: Jake Browning (CIN vs. IND): A week after coming up flat vs. the Steelers, Browning threw for more yards than any quarterback in the league in Week 13’s upset of the Jaguars. Now he gets to return to the friendly confines of The Jungle to face a Colts’ D battling a variety of injuries.
RB: Ezekiel Elliott (NE at PIT): The matchup against the Steelers isn’t a great one, but James Conner looked good last week. With Rhomondre Stevenson out of action the volume will be there for Zeke to be a RB2 regardless of the matchup.
WR: Odell Beckham Jr. (BAL vs. LAR): Before the Ravens’ bye last week, Beckham scored 11 or more fantasy points in three out of the team’s last four outings. Now he gets to face off against his former team. He’ll need a TD to have a big day, but in PPR formats he should be viewed as a low-end flex/WR3 here.
TE: Gerald Everett (LAC vs. DEN): The Chargers desperately need someone to step up and help out Keenan Allen in the passing game. Everett may be the best bet this week. The Broncos have ceded more fantasy points than any other team in the league to tight ends.
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