Week 14 WR Outlooks: Michael Crabtree, Doug Baldwin, Brandon LaFell

The matchups this week are providing difficult decisions needing to be made in a crucial fantasy week for most. Wide receivers are tricky to plan out because of how many credible options there are. Unlike quarterback, running back and tight end, the wide receiver position will give you enough depth to have to break down each player on a weekly basis. The matchup should play a role in deciding between a couple of comparable talents.

Oakland Raiders receiver Michael Crabtree has been one of the biggest surprises in fantasy football this season. Crabtree has already earned a contract extension with Oakland to play a part in their future alongside Amari Cooper as one of the best wide receiver duos in the league.

This week won’t showcase the reasons Crabtree was rewarded due to his matchup against the Denver Broncos. The dominant Broncos defense have given up the least amount of fantasy points to opposing wide receivers and the opposing teams struggle to get a passing game going. Crabtree only delivered five standard fantasy points in a prior matchup against Denver this year. Nothing has changed except the Broncos defense looks better each week.

Doug Baldwin of the Seattle Seahawks has been trending upwards and is getting more love from Russell Wilson than Ciara. Baldwin has stepped up with the injuries to Jimmy Graham and Marshawn Lynch. Over the last two games, he has 239 total receiving yards and five touchdown receptions. Wilson is obviously feeding the ball to his trusted receiver and showing the chemistry the two have developed over the years.

The matchup against the Baltimore Ravens is very good for Baldwin and Wilson. Baltimore has given up the fifth most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. The defense has improved as of late but that was due to facing poor quarterbacks. Seattle is rolling and will exploit the Ravens’ weakness. Baldwin benefits most from this.

The time is now. We can officially give up on Brandon LaFell. Between his success last season and the lack of weapons for Tom Brady this year with the New England Patriots getting attacked by the injury bug, we all had high hopes for LaFell becoming a fantasy star once again. He’s let us down week after week with no signs of improvement.

The weak Philadelphia Eagles defense shutting him down last week showed just irrelevant he is in fantasy. LaFell has only delivered more than seventy receiving yards once this season and has yet to score a touchdown. There’s no situation where you can trust LaFell as a fantasy starter this week against the tough Houston Texans defense.