RADIO
Keith Hernandez analyzes NFL players to consider sitting or benching for Week 14. These are his top potential fantasy football lineup busts to avoid starting.
It's finally here... The fantasy playoffs for most leagues. Hopefully you have a chance to win a fantasy championship in the next few weeks. If you're lucky, you have a first-round bye and won't have to worry about anything this week except for picking out a Christmas tree and setting up all your holiday decorations. We feel sorry for owners that got a raw deal and were eliminated because of players like Tyler Lockett (zero catches), Nick Foles (negative points!) and Zach Ertz (worst game of his season) in Week 13.
If you're in the fantasy dance, your lineup decisions will become even more stressful with everything on the line. Our advice: Don't treat the playoffs any differently than you would a regular week when it comes to lineups decisions. Don't overthink decisions and don't second-guess yourself. We wouldn't want you to bench a stud performer who has gone quiet of late in favor of a one-week waiver wire darling that isn't guaranteed to match their most recent surprise performance.
Below are 10 potential busts for Week 14 of the 2019 fantasy football season.
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Potential Quarterback Busts for Week 14
Josh Allen - Buffalo Bills Vs. Ravens
The second-year QB ranks sixth in fantasy points (284.6) at his position this year. However, he doesn't have a single game with 300-plus passing yards and has failed to reach 200 yards in a game four times. If it wasn't for his 93 rushing attempts for 430 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground, Allen would be a bust most weeks.
Baltimore has been one of the best defenses in the second half. They are allowing a league-low 13.1 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks in the last five weeks. That includes allowing just three passing touchdowns in their last five games, while also limiting signal-callers to 38 yards on the ground and zero rushing TDs. Allen will have his hands full this Sunday.
Drew Brees - New Orleans Saints Vs. 49ers
The future Hall of Famer is typically much better in the dome at home, and he does have seven touchdowns and one interception in his last three games. But Brees also ranks 22nd in the league with 19.6 fantasy points per game the last five weeks. He hasn't looked quite the same since coming back from a ligament tear in his right thumb. Despite having home cooking this weekend, it won't be easy against a Niners defense that is allowing the second fewest points to QBs per game (15.6) in 2019.
Others: Kyler Murray (Vs. Steelers), Gardner Minshew (Vs. Chargers)
Potential Running Back Busts for Week 14
Miles Sanders - Philadelphia Eagles Vs. Giants (Monday night)
The rookie has been impressive this year with 4.5 yards per carry and 32 receptions on 41 targets for the Eagles. He's also seen double-digit carries in his last four games (last three without Jordan Howard), culminating in a season-high 22 touches in the Week 13 loss to Miami. He'll be an obvious fade if Howard returns on Monday, but the G-Men have also allowed the third fewest fantasy points per game (12.4) to running backs in the last five weeks (four games).
LeSean McCoy - Kansas City Chiefs @ Patriots
Even with Damien Williams (ribs) hurt recently, Shady has been super shady for fantasy owners, ranking 65th in the NFL with just 48 yards over the last five weeks (three games). He's saved his fantasy lines the last two weeks by finding the end zone on the ground, but you shouldn't count on that happening this Sunday against New England, a defense that has allowed just one rushing TD all season. If Williams is inactive in Week 14, Darwin Thompson, not McCoy, will be the best fantasy play in this frustrating backfield.
Alvin Kamara - New Orleans Saints Vs. 49ers
Kamara is due; He hasn't scored on the ground or through the air since Sept. 22 against the Seahawks. But will it come against a Niners defense that has allowed only three rushing touchdowns all year? San Fran is also one of just two teams that hasn't allowed a receiving score to a running back in 2019. Kamara is averaging just 9.6 fantasy points a game in the last five weeks (four games), ranking 26th in the NFL at his position. New Orleans no doubt wants to get their All-Pro running back going before the postseason, but it might have to wait another week.
Others: Joe Mixon (@ Browns), Kenyan Drake (Vs. Steelers), Kareem Hunt (Vs. Bengals)
Potential Wide Receiver Busts for Week 14
D.J. Chark - Jacksonville Jaguars Vs. Chargers
In Jacksonville's run-first offense, Chark has only 35 targets in the last five weeks (four games) and is averaging a very mediocre 8.5 fantasy points over that span. The move back to rookie QB Gardner Minshew is a plus for Chark, but he's likely to be followed by Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward this Sunday. Los Angeles has also allowed the fewest fantasy points per game (10.9) to receivers in the last five weeks.
John Brown - Buffalo Bills Vs. Ravens
Quarterback Josh Allen's struggles as a passer were outlined earlier. Brown did have a season-high nine receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns three weeks ago against the Dolphins, but his floor came out again in Week 13 against Dallas (three catches, 26 yards). Baltimore's secondary is about as good as it gets right now, and cornerback Marlon Humphrey could easily shut Brown down as Buffalo's No. 1 passing option in Week 14.
Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers @ Saints
Two of Samuel's three touchdowns on the season have come in the last two weeks. He also had back-to-back 100-yard games on Nov. 11 and Nov. 17 against the Seahawks and Cardinals, respectively. That's the good news. The bad news? He has only four receptions on six targets for 91 yards the last two weeks combined. He ranks 22nd in the NFL the last five weeks with 34 targets. While he's been impressive in his rookie season and has become a focal point of this offense, a letdown is coming.
Others: Julian Edelman (Vs. Chiefs), Tyler Boyd (@ Browns), Terry McLaurin (@ Packers)
Potential Tight End Busts for Week 14
Jacob Hollister - Seattle Seahawks @ Rams
Hollister has at least eight targets in two of his last three games and is in the top 10 in targets (28) among tight ends in the last five weeks (four games). But Seattle remains a run-first offense with both Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny clicking right now. The Rams have also been by far the best team at defending tight ends in the last five weeks, allowing just 2.8 fantasy points per game to the position.
Mark Andrews - Baltimore Ravens @ Bills
We hit on Andrews being a bust two weeks ago when he faced the Rams (two catches for 45 yards). Other than that game, though, Andrews has been a fantasy stud with four touchdowns in his last four games. But his targets in the passing game have been down from what he was averaging earlier this season. Andrews is still the safest pass-catcher in Baltimore's run-first offense, but he's facing another defense in Buffalo this week that has been excellent in slowing opposing tight ends down in 2019.
Others: Hunter Henry (@ Jaguars), Jared Cook (Vs. 49ers)
