Many of you, including me, are out of the fantasy football playoffs. Too much trust in Lamar Miller and disappointing wide receivers did me in.
So now, my only personal hope is for Daily Fantasy Football. Thank goodness for gambling being mixed into fantasy football, that all hope is not lost when you lose out on the fantasy football playoffs.
Here’s the best bets and sleepers for the week 14 Daily Fantasy Football lineup.
Quarterbacks
Best Bet
Drew Brees vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The NFL doesn’t make any sense. One week, Brees is unstoppable. The next week, he’s finishing 25th among quarterbacks in fantasy scoring.
So naturally, a week after throwing three interceptions, I’m taking Brees as my top pick for Daily Fantasy.
Despite the bad week last week, Brees is still a regular top-three fantasy quarterback. He’s gone for at least 20 fantasy points in six of eight games, with two of those efforts of more than 30 points. With the right matchup, Brees has shown the ability to be by far the best quarterback in fantasy. The Buccaneers allow for that matchup.
Tampa Bay has won four straight games, but it’s not like they’re doing it in blowout fashion. The Buccaneers are a bottom-half defense against fantasy quarterbacks and they allow the third-highest yards per completion through the air.
The Saints have their backs against the wall, meaning they will rely on Brees to attempt to stop Tampa Bay’s winning streak. The volume will be there and Brees is a proven commodity at putting up major fantasy points.
Sleeper
Colin Kaepernick vs. New York Jets
Forget about the week 13 output. Before the debacle in week 13, Kaepernick was a regular as a Daily Fantasy sleeper. That will return once again in week 14.
The Jets have given up. New York has to go cross-country after losing at home on a Monday night. That’s a recipe for disaster at any time of the year, and especially this late in the season.
New York is a bottom-half fantasy defense against quarterbacks and they are a bottom-10 defense against the pass. They’ve allowed 22 touchdowns through the air and have intercepted just six passes. Kaepernick has struggled in the cold, so I’m not worried about last week’s problem. He’s the 16th-most expensive quarterback on DraftKings, so he should be a top priority for any fantasy owner looking to find a quality sleeper.
Running Backs
Best Bet
David Johnson vs. Miami Dolphins
He’s my No. 1 target in the 2017 fantasy football draft. And he’s a player who I won’t pass up in Daily Fantasy.
He always gets at least 100 yards from scrimmage, and that won’t stop in week 14 against Miami. The Dolphins own the third-worst rushing defense in the NFL and won’t have any luck against Johnson.
I’m not huge on the Cardinals going out east because of past experiences. Even with those disappointing performances this season, Johnson has still shined. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and run between the tackles. He’s game-flow proof, which could be the most important aspect of any running back’s fantasy outlook.
Johnson is the most expensive option, but he’s worth it.
Sleeper
Todd Gurley vs. Atlanta Falcons
Who would have thought Gurley would be a sleeper candidate before this season began?
Gurley is the 25th-most expensive running back option on DraftKings, but he should be considered an RB1. I know the Rams can’t move the ball, but pretty much everyone has had success this season against Atlanta’s defense.
Atlanta ranks third from the bottom in fantasy points allowed against running backs. They’ve allowed 15 touchdowns to running backs and now they must travel to the West Coast to play a team that can’t pass. I can’t expect Jared Goff to slice through the Falcons’ bad secondary, so I’m assuming Gurley will play a big role.
The volume will be there, and that’s important when considering a sleeper.
Wide Receivers
Best Bet
Mike Evans vs. New Orleans Saints
Without Evans, I’m not sure where Tampa Bay would be at this moment.
Tampa Bay’s receiving corps is the walking wounded, making Evans one of the most attractive fantasy options each week. He has more than 100 yards in three of the last five games. He’s basically the only weapon available for Jameis Winston, so he should receive plenty of targets in week 14 against New Orleans.
The Saints allow the second-most yards per game through the air. And I expect this game to feature plenty of points. Evans has the second-most points among wide receivers this season in fantasy football, so I expect him to break out of the slump from last week. He’ll go for big numbers, so don’t worry about him being the most expensive player on DraftKings among wide receivers.
Sleeper
Davante Adams vs. Seattle Seahawks
I have Adams as a borderline WR1 this week, but he’s the 27th-most expensive option on DraftKings. He’s going to avoid Richard Sherman and the Seahawks have injuries in the secondary.
And the Packers have had success in the past against Seattle.
Once again, I’m dismissing his performance from last week. Aaron Rodgers is comfortable with Adams and keeps targeting him. With that kind of volume, you can’t dismiss him at this price on DraftKings. Adams is a solid choice for a sleeper candidate in week 14.
Tight Ends
Best Bet
Tyler Eifert vs. Cleveland Browns
With Rob Gronkowski out with injury, the tight end position has become a more balanced position in terms of fantasy impact.
Eifert is a solid option based on his ability to find the end zone. Cleveland’s defense is terrible and they’re bad against opposing tight ends, too. The Browns are third-worst in fantasy points allowed to tight ends, so we can expect a bit more volume for Eifert this week.
Last week, he was targeted only two times, but still managed to find the end zone. You can pretty much guarantee he’ll find the end zone against Cleveland, so the increased volume should be a nice cherry on the top in Daily Fantasy Football.
Sleeper
Gary Barnidge vs. Cincinnati Bengals
This is a hunch.
As I mentioned before, the tight end position has become a little less clear with Gronkowski out. That opens up the possibility for some deep sleepers.
Thanks to a bye week, Barnidge is healthy. And he should see plenty of action against a Bengals defense that ranks fourth from the bottom in fantasy points against tight ends.
Barnidge has been a major disappointment this season, but there’s still time for him to start finding the end zone like he did last year. His targets haven’t been horrible, so I’m expecting touchdowns to start appearing at some point.
