X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Sneaky Starts, Pivot Plays, and Post-Waiver Pickups for Week 14 - Joshua Dobbs, Keaton Mitchell, Isaiah Likely, DeeJay Dallas

Joshua Dobbs - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, Waiver Wire Pickups

Michael Florio's fantasy football sneaky starts, pivot plays, and post-waiver waiver pickups for Week 14 of the NFL season. Start 'em as under-the-radar fantasy sleepers this upcoming week.

It’s the final week of the fantasy football regular season. I cannot believe I am typing those words already. The weeks have flown by, but that means it's been a very fun season. Thank you for reading my work and supporting RotoBaller all season long! 

If you are still reading this, it means you are very likely in the hunt or already have secured a playoff spot. If you have secured a spot, you should already be planning to next week. If you have been streaming at a position like QB, TE, or defense, get out in front and grab one that has a favorable matchup next week. 

But if you are fighting for a playoff spot (I know plenty of you out there are), you will need plug-and-play options. Luckily, there are plenty of injury and bye-week replacements to be had this week! 

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Quarterback Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Joshua Dobbs remains the starter for the Vikings and that very much so has him in play as a streamer. I know he had a huge letdown before their bye, but he has scored 16 or more in his previous five games -- topping 22 in three of them. He has five rushing touchdowns in his last six games and routinely rushes for over 40 yards. Oh, and he will be throwing passes to Justin Jefferson, T.J. Hockenson, and Jordan Addison. I guess there is some risk he could get pulled if he struggles, but he brings the most upside of any streaming option this week. 

Gardner Minshew is coming off one of his best games of the season. He threw 312 yards and two scores against the Titans, giving you nearly 19 fantasy points in the process. That is about as much upside as you can expect out of the Colts signal-caller, but he brings a safe floor this week against the Bengals, who have allowed the most passing yards since Week 9. 

Baker Mayfield has disappointed as of late, but he has still managed to throw multiple touchdowns in four of his last six games. He is never going to have a throw-the-team-on-his-back type of performance, but if you are looking for a safe 16 to 18 fantasy points, he is good for that most weeks. He gets the Falcons this week, who he scored 16.2 against in Week 7. While I prefer the two options listed above, Mayfield is a good fallback option this week. 

 

Running Back Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Ezekiel Elliott scored 13 fantasy points last week after Rhamondre Stevenson exited early due to an ankle injury that will hold him out this week and likely more. Zeke saw 17 carries and five targets on 71 percent of the snaps while going for 92 yards. Volume alone has him in play as an RB2 or flex option against the Steelers, who are in the top 10 in rushing yards allowed to backs and just allowed a huge day to James Conner

Keaton Mitchell led the Ravens' backfield in snaps, carries, and targets before the bye. Now a potential post-bye week bump could be coming for the Ravens' young back. He is very explosive, so the more touches he gets, the more chances he has to break out a long run or two. For fantasy purposes, we are always interested in the Ravens backfield and Mitchell brings by far the most juice of their trio. He is a strong upside pivot option this week. 

Tyjae Spears is a great streaming option if Derrick Henry is out this week. Spears played 64 percent of the snaps with 16 carries and six targets last week. He saw every RB opportunity the rest of the way after Henry exited. Volume alone would have him in play as an RB2, but there is certainly more upside than that. He should be viewed as a more explosive Zeke if Henry is out this week. 

Roschon Johnson played 75 percent of the snaps for the Bears before their Week 13 bye. He led their backs with 10 carries and five targets in that game. There also could be a potential post-bye bump for the rookie. The Bears backfield is murky, but if you are diving deeper, he brings upside.

DeeJay Dallas is purely an option if both Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet sit out this week. Walker has been out the last two weeks as he deals with an oblique injury. Charbonnet has filled in nicely but he is now dealing with swelling in his knee that has his status very up in the air. If both are out, the volume has Dallas in play. 

 

Wide Receiver Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs are both in play this week with Christian Watson dealing with a hamstring injury. Doubs had the bigger game last week and is often used downfield and in the red zone, but Reed has been a reliable source of production with 15 or more fantasy points in his three prior games. He also gets used as a runner at times. They are both in play as pivot options against the Giants, who have allowed the fourth-most fantasy PPG to receivers. 

Noah Brown may have given you a zero last week. And there is a chance he could do so again as the Jets are a very tough matchup and extremely good at limiting deep ball production. Still, his QB leads the NFL in passing yards, and much of the Jets' focus will be slowing Nico Collins down. Brown is boom-or-bust, but he certainly brings upside and is someone you want on your roster moving forward. John Metchie played over Robert Woods last week and is a dart throw in deeper leagues. 

Elijah Moore saw elite volume with Joe Flacco last week. He finished with 12 targets, a ton of air yards, four catches, and 83 yards. It wasn’t the biggest fantasy game, but the volume is simply too good to ignore. Especially with Amari Cooper so banged up. Add in that Flacco has been talking Moore up since he got to Cleveland as the two had great chemistry with the Jets. Moore is a safe volume WR3, with the upside to be even better this week.

Khalil Shakir has been operating as the Bills' WR3 and it’s led to fantasy success. He brings a low floor but three times has topped nine fantasy points and twice has gone over 15, including one 20-point game. In a game where a lot of points could be scored, Shakir is an upside shot worth taking if you need a pivot option.

Jonathan Mingo is starting to come to life in Carolina. Two weeks ago, he caught four of six targets for 60 yards -- good for 10 PPR points. Last week, he saw 10 targets, catching six for 69 yards -- all season-highs. While there is not much upside so far, the increased usage is promising.

Jalin Hyatt is certainly boom-or-bust, there’s no denying that. But he brings big-play ability, which means he always has upside in fantasy football. Before the bye, he had his best game of the season, catching five of six targets for 109 yards. A post-bye bump could be in store as well. If you need an upside play this week, go with Hyatt. 

 

Tight End Pivot Options for Fantasy Football

Isaiah Likely has played one game without Mark Andrews and he saw six targets and scored eight fantasy points. That feels like a floor game for Likely. Clearly, he is never going to duplicate the production that Andrews has given us, but he can be highly productive and certainly bring TE1 upside. Due to the bye, he was still available in some leagues this week, but won’t be for long. He is a great plug-and-play option this week. 

Gerald Everett caught four of his five targets for 44 yards, going for 8.4 fantasy points. He has reached that number in four of his last five games and three times in that span has reached double digits. He also gets an amazing matchup this week against Denver, who has allowed the most catches, the second-most yards, most fantasy points, and the third-most touchdowns to tight ends this season. 

Cade Otton did not score a fantasy point last week. But before that, he had shown to be a reliable source of eight fantasy points. He has scored eight or more in five of his last seven games. He only topped double figures in one of those, but a safe floor is more than most tight ends.

Brevin Jordan would be in play if Dalton Schultz is out again this week. With Schultz out last week, Jordan ran 22 routes, was targeted four times, and caught three of them for 64 yards. That was good for nearly double-digit fantasy points. I would not expect much more than that, but if you are diving deeper at tight end, that is very useful.

Make sure to follow Michael on X, @MichaelFFlorio.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
Jalen Thompson

Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Najee Harris

Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF