- by the NFL DFS team
Week 14 means the start of the playoffs in most season-long fantasy football leagues. If your team didn’t make it, don’t worry, there’s still plenty of fun to be had in DFS. Let’s dive into the matchups and discuss a couple of players to consider at each position.
Last week was nothing short of a disaster for the Chargers, who were demolished by the Patriots. Herbert couldn’t get much going on the offensive side of things, completing 26 of 53 pass attempts for 209 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. It marked the first time that he failed to throw at least one touchdown pass in a game and only the second time that he threw more than one interception. As ugly as that performance was, he’s primed to bounce back in a big way against the Falcons, who have allowed the third-most passing yards per game in the league.
Normally, Trubisky isn’t an appealing option. However, this might be a week to take a chance on him in tournament play. The Texans’ offense hasn’t had many problems putting points on the board, so Trubisky might be forced to attempt more passes than usual in an effort to keep pace. The Texans’ defense has also been terrible, allowing an average of 26.9 points per game. Add his reasonable salary on both sites to this favorable matchup and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Trubisky return value.
The Lions could be in trouble here. They haven’t been able to stop the run all season, allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game and the most rushing touchdowns. Jones is coming off of one of his best games of the season after he rushed for 130 yards and a touchdown last week against the Eagles. When he last faced the Lions, he destroyed them for 168 rushing yards, 68 receiving yards and three total touchdowns. While he’ll do a number on your budget, Jones is one of the most appealing players on this slate, regardless of position.
Gurley has had knee issues in recent seasons, but he had been healthy for most of this season before having to sit out Week 12. He did make his return last week against the Saints, but he only received eight carries that he turned into just 16 yards. Head coach Raheem Morris said earlier this week that he expected Gurley to have a larger role in Week 14, which should put him on your radar for DFS. The Chargers have allowed an average of 28.8 points per game and the Falcons love to give the ball to Gurley when they get in close, which has resulted in him receiving 47 rushing attempts inside the red zone, 19 of which have come inside the 10-yard line.
If you decide to roll with Trubisky at quarterback, then stacking him with Robinson would be ideal. Even if you don’t play Trubisky, Robinson is still someone to strongly consider. He’s received at least seven targets in all but one game this season and has recorded at least 70 receiving yards in five of his last six contests. He should also be aided by the Texans not having cornerback Bradley Roby available after he was suspended for testing positive for a banned substance.
The Titans found themselves in a big hole early in last week’s contest against the Browns, which forced them to throw a ton in the second half. That resulted in a busy afternoon for Davis, who caught 11 of 12 targets for 182 yards and a touchdown. That marked his fourth game of the season with at least 100 receiving yards, two of which have come across his last three games. The Jaguars have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game, potentially setting up Davis for another juicy stat line.
Despite being down big in the game, the Chargers didn’t look to Henry much against the Patriots. He received a season-low two targets, catching one of them for five yards. He entered that contest with at least four receptions in five straight games, so don’t make too much of one bad performance. This is a great opportunity for him to shine against the Falcons considering they have allowed 67 receptions, 682 yards and nine touchdowns to tight ends this season.
In PPR scoring, only five teams have allowed more fantasy points to tight ends this season than the Falcons have. One of those teams is the Bengals, who have allowed 67 receptions, 822 yards and seven touchdowns to the position. That could be music to the ears of Schultz, who has 23 receptions on 30 targets across his last five games. His yardage totals haven’t always been impressive, but Schultz did finish with at least four catches in all five games during that stretch.