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Thursday Night Football starts/sits and matchups analysis for Week 14 of the 2019 NFL season. Which Cowboys and Bears to start or sit for fantasy football lineups.
It's that time of year again! While many will be caught up in the thrills of the holiday season, those lucky few who have risen to the top of their fantasy leagues will be sweating over lineup decisions in pursuit of a championship (in most league formats).
To our fantasy owners who have managed to clinch a playoff berth, congratulations! Every start-sit decision becomes magnified in the fantasy playoffs and Rotoballer has you covered for Thursday night when the Dallas Cowboys take on the Chicago Bears. Let's dive in to Thursday Night Football Matchups Analysis for Week 14.
Good luck with your lineups this week RotoBallers!
Editor's Note: The FFPC Playoff Challenge is back with a massive $500,000 grand prize and $1.35 million total prize pool, paying down to 800th place. Here's the deal: no salary cap, no draft, no pickups, no subs. Choose 10 players, and as NFL teams get knocked out so will your players, so choose your team wisely. The 7,250 entries will sell out quickly, and registrations will close on Saturday January 10th at 4:30 pm ET . Don't wait - get your team now and end your fantasy football season with a shot at $500,000! Sign Up Now!
Dallas Cowboys @ Chicago Bears
Date and Start Time: December 5 at 8:00 PM ET
Notable Injuries and Status:
- Tony Pollard (RB, DAL) - Ankle - Questionable
- Amari Cooper (WR, DAL) - Knee - Active
- Randall Cobb (WR, DAL) - Illness - Active
- Taylor Gabriel (WR, CHI) - Concussion - Out
- Ben Braunecker (TE, CHI) - Concussion - Out
Offensive and Defensive Rankings in 2019:
| Cowboys | Bears | |
| Passing Yards | 1st | 28th |
| Rushing Yards | 8th | 28th |
| Pass Defense | 8th | 9th |
| Rush Defense | 16th | 7th |
Must Starts
Top Performers That Have To Be In Your Lineups
Dak Prescott (QB, DAL)
Prescott proved he can overcome difficult matchups when he eclipsed 300 yards passing and threw for two scores against a stout Buffalo passing defense last week. He is a weekly must-start in fantasy football at the quarterback position, even against Chicago's ninth-ranked passing defense.
Ezekiel Elliott (RB, DAL)
On the surface, Chicago appears to be a terrifying matchup for Elliott. However, the Bears actually give up the 19th-most fantasy points to opposing running backs and Elliott has about as secure a workload as any running back in the NFL.
Allen Robinson (WR, CHI)
Volume is king and the Bears offense can by-and-large only support one fantasy-relevant wide receiver with its 35.4 pass attempts per game. Despite drawing coverage from standout corner Byron Jones, Robinson should be a lock for double-digit targets and produce high end WR2 numbers at his floor.
Solid Options and Potential Sleepers
Which Players Will Have Solid Games and Which Could Surprise?
Solid Option: Amari Cooper/Randall Cobb (WRs, DAL)
Cooper is practicing in full ahead of Thursday night and should get the lions share of the targets for Dallas wide receivers. Cobb, who was largely an afterthought against the Bills in Week 13, has an opportunity to get back on track and should see more than three looks.
Solid Option: David Montgomery (RB, CHI)
The Bears have only failed to give Montgomery double-digit rush attempts twice this season and the Cowboys Defense isn't particular proficient at stopping the run. Pending your options to fill your running back spots, Montgomery offers RB2 value on Thursday night.
Sleeper: Jason Witten (TE, DAL)
In an outcome that I didn't expect last week, Witten hauled in six of his eight targets for 42 yards and a score against the Bills. Now he draws a matchup with the Bears who give up the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, so keep Witten on your streaming radar.
Sleeper: Anthony Miller (WR, CHI)
Since Week 11, Miller has received at least nine targets per game and proven to be a flex option for fantasy owners in need. If Dallas chooses to focus their attention on shutting down Allen Robinson, Mitch Trubisky could look Miller's way plenty of times in Week 14.
Consider Sitting
Players To Avoid Putting In Your Lineup If Possible
Michael Gallup (WR, DAL)
With back-to-back games of 63 receiving yards or less, it will be hard for fantasy owners to trust Gallup as anything more than a WR3 with upside given Dak Prescott's ability to throw the football.
Mitch Trubisky (QB, CHI)
Even in the wake of a top-tier performance against the Lions, which for all intents and purposes was an anomaly, I cannot justify recommending Trubisky as a starting fantasy quarterback against Dallas' stingy defense.
Tarik Cohen (RB, CHI)
With Cohen having a minimalist workload that appears to be further diminishing, he lacks the floor and upside to even be considered a flex play on Thursday night.
