Fantasy football: Start-em, sit-em players for Week 14
By Jay Marsdale
With the fantasy football playoffs underway this week, lineup decisions are essential for every player in Week 14. There are some great matchups to choose from this week to get you and your fantasy team the win and moving on in the playoff for your league.
Once the fantasy football playoffs start, anything can happen. Every year there are star players who don’t perform at all and unknown players who shine once the fantasy playoffs start. What players are going to fit those roles this year?
Bad teams become fantasy football gold mines at this point in the season. Teams that are officially out of the playoff race are using these games to find out what players could be in their future plans. Rookies get more playing time while usual starters miss out on opportunities.
If you can find those key players on a week-to-week basis, you’re in for a solid fantasy football playoff run.
San Francisco 49ers
Well, Week 13 was an exciting one in the NFL. A lot of high-scoring games and big fantasy games all across the league. Let’s see how last week’s start-em, sit-em list finished before getting into the new list.
Week 13 Hits: Tyrod Taylor (BUF) sit-em, Marshawn Lynch (OAK) start-em, Tevin Coleman (ATL) sit-em, Dede Westbrook (JAX) start-em.
Week 13 Misses: Jimmy Garoppolo (SF) start-em, Devin Funchess (CAR) sit-em, C.J. Fiedorowicz (HOU) start-em, Evan Engram (NYG) sit-em.
Jimmy Garoppolo was not a miss for real football fans as he led the 49ers to their second win of 2017. However, for fantasy football owners he barely cracked ten fantasy points in Week 13.
Devin Funchess continued his great second half of the season since being promoted to the top receiver for Carolina. Meanwhile, despite having Geno Smith as his quarterback last week, Evan Engram was able to produce a big day for his fantasy owners still.
Sitting Tyrod Taylor was a must against the Patriots in Week 13 as he struggled mightily. Less than five fantasy football points is hard to swallow for any position, but its unheard of for a quarterback to get a score that low. Tevin Coleman was right there with him with the return of Devonta Freeman delegating him back to the bench last week.
Two players who many fantasy football players may not have expected big games for in Week 13 were Marshawn Lynch and Dede Westbrook. Lynch ran for over 100 yards. He looked like his old self for the first time with his new team in Oakland. Westbrook seems to be hitting his stride as his rookie season winds down. He went for double-digit fantasy football points again. That trend should continue to end the season as long as Allen Hurns is sidelined with his injury.
The past is the past. Here’s a look into the fantasy football playoffs and the Week 14 start-em, sit-em list.
Start-em: Philip Rivers (LAC) vs Washington
The Los Angeles Chargers find themselves in the thick of the AFC West playoff picture. They started slow, but have exploded for some big wins in the second half of the season. The main reason for the Chargers resurgence has been the spectacular play of quarterback Philip Rivers.
This is not our usual Chargers team of years past. They always seem to be close in the standings, but never truly close in games against the leagues elite teams. However, this year they are playing even the best teams tough. Two of their losses this season have come against the Jaguars and the Patriots by a combined ten points.
They even took the Jaguars to overtime in their loss. The Chargers are a legitimate playoff team this year thanks to great defense and great quarterback play. Rivers has thrown for 778 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last two games.
The issue with Rivers has always been his ball security, but since his Week 3 performance against Kansas City, he has seemingly solved that problem. Since that game he has thrown 17 touchdowns and only has three interceptions. This is the Philip Rivers that San Diego fans were asking for in clutch situations for a decade.
The reemergence of wide receiver Keenan Allen as a number one option has catapulted Rivers into fantasy football stardom. He has become a top-10 quarterback option. This week he goes up against a Washington Redskins team that has already been eliminated from playoff contention. Rivers and Allen should have no problem putting up big numbers in this one.
Other options: Jared Goff (LAR) vs Philadelphia and Jimmy Garappolo (SF) @ Houston.