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

Week 14 Dynasty Matchups Preview

Dynasty owners don’t play week to week, they play long term. However, dynasty owners still need to analyze different aspects of weekly matchups to determine the best time to sell or buy a player.

Make sure you don’t buy that hot rookie too soon and don’t sell the aging veteran too late. Each week, I will analyze different matchups across fantasy football with a dynasty frame of mind.

Let's take some time to see what matchups might pique the interest of dynasty league owners for Week 14 of the 2017 season. Here are some Week 14 matchup previews for dynasty league owners to monitor.

Editor's Note: RotoBaller’s Dynasty content delivers year-round dynasty fantasy football rankings, trade advice, rookie analysis, and player outlooks. Build a title-winning roster with sleepers, stash targets, and our full dynasty fantasy football guide.

 

Eagles at Rams

LeGarrette Blount vs Jay Ajayi vs Corey Clement

It is extremely crowded in the Philadelphia backfield and before too long, someone will need to step up and take this job. Several weeks ago it was clear cut that LeGarrette Blount was the lead back and the Eagles had a ton of options behind him. After bringing in Jay Ajayi for a fourth round pick though, the Eagles have an embarrassment of riches in the backfield. Dynasty owners will need to know how this shakes out heading into 2018 though. This is turning into the Patriots backfield situation. Just like in New England, you know someone in that backfield is going to take control but who is it? You either have to get all of them or you have to take a chance and hope you picked the right one.

Blount was signed this offseason after scoring 24 rushing touchdowns in two seasons for the Patriots. He hasn’t offered any numbers that jump off the page and has barley been a flex play this season. Blount currently sits at RB29 in standard formats. It’s extremely concerning for Blount looking at the snap counts though since Ajayi joined the Eagles. Since the trade prior to Week 9, Blount continues to lead the backfield, but the numbers are very close.

Player Week 9 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Total
LeGarrette Blount 16 30 37 14 97
Jay Ajayi 16 30 37 14 83
Corey Clement 28 19 15 28 90

 

It’s important to note that Clement received almost twice as many snaps as Blount or Ajayi in a very important game against the Seahawks. The pace of the game would lead you to believe that the Eagles had Clement in as the receiving back, but Clement has just as many receptions (four) as Ajayi since he joined the Eagles. That could make things blurry for fantasy owners heading into 2018, but not so much for me. We will discuss that more later though.

It’s great when you look at snap counts, because it shows you who is on the field the most. More time on the field equals more opportunities to score points. Volume is an argument that most people will use when looking at starting a player. I get it, same concept as above. The more opportunities the better. I always argue there is a difference between volume and quality volume. In Los Angeles, Melvin Gordon leads his backfield by a wide margin. He currently has 207 rushing attempts to Austin Ekelers’ 41 attempts. Gordon though is only averaging 3.7 yards per carry. He is only top 10 in rushing yards because of his volume. So since Week 9, which Eagles running back is doing the most with his attempts?

Player Total Yards* Touches Yds/Att
LeGarrette Blount 217 45 4.8
Jay Ajayi 257 34 7.55
Corey Clement 192 30 6.4
* Since Week 9

 

Ajayi is the clear winner as it comes to effectiveness. Clement and Ajayi both have the advantage of adding receptions to their touches while Blount has not had a reception since Week 9. As I mentioned above, this is turning into the Patriots backfield. Any player in any given week could lead the backfield snaps, someone else could lead the touches and someone else could actually get the fantasy points. During Ajayi’s first week, Clement led the touches and scored three touchdowns, more than he had all season up to that point. No one called that right?

Long term, there is no confusion about this backfield. Blount may still be leading the backfield in 2017, but he will be moving on this offseason. Blount was signed to a one-year deal and was signed really late in the offseason. Even after 18 TDs last year, teams were not jumping at the opportunity to add him to the depth chart. Even though Blount, Ajayi and Clement are the only ones mentioned right now, don’t forget that the Eagles still have Wendell Smallwood and 2017 fourth round pick Donnel Pumphrey on the roster.

Ajayi has been the most effective back for the Eagles since the trade. Overall though, he has to be one of the biggest busts in 2017 based on ADP. He was the RB4 or RB5 in most drafts and hasn’t come close to those expectations. There is a reason the Dolphins moved him for just a fourth round pick. Ajayi has long term issues with his knees. There is no telling how long they may actually hold up. He could be done this week, next year or a couple years down the road. Anyway it goes, I am not going to trust his knees to remain healthy. In redraft leagues, absolutely take a flier at the right price. Dynasty owners should steer clear though.

In dynasty leagues, Clement is the Eagles running back to be owned. He will offer the most upside moving forward. When Blount is out of the picture next year, Clement and Ajayi will have an equal split. The Eagles will want to keep Ajayi healthy which will lead to plenty of opportunities for Clement. This offseason will be a great opportunity to move on Clement. Ajayi looks like he could finish the year strong and based on past performance and hype, people will want as many Ajayi shares as possible. In a perfect world, you will own Ajayi and Clement.

This Eagles offense will only get better and Wentz will be the next Aaron Rodgers. It will be a fun offense to watch and the running backs will benefit from great weapons around them. We have only heard about Wentz because of his stellar play this year, and rightfully so. Typically, you hear more about a MVP candidate than a running back committee. However, Philadelphia’s run game deserves a ton of credit and maybe has helped Wentz to some of his success this year. The Eagles run game ranks second with 143.3 rushing yards per game, third with 375 rushing attempts on the year and fourth with 4.6 yards per carry.

 

What to Watch For

This game in particular is going to be fun to watch. The Eagles are coming off a tough loss against the Seahawks and will be facing the Rams in what could be a preview of the NFC Championship game. The Rams defense is giving up 122.8 yards rushing per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. They are also giving up 22.15 fantasy points against running backs this year, the second most of any team. Wentz has it in him to take over a shootout and go against the best.

In this game, on the road, the Eagles will look to control the game though. They want to keep Jared Goff and Todd Gurley off the field as long as possible. When you have the luxury of three running backs, all of which are performing well, controlling the game becomes a lot easier. Over the last four weeks, the Eagles backfield has averaged 27.25 touches per game and Wentz has averaged 33.75 attempts. Wentz is going to keep his attempts under 30 this Sunday though and let his backs do the heavy lifting.

 

More 2017 Dynasty League Strategy




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

Marvin Mims Jr.

Could be on Track for First 1,000-Yard Season
Jaylen Johnson

Chargers Place Jaylen Johnson on PUP List
Dereck Lively II

Undergoes Right-Foot Surgery Tuesday
Kendrick Bourne

Kayshon Boutte Fighting for Final Spots
Isaiah Collier

Logs a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Monday
DeMario Douglas

Kyle Williams "Locks" for Receiving Corps
Trey Smith

Chiefs, Trey Smith Finalizing Massive Extension
Anthony Richardson Sr.

Colts Expected to Ease Anthony Richardson Sr. Back in
Devin Carter

Posts 17 Points Versus Suns
Bronny James Jr.

Scores 17 Points in Summer League Loss
Terry McLaurin

Undecided on Whether he Will Report to Training Camp
Colston Loveland

Says his Shoulder is 100 Percent
Harrison Ingram

has Impressive Outing Against Jazz
Sam Williams

has Potential to be Elite Edge Rusher
Shemar Stewart

Considering Going Back to College?
Jahmyr Gibbs

Lions Want Jahmyr Gibbs "More Involved" in Passing Game
Jordan Addison

Could be Facing Three-Game Suspension
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Kyle Filipowski

Records 35-Point Double-Double Against Spurs
Kel'el Ware

Dominates Against Celtics
Kon Knueppel

Gets Going Monday
Matas Buzelis

Puts Up 28 Points in Win Over Pacers
Reed Sheppard

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
Paul George

Undergoes Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Oneil Cruz

Ties Home Run Derby Distance Record
Cal Raleigh

Wins 2025 Home Run Derby
Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
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
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF