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Scott Engel features fantasy football lineup starts/sits for Week 14 (2025). He focuses on key NFL players to start when faced with tight Week 14 fantasy football lineup decisions.
Welcome to Scott Engel's weekly Lineup Spotlights on RotoBaller.com. This regular feature includes key players to start or sit when faced with challenging lineup decisions. "The King" focuses on players who might be triggering fantasy anxiety during a major Week 14 slate.
The players who appear in this article are based on Scott's Premium Weekly Lineup Rankings. This week, he highlights regular starting options who have not met expectations, and others who should not be overlooked for Week 14.
To make the best Week 14 lineup decisions, consult this analysis, the RotoBaller staff fantasy football rankings, and the free Who Should I Start tool for comparing up to four players. The skill position analysis in this article is based on Scott's Week 14 premium PPR rankings.
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Running Backs - Fantasy Football Week 14
Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams
Fantasy players are no longer viewing Williams as a must-start RB, as it has become apparent that he is consistently splitting carries with Blake Corum. An ESPN report this week from Dan Graziano confirmed that the Rams are intending to maintain the timeshare in an effort to keep Williams fresh for a potential deep run in the playoffs.
In the last four games, Williams logged between 12 and 14 carries. While he rushed for 75 yards just once during that span, he still rushed for four TDs in four games. Over the past six games, Corum’s attempts have ranged from seven to 13 carries, but not more than eight in the last three games. He rushed for just his second TD of the season last week.
In the last five games, Williams has played on less than 66 percent of the snaps just once, and was still at 59 percent in Week 10, which was the one outlier game. While his snap counts have not gone above 70 percent as they did in the first half of the season, he is still clearly functioning as the lead runner for a team that is in a tight race at the top of the NFC.
#Rams HC Sean McVay on the ideal split between Kyren Williams and Blake Corum:
“I think what you’re looking for is something around a 65/35 ratio for those guys. I think you want Kyren playing about two-thirds of the time, and Blake playing the other third.” pic.twitter.com/4vR3rJxpDY
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 16, 2025
During the first six games of the season, Williams’ snap count dipped below 70 percent one time, and in that one game, it was at 68 percent. Corum has never hit the 40 percent mark this season and has been above 34 percent just once.
The workload clearly seems to be in the 65/35 range in favor of Williams, so don’t overreact to the ESPN report too much. The Rams still must keep winning as they vie for the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and Williams must play a significant role during the next few weeks, too.
Over the past four weeks, Arizona ranks 29th in fantasy points per game allowed to RBs. Williams should remain in lineups and not be viewed as less than a higher-end RB2. His role as a TD finisher on the NFC’s fourth-best offense is a very important one that will continue to produce quality fantasy results.
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Sometimes I argue against broad fantasy statements or axioms because I prefer to evaluate players more as individuals rather than applying a broad stroke. But in the case of the “Curse of 370,” there’s no debating about how the longtime trend has applied to Saquon Barkley this season, and it’s a significant concern as the fantasy playoffs approach.
Last season, Barkley totaled 378 touches from scrimmage in the regular season alone, as he led many fantasy football teams to championships. Those who drafted him based on wanting to get more of what they saw in 2024, even with a slight overall dip, have not been satisfied with their return on a first-round pick.
Many fantasy teams that roster Barkley might be trying to make the fantasy playoffs in the last week of the regular season. In 2025, Barkley ranks as PPR RB13 overall, and he is 16th in fantasy points per game at the position. He is averaging less FFPG than Ashton Jeanty, Rico Dowdle, and D'Andre Swift.
Last week, Barkley scored 5.7 points, and his fantasy RB47 finish was the lowest of the season. That was a scary fantasy performance at this time of the season. This week, the Eagles face the Chargers, a middling RB matchup, as Los Angeles ranks 14th in FFPG allowed to RBs.
After this week, though, Philadelphia gets matchups against the Raiders, Commanders, and Bills, all of which rank worse than 20th in FFPG allowed to RBs. The Eagles are still fighting for a higher seed in the NFC playoffs and need Barkley to deliver better outings late in the regular season.
Expectations for Barkley now have to be obviously tempered, but if you can survive this week with him, better results in the fantasy playoffs are possible. You certainly can’t bench him, as the upside is always there, but you must view him as a complementary piece to your top superstar players for the rest of the season.
Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders
I rarely spend first-round fantasy draft picks on rookies, and took that approach with Jeanty in most leagues this season. The one exception was a league that rewarded points for heavy volume. All those who drafted the Raiders rookie this season, though, have yet to see him flash any projected “superstar” form.
In the last six games, Jeanty has rushed for one TD, and he has not rushed for more than 60 yards in his last seven. But over the last five weeks, he has regularly been scoring in double PPR digits, with three games of 15-plus points. That’s because he has been posting prolific receiving numbers.
In four of his past five games, Jeanty has caught five-plus passes, and he was targeted eight times in the last three games. The woeful Las Vegas offense is lacking in WR contributors, so Jeanty has become a frequent option for Geno Smith. But the schedule is not friendly over the next three weeks.
In Week 14, Las Vegas faces Denver, which ranks first in receptions allowed to RBs, and then draws the Eagles, who rank sixth. Then, Las Vegas takes on the Texans’ No. 1 overall defense. You should not expect any upside over the next three games, but volume may still be there for Jeanty.
There are situations in which you can bench the Raiders’ future star. If your team is deep at RB, and you can use Kenneth Walker III, Jaylen Warren, or D’Andre Swift as RB2 alternatives to Jeanty, you may be able to sit him and use a player with more upside at a flex spot. In many cases, though, you have to hope that his receiving usage continues for a quality statistical floor.
Wide Receivers - Fantasy Football Week 14
Michael Wilson, Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona WR is returning to his No. 1 WR role for the injury-riddled Cardinals this week. Marvin Harrison Jr., Greg Dortch, and Zay Jones are all going to be sidelined this week, leaving Wilson as the only established and reliable WR for Jacoby Brissett against the Rams.
In Weeks 11 and 12, when Wilson was last pushed into the WR1 role for Arizona, he finished as the No. 1 WR in fantasy football and then was No. 9 in the following week. Those who roster Wilson are now justifiably excited that he will be back in a high-upside spot on the Arizona depth chart. Los Angeles must also still pay much attention to TE Trey McBride.
Michael Wilson heading toward another WR1 opportunity this week? 👀 pic.twitter.com/gAbtyP7mX0
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 5, 2025
This is not a great matchup for Wilson and the Cardinals, though. Over the past four weeks, Los Angeles ranks 14th in FFPG allowed to WRs, but the secondary can now concentrate more on limiting Wilson, knowing how well he performed in Weeks 11 and 12. He doesn’t really have anyone else other than McBride to draw attention away.
The Rams are a familiar divisional opponent who will be well-prepared to handle Wilson in a game they are expected to win while staying near the top of the NFC.
Volume and role will still make Wilson a viable back-half fantasy WR2 option. But I would not expect the type of thrilling fantasy performances we saw from him in recent weeks.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have consistently not helped Lamar Jackson throughout his career at WR. He has never played with a true “alpha” WR, and Zay Flowers certainly is not one who can fit that bill. Flowers would function very well as a complement to an authentic star WR, but he has not played alongside one yet.
Jackson has sputtered in recent weeks, and Flowers’ production is also bottoming out. He caught two passes for six yards last week and finished as fantasy WR106. He has not finished as a top-20 fantasy WR since the season opener. He finished in double figures in the five games before last week, though.
The Ravens take on the Steelers in an all-important showdown for the AFC North lead this week. Pittsburgh allows the most FFPG to WRs among AFC teams. Because of the magnitude of the game and the matchup, start Flowers as a WR3 for at least decent PPR totals.
Adonai Mitchell, New York Jets
Very often, fantasy players will chase last week’s production. If a player who was previously off the fantasy radar busted out for a big game, many fantasy leaguers marked him as a priority waiver pickup for the week and then strongly considered him as a starter in his next game.
That approach can lead to getting burned by unproven players, and it is a major risk to take in such an important fantasy week, such as this one. That is the case with Adonai Mitchell, who broke out for a career game in Week 13. He caught eight passes for 112 yards and a TD on 12 targets in a rare Jets win.
Mitchell was buried on the depth chart in Indianapolis and was included as an afterthought in the recent Colts-Jets trade. But Mitchell was not getting on the field with Indianapolis because of a lack of talent. The issues were more about his fundamentals and techniques.
With the Jets, however, Mitchell has instantly vaulted to the top of a thin WR depth chart, and he was targeted seven times in Week 12. He is clearly the most talented pass-catcher on the team right now, so the Jets will live with any mistakes and flubs. He could be a quality WR for New York in the future and should get a long look now.
Starting Mitchell is not an outright reactionary move, as he is now in a better situation for possible production. Miami ranks 25th in FFPG allowed to WRs over the past four weeks. Mitchell can be considered as a borderline WR3/flex option for Week 14 if the choice is similar or lesser valued.
Quarterback and Tight End - Fantasy Football Week 14
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Over the past few weeks, Jackson has looked like one of the biggest busts in fantasy football this season. He has finished inside the top 15 at QB once in his last five games played and has not scored eight points in his last three.
His tumble into the statistical depths marks Jackson as the subject of the ultimate gut-wrenching fantasy decision in Week 14. If you are in a must-win spot, how can you possibly trust him?
Is it time to send Lamar Jackson to the bench?
Should you start Dalton Kincaid if he suits up this weekend?
Check out my thoughts on these players and more in this week's Booms/Busts calls for @RotoBallerNFL @RotoBaller #FantasyFootballhttps://t.co/g1HjPJtaUy
— Dave Ventresca (@FF_Stallion) December 5, 2025
But the matchup is also favorable, and this is a huge AFC North matchup against the Steelers. Jackson can also break out of a slump at any time, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on the results.
Pittsburgh ranks 25th in FFPG allowed to opposing QBs. So, it all depends on who your other choices are. Here is my listing of the top QBs and how Jackson rates against them for Week 14:
Starting these QBs over Jackson:
Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield
QBs with better floors and less upside:
Patrick Mahomes, Jordan Love, Sam Darnold, Caleb Williams. These QBs are not bad choices to start over Jackson, but likely won’t give you the ceiling that would come from a rebound performance by the Baltimore QB. Mahomes faces the Houston defense, capping his potential upside.
Starting Jackson over these QBs:
Jacoby Brissett, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, Trevor Lawrence, Daniel Jones, Tua Tagovailoa, and all others. Brissett’s receiving crew is shakier than ever, and the Rams are a tough matchup overall. Herbert’s wrist injury could cut his day short at any time.
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints
As you well know, reliability is hardest to find at TE, which is always the thinnest position in fantasy football. Johnson has been a very dependable pass-catcher for decent numbers, yet somehow he has only started in 48 percent of Yahoo leagues.
Johnson registered double figures in PPR points in five of his last six games. In terms of total points, he is a fantasy TE7. Tampa Bay ranks 20th in FFPG allowed to TEs over the past four weeks. I would certainly consider Johnson for a quality outing again this week, if adequate production at TE has been an issue for your team.
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