Fantasy Fallout: Week 14

By: Billy Gabelman (StatATL) and Mike Johnson (Mjohnson86)

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Daily Dose newsletter, our “Fantasy Fallout” day. In this article, you will get a quick rundown of the relevant things we learned from the week’s games from Thursday through Sunday. 

We won’t talk about every single player and we usually won’t spend time on studs who go nuts (no one needs to be told to start Saquon Barkley right now!), but rather, the idea is to update you on usage trends, injuries, and other relevant things to help your decisions with your teams.

Packers at Lions

• Jared Goff threw for 283 yards and three TDs as the Lions beat the Packers, 34-31, and secured a playoff berth.

• Tim Patrick saw seven targets and scored two TDs to go along with six catches for 43 yards. He’s operating as (at best) the fourth or fifth option in the pass game (behind Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs and Sam LaPorta), and isn’t viable as a weekly WR starter. 

• Chris Brooks out-snapped and out-touched Emanuel Wilson for the second straight week and appears to be the preferred back-up option. If looking for RB insurance, he’s an intriguing waiver add.

• Jordan Love only attempted 20 passes as the Packers leaned on Josh Jacobs and the run game. Jacobs had three TDs.

• Jayden Reed was held without a catch for the first time all season. Unfortunate timing for this outcome, but Reed remains a volatile weekly starter for most fantasy teams. Reed should find easier sledding next week as the Packers face off against the Seahawks.

Saints at Giants

• Derek Carr suffered an upper-body injury in the fourth quarter and did not return as the Saints blocked a potential game-tying field goal and held on to beat the Giants, 14-11. 

• Kendre Miller saw his first game action since Week 8 and had 32 yards and a TD on 10 rush attempts. He’s an intriguing waiver add for teams considering RB depth for the fantasy playoffs.

• Alvin Kamara turned 22 touches into 79 yards, but the Saints’ offense struggled without Taysom Hill (along with Rashid Shaheed and Chris Olave).

• Tyrone Tracy Jr. dominated the Giants backfield, with 21 touches to just two for Devin Singletary. Tracy can be safely started in the fantasy playoffs.

Browns at Steelers

• George Pickens missed the first game of his career, but the Steelers were able to defeat the Browns, 27-14, despite only 158 passing yards from Russell Wilson.

• A week after seeing 17 targets, David Njoku saw 13 targets and was Winston’s first look with Cedric Tillman missing his second straight game. Njoku and Jerry Jeudy are both strong options for the fantasy playoffs but face a tough Chiefs team next week.

• The Pittsburgh backfield was close to an even split, with Najee Harris seeing 16 opportunities while Jaylen Warren had 14. 

Falcons at Vikings

• Sam Darnold exploded for a career high 347 passing yards with five passing TDs as the Vikings doubled up the Falcons, 42-21.

• Along with Darnold, both Jordan Addison (8-133-3) and Justin Jefferson (7-132-2) had monster fantasy days. The Falcons continue to be a secondary to exploit for opposing WRs.

• Bijan Robinson’s workload continues to be elite, turning 24 touches into 101 yards and a TD. 

• A week after tossing four picks, Kirk Cousins threw two INTs as the Falcons fell out of the NFC South lead with the loss.

Raiders at Buccaneers

• Baker Mayfield threw for 295 yards and three TDs as the Bucs won for a third straight week and moved atop the NFC South standings.

• Raiders QB Aidan O’Connell suffered a knee injury in the second half and did not return. Desmond Ridder will likely draw the start against his former team (ATL) next week.

• Bucs rookie RB Bucky Irving, who entered the week questionable, injured his back in the second quarter and did not return. A situation to monitor. 

Panthers at Eagles

• Saquon Barkley rushed for 124 yards, breaking an Eagles’ single-season record in the process, but was held without a catch or a TD in what was a relatively disappointing fantasy day. 

• Rookie RB Jonathon Brooks was injured on his first carry and did not return. If he were to miss time, Chuba Hubbard would likely remain in his borderline bell-cow role.

• Adam Thielen recorded 102 receiving yards on nine catches and posted back to back games with double-digit targets. He continues to be Bryce Young’s preferred target and is an intriguing option for your playoff roster.

• Dallas Goedert missed the game with an injury, but the entire Eagles passing offense was a bit pedestrian. 

Jaguars at Titans

• Tony Pollard rushed for over 100 yards, but the Titans failed to score a TD against one of the league’s worst defenses as the Jaguars topped the Titans, 10-6.

• Calvin Ridley saw 12 targets and is averaging nine targets a game since the Titans’ Week 5 bye. He remains a volatile weekly starter tied to the disappointing Tennessee offense.

• Mac Jones started for an injured Trevor Lawrence and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. saw nearly a 40% target share. 

• Tank Bigsby dominated the Jags’ backfield with 55 yards and a TD on 18 rushes. Travis Etienne saw eight touches, but Bigsby is the preferred option as the Jags play out the remainder of the season.

Jets at Dolphins

• Aaron Rodgers threw for over 300 yards for the first time in over two years, but the Dolphins topped the Jets, 32-26, in OT.

• Both Jets primary WRs posted strong games (7-114-0 for Garrett Wilson and 9-109-1 for Davante Adams) in a losing effort.

• Tyreek Hill posted one of his best games of the season, topping 100 yards with a TD for just the second time this season.

Seahawks at Cardinals

• Zach Charbonnet filled in for Kenneth Walker III at RB and had a massive game while dominating the workload, although he did come off the field more than last time he filled the lead-back role. Young backup RB Kenny McIntosh saw a little bit of run and would be the “next man up” if both of the top RBs were ever to miss. He’s worth a stash in very deep leagues.

• There were no reported injuries from either team and nothing out of the usual in terms of workload or usage of players. Kyler Murray, James Conner, and Trey McBride are weekly starters for Arizona, while DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba from Seattle should be locked into your lineups. Marvin Harrison Jr. is matchup- and roster-dependent, and anyone else is a dart throw. 

Bills at Rams

• Josh Allen set a record as the first player to score three rushing and three passing touchdowns in the same game, dropping over 50 fantasy points and winning most matchups he was involved in.

• Amari Cooper burst to life and Khalil Shakir had a big game as the Bills’ offense showed that it still has its juice in the passing game when it needs it. TE Dalton Kincaid and WR Keon Coleman are expected back next week.

• Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams dominated for the Rams, combining for all four of the team’s offensive touchdowns. Nacua, Williams, and Cooper Kupp combined for 367 of the team’s 457 yards from scrimmage. Probably no one else you’d want to start from here.

Bears at 49ers

• The Bears’ offense never got off the ground against a rejuvenated 49ers team who dominated them from the start. Things don’t get easier, as they have games against the Vikings and Lions slated for the next two weeks.

• Rookie RB Isaac Guerendo had a huge game for the 49ers, but he left late with a reported foot injury. The 49ers play the Rams on Thursday night in Week 15, so his status is very much in doubt. Patrick Taylor Jr. is the “next man up” for the 49ers.

• George Kittle and Jauan Jennings continued their strong seasons with 20+ fantasy points and are every-week starters. Deebo Samuel Sr. continued to struggle and is tough to justify starting weekly at this point.

Chargers at Chiefs

• Los Angeles WR Ladd McConkey missed this game, but it sounds like he will be back for Week 15. Wide receivers Quentin Johnston and Joshua Palmer had nice games in his absence, but things should even out with all three on the field.

• Chargers TE Will Dissly suffered a shoulder injury at the end of the first half and did not return. Stone Smartt replaced him and had three receptions for 54 yards in the second half. He is worth a look for tight-end streamers.

• Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco took control of the backfield with about a 70/30 split of the work in a competitive game. Expect that to continue until the Chiefs lock up the No. 1 seed.

• In the Chargers’ backfield, RB Kimani Vidal out-snapped Gus Edwards but the two basically split touches 50/50. Both are risky weekly starts.

Join us Tuesday for Week 15 Waiver Targets!