The fantasy football playoffs are here, which means it’s win or go home. If you’ve made it, congratulations – but don’t let a bad lineup choice be the only thing that keeps you from a championship.
Below are some good plays for this week, as well as some other players you should consider avoiding based on matchups, injuries and trends.
If you need a streaming option or injury fill-in, check out Week 14 waiver wire pickups.
Who to start
– Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions (QB): The only two quarterbacks to score under 18 fantasy points against the Lions this season have been Philip Rivers and Dwayne Haskins, and Detroit is coming off a game where they let Mitchell Trubisky light them up to the tune of 338 yards and three touchdowns. Plus, Dalvin Cook is hobbled, and even if he plays Minnesota may want to lighten his workload. Fire Cousins up as a borderline QB1.
– Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons vs. Carolina Panthers (RB): Freeman had a mediocre outing in his return from injury, rushing 17 times for 51 yards against the Saints. But things will get much easier against the Panthers, who just let Adrian Peterson and Derrius Guice combine for over 200 rush yards and three touchdowns.
– Kareem Hunt, Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals (RB): The tanking Bengals just won a game, so we can expect them to go back to being terrible now. Meanwhile, Browns LT Greg Robinson remains in the concussion protocol, and if he were to miss another game, Cleveland may have to shorten its passing attack and shy away from the deep ball. Hunt has thrived as a short-to-intermediate pass catcher (20 receptions since his return), which coupled with his rushing ability, makes him a viable RB2/FLEX play.
– Zach Pascal, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (WR): You always want to start wide receivers against the atrocious Tampa Bay secondary, and Pascal is just about the only healthy one the Colts have right now. When asked about T.Y. Hilton’s availability, head coach Frank Reich said he will “hopefully return this season,” which is hardly a good sign for Week 14.
– Jamison Crowder, New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins (WR): The already patchwork Dolphins secondary is banged up, and Miami has ceded 20-plus point games to John Brown, Jarvis Landry and Alshon Jeffery in the past three weeks. Despite a pair of down weeks and Robby Anderson showing signs of life recently, Crowder should remain the Jets’ WR1, having seen at least eight targets and scored a touchdown in three of the past five weeks.
– Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Arizona Cardinals (TE): The Cardinals are failing to contain tight ends at a historic level, having now allowed four different players at the position to eclipse the 100-yard mark after Tyler Higbee torched them on Sunday. There have only been two games this season where a tight end hasn’t gotten into the end zone against Arizona – against the Saints when Jared Cook was injured, and against the Bengals. What more do you need to know?
– Philadelphia D/ST vs. New York Giants: The Eagles D flopped spectacularly last week against the lowly Dolphins, allowing Ryan Fitzpatrick and Co. to score 37 points. Before that, however, they were on a nice run, shutting Seattle and New England down in back-to-back weeks. This week, they get Eli Manning, who was re-inserted for the injured Daniel Jones – and turned the ball over three times in his two previous starts this year.
Who to sit
– Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (QB): Murray had one of his worst outings of the season against the Rams on Sunday, throwing for 163 yards and an interception, although he salvaged the day with a rushing touchdown. Things don’t get any easier when the Steelers come to town this week, who since acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick have only allowed one QB to throw for 300 yards (Philip Rivers).
– Jonathan Williams, Indianapolis Colts vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (RB): After getting 39 carries in his first two games in the feature back role, Williams only had eight on Sunday for a measly 14 yards against the Titans. The Bucs have a swiss cheese pass defense, but they’ve been very stout against the run this year, allowing 76.3 yards per game on the ground (second least in the NFL). Add the factors together, and Williams is set up for another disappointing outing.
– LeSean McCoy, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots (RB): The Kansas City backfield is a mess right now. After the Chiefs signed Spencer Ware, there are now five backs on the roster, with two of them (Darrel Williams and Damien Williams) nursing injuries. McCoy and Darwin Thompson are the only confirmed healthy bodies, but Damien Williams has a shot to return, meaning there is no way of knowing where the carries will go on Sunday. With a foreboding matchup against New England, it would be wise to ignore this backfield entirely.
– Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks vs. Los Angeles Rams (WR): Lockett’s untimely Week 13 bagel likely knocked a lot of teams out of the playoffs, but if you still managed to make it, he’s tough to trust in a win-or-go-home situation. Seattle has been running the ball to death, boasting the fourth-highest rush percentage in the NFL, and Lockett’s production has tanked recently (four catches for 64 yards over the past three weeks). The potential for a big game is always there, but Lockett should also see some Jalen Ramsey. You may still be forced to start him, but those with other solid options would be forgiven for looking elsewhere.
– Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs vs. New England Patriots (WR): Watkins nearly totaled half of his season’s production with a three-touchdown explosion in Week 1. He hasn’t found the end zone since, and those who have been chasing those numbers will likely have to wait another week with New England on the docket. Patrick Mahomes should still put up points against the Patriots vaunted D, but Watkins should get a healthy dose of Stephon Gilmore as Andy Reid moves Tyreek Hill around, meaning he belongs on your bench.
– Noah Fant, Denver Broncos vs. Houston Texans (TE): Fant flirted with TE1 numbers with Brandon Allen under center, but the Drew Lock era started out poorly for him, with one catch for five yards on three targets. And while Lock played well in his debut, rookie QBs are wildly unpredictable, and an implosion wouldn’t be shocking. Right now, it’s hard to trust any Denver pass catcher not named Courtland Sutton.
– Buffalo D/ST vs. Baltimore Ravens: The Bills’ unit has been outstanding all year, and is coming off a week where they held the Cowboys’ high-flying offense to 15 points (including a garbage time TD). But Lamar Jackson has made a habit of dismantling elite defenses this year (see: Patriots, New England). They get a struggling Steelers offense in Week 15, but in order to make it there, look for other options than the one that faces the NFL’s highest scoring offense (33.8 points per game).