Fantasy takeaways: Week 14

By: Josh Frey-Sam

There are a lot of Indianapolis Colts players who were regulars in starting lineups this season and are now tough to trust at the most important time of year.

Michael Pittman Jr., Alec Pierce, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren are all in hot water after Daniel Jones went down with a season-ending Achilles injury on Sunday.

The only player that remains a must-start fantasy option is Jonathan Taylor, but even he will be a player that owners will start reluctantly.

Taylor has already endured a difficult stretch after a historic start to the season, and it will only get tougher now with defences able to hone in on stopping the Colts’ run game and the schedule stiffening for the playoffs.

Taylor drops in my personal rankings to a mid-range RB1 who should see a ton of volume.

Here are my other takeaways from this week:

Cowboys @ Lions

George Pickens had an uninspiring game, but he might get a huge opportunity to redeem himself if CeeDee Lamb misses Week 15. Ryan Flournoy breakout game — pick him up? Only in deeper leagues, and if Lamb misses next week.

Dolphins @ Jets

De’Von Achane left this game with an injury, and it was rookie Jaylen Wright (!!) who assumed the lead role, finishing with 24 carries for 107 yards and one touchdown. Ollie Gordon also got into the end zone, but remained in his usual short-yardage role. Achane’s injury seems to be mild, but Wright is a key waiver target this week regardless.

Steelers @ Ravens

Solid bounce backs for DK Metcalf and Zay Flowers. Moral of the story: target the Steelers and Ravens secondaries.

Saints @ Bucs

Devin Neal is getting dream volume for those who snatched him off the waiver wire. With his playoff schedule, start him with confidence as an RB2 with a decent floor.

Titans @ Browns

Harold Fannin Jr. catches eight of his 11 targets for 114 yards and a touchdown. He has a relatively favourable playoff schedule coming up, and Shedeur Sanders has played himself into maintaining the starting role the rest of the season. Fannin Jr. has developed a nice floor with Sanders at the helm, and now he has shown he has a decent ceiling with him, too.

Commanders @ Vikings

In deeper leagues and dynasty formats, Ben Sinnott may already be rostered, but if he’s not, go grab him. Who knows if Zach Ertz ever returns again, and Sinnott is at least worth keeping a close eye on.

Seahawks @ Falcons

Kyle Pitts has shown he’s a solid starting tight end option in fantasy as long as Drake London is out and Kirk Cousins is the quarterback.

Bengals @ Bills

Classic Josh Allen game — he put on the cape in a thrilling cold-weather contest. The schedule gets brutal for him, but his rushing ability should keep him in QB1 territory. On the other side, Joe Burrow is a must-start QB1 option the rest of the season. The schedule and the situation are optimal.

Broncos @ Raiders

The only player you can start with absolute confidence right now in Denver is RJ Harvey. Courtland Sutton provides a bit of a floor, but there are better options out there right now.

Bears @ Packers

Luther Burden III leads the Bears in targets (6) on this day. His role continues to increase, but he’s still tough to trust in lineups. In any case, he needs to be rostered and could see a breakout game before the regular season is over.

Rams @ Cardinals

A ton of takeaways from this one. Michael Wilson has become, dare I say, an elite WR1 without Marvin Harrison Jr. in the lineup and Jacoby Brissett as his quarterback; Puka Nacua reminds everyone that he’s still elite; Blake Corum is a league winner if Kyren Williams goes down anytime in the next two weeks.

Texans @ Chiefs

ELITE (!!) usage for Woody Marks. If this continues, he could be a playoff MVP with a favourable schedule coming up. Nico Collins maintains his alpha WR1 status in a tough matchup.

Thanks for reading and, as always, have a great day.

Josh