Week 14 Fantasy Football Matchup Winners

Every week, I do the dirty work for you and dig into every Sunday matchup to determine who is the player from each team to spotlight. This involves looking at Fantasy Points Per Game (PPG) and yardage allowed by defenses, along with looking at player usage and performances. I will always have hits and misses, but I will also always have detailed reasoning behind the points I am making.

Week 13 Hits

Below are some hits that had huge weeks or simply out-produced their expectations in Week 13.

• Sam LaPorta – 29 Fantasy Points
• Michael Pittman Jr. – 27.5 Fantasy Points
• Derrick Henry – 25 Fantasy Points
• Sam Howell – 20.2 Fantasy Points
• Kyren Williams – 20.2 Fantasy Points
• Rachaad White – 19.6 Fantasy Points
• AJ Brown – 19.4 Fantasy Points
• Tua Tagovailoa – 19.2 Fantasy Points
• Russell Wilson – 18.8 Fantasy Points
• Tony Pollard – 17.3 Fantasy Points
• Brandon Aiyuk – 15.6 Fantasy Points
• Jaxon Smith-Nijigba – 13.2 Fantasy Points

Each week I am accountable within this piece, and highlight the misses. Those players in Week 13 include Bijan Robinson, Keenan Allen, Marquise Brown, Najee Harris, Adam Thielen, and David Njoku.

Overall, I feel great about the “hit” to “miss” ratio within these articles this season. Let’s keep it rolling here. The intent is to help you win your Fantasy Football matchups, and maybe even some DFS cash. Keep in mind that the Cardinals and Commanders are on a BYE this week. Below are my player highlights for Week 14 – let’s get it!

Week 14 Fantasy Football Matchup Winners

Thursday Night Football

Patriots vs. Steelers

• Ezekiel Elliott: The Steelers are a middle-of-the-table team in Fantasy PPG allowed to running backs but allow the 11th most rushing yards per game this season. It was reported that Rhamondre Stevenson is set to miss a few weeks due to an ankle injury sustained in Week 13, which means Ezekiel Elliott should operate as the lead running back for New England. Zeke took over as the lead back in Week 13, rushing 17 times for 52 yards and also catching four passes for 40 yards. This meant an RB15 finish for the week following those 92 scrimmage yards. Week 13 was just the third time Zeke totaled 15+ touches, with a season-high 21, but we should expect this sort of volume until Stevenson is back. Prior to 2023, Zeke for seven straight seasons has ranged from 231-322 rushing attempts and also has four seasons of 47+ receptions on his resume.
• Diontae Johnson: The Patriots allow the 12th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. Mitch Trubisky will get the start Thursday night for Kenny Pickett, who underwent ankle surgery. Trubisky threw 11/17 for 117 yards and a touchdown in Week 13, that touchdown going to Diontae Johnson. Johnson finished Week 13 as the WR24, which marks his fourth week finishing as a top 24 Fantasy Football wide receiver through seven games this season. Johnson finished Weeks 7-9 with 79, 85, and 90 receiving yards and has been targeted eight or more times in four games this season. I would expect heavy targets in Week 14.

Sunday Slate

Texans vs. Jets

• Devin Singletary: The Jets allow the eighth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the fifth most rushing yards per game this season. Devin Singletary and Dameon Pierce look to be in a committee with both backs healthy, which can be frustrating from a Fantasy Football lens seeing that Singletary led in touches in Week 12 and Pierce did in Week 13. Pierce scored double-digit Fantasy Points in Week 13 due to a rushing touchdown but rushed for under 50 yards for the seventh time this season through nine games. Pierce has also rushed for under 40 yards in five of nine appearances this season. Week 10 Singletary rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown, then followed that game up in Week 11 by rushing for 112 yards and another touchdown. 52 rushing attempts during those two games with Pierce out injured. Singletary has 525 rushing yards to Pierce’s 382 rushing yards on one less rushing attempt. Six receptions for 54 yards in Week 12 was another note to make for Singletary. Bottom line – if either of these backs are going to be efficient in Week 14 it is Singletary for me.
• Breece Hall: The Texans rank 16th in Fantasy PPG allowed to running backs this season, but Breece Hall feels like one of the few Jets options that can be trusted. The reason? Heavy usage in the passing game. Since the Week 7 BYE, Weeks 8-13 Hall ranks #1 in targets (39), #1 in receptions (31), and is tied for #1 in receiving yards (236). During this span, Hall has rushed for under 30 yards in five of six games, with the asterisk being a 50-yard rushing week. The Jets offense has simply been poor, with uncertainty of who even is their quarterback for the rest of the season. So with plenty of dump-offs and plays to Hall in the passing game, he is at least somewhat safe for PPR Fantasy Leagues.

Rams vs. Ravens

• Kyren Williams: The Ravens are not a positive Fantasy matchup to any position, but we have to mention Kyren Williams yet again. Small sample size but across the last two weeks that Kyren has returned to the field, no running back has touched the ball more (46 touches), no running back has scored more Fantasy Points (58.6) . 29.3 average), no running back has rushed for more yards (231) and only two running backs have caught more passes (nine). Williams finished Week 12 with 32.4 Fantasy Points as the RB1, then Week 13 with 17.2 Fantasy Points as the RB9 for Fantasy Football. Through eight appearances, six of them have meant a top 10 Fantasy week for Williams. Heavy volume, and heavy production this season.
• Isaiah Likely: The Rams allow the third most Fantasy PPG, the sixth most total receiving yards, and are tied for the third most touchdowns allowed to tight ends this season. Isaiah Likely was targeted six times, catching four of those for 40 yards in his first game with Mark Andrews out for the season. Week 13 was the second time across the last four weeks Likely finished with 40+ receiving yards. Likely finished three weeks as a rookie last season as a top 10 Fantasy tight end, with two of those performances being for 18 Fantasy Points. In those two games last year of 18+ Fantasy Points, Likely produced 77 and 103 receiving yards. The upside is there, the lead role is there and the matchup is a good one.

Panthers vs. Saints

• Jonathan Mingo: The Saints are a rough matchup for wide receivers in Fantasy Football, but I did want to take a minute to plug the Panthers’ second-round rookie wide receiver in Jonathan Mingo. Mingo is rising. A target trend of seven, six, six, and then 10 in the last four weeks hinted at the bigger game Mingo had in Week 13. Mingo finished last week with six catches on those 10 targets for 69 receiving yards and scored 12.9 Fantasy Points. Season-highs across the board. 60 then 69 receiving yards in the last two games is another positive trend for the rookie. The veteran Adam Thielen, who was heavily utilized and produced well earlier this season, has earned just nine targets and caught four of them combining the last two games. Is Carolina emphasizing getting the rookie wide receiver reps for development?
• Alvin Kamara: The Panthers allow the third most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season, and have felt like a smash Fantasy matchup for the position. Alvin Kamara finished Week 13 as the RB2 for Fantasy, rushing for 51 yards and two touchdowns and also catching six passes for 58 yards. 28.9 Fantasy Points in Week 13 marked the fourth time through nine appearances that Kamara has scored 21+ Fantasy Points and the seventh time he has scored 17+ Fantasy Points. The six receptions in Week 13 was also the fifth time he has hit this mark, and Kamara has finished games this year with 12 and 13 catches in other weeks. 19 and then 20 touches in the two weeks following the Week 11 BYE is a positive sign for Kamara, who has been one of the most productive dual-threat running backs on a consistent level after his return from suspension. Kamara will eat up the Panthers in Week 14.

Colts vs. Bengals

• Gardner Minshew: The Bengals allow the sixth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the sixth most passing yards per game this season. Gardner Minshew is definitely a quarterback you can stream for Week 14 if you are looking for one. Minshew scored 18.7 Fantasy Points in Week 13 as the QB12, throwing for 312 yards yards and two touchdowns. Across the last two weeks following the Week 11 BYE, Minshew has totaled 83 passing attempts which tells us the volume through the air is definitely there. Minshew has finished three weeks with over 300 passing yards and three weeks with multiple passing touchdowns this season.
• Joe Mixon: The Colts allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the seventh most rushing yards per game this season. Joe Mixon is coming off of his best Fantasy Football week of the season, scoring 29,.7 Fantasy Points as Week 13’s RB1. Mixon rushed 19 times for 68 yards and two touchdowns and also caught six passes for 49 yards. Back-to-back weeks with 40+ receiving yards. Since the Week 7 BYE, Mixon has scored six total touchdowns across six games and has finished as a top 10 Fantasy running back in four of these weeks. The Bengals offense looked much better in Jake Browning’s second start, which was encouraging to see for all Fantasy pieces from Cincinnati.

Buccaneers vs. Falcons

• Baker Mayfield: The Falcons allow the 11th most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks, which makes Baker Mayfield another streaming option for the position this week. Mayfield has had a down last three games but has finished as a top-12 quarterback in five games this season. Including four straight weeks doing so Weeks 7-10. Mayfield has one game over 300 passing yards, and four games of 265+ passing yards this year along with six games throwing multiple touchdowns.
• Drake London: The Buccaneers allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers, and fifth most passing yards per game this season. Outside of the Week 1 goose-egg score, Drake London is coming off of his worst Fantasy Football week of the season. The consistency has not been there this season, but we can say we have seen better days. Four weeks of 14+ Fantasy Points, and two weeks of 18+ Fantasy Points this season. Seven weeks of seven or more targets and three weeks of eight targets show the potential for quality volume. 125 receiving yards in Week 6 and 91 in Week 12 are two solid receiving days as well. A lot of flash points here, but I love this matchup for London with the hope he has his fourth week inside the top 24 Fantasy wide receivers.

Jaguars vs. Browns

• Travis Etienne Jr.: The Browns rank 30th or worse in PPG allowed to quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends this season, and allow the 19th most Fantasy PPG to running backs. Knowing this, and the uncertainty with Trevor Lawrence’s high-ankle sprain, Travis Etienne Jr. is the clear safest option to play in Week 14. After three down weeks following the Week 9 BYE, Etienne bounced back in Week 13 scoring 17.9 Fantasy Points. Etienne rushed for 45 yards and a touchdown and caught four passes for 34 yards. Etienne has finished as a top 10 Fantasy running back in six games and as a top five Fantasy running back in four games this season. Etienne ranks #4 in carries (194), #10 in rushing yards (726), #10 in targets (48), and #10 in receptions (#36) for the year as a dual-threat running back. A 78.6% snap share (#4) shows Etienne is a clear workhorse.
• Elijah Moore: The Jaguars allow the seventh most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers and the third most passing yards per game this season. In Week 13 Elijah Moore was reunited with Joe Flacco who he previously had a good connection with back in his rookie season with the New York Jets. Colin McTamanay plugged a graphic on X showing this connection from back in New York, which showed two double-digit targeted weeks, a game of 141 receiving yards, and two touchdowns scored. In Week 13, Moore earned a season-high 12 targets and caught four of them for a season-high 83 yards. As of Wednesday, we are unsure of who the Browns’ starting quarterback will be for Week 14, but Moore has earned seven or more targets in nine games and nine or more targets in four games this season. On top of that, Amari Cooper is in concussion protocol which could lead to Moore being the team’s WR1 for Week 14 in a plus matchup.

Lions vs. Bears

• David Montgomery: The Bears allow the 11th most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season. David Montgomery faced his former team in Week 11, scoring the game-winning touchdown that would fit a “revenge game” narrative. Montgomery rushed 12 times for 76 yards and a score, and caught two passes for 22 yards which resulted in 17.8 Fantasy Points. Montgomery did not have the best Fantasy week in Week 13, but what was most significant was the gap in touches between him and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs (19 to nine touches). Montgomery also played 62% of the snaps in Week 13, which was 22% higher than any of his three other games since returning from injury following the Week 9 BYE. Four straight games with a rushing touchdown and 10 total on the season show quality upside in that department that we could surely see in Week 14.
• Justin Fields: The Lions allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks this season. After missing time due to injury, Justin Fields returned in Week 11 to face the Lions and finished as the QB8 for the week with 21.2 Fantasy Points. Looking at the last three games played against Detroit (this and last season), Fields has finished as the QB8, QB1, and QB10 with 21.2, 40.4, and 17.2 Fantasy Points against the Lions. In all three of these games against Detroit, Fields has finished with over 100 rushing yards. We knew Fields had the rushing upside, as he led the league in rushing yards for the position last year, but he also showed us some passing upside this season as well despite missing time. Fields threw four touchdowns in back-to-back games, Weeks 4-5, and threw 335 and 282 yards in those two weeks. Detroit is a great matchup, and Fields has their number. Bounce-back week.

Seahawks vs. 49ers

• Jaxon Smith-Njigba: The 49ers allow the ninth most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. Last week was very much a DK Metcalf explosion for Seattle, as he finished with 134 receiving yards and three touchdowns, but do not let that completely overshadow the fact that Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the team in targets (11). The first-round rookie finished Week 13 with a season-high seven receptions on top of that season-high 11 target total and finished with over 60 receiving yards (62) for the third time across the last seven weeks. I called in this article last week that against a tougher defense, I felt JSN would be the easy outlet for Geno Smith due to his low average depth of target. The same narrative could be said against the 49ers in Week 14. JSN had a poor Week 12 against the 49ers in their first matchup, but he did finish with a season-high 20.5 yards per reception.
• Christian McCaffrey: The Seahawks allow the fifth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the 10th most rushing yards per game this season. Without plugging any statistics here, I would say most readers know that Christian McCaffrey is … good at football. Absolute monster when it comes to Fantasy Football. In the first Seattle matchup this season, CMC was exactly that, scoring 30.9 Fantasy Points. CMC rushed 19 times for 114 yards and two touchdowns and also caught five passes in Week 12 against the Seahawks. McCaffrey is obviously in your Fantasy Football lineup, but knowing what he did last time around may be an incentive to pay up in DFS for him in Week 14.

Vikings vs. Raiders

• Alexander Mattison: The Raiders allow the sixth most Fantasy PPG to running backs and the eighth most rushing yards per game this season. Three rough weeks in a row for Alexander Mattison makes him tough to trust in Fantasy Football leagues, but Week 14 sets him up nicely for a bounce-back. Mattison has finished as a top 10 running back twice and as a top 24 running back six times this season. Three games over 80 yards rushing, and four weeks of three or more catches show some potential to hit a decent combined stat line.
• Davante Adams: The Vikings allow the 11th most Fantasy PPG to wide receivers this season. Davante Adams is another prime bounce-back candidate in Week 14, after a WR32 finish in Week 13. In Week 11 Adams finished as the QB8, catching seven of his 13 targets for 82 yards and a touchdown. Adams finished both Week 10 and Week 11 with 13 targets and produced 86/82 receiving yards in those games. Adams has been targeted 12+ times in five games this season, and although those games were not all with the same quarterback we know the history of his production and talent level. Double-digit targets and another productive week are in the cards in Week 14.

Broncos vs. Chargers

• Russell Wilson: The Chargers allow the fourth most Fantasy PPG to quarterbacks and the second most passing yards per game. Since the Week 9 BYE, Russell Wilson has finished as a top 12 Fantasy quarterback in three of his four games. During this span, Wilson tossed a pair of touchdowns in Week 10, threw for 259 passing yards in Week 11, did not turn the ball over in Weeks 10-12, and rushed for a touchdown in Weeks 13 and Week 14. What is sneaky about Russ is the rushing numbers, with three weeks over 40 yards rushing and seven weeks over 30 yards rushing. Wilson may not have the upside to necessarily win you your week, but could be a solid play in Week 14.
• Austin Ekeler: The Broncos allow the most Fantasy PPG to running backs this season. Austin Ekeler is another bounce-back candidate for Week 14, who has finished outside the top 30 running backs for Fantasy Football in three straight games (yes, you read that right. 64 rushing yards on 10 attempts in Week 11, and five receptions in Week 12 are two positive signs. The issue has been the low rushing yards in the last two games (32/18), two fumbles across the last three games, and only three targets in two of his last three weeks. Across nine games played, Ekeler has earned six or more targets in five of them and produced over 40 receiving yards in three games. We are unsure if the injury that made Ekeler miss time has lingered or if he lost some sort of a step, but the Broncos matchup for running backs is a smash one so if there is a “get right” week it is this one. The Broncos are tied for allowing the sixth most receptions per game to running backs which is right up Ekeler’s alley.

Bills vs. Chiefs

• Stefon Diggs: The Chiefs are not a plus matchup for wide receivers, but they are more friendly in PPG allowed to the position (19th) than all other positions (22nd or worse). 19.4 Fantasy Points in Week 13 was a bounce-back for Stefon Diggs, who finished as the WR54 in back-to-back Weeks 10-11. Diggs caught six of his 11 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown last week. Seven weeks earning over 10 targets, five weeks over 100 receiving yards, and three top-five Fantasy finishes for the position align with our expectations of Diggs. We know this Bills-Chiefs game is going to be a ton of fun with two great offenses against one another, which should mean heavy use of each team’s elite players in Week 14.
• Rashee Rice: The Bills are not a plus matchup for wide receivers, but I want to make sure to note the rise of the second-round rookie for Kansas City in Rashee Rice. Rice ranks second in all of targets (65), receptions (52), and receiving yards (591) for the Chiefs, and is tied for first on the team in receiving touchdowns (five) this season. Having this sort of role, attached to Patrick Mahomes, is extremely intriguing for Fantasy Football. The last two weeks have been a big bump in usage and production though for Rice, in games he has played 67% and 69% of the snaps. Rice has earned 19 targets and caught 16 of them across the last two games, with 107 then 64 receiving yards and a touchdown during this span. 24.7 then 14.4 Fantasy Points have been useful, and make Rice a player at least in your FLEX right now. Again, two premiere offenses here so I expect a lot through the air.

Sunday Night Football

Eagles vs. Cowboys

• Both Jalen Hurts and Dak Prescott balled out against each other in Week 9 for the first Eagles-Cowboys matchup this season. I expect both quarterbacks to get after it in the second matchup in Week 14. Both quarterbacks finished top three for Fantasy Football that week. Here is how Week 9 went:
• Jalen Hurts: 207 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, 36 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. 25.9 Fantasy Points. QB3 for the week.
• Dak Prescott: 374 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and 14 rushing yards. 28.4 Fantasy Points. QB2 for the week.

Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings: Quarterback | Running Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End | Half-PPR by Position | Flex Rankings | Positional Ranks w/ K & DST | Dynasty | Superflex Dynasty