With the fantasy football playoffs slowly closing in, and for some even kicking off this week, knowing who to start and sit for week 14 is going to be crucial to nudge out the advantage over your opponents. An injury plagued roster may find you in need of making a desperate waiver wire pick up, and usual lock starts might have to find themselves on the bench to keep your fantasy seasons alive.
Start – Brandin Cooks
Brandin Cooks made his return to the gridiron on Thanksgiving against the New York Giants. Cooks had an impressive performance, finishing with 10.60 points after being projected a mere 7.70. He finished the game with only three receptions, with one of them coming in the form of a touchdown. However, the 31-year-old veteran received a surprisingly high target share for his first game back, earning seven of Cooper Rushes 36 attempts. Cook can be expected to take a larger role in the offense as the season progresses. This week, the Cowboys take on the Cincinatti Bengals, a defense that has allowed opposing teams to walk into the endzone and holds the door for them on their way in. The Bengals are giving up 28.3 points per game, which places them at 31st in the NFL, while opposing offenses are posting 241 pass yards per game. Second and third option receivers have thrived against the Cincinatti secondary, Quenton Johnson, Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor have all scored touchdowns over the last handful of weeks. Brandin Cooks can easily fill out the WR3 role for fantasy owners in a bind this week.
Sit – Isiah Pacheco
Isiah Pacheco came into his third year with high expectations from fantasy owners. After finishing as the RB15 in PPR format leagues last season, Pacheco was taken as high as an early second rounder. Through the first two weeks he seemed to be coming through on that potential, putting up just over 16 points per game. Unfortunately, he sustained a fractured fibula during his week two performance, which sidelined him until week 13. In his return to the field, it was obvious that Kansas City would be easing Pacheco back into the role of the team’s lead back. He shared time with Kareem Hunt who took over in Pacheco’s absence, only receiving a 37% snap rate. He took 7 carries for 44 yards, including an explosive 34-yard gain. This week, the Chiefs take on their division rivals in the Los Angeles Chargers. The Charger’s run defense has been allowing 119.4 rush yards per game which ranks as 14th in the league. Over the last two weeks, the Chargers have struggled with containing two of the league’s best, Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson, allowing each of them to post over 20 fantasy points. I do not expect Isiah Pacheco to get the volume necessary to match these performances, so it would be best to push him to the bench until he is back in full swing with the Chiefs offense.
Start – D’Andre Swift
D’Andre Swift has not performed to his best ability over the last few weeks and hasn’t broken double digits in the last two weeks, a threshold he’s only broken once since week 10. Granted, these past two weeks were against two of the best run defenses in football: the Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings. Swifts’ volume has still been up with his touches, not dipping below double digits and still getting decent target share as a receiving back. This week, Swift has the opportunity to bounce back against a 49ers defense that is reeling after letting the Buffalo Bills run all over them. San Francisco defense is feeling the effects of missing Nick Bosa, who has been dealing with an oblique injury in the last two weeks. Should he return this week, it is unlikely he will be back to 100%. The 49ers defense has not prevented the first string running back from scoring since week five against the Cardinals and they have given up the fifth-most points per game to running backs this season. Swift should be a reliable RB2 and a great flex option this week.
Sit – Tyreek Hill
Tyreek Hill has been a disappointment this season. The explosiveness of the nine-year veteran that owners and fans alike have grown accustomed to seeing, has not been put on display this season. He is currently nestled in as the WR20, which is a sharp decline from WR2 last season. Despite this step back, Hill has maintained an average points per game of 12.43 in PPR format, which has kept him as a solid WR2. Last week, he had his best performance since week one, dropping 20.30 points. So why should you sit him? Despite his success last week, the Dolphins offense is not running many designed looks for Hill. As a matter of fact, on his touchdown, he was not the intended target. A ball tipped in the air by a Green Bay defender found its way into Hill’s hands just as he broke the plane of the endzone. This week, “the Cheetah” will have a lot more difficulty getting himself open with Sauce Gardner chasing him around the field. The Jets are currently the best pass defenses in the NFL, only allowing 174.9 pass yards per game while also having a league best nine passing touchdowns scored against them. Against any other defense I would recommend keeping Hill in the lineup, but against this air-tight secondary, it would be wise to keep him on the wood for week 14.