Ten Things We Learned in Week 14 (Fantasy Football)

Well Footclan, we’ve finally made it to the fantasy football playoffs. It’s be a challenging road, navigating through injuries, underperforming numbers from players we had high hopes for, and unsuspected surprises from players we didn’t think would make an impact this season. While it feels like we’ve been through an arduous journey already, the most pivotal moment is before us. So for the last time of the fantasy football regular season, let’s take in what we learned from this past week of football and use that to our advantage as we enter the fantasy football postseason. Congratulations to those who’ve made it to this point.

Breece Sits, Jets’ RBs Split

Braelon Allen showed glimpses of fantasy relevance this season as the backup to Breece Hall. His rookie RB counterpart Isaiah Davis had played just six total snaps up until Week 13, when he saw an uptick to 12 snaps. With Hall inactive in Week 14 , expectations were Allen was going to see the bulk of the work out of the backfield. Instead, Allen and Davis had a nearly identical workload. Allen played 37 snaps and had 11 carries, while Davis played 36 snaps and had 10 carries. Both saw a handful of targets through the air, with Davis scoring the lone touchdown between the two. This is a frustrating situation for fantasy managers who have held onto Allen as an insurance play in case Hall were to miss time. The Jets’ schedule the next three weeks is as good as it gets for running backs, and there is the possibility Hall plays a limited role or is shut down entirely with the playoffs out of reach. This should be a smash spot for Allen, who would be a borderline RB1 in fantasy if he were to receive the same work Hall was getting. But if Allen and Davis stay in a 50-50 split, both players become hindered for fantasy, dashing the hopes of Allen blossoming into a top-10 running back down the stretch.

Sharing Isn’t Caring for Etienne and Bigsby

Another running back duo that’s headed toward a split the rest of the season is Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, according to their workload this past Sunday. It hasn’t been pretty this year for Etienne, Bigsby and the rest of Jacksonville’s offense, but fantasy managers were clinging to hope that at the very least Etienne could emerge down the stretch. The matchups in the fantasy playoffs against the Jets, Raiders and Titans are middle of the road, so the potential for at least high-end flex usage was in sight. But Trevor Lawrence‘s season-ending injury and Etienne ceding rushing shares to Bigsby, (the former ran the ball just four times compared to 18 attempts for Bigsby in Week 14) has all but closed the door on any positive outcome for Etienne in fantasy this year.

Good Feelings For Adam Thielen

I can’t help but hear Mike’s old man voice when thinking about Adam Thielen, but this “old man” might just be a league winner this year. Since returning from injury, the 34-year-old wideout has 20 receptions for 258 yards and a touchdown, including a score called back last week. He’s coming off a 9-for-102 performance on a 32.4% target share in Week 14. With the recent improvement from quarterback Bryce Young, plus a friendly fantasy playoff schedule (Dallas, Arizona and Tampa Bay), Thielen has gone from fantasy irrelevance to must-start territory. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Thielen turns in WR1 numbers the next three weeks in the fantasy postseason.

It’s (Kendre) Miller Time

It feels like an eternity since we last saw Kendre Miller take the field, battling injuries amidst a dispute with his former head coach who was determined to keep the second-year RB from succeeding.  Miller got back to action in Week 14, playing in just his third game this season, and carried the ball 10 times for 32 yards and an impressive touchdown where he kept pushing the pile until he found paint. Miller’s comeback coincides with a downturn for Alvin Kamara, at least for his standards, which could muddy up the running back touches in New Orleans for the rest of the year. Add in Derek Carr‘s season-ending injury and there might be more opportunities for Miller to close the season. It will be interesting to see how much FAAB he goes for this week.

McCormick has Sincere Staying Power

Pardon my poorly-designed pun, but the sentiment remains true – Sincere McCormick could help teams in the fantasy playoffs. Much like his predecessor Zamir White did last year, McCormick is starting to heat up in Las Vegas. With White and Alexander Mattison out since Nov. 17, McCormick quickly moved past Dylan Laube and has outplayed Ameer Abdullah, coming out of nowhere to moderate fantasy success. On Sunday he got 15 carries and three targets. Abdullah had only one rushing attempt and two targets. He outsnapped Abdullah 41-26. The schedule works in the Raiders’ favor, with games against the Falcons, Jaguars and Saints over the next three weeks. I suspect McCormick will be heavily involved even if White and Mattison return. In Week’s 15-17 last year, White was the RB8, helping secure fantasy championships. McCormick could follow suit.

Metcalf’s Struggles Continue

Jaxon Smith-Njigba‘s ascension this season has been fun to watch, but it’s unfortunately put a damper on DK Metcalf‘s output this year. Metcalf has a history of sharing the spotlight with Tyler Lockett, with both players finishing as WR2s or better in years past. The thought was with JSN taking over Lockett’s role, Metcalf would still be able to put up dominant performances, but it hasn’t panned out. The talented WR is coming off his third consecutive game with just four catches, and his lowest receiving yards total (49) since Oct. 10. He hasn’t surpassed 100 receiving yards since Week 4 and has just three touchdowns on the year, an uncharacteristically low number for a player who averaged 8.6 touchdowns over his previous five seasons. It’s not easy to bench Metcalf, but with games against the Vikings and Bears in Weeks 16 and 17, he should be considered more of a WR3 than the WR1 we’re used to seeing.

What to Make of Reed’s Goose Egg

Jayden Reed has been more of a gadget wideout in his first two years in the league with designed plays to get him the ball in space. Volume has never been his game. But in our game of fantasy football, that kind of volatility could lead to an early playoff ouster. Reed is coming off a dismal Week 14 where he ran just 15 routes and saw one target, in a contest where his team put up 31 points and was missing Romeo Doubs. He scored two touchdowns in Week 13, but only had three catches. He hasn’t scored more than 10 points in five out of the last seven games. Fantasy managers need to remember his unpredictability when formulating lineups the next three weeks. If you’re an underdog and need a player with a high ceiling, hopefully Reed can come through with a big game for you. But he can just as easily put up a zero in the most crucial time of the fantasy season.

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Fireball Jones Heating Up

There’s always a handful of feel-good stories in the NFL year after year. Nick Chubb‘s return this season after a devastating injury. Sam Darnold likely playing himself into a hefty contract after being a journeyman quarterback. Damar Hamlin almost lost his life on the field, and is back playing great football for the Buffalo Bills. But one of the best stories for a fantasy favorite from years past has to be the return of Tim Patrick, endearingly known as “Fireball Jones.” Patrick tore his ACL during practice in 2022 in Denver and when he made his way back from that injury, tore his achilles the next year again in practice. A once promising career seemed like it would be cut short. But Patrick made his way back to the field again, signing with the Detroit Lions practice squad before being promoted to the team’s WR3 in September. He’s played 455 snaps this year, third on the team for wide receivers, and is coming off his best game with six catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns. His target shares are on the rise, his rapport with Jared Goff is getting stronger and the Lions are always a threat to put up 30-plus points. Perhaps Patrick is a better DFS option than a weekly starter, but being part of a potent offense always provides the chance for a game like he had in Week 14.

Waddle Can Lead to Wins

Two weeks ago I brought up Jaylen Waddle’s name as a player who could finish the year strong despite a disconcerting start to the season. He reverted back to his early-season ways in Week 13 with four catches for 53 yards, but had a strong performance on Sunday with a 9-for-99 stat line. He’s averaging 20.2 PPR points the last three weeks as the Dolphins continue to pick up steam on offense and fight for a playoff spot. Waddle managers who desperately wanted to unload the talented WR or were even tempted to hit the drop button earlier in the year have a chance to reap the rewards at the most important juncture of the fantasy season. Waddle is too talented to be stuck in reverse.

Jordan Addison Saving His Best for Last

Saving one of the best wide receiver performances of Week 14 for last, like he did this season, Jordan Addison is a player who is hitting his stride at the perfect time for fantasy managers. Through Week 8, Addison was the WR70 in half-PPR scoring with just one double-digit scoring game. From Weeks 9-14, he is the WR3, and that includes a Week 10 dud (3.9 points). He’s coming off eight catches for 133 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, a 35.3 fantasy point output. Six of his seven touchdowns have come in the last six weeks. The talented second-year wideout is rolling and can confidently be inserted into lineups as a borderline WR1 who will help fantasy managers reach the title.