Making lineup decisions can be the most frustrating or most rewarding part of fantasy football. Here to help you make those decisions are our start ’em and sit ’em picks. Fantasy decisions will only get more difficult from here on out, so let’s take a look at our Week 14 start/sit plays.
Start ‘Em: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (vs. DAL)
Since the Detroit Lions’ Week 8 bye, fantasy managers have been mostly happy with Jared Goff. Outside of his 13.1 points against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 11, he’s hit 18+ fantasy points in every game.
Last week, Goff was able to crest 20 fantasy points for just the fourth time all season despite losing Amon-Ra St. Brown in the first quarter to a sprained ankle. The good news is St. Brown is not expected to be out long. The bad news is he won’t play this week.
Fortunately, we saw Goff be able to overcome a very good Green Bay Packers defense with Jameson Williams as his WR1. Now, he gets a Dallas Cowboys defense that is…not very good.
The Cowboys managed to upset the Kansas City Chiefs last week. But it wasn’t because of their defense. Patrick Mahomes had his second-best game of the season, throwing for four touchdowns for just the second time all year.
Dallas allows the most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks by a sizable margin. The Lions are home. They are coming off another crushing defeat. And they really need to win this game to stay in the driver’s seat for a Wild Card spot. Expect a big-time performance from the Lions this week. As long as Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery don’t steal all of the touchdowns, Goff should be a QB1.
Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (vs. PIT)
Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be putting Lamar Jackson in this column. After all, the entire purpose of this is to advise fantasy managers on players to start that aren’t necessarily automatic entries into lineups. Since 2019, Jackson has been that guy.
Jackson entered the 2025 season having never finished a single game in his career with single-digit fantasy points (excluding games he left with an injury). He’s now done it three consecutive times, failing to throw or rush for a touchdown over that span. It makes all the sense in the world that fantasy managers have had enough.
Maybe this is me clinging too much to my prior opinion of Jackson, but I refuse to believe that he is simply no longer good at football.
The Pittsburgh Steelers allow the sixth-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. While they’ve historically played Jackson well, he lit them up for 175 yards passing, two touchdowns, and 81 yards rushing when they last met in the 2024 postseason.
Baltimore needs this game. They are at home. I am banking on a big-time bounce-back performance from the two-time MVP.
Omarion Hampton or Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. PHI)
Omarion Hampton practiced all three days last week for the first time since suffering a small fracture in his ankle back in Week 5. His return is imminent, but it’s not quite guaranteed for this week. Hence, the dual designation here. The point is more that you want to start the Chargers RB1 this week.
If it is another week of Kimani Vidal, he is coming off his third 100-yard rushing effort of the season. Vidal ran for 26 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries. The bye week did not interrupt his pattern of alternating bust weeks with boom weeks that has occurred since Week 5.
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You will not be able to convince me that this is anything more than happenstance. The fact that Vidal smashed last week does not preclude him from exploiting a favorable matchup once again…unless, of course, Hampton returns.
If Hampton does play, I think both Chargers backs will be viable, as they are unlikely to thrust the rookie back into a feature role in his first game back.
The Eagles have a good defense overall, but their vulnerability is on the ground. They allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to running backs. With a banged-up Justin Herbert (and potentially Trey Lance starting), a run-heavy game plan makes all the sense in the world, giving both backs viability.
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Cleveland Browns (vs. TEN)
It is exceedingly rare for the Cleveland Browns to find themselves in a situation where they are unlikely to face a negative game script. That is what we have this week with the Browns home favorites against the worst team in football.
Quinshon Judkins’ ability to produce RB2 numbers is mighty impressive when you consider the team circumstances he is dealing with. The Browns are starting a fifth-round rookie at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders is their third QB of the season after Dillon Gabriel, another rookie, and 40-year-old Joe Flacco both lost their jobs for various reasons. Yet, Judkins has six games with at least 13.8 fantasy points.
Judkins has scored in all three of Cleveland’s wins. In fact, just one of his seven touchdowns has come in a loss. The rookie second-rounder averages 19.8 fantasy points per game in wins.
The Browns are very likely to win this game and should do so by controlling it on the ground. Expect a heavy workload for Judkins against a defense allowing the ninth-most fantasy points per game to running backs.
Christian Watson, WR, Green Bay Packers (vs. CHI)
Step aside, Romeo Doubs, the real WR1 is back. Christian Watson has made an incredible recovery from his torn ACL to not just play this season, but reestablish himself as Jordan Love’s top target.
In the absence of Tucker Kraft, it’s been Watson as the clear main guy since ramping up his playing time the past few weeks.
Watson has caught at least four passes in three consecutive games. He’s seen 17 targets over his last two and has two games with 18+ fantasy points in his last three.
The Chicago Bears allow the third-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. While the Packers are likely to try to lean on Josh Jacobs, this is another week where Love might throw two touchdowns. One of them should go to Watson.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings (vs. WAS)
Similar to Ashton Jeanty, Justin Jefferson is another example of how drafting a player is drafting his entire offensive situation. We know Jefferson is very good at football. That is not enough when his quarterback doesn’t belong in the NFL.
Jefferson had the worst game of his career last week, catching two passes for four yards. He has two touchdowns on the season and hasn’t topped 11.1 fantasy points in a month. He is no longer an every-week must-start player.
If you’ve watched a Minnesota Vikings game recently, you can see the frustration boiling. He knows how good he is, and he wants the ball. After last week’s disaster, I fully expect Kevin O’Connell to force-feed his alpha this week.
JJ McCarthy was getting in limited practices last week. He should clear the concussion protocol this week. While McCarthy has not resembled anything close to an NFL-caliber quarterback, he cannot possibly be worse than whatever Max Brosmer did last week.
If McCarthy does return, Jefferson has a chance this week against a Washington Commanders defense allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
In fact, Jefferson’s remaining schedule is very favorable. If he can get any semblance of decent quarterback play, fantasy managers who make the playoffs with Jefferson might be able to win because of him.
Dalton Kincaid, TE, Buffalo Bills (vs. CIN)
The Buffalo Bills have sorely missed Dalton Kincaid. Josh Allen has struggled over his past two games without his starting tight end, largely because the Bills are deploying one of the least talented groups of pass catchers an elite QB has ever seen. Last week, Tyrell Shavers and Gabe Davis led this team’s wide receivers in snaps. That’s an unserious football team.
Kincaid got in two limited practices last week and drew a questionable tag. He appeared close to playing, but wound up being held out. With another week to recover, all signs point to Kincaid making his return this week. Naturally, the spot could not be better.
The Cincinnati Bengals are a special kind of bad at defending tight ends. They simply don’t do it. They let Isaiah Likely go for 95 yards last week. He would’ve scored had he not fumbled the ball through the end zone at the goal line.
The gap between the Bengals and the second-worst team against the tight end is a chasm. Start every tight end against this defense, especially one who is the de facto top receiving options for one of the best quarterbacks in football.
Brenton Strange, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. IND)
Another team that is generous to tight ends is the Indianapolis Colts. They allow the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the position. They just let Dalton Schultz go 7-55 against them.
Brenton Strange has been solid since his return from IR. He’s posted games of 14.3 and 13.5 fantasy points, and he’s done it different ways. In his first game back, he was efficient with his yardage, catching all five of his targets for 93 yards. Last week, he only had three catches for 45 yards, but found the end zone for the first time this season.
The Colts are a pass funnel defense. Parker Washington is banged up and might not play. Brian Thomas Jr. is a complete non-factor. This offense runs through Jakobi Meyers and Strange. The tight end is an easy top 12 option this week.
Sit ‘Em: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. HOU)
If you roster Patrick Mahomes, I sure hope you don’t need a big performance from him to make the playoffs this season. We know what this defense does to opposing quarterbacks, and it’s not pretty.
Mahomes is coming off his second-best outing of the season, posting 29 fantasy points against the No. 32-ranked Cowboys pass defense. Things couldn’t be more opposite this week against the best pass defense in the league.
No team allows fewer fantasy points per game to quarterbacks than the Houston Texans. It is actually incredibly fortunate for anyone who started Daniel Jones last week that he was able to get to 16 fantasy points. Houston still has not allowed a single quarterback post QB1 numbers against them.
Prior to last week, Mahomes had thrown one touchdown over his previous three games total. He will be lucky to get one against the Texans.
Jacoby Brissett, QB, Arizona Cardinals (vs. LAR)
No matter the matchup. No matter the game flow. Jacoby Brissett always finds a way. The veteran journeyman has now recorded at least 18 fantasy points in every start since taking over for an injured Kyler Murray. Even when things look grim, Brissett somehow gets there.
Over the past five weeks, Brissett has been able to figure out how to post QB1 numbers. He’s also had the benefit of not facing a single bottom-half pass defense. This just feels like an awful spot for him.
The Los Angeles Rams allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They are coming off a very disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers, and you know they are anxious to bounce back.
There’s really not much more to it than this. It’s a bad matchup against a tough divisional opponent for a quarterback who has gotten away with it more than anyone recently. This feels like the week the magic runs out.
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders (vs. DEN)
If there’s one thing the 2025 NFL season has taught me, it’s that everything matters. You cannot rank or draft players purely based on talent. Now, that’s not to say it’s possible to account for every variable. The NFL is unpredictable, and there are many things we don’t see coming. But even the most talented players are only as good as their offensive environment lets them.
I am pretty confident that if Ashton Jeanty and Jonathan Taylor switched places, we’d be talking about Jeanty like a top-five pick next season and Taylor as disappointing (but not outright a bust). If anything, Jeanty’s ability to post near-RB1 numbers is a testament to his talent.
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We saw this matchup four weeks ago. Jeanty managed to squeak out 15.3 fantasy points because he fell into the end zone. Had he not scored, he would’ve been stuck with single-digit fantasy points.
Over the past few weeks, Jeanty has been PPR scamming his way to usable weeks with empty receptions. He’s caught 20 passes over his last three games. That will have to continue for him to give fantasy managers anything useful against a Denver Broncos defense allowing the sixth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs.
Kyle Monangai, RB, Chicago Bears (at GB)
Kyle Monangai looked really good last week. He’s worked his way into a near-even timeshare with D’Andre Swift. If the rookie continues to see 12+ touches per game, he will be fantasy viable…but he’s also matchup-dependent.
Things went very well with both Monangai and Swift rushing for over 100 yards against the Eagles on Black Friday. How often are both backs going to do that? Chances are never again.
Monangai has now rushed for a touchdown in four consecutive games. But outside of last week, had he not scored, he wouldn’t have gotten close to posting usable fantasy numbers.
The Green Bay Packers allow the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to running backs. Last week, David Montgomery’s rushing touchdown was the first one they allowed all season. Monangai is probably looking at like a 10-60 line this week, at best, which is not getting done for fantasy managers.
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles (at LAC)
DeVonta Smith was lucky to escape last week with 9.8 fantasy points. While he’s been more good than bad recently, it feels like a struggle every week for him to get anything going.
The Eagles’ offense is broken, and it is not about to get fixed overnight. A.J. Brown has complained his way into making sure he’s forced targets. In a low-volume Jalen Hurts offense, there’s rarely enough for both of them.
This week, the challenge will be even greater against a Chargers defense allowing the fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
Perhaps it ends up being Brown who gets left out. But my guess is Hurts can only sustain the fantasy production of one receiver, and it won’t be Smith.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders (at MIN)
Terry McLaurin overcame a pitch count and a very difficult matchup to post elite WR1 numbers last week against the Broncos. In his first game back since Week 8, McLaurin caught seven of 14 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Naturally, fantasy managers are probably excited to use him again in Week 14.
To be clear, you probably can’t afford to bench McLaurin. But let’s put his performance in the proper context.
Marcus Mariota attempted 50 passes. Fifty. That’s almost two games’ worth of volume, largely due to the combination of having to catch up in the fourth quarter and the benefit of an extra period of football.
The Vikings are not about to make Mariota need to throw 50 times, nor should the Commanders want to.
Minnesota allows the second-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. McLaurin should play more and lead the Commanders in targets, but a more muted effort is to be expected.
Oronde Gadsden II, TE, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. PHI)
Remember the days of elite TE1 Oronde Gadsden II? It’s now been four weeks and three games since he cracked double-digit fantasy points.
The talented rookie tight end caught seven passes in Weeks 6 and 7. That dropped to five in Weeks 8 and 9. Since then, he’s gone to 3…2…and 1.
Now Gadsden gets an Eagles defense allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to tight ends. But the problems don’t stop there. Three of the Los Angeles Chargers’ final four games of the fantasy season are against the top seven teams at covering the tight end.
Gadsden was elite for a month. Now, I’d argue he’s borderline droppable. He’s certainly not startable on Monday night against this defense.
Dalton Schultz, TE, Houston Texans (at KC)
Dalton Schultz is like the Caleb Williams of tight ends. You can predict how he will perform based on the matchup.
Against defenses soft against the tight end, Schultz produces. He just grabbed seven balls for 55 yards against the Colts, who are bottom five against the tight end. The week prior, he faced a Bills defense that ranks No. 1 against the tight end. Schultz caught one pass for eight yards.
The Chiefs allow the seventh-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. Coming off a loss to the Cowboys, their margin for error is nonexistent. They have to win this game and just about every remaining game. With the Texans coming off a four-game win streak, they are primed for a letdown where everyone on the offense struggles. Leave Schultz on the bench this week.