RADIO
Welcome, fantasy football enthusiasts, to the pivotal Week 14 of the NFL season! As the playoff picture becomes clear, your fantasy matchups are more crucial than ever. Whether you're on the verge of clinching a playoff spot or battling to secure a higher seed, the decisions you make this week could make or break your championship aspirations. In this edition of our Booms and Busts, we'll delve into the key player matchups, recent performances, and emerging trends to help you make informed decisions for your starting lineup. From potential sleepers with favorable matchups to star players facing tough defenses, we've got you covered as you navigate the fantasy landscape in this critical juncture of the season.
As the fantasy football landscape continues to evolve, we'll highlight some surprising developments and unexpected performances that could impact your lineup decisions. Injuries, weather conditions, and recent player trends will all be factored in to provide you with the most up-to-date and comprehensive advice. Whether you're managing a team with a roster full of superstars or relying on under-the-radar gems, our Week 14 Booms and Busts aims to equip you with the insights needed to gain that crucial edge over your opponents. So buckle up, fantasy managers -- it's time to make those tough decisions that could propel your team to victory and closer to fantasy football glory.
Week 14 brings us thrilling matchups and potential fantasy fireworks. From high-stakes divisional battles to must-win contests for teams on the playoff bubble, the stakes are high, and your fantasy decisions are equally critical. Join us as we navigate the intricate web of player performances, strategic insights, and unexpected outcomes in this week's Booms and Busts breakdown, providing you with the tools to set the optimal lineup for success.
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Week 14 Woos - Fantasy Football Booms
Joshua Dobbs - QB, Minnesota Vikings @ Las Vegas Raiders
Joshua Dobbs has had quite the roller coaster ride during the 2023 season. He has been the subject of multiple trades to replace injured starting quarterbacks and has seemingly found a home in Minnesota despite the rumblings after his poor start in Week 12. On the season, Dobbs has proven to be one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the league. He ranks inside the top five at the position when it comes to rushing production, something that adds tremendous value for fantasy managers.
From a passing perspective, he's been fairly serviceable in this department as well, ranking in the middle of the pack among most analytical categories. To quiet the whispers, he needs to limit turnover-worthy plays as he leads the league in interceptable passes (25). But with all the injuries hitting the quarterback position in fantasy this year, Dobbs' rushing value alone keeps him in the conversation as a fringe QB1 most weeks.
Going into Week 14, Dobbs should firmly be entrenched in the discussion of players to finish the week as a QB1 with his matchup. The Vikings will be going on the road to play the Las Vegas Raiders. A defense that has been rather kind to opposing quarterbacks over the last four weeks. During that span, they have been among the bottom third in the league in points allowed to the position (17.45 FPPG).
With the Vikings' struggles in establishing a run game, look for Dobbs and the passing attack to carry the weight of the offense in this game. Add in the return of Justin Jefferson and you have all the makings of a productive week in fantasy for Dobbs. Don't be afraid to start him in a must-win week ahead of the fantasy playoffs, as he should return top-10 numbers in Week 14.
AJ Dillon - RB, Green Bay Packers @ New York Giants
AJ Dillon has always been a player who can never seem to reach the lofty expectations placed on him when the situations arise. A big, downhill running bruiser of a running back, Dillon seems to struggle at times in forcing missed tackles to create space, as evident by his 23 evaded tackles this season (RB34). His lack of opportunities in the red zone (30 - RB18) has been troubling as well, leading to just one touchdown scored on the season (RB57).
The inability to find the end zone added to his struggles to create yardage has dragged down his fantasy production on the season as he ranks as just the RB40 in fantasy points per game (8.2). The hope is that with the strong play from Jordan Love over the last few weeks, defenses will not stack the box as much and create more room for Dillon and the running game.
That hope could come to fruition in Week 14 as Dillon and the Packers will be looking at an advantageous matchup against the New York Giants. A defense that has been one of the more susceptible units in the league over the last four games in points allowed to the position (24.73 FPPG). With the Packers currently a heavy road favorite in what is perceived to be a low-scoring game (37 total), Dillon should factor in heavily to the game plan.
On the season, the Giants have surrendered the fourth-most rushing scores (12), increasing the chances for Dillon to sneak one in during this matchup. Look for the Packers to get out to an early lead and use Dillon to grind away the game in the second half. He should be viewed as a solid RB2 in Week 14 on the workload alone.
Elijah Moore - WR, Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Invisible for most of the 2023 season, Elijah Moore has found life over the last four games. Over that span, he has seen 35 targets, 18 receptions, and scored his first touchdown of the year in Week 10. For the season, Moore has been somewhat of an afterthought in fantasy as he ranks as just the WR59 in fantasy points per game (8.4). That number is far below his EFPPG (14.9), showing just how inefficient he and the Browns passing game has been for much of the season.
With Joe Flacco now under center for the Browns, there is a glimmer of hope that the chemistry the two have had before will take hold for the remainder of the season. It's already off to a fantastic start as Moore saw 12 targets in last week's game.
Heading into Week 14, I expect to see Flacco and Moore keep things going in a home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A defense that has struggled mightily over the last four games in points allowed to opposing wide receivers (41.51 FPPG). With this game currently having the lowest implied total for the weekend slate (31.5), the scoring opportunities could come at a premium.
Even in a potential low-scoring affair, the recent usage for Moore is intriguing enough to warrant consideration as a WR3 in starting lineups this week. If the weather stays favorable on Sunday, fantasy managers looking for some sneaky upside should focus on Moore in Week 14.
Gerald Everett - TE, Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
After missing the Week 11 game, Gerald Everett has returned to the Chargers lineup and performed rather well over the last two games. He has eight receptions on nine targets and one touchdown, putting him back in play as a TE1 for fantasy managers. On the season, his numbers have been rather forgettable as he ranks outside the top 20 in most analytical categories. Where he ranks the highest is in red zone targets (eight - TE12) and touchdowns (three - TE10), which shows that he remains a focus for the team when they are in scoring position.
Another surprising statistic that jumps out is where he leads the league in target separation (2.75). Everett has the athleticism to be a mismatch in most games, but the below-average play we have seen from Justin Herbert as of late is holding his ceiling down just a bit.
Looking ahead to Week 14, the strong play could continue for Everett as the Chargers will have a home divisional matchup against the Denver Broncos. A defense that has been a funnel to opposing tight ends over the last four games, giving up 17.45 FPPG. In fact, during that span, they lead the league in touchdowns allowed to the position (three).
With the Chargers struggling to find consistency out of their wide receivers in recent weeks, Herbert could look to attack the middle of the field with Everett to get things going. Facing such a positive matchup bodes well for Everett and the fantasy managers looking for a spark at the position in Week 14.
Week 14 Boos - Fantasy Football Busts
Jared Goff - QB, Detroit Lions @ Chicago Bears
It has been an up-and-down season for Goff in 2023 as he has had moments of looking like a steady QB for fantasy managers in some weeks, but in others, it has been ugly. There has been some positive momentum of late as he has four straight games with multiple touchdown passes. On the season, he is clinging to being a QB1, as he ranks as the QB13 in fantasy points per game (18.0).
Going in his favor is the fact that this Lions offense has been able to move the ball through the air with ease, as he ranks inside the top five in both pass attempts (430) and passing yards (3,284). The touchdowns have been there as well as he now has 20 on the season (QB8). If he can just maintain his consistency down the stretch, Goff could be a quarterback that fantasy managers could count on during playoff time.
Going into Week 14, finding that consistency could be a tall task for Goff as the Lions will be on the road and facing the elements in Chicago against the Bears. Potential weather issues aside, the Bears' defense has played rather well of late. Over the last four weeks, this defense has been one of the best in the league in points allowed to opposing quarterbacks (9.15).
Being on the road where Goff struggles at times, I expect to see the Lions use a more ground-oriented offense in this matchup to try and control the game. This will lessen the scoring opportunities for Goff and potentially take him out of the conversation as a QB1 in Week 14 in fantasy.
Derrick Henry - RB, Tennessee Titans @ Miami Dolphins
For Derrick Henry standards, the 2023 season has been a bad one for fantasy managers. A player that we are accustomed to seeing inside the top 10 in weekly finishes consistently due to his workload, Henry has just five RB1 finishes to this point in the season. In fact, he has just three 100-yard games to his credit on the year, which is also out of character. Even with the lack of production to his standard, he is still the RB2 in rushing yards on the season (841), all on a 55.1% snap share (RB24).
His eight touchdowns (RB8) have helped boost his production to the point where he is currently the RB12 on the season (14.7 FPPG). Four of those touchdowns have come in the last two games as Henry could be rounding into that late-season form for the fantasy playoff run.
As we head into Week 14, the game script could be a major hurdle for Henry as he will be facing the Miami Dolphins on the road. A defense that has been stout over the last four weeks in points allowed to the position, surrendering just 14.83 FPPG. As we have seen throughout the season in games where the Titans are trailing, the team has been rotating in Tyjae Spears more often, most notably on passing downs.
With the Titans as a heavy road underdog (+13) in this game, things could get out of hand early and cause Henry to come off the field. With the likelihood that he does not see the usage we are accustomed to seeing in this game, look for Henry to produce fantasy numbers more along the lines of an RB2/RB3. Fantasy managers should temper their expectations this week as he will be started in all lineups.
Nico Collins - WR, Houston Texans @ New York Jets
One of the nicer surprises of the 2023 season has been the play of Nico Collins, thanks in large part to outstanding rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The third year wideout has realized his potential in the offense and ranks well across numerous categories at the position. He is WR23 in targets (85), WR18 in receptions (59), and WR10 in yards (991). Add in the six touchdowns scored (WR14) and you have a well-rounded player who ranks as the WR9 in fantasy points per game (17.6).
Now with the season-ending injury to Tank Dell, more weight will be put on the shoulder of Collins to perform at a WR1 level weekly for the Texans passing attack. He has the skill set to be up to the task and has shown this year that he can live up to it as well.
Although he has been playing at a Pro Bowl caliber level this year, his matchup in Week 14 is going to be a very tough one. The Texans will be on the road to face a Jets defense that has been the stingiest in the league this year in points allowed to opposing wide receivers (22.73). Not only that but Collins will more than likely be shadowed in this game by Sauce Gardner. That matchup alone could severely limit the upside for Collins when fantasy managers are needing it the most.
He has been locked into starting lineups for most of the season and will undoubtedly be again in Week 14. But with this matchup, expecting WR1 numbers from Collins will be a big ask. Look for him to produce more along the lines of a WR3/Flex in this game.
Evan Engram - TE, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Cleveland Browns
Coming off his best game of the season, Evan Engram has been one of the steadier producers at the tight end position in fantasy this year. He ranks as the TE3 in both targets (91) and receptions (73), but his lack of scoring (one touchdown) has limited him to being ranked as the TE6 on the year (11.5 FPPG). It's clear that the Jaguars know just how to use Engram in the offense, as he is split out into the slot more than any other tight end in the league (284 snaps).
This has allowed for a premium target separation (2.35) as Engram uses his athleticism to find open spaces in the defense for Trevor Lawrence to target. With the injury to Christian Kirk, Engram will move up another spot in the target hierarchy for this passing attack, potentially leading to more scoring.
As we head into Week 14, the matchup could not be any worse for Engram as the Jaguars go on the road to play the Cleveland Browns. A defense that has been the best in the league in points allowed to the position (5.93 FPPG). Add in the elements of potential weather issues in this game and we could see an ugly, low-scoring game in Cleveland. Going against a defense that has allowed just 27 receptions on the year to opposing tight ends doesn't scream value when it comes to fantasy production.
Although he has been a consistent and steady option in starting lineups for fantasy managers all year, Week 14 could be the one where you look to the waiver wire for better matchups as I am not expecting to see Engram produce TE1 numbers in this game.
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