There is a lot to play for in Week 14. It’s the last regular season game of the 2022 fantasy football season. For some of you, though, you need to win to get into the playoffs. Technically, then, your playoffs start now. For others, you may be playing for a bye, looking to score the most points of the season, or just competing against someone else looking to do the same. Whatever the reason, you’re here to see which players I love and hate to help you reach your Week 14 goal. I appreciate you taking the time to see what I have to say and wish you luck heading into the weekend.
Sometimes you don’t have many choices as the bench options on your roster become scarce. If you do have options, though, I believe what I have to say about these players that I love and hate will help put you in a position to win your week. My track record, thus far, is pretty spot on as I continue to hold myself accountable, review each list every week on Twitter (@Colin_McT) and improve week-to-week! Let’s take a look at who deserves to start and who you should consider sitting this week.
Players I Love and Hate in Week 14 of the 2022 Season
Quarterback
Love: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions
After dropping 40 points last week at home, the Detroit Lions are now the sixth-highest scoring team on a points-per-game basis. Jared Goff is at the center of it all and surrounded by elite weapons. In Week 14, at home again hosting the Minnesota Vikings, I love Goff and the Lions to keep things rolling.
With six teams on bye, Goff is set up nicely to finish inside the top-1o at quarterback once again. In the last four weeks, the quarterback facing the Vikings has finished inside the top nine each week. Both Mac Jones and Mike White have eclipsed 360 passing yards against the Vikings in their last two games.
Goff’s confidence remains on full display. It’s been four straight games without an interception for Goff while throwing exactly two touchdown passes in his last two. A big reason for Goff’s success is his supporting cast. Lead receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown is 12th in yards after the catch this season. D’Andre Swift is finally healthy and gets a Vikings defense allowing the fifth-most receiving yards to running backs. Additionally, rookie receiver, Jameson Williams, is ramping up in his return to football and offers Goff an additional deep threat option in addition to D.J. Chark. This Week 14 matchup will be full of big plays and scoring. I love the home team quarterback to have a big day.
Some Extra Love:
Trevor Lawrence is entering Week 14 after suffering a calf injury in a 40-14 loss to the Lions last week. It’s not supposed to hold him out, though, and I love his matchup against the Tennessee Titans. They are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season. That includes allowing the third-most passing touchdowns. Let’s face it, on the other side, Derrick Henry is going to run wild, like he always does, against this Jaguars’ defense. Assuming Jacksonville’s time of possession takes a hit as a result, Trevor is going to have to make the most of what time he does have with the ball and attack through the air. If he starts, I’m starting him in my fantasy lineup.
Hate: Daniel Jones, New York Giants
In his third straight divisional matchup, I hate Daniel Jones’ outlook for Week 14 against the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles. In his last two games, Jones is averaging just 15.81 fantasy points per game. He simply doesn’t have enough firepower on the Giants’ offense which limits his fantasy ceiling.
Jones is fifth in rushing yards this season amongst all quarterbacks. He’s averaging just 4.9 less rushing yards per game than Josh Allen. That usually would give a player like Jones an uptick for fantasy football. However, the Eagles are allowing just 17.25 rushing yards per game to the position. Additionally, they’re one of just five teams that haven’t allowed a rushing touchdown to opposing quarterbacks this season.
With a lack of rushing upside and lack of receiving weapons, Jones gets a major downgrade for me in Week 14. Even with six teams on a bye, I still don’t think Jones is a quality option in almost all-size 1QB leagues this week.
Running Back
Love: Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
As the season continues to wind down, I find myself consistently placing players on my Love/Hate list in back-to-back weeks. Now, this list is meant to highlight players that I think managers are debating whether or not to start each week. Placing Pacheco back on the love list for Week 14 hopefully gives managers on the fence the extra confidence to keep him in their starting lineups against the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos have allowed just five total touchdowns this season to running backs. That’s tied for the second-lowest total across the league. However, just two weeks ago, they allowed two Carolina Panthers running backs to combine for 178 scoreless rushing yards on 41 total attempts. It goes without saying that, while it’s a tough matchup, you can run against Denver.
Kansas City is averaging the most points per game (29.2) this season. Given the almighty threat Patrick Mahomes poses throwing the ball, it will be hard for Denver to fully commit to stopping the run. So, not only do I want to continue to start Pacheco, the starting running back on one of the best offenses in football, but I don’t think his matchup is as scary as some think. He’s also averaging 18 opportunities in his last three games with either 100 yards rushing or a rushing touchdown in each. Start Pacheco.
Some Extra Love:
Chuba Hubbard is worth starting this week for the Carolina Panthers especially if D’Onta Foreman is unable to play. Just prior to the Panthers’ Week 13 bye, Hubbard carried the ball 17 times even with Foreman getting 24 of his own. Coming out of the bye, though, Foreman is dealing with both rib and foot injuries. They’ve held him out of practice to open the week. If he can’t go, Hubbard will face a Seattle Seahawks defense allowing the third-most points per game to running backs. Foreman is worth starting if he is active, but I still consider Hubbard a sleeper as a flex even if Foreman plays. Seattle also allows the second-most receiving yards to running backs on the seventh-most receptions. Hubbard has pass-catching upside.
Hate: Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After logging 81 all-purpose yards on 16 touches last week, it may raise a few eyebrows to see Fournette on the hate list for Week 14. However, Fournette is averaging just 12.92 points per game in his last four. Now, he’s set to head west to San Francisco against a 49ers defense that’s allowed just five total touchdowns to running backs this season. Again, that’s the second-least amount across the league.
Another obvious reason Fournette’s value is down is the emergence of rookie Rachaad White. He is averaging 13.42 in his last four and that’s with just one touchdown, which is one less than Fournette in that span. That touchdown for White, by the way, is the game-winning receiving touchdown from Monday Night Football last week against the New Orleans Saints.
Tampa is averaging the sixth-least points per game this season. It’s an underwhelming offense and season, to say the least. Given the travel, the matchup, and Fournette sharing the workload with Rachaad White, it’s worth strong consideration leaving Lenny on the bench in Week 14. White is worth the start as I believe he will be more involved in this week’s passing game, though his value isn’t as high as it usually is.
Wide Receiver
Love: Joshua Palmer, Los Angeles Chargers
Since the Chargers’ Week 8 bye, Palmer leads the team in targets. On a weekly basis, though, he’s led the team in targets in just two of those five games. His main competition for targets are Austin Ekeler out of the backfield and Keenan Allen, who is finally back from injury. Even with Allen back, Palmer still saw 11 targets to Allen’s 14 last week.
Palmer is averaging 15.84 points per game during his voluminous five-game run. However, he’s eclipsed that number in just two of those games with 13.0 points or less in the other three. Ahead of Week 14, the Chargers will look to improve upon their .500 record at home against the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are a tough run defense allowing just 110.5 yards per game and just 89.7 per in their last three. That leads me to believe the Chargers attack more through the air.
Palmer remains a safe option for any fantasy lineup. He has 40 yards or more receiving in six straight games. If you need to round out your roster in the final week of the fantasy regular season, I love Palmer to maintain a quality floor to keep you competitive.
Some Extra Love:
Darius Slayton remains the WR1 with the New York Giants as most of their best receivers are hurt. Ahead of Week 14, he and running back Saquon Barkley are tied for the team’s lead in targets with 52 apiece. However, 53% of Slayton’s targets on the season are from his last four games. In fact, he has a 24.5% team target share in that span. He has double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games as a result. He is a flex option with upside in a likely negative game script against the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles.
Hate: Michael Gallup, Dallas Cowboys
Gallup remains second fiddle to Ceedee Lamb amongst Cowboys wide receivers. Since returning, Gallup has yet to see more targets in a game than Lamb in nine games together. In fact, Gallup only has three more total targets than tight end, Daulton Schultz, in the team’s last five games. Gallup is coming off of a two-score game in a 54-19 blowout against the Indianapolis Colts. I’m sure many fantasy managers are considering starting him in Week 14 for that reason, but I hate the idea of it.
The Cowboys are more than two touchdown favorites against the Houston Texans in Week 14. Houston is the most fantasy-friendly matchup for opposing running backs this season. With a positive game script and the absolute best matchup, Dallas should be deploying both Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard heavily this week. As a result of being such a porous run defense, Houston doesn’t see many teams beat them through the air. They’ve allowed a league-low four touchdown passes to wide receivers this season. I think you’re hoping for Gallup to find the end zone this week to pay off again and I’m not confident he does so.
Tight End
Love: Greg Dulcich, Denver Broncos
It’s hard to believe I could love any piece of this Denver Broncos offense, but here I am putting their rookie tight end (of all positions!) on this Week 14 list. Dulcich is coming off his best fantasy football performance of the season. His eight targets in Week 13 led all Broncos. That’s partially a result of Courtland Sutton exiting with a hamstring injury. Sutton remains out and is unlikely to play in Week 14. That’s good news for Dulcich.
The Broncos will play host to the Kansas City Chiefs but are 9.5-point underdogs. That will lend to a negative game script with plenty of passing for the Broncos offense. More good news for Dulcich. Lastly, head coach, Nathaniel Hackett, is very open about Dulcich playing a wide receiver role for this offense. That’s evident in him tying for the lead in routes run amongst all Broncos, as well, in Week 13. All signs point to heavy volume, at least, for Dulcich in Week 14, as well. That’s all we can really ask for at the tight end position at this point.
Some Extra Love:
Hunter Henry is getting some love for Week 14 after justifiably landing on the hate list last week. Henry gets the Arizona Cardinals defense this week. They allow the most receptions, yards, and touchdowns to tight ends this season. Jakobi Meyers also looks like he might miss this one, too, opening up more opportunities for Henry. Given the matchup, and Henry seeing one red zone target in each of his last two games, I think Henry scores double-digit fantasy points this week with a good chance of finding the end zone.
Hate: Dawson Knox, Buffalo Bills
It continues to be a struggle to find a trustworthy tight end outside of Travis Kelce week-to-week. We’re all just trying to find someone we think can get into the end zone at this point, right? Well, I hate Dawson Knox’s chances of doing so in Week 14. Why? Because the New York Jets defense hasn’t allowed a touchdown to any tight end all season. In the Bills’ first matchup with the Jets this season, Knox caught three of four targets for 25 scoreless yards. I’m sure there are other streaming options out there. I’d look to one of them instead of Knox for Week 14.
Also make sure to check out our Week 14 Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | Flex Rankings