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Welcome back RotoBallers! As we head into Week 14 of the NFL season, we are now well into the crucial point in the season that can make or break your season.
It's more critical than ever to make the right lineup decisions and start the right players to put out your optimal lineups, as managers need to string some wins together to achieve their championship aspirations.
Listed below will be some players who could be in for a disappointing performance relative to their overall expectations. No matter how bad of a matchup some of these players may have, fantasy managers likely aren't in a position to leave them on their bench. Having said that, there are a couple of guys who are by no means a must-start in Week 14.
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Who Should I Bench or Sit in Week 14?
QB - Derek Carr, Las Vegas Raiders
Carr is in for a tough test against the red-hot Chiefs defense that has given up just 39 points in the past four games. After a hot start to the 2021 season, Carr has cooled off the past through the past five weeks when it comes to fantasy production, as he is averaging just over 14 points per game since Week 9. The Chiefs are giving up 231 passing yards per game over the past four weeks, which is well under the 305 passing yards that Carr has averaged through his first 12 starts. The Chiefs were one of the easier matchups for all positions on offense at the start of the season, but that is no longer the case based on what we have seen over the past month.
Carr’s season average of 305 passing yards is continuing to come back down to earth over the past few weeks, as he has failed to crack 300 in four out of his past five games, and has averaged just one passing touchdown over that stretch. Carr has shown in the past that his game tends to become more inconsistent in the latter parts of the season, so he seems like a very risky start in this game. There is always the potential for a pass-heavy game script when you face the Chiefs, as we saw the Raiders get blown out 41-14 in their last meeting. Still, based on what we have seen from the Chiefs defense and the way Carr’s game is trending, this seems like a matchup to avoid. He isn't a must-bench, but be careful.
Should I Start Chuba Hubbard in Week 14?
Hubbard once again finds himself with a prominent role in the offense after Christian McCaffrey suffered a season-ending ankle injury. The rookie has been given some significant workloads in McCaffrey’s absence, which includes games with 29 and 25 touches. The Panthers' offense has changed since the last time Hubbard was the starter, as Cam Newton has been added to the mix, which largely affects the young running back’s potential to score touchdowns close to the goal line.
Newton has scored three rushing touchdowns in his three appearances in his second stint with Carolina, and there is no reason to believe he won’t continue to be the primary ball-carrier at the goal line. With Ameer Abdullah now in the Carolina backfield, Hubbard’s passing game usage likely has a cap on it as well which gives him an extremely low floor in this game, even against a weak Atlanta defense. Abdullah was targeted six times in the Panthers’ last game after McCaffrey exited early, so it seems pretty clear they plan to get him involved on third downs. Hubbard has some upside as a FLEX option, but he is a risky start at a critical point in the fantasy season.
Should I Start Devonta Freeman in Week 14?
Freeman has gotten some workhorse-like usage the past three games as Latavius Murray dealt with his lingering ankle issue. Freeman will go up against the Cleveland Browns once again after carrying the ball 16 times for just 52 yards in their meeting in Week 12. He caught just one pass in the game, which turned his performance into a total dud for fantasy managers. The Browns have been solid against the run this year, and have given up the 10th-fewest rushing yards while allowing the fourth-fewest yards per carry (4.0).
With Murray getting healthier, he could start to see his workload be increased and would likely be able to get some more snaps near the goal line, which would put a cap on Freeman’s ceiling. Freeman has failed to surpass 60 rushing yards in four consecutive games, so unless he scores a touchdown, he will likely be in for a dud performance that is reminiscent of his last performance against Cleveland. With an offense that seems to be on the decline, the veteran running back is a risky FLEX option, but if he finds the end zone, he should have a solid game for fantasy managers. He is by no means a must-bench, but Freeman seems like a risky option in a crucial week for fantasy managers.
Should I Start DeAndre Hopkins in Week 14?
Hopkins made his return to the lineup in Week 13 and picked up right where he left off as he caught a touchdown pass running right past Jaylon Johnson. He was only targeted twice, so that is likely to change on Monday night against the Rams, but he draws a tough matchup with cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Davante Adams was able to have a very solid game against the Rams as Ramsey didn't follow him all over the field, so it is possible that Hopkins isn't shadowed all game by the league’s best cornerback. We have seen Ramsey’s frustration in the past when he isn't shadowing the opposing team’s best wide receiver, so we will have to wait and see what the coverage looks like on Monday.
In Hopkins’ last meeting with the Rams, he was targeted seven times and caught four passes for 67 yards. He is yet to see a game with 10+ targets this season, so it is hard to rely on a lot of volume to offset the tough matchup in this one. It is hard to keep relying on touchdowns to salvage his fantasy performances, as he has somehow not been able to surpass 100 receiving yards in a game this season. Hopkins is still an elite receiver but hasn't got the volume to sustain WR1 production this season. If you have him on your roster, you likely can’t afford to bench him, but he should be downgraded into the WR2 tier with all things considered.
Highest-graded CBs:
🐏 Jalen Ramsey - 85.3
A.J. Terrell - 83.4
Darius Slay - 83.0
Denzel Ward - 80.2 pic.twitter.com/4xUXfveYVr— PFF (@PFF) December 8, 2021
Should I Start Brandin Cooks in Week 14?
Cooks has been the textbook example of a boom-or-bust option this season, as his performance has been all over the place with little consistency on a weekly basis. He has found the end zone three times all season and has been held under 60 receiving yards on seven different occasions. Since Tyrod Taylor returned to action, Cooks has seen his target numbers take a dip. Taylor is unlikely to play on Sunday, so Davis Mills will be the starter once again if Taylor is to be ruled out.
Cooks has been able to find some success with Mills throwing him passes, but there have also been games where he was held to 47, 23, 21, and 56 receiving yards without finding the end zone. The Seahawks haven't given up many receiving touchdowns this season with just 17, which is the sixth-fewest in the NFL. They give up 10.9 yards per reception, so the matchup isn't overly concerning as that number is the 13th-fewest in the NFL. Still, we have seen Cooks average 33.6 receiving yards in his last three games, all of which came against matchups that were not exactly worrisome. He could see a lot of volume in this game so he isn't a must-sit, but what we have seen over the past three games is concerning.
Should I Start Evan Engram in Week 14?
There has been some buzz surrounding Engram because of injuries to receivers Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, and Sterling Shepard, but fantasy managers should pump the brakes just a bit if they think Engram will start to produce at a noteworthy level. With the beat-up receiving core last week, Engram managed five targets which turned into four catches for 61 yards. The yardage totals are appealing because of the lackluster tight end options there are besides the top options, but it is hard to count on another good game from Engram, who has averaged 25.5 receiving yards from Week 8 to Week 12.
The matchup with the Chargers isn't concerning as they have given up 15.1 fantasy points per game to tight ends, but the quarterback play of Mike Glennon or Jake Fromm isn't particularly appealing for a pass-catcher in the Giants' offense. Engram could have some value as a streaming option, but fantasy managers should proceed with caution.
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