The Week 14 Sunday games alternated between euphoria and despair for fantasy managers. Let’s start with the good news. 

A bounce-back game from Lamar Jackson. Many fantasy managers were questioning whether to start Jackson in Week 14 following a three-game stretch where he tallied just over 18 combined points. That question is no longer on the table after Jackson racked up 21.06 points against Pittsburgh and scored his first rushing touchdown since Week 1. That should make him a must-start in a Week 15 smash matchup against Cincinnati.

Don’t underestimate how legendarily bad the Bengals are at covering tight ends. You may want to get some shares of Isaiah Likely for Week 15 and Darren Waller for Week 16. Cincinnati has been abysmal at covering tight ends all year long and just allowed Dawson Knox and Dalton Kincaid to rack up 31.4 combined PPR points. 

Shedeur Sanders showcased superflex ability. Sanders has been getting more comfortable by the week. That translated to Sanders looking a lot like his Colorado version versus Tennessee. Sanders tallied 33.46 points due in part to throwing for 364 yards and three touchdowns. Chicago’s defense has mediocre or worse coverage metrics, so Sanders is a good superflex/QB2 option next week and could even be a low-end starter in many leagues. 

Now let’s cover some of the bad news. 

Daniel Jones Achilles injury. Jones suffered an Achilles injury on a non-contact play against the Jaguars. His absence didn’t crush the Colts pass game value, with Michael Pittman Jr. and Alec Pierce both posting 13+ PPR points, but it doesn’t bode well for any Indianapolis fantasy player headed into a brutal Week 15 road matchup against Seattle. Start looking for alternatives now. 

Jayden Daniels injury. Dan Quinn indicated that Daniels could have gone back into the game after getting hit on his injured elbow. Washington might want to take heed of the Greg Cook story that saw a franchise QB come back too soon from an injury and was never the same after that. Fantasy managers with Washington players on their teams are in the same boat after no Commanders player scored more than 7.1 points. Next week’s Giants matchup could help matters, but Big Blue’s defense has been playing better of late.

De’Von Achane injury. The latest report, as of this writing, is that Achane could have returned to the Jets game in an emergency. Having noted this, Jaylen Wright did a more-than-solid job filling in. Achane is one of the true bell cows this year, ranking third among RBs in Utilization Score through Week 13. Mike McDaniel is very comfortable rotating backs into game plans, so don’t be surprised if Wright, who had 24 carries in the New York game, ends up with a lot more work in Week 15. If you plan on bidding on Wright, be sure to use our Waiver Wire tool to help you decide how much FAAB to use. 

Another dud from Justin Jefferson. Jettas was up for sit consideration after a 2.4-PPR point showing in Week 13. The matchup against Washington was one of the most favorable in Week 14, yet Jefferson managed to score only 3.1 points in a game where J.J. McCarthy threw three touchdown passes. Next week could be a turnaround game against Dallas, but Jefferson should still be considered only a WR3/flex in that matchup.

Being a Commish is Thankless—But No Longer

If you're reading this newsletter, you likely have a Commissioner in your life. Maybe several. MAYBE IT'S YOU!! Either way, we all know it's a thankless job—constant emails and texts about rules, plus an endless stream of issues: "can we redo that pick, my computer froze" ... "I didn't mean to drop Bucky Irving!" ... "When is the trade deadline?!" ... "How many teams make the playoffs?"—it's nightmare fuel.

As mentioned—thankless—UNTIL NOW

You have one mission today — get your commissioner PAID! Mike's Hard Lemonade wants to help you do it. For the first time ever, Mike's is offering a straight-up endorsement deal to one lucky Fantasy Commissioner as part of the Mike's Fantasy Endorsement Deal contest! Registration ends on Dec. 9, so do it now, PLEASE, before you forget. The winner gets:

• a $25,000 "contract"
• and a bunch of other cool swag, clout and aura!

Go to MikesFantasyEndorsementDeal.com NOW. Be part of history. And maybe you'll—how did that happen?!—end up with the No. 1 pick next year!

_{NO PURCH. NEC. U.S./D.C. Nominator, 21+; Nominee, 25+. Obtain consent of Nominee. Ends 12/9. Winner (Nominee) not hired as product endorser. Void where prohibited. Rules @ https://www.mikesfantasyendorsementdeal.com. Sponsor: Mark Anthony Brands Inc., Chicago, IL. MIKE’S IS HARD. SO IS PRISON. DON’T DRIVE DRUNK® PREMIUM MALT BEVERAGE WITH FLAVORS. All registered trademarks used under license by Mike’s Hard Lemonade Co., Chicago, IL}

What We Learned From Every Week 14 Game …

Injury optimism tends to result in disappointment. Oftentimes, people stash players on the injured reserve and hope they can return in the middle of the season to help a fantasy football team. There are a few outliers where it works, and Christian Watson is a prime example.

Watson tore his ACL in January and made his return on October 26th. The Packers wide receiver has looked better every week and helped lead the Packers to a 28-21 win over the Bears. Watson caught all four targets for 89 yards with two TDs. Watson has at least 9.9 PPR points in four straight games.

After 17 targets in the last two games, Watson only had four with the return of Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden, but Watson has shown he doesn’t need a lot of targets to produce. Jordan Love, who passed for 234 yards with three TDs, targeted 10 different receivers. Watson is the best Packers wide receiver and will be a WR2 going forward. While there is concern about the target share with all the receivers healthy, Watson is making big plays and getting open, and outside of the elite receivers across the NFL, many are inconsistent. Start him every week.

Let's dive into who else highlighted the Week 14 Sunday slate with Adam Ronis.

Looking Ahead to Week 15 with Kendall …

Now we say, WELCOME TO THE FANTASY PLAYOFFS (for most). My best piece of advice: you made it this far, trust your gut. Don't make drastic changes on a whim. Below you'll find the recommended Week 15 waiver wire pickups. All roster percentages are from Yahoo, and, as always, I try to focus on highlighting players less than 40% rostered. Also, don't forget our Fantasy Football Waiver Wire Tool, which will have even more targets on a weekly basis.

Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins (3% rostered)

Dolphins running back De'Von Achane did not return against the Jets due to a rib injury. When Mike McDaniel was asked about Achane's availability, he said Achane was available to return in an emergency and also said "he'll be in there if he's ready" when asked about Week 15. No matter what, now is the time (especially if you're an Achane manager) to pick up Jaylen Wright. He took over once Achane exited and finished with 24 carries for 107 yards and a touchdown. Ollie Gordon is also an option, but only in deeper formats if you miss out on Wright. He finished with five carries for 17 yards and one touchdown.

Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Browns (39% rostered)

This is cheating a little because Harold Fannin Jr. is really close to 40% rostered, but his rapport with Shedeur Sanders lands him on the waiver wire list for another week. Fannin has been a top target for Shedeur, and on Sunday, he led the team with eight receptions for 114 yards and one touchdown. No, they don't play the Titans every week, but the usage for Fannin is difficult to ignore. He has averaged 15 fantasy points per game since Sanders became the Browns starter.

Around the Watercooler

The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds.

📝 Need a Monday night miracle? Projections for every player tonight.

🚀 Rookie RBs are coming on at the right time. Woody Marks, RJ Harvey, Devin Neal.

🍊 Don’t forget about the DeVonta Smith narrative. Ceiling game incoming?

😔 The outlook on Zach Ertz isn’t good. Rest up, vet.

💀 Not every player cares about rivalries. Keisean Nixon keeps it real.

Join Our Newsletter

Trusted by 400,000+ fantasy football players. Get access to Fantasy Life's free award winning newsletter and tools, all in one step.

Email Address

Subscribe

By registering or logging in, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.