In most leagues, if you finished in the top 3, you finish “In the Money”, to have a chance at being in that Championship Game, or even the 3rd place game, you are likely to have to win this week. Which makes this probably the biggest week for decisions with starts and sits. So hopefully, you hiy on enough guys correctly, to get you to semifinals, or in some cases the finals next week. Once again, if you have any last minute decisions regarding a player in a start or sit situation, you can just tweet me @pacman453323. So let’s get into the Week 14 Starts and Sits.
Starts: (outside of top 10 players of that position):
QBs
Ryan Tannehill – Everyone watched as the Miami Dolphins offense sucked the life out of our eyes on Monday Night Football. Tannehill was a big part of that horrid performance. However, if you truly watched the game, with 1-2 bounces, Tannehill could have thrown for near 300 yards with 2 TDs and no INTs. Don’t give up on him now with a prome matchup against Baltimore ahead this week.
Cam Newton – Even though Cam Newton has killed most fantasy seasons this year. I blame a lof of it on lack of a running game, lack of talent at WR and most importantly, him being injured. Last week, he looked much better and ran for around 50 yards. That’s the old Cam and that’s the person you want this week against a bad Saints defense.
RBs
Rashad Jennings – I have probably been Jennings biggest critic. I feel he is a product of the volume he gets, not the actual talent. However, at this time of the year, you have to go with what you see, not what you feel. Jennings has a cake matchup against teh Titans and he will get 25 touches or more, IF he is healthy, if he isn’t grab Andre Williams quickly.
Bishop Sankey – Over the past couple games, Sankey is actually running well. The biggest issue is the Titans have fallen behind so quickly, they are forced to go into all pass mode. The Giants have been horrible stopping the run and no one expects them to break out to a 3 TD lead. If Sankey can get 15-20 rushes, I can see 70-90 yards and a TD.
WRs
Cecil Shorts – If you look at the numbers, Shorts has been bad. Even the injury to previous #1 WR Allen Robinson has not helped Shorts break out yet. However, if you look deeper into it, you’ll see that Shorts got the targets last week, just not the catches. What that means it’s a risk, but a big game is coming for Shorts and the Texans are very bad stopping WRs. Just look what they gave up to Kendall Wright last week. He is a very similar WR to Shorts.
Golden Tate – The last two week, Tate has be solid, but not great. He faced two iddle range defenses, so it’s excuses. He still has gotten 21 targets over that span and approached 100 yards in both games. He faces a Bucs defense that gives up the 5th most points to WRs this year. Hi’m and Megatron should both have a field day.
TEs
Martellus Bennett – Against a tough defense last week, Bennett got over 100 yards receiving. He has slowed down like he typically does evey year, but he has a good matchup this week and this should be a high scoring game on Thursday Night Football. Both teams are coming off Thanksgiving Day losses and will be looking to attack early.
Sits:
QBs
Joe Flacco – The Dolphins have been one of the best teams against QBs this year and that was before they faced a horrible Geno Smith and the Jets last week. Miami is only giving up around 12 points per game to QBs and Flacco can be streaky at times. I wouldn’t put my playoff live on him.
Mark Sanchez – I cannot deny that Mark Sanchez has been good so far as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. However, this week he faces Richard Sherman and the “Legion of Boom”. The Seattle defense has been the best team in the league against QBs and even with Chip Kelly calling the plays, I don’t see Sanchez even thorwing for 2 TDs.
RBs
Lamar Miller – I am a big fan of Lamar Miller. I have him on most of my teams and I have been hyping him for a couple years. But with my playoff life on the line this week, I will be benching him. The Ravens have shown over the past month that they shut down all RBs right now. Ingram and Mathews have tried and failed. I don’t see Miller being the 1st one to break through against them.
Tre Mason – Over the last 3 games, Mason has 59 carries for 292 rushing yards and 2 TDs. But even with that impressive stretch, the one thing that the Washington Redskins have done well this year is stop the run. I expect this to be a very low scoring, hard-hitting, tough game when it’s all said and done.
WRs
Mike Evans – I called the bad game from Evans last week and I maybe pushing my luck to call it again, but Detroit shut down Brandon Marshall last week, and even though Jeffery got loose early, they quickly clamped up and detroyed the Bears passing game last week. They will do that to the Bucs passing game totally.
Michael Crabtree – Just like I decided to keep Evans on my “Sit” list, I also decided to keep Crabtree on my “Sit” list. The entire 49ers offense just isn’t playing well right now and Crabtree and Vernon Davis just seem lost out there. I expect the Niners to beat Oakland, but it will be Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde, not Crabtree or Anquan Boldin.
TEs
Jordan Reed – Colt McCoy seems to like using his TEs. In McCoy’s 1st start earlier this year against Dallas, Reed had 7 catches. Last week in McCoy’s 2nd start, Reed had 9 catches, and his best game of the year with 123 yards. This “Sit” recommendation is purely about the matchup and me thinking that it will be a low scoring battle all day.
Those are your Week 14 Starts and Sits in the NFL. Good luck in the playoffs and enjoy the games.
