Week 14 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Fantasy Football Stars to Play and Bench
The fantasy football stakes are as high as they've ever been entering Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season.
In previous weeks, you could botch a lineup decision but still have an opportunity to correct that mistake moving forward. Guess wrong on a couple start-or-sit decisions this week, though, and your playoff hopes could be instantly dashed.
Let's try to make sure that doesn't happen, then, by spotlighting our top starts and sits at each of the three marquee positions.
Start: Justin Fields, QB, Chicago Bears (vs. Detroit Lions)
Fields had a rough go in Week 12 (217 passing yards, 59 rushing yards and zero touchdowns), but a date with Detroit's defense could be just what he needs to get back on track. Travel back just a single week before that dud, and he was lighting up the Lions for 104 rushing yards. And believe it or not, those were his fewest rushing yards against Detroit in his last three matchups (132-plus in those contests).
He could do more than run in this contest, too. The Lions have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, per Yahoo.
Sit: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (at Baltimore Ravens)
Matthew Stafford has been on a tear of late, throwing for seven scores and only a single interception over his last two outings. It's never comfortable moving away from a player on this kind of heater, but there are real reasons to worry about him in this matchup.
No one has allowed fewer fantasy points to the position than the Ravens, who should also be fresher than they've been in a while after their Week 13 bye. Only two quarterbacks have thrown for multiple scores against them, and those passers (Joe Burrow and Joshua Dobbs) nearly had as many interceptions (three combined) as touchdown throws (four) in those contests.
Start: James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills (at Kansas City Chiefs)
Buffalo has topped 30 points in each of the two games since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator for Ken Dorsey, and James Cook has been heavily involved in this offense's resurgence. He's had 33 carries for 116 yards and, most interestingly, hauled in nine receptions (on 11 targets) for 86 yards and a score.
His increased usage in the Bills' passing game could be big, as this contest has shootout potential. Plus, Kansas City has allowed at least 13.5 PPR points to a running back in five of its past six games.
Sit: Najee Harris, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. New England Patriots)
Najee Harris is becoming one of the more touchdown-dependent backs in fantasy. That's a huge worry when he's stuck in a timeshare with Jaylen Warren and playing for a Pittsburgh offense that's just 28th in points per game (16).
This New England defense has also been absurdly stingy since its Week 11 bye. In back-to-back weeks, Saquon Barkley and Austin Ekeler managed a combined 79 scrimmage yards on 29 touches with neither finding the end zone.
Start: Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos (at Los Angeles Chargers)
Courtland Sutton may not always snag a ton of catches or post the biggest yardage totals, but he almost always brings in a touchdown reception. His scoring grab Sunday was sixth in seven games and ninth on the season.
He has a great chance to stay in this groove when he locks horns with a Chargers defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to receivers.
Sit: Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks (at San Francisco 49ers)
Tyler Lockett has just two touchdown catches since September and has only cleared 60 receiving yards in one of his last five games. In two of those contests, he managed just three receptions apiece spanning a total of 62 yards.
One of those dismal efforts came against this same San Francisco defense, which held him to three catches on five targets for 30 yards on Thanksgiving. He failed to score a touchdown in three matchups with the 49ers last season, averaging an unspectacular 71.3 yards in those games.