A lot of fantasy football comes down to volume. Even if the players aren’t producing, but their touches and targets remain more than others, then they should continue to see starting action.
That’s becoming clear among wide receivers, especially among the top-two fantasy wide receivers in the last four weeks. Antonio Brown and Keenan Allen have far outdistanced the field in the last four weeks in fantasy points, overcoming slow starts to the season.
Even with those slow starts, they kept earning targets. That matters, and now that production is reaching the volume they’ve seen. Brown is first in targets overall for the season, while Allen is fourth. So even if your receivers are having a tough time producing, but they’re still seeing volume, be patient, even in the fantasy football playoffs.
Here’s the week 14 wide receivers start ’em, sit ’em guide in fantasy football.
Start
Marvin Jones vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I’ve been off and on with Jones for much of this season, but he deserves to get the nod in pretty much every case now.
He’s seeing consistent targets and he’s producing. He has at least 85 yards receiving in five of the last six games, with three of those efforts going for more than 100 yards. He’s part of an offense that doesn’t have much of a running game, so he’s being targeted often, going for at least eight targets in five of the last seven games.
He’s not matchup-dependent anymore, but in week 14, he gets a fantastic matchup against a team allowing the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. The only drawback to this game is Matthew Stafford’s health. Even if Stafford isn’t healthy enough to play, Jones deserves to be in your lineup.
Demaryius Thomas vs. New York Jets
It’s tough to start Thomas at this juncture. He doesn’t have a quarterback and Denver may be the worst team in the NFL at this point (that includes Cleveland).
But Thomas is still attracting plenty of targets. He has at least eight targets in each game since week 8, and he’s really the only weapon viable now for the Broncos.
One of the main issues, though, is that he’s not producing. In week 13, he had 10 targets, but only two catches. He hasn’t gone for more than 70 yards since week 6. But I can’t deny the targets and eventually that will turn into production.
He gets a decent matchup in week 14 against the Jets, which give up the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Eventually that production will match the volume, so go with Thomas this week.
Marquise Goodwin vs. Houston Texans
If you’re in a three-receiver league, check out Goodwin as a starter. He has some upside to reach that WR2 level, too, because he has a good matchup and a quarterback who can finally get him the ball.
Goodwin is returning to his home state, and with the lack of weapons for the 49ers, he should be the No. 1 target for Jimmy Garoppolo. Goodwin was the main target during Garoppolo’s debut in week 13, and this week should be the same against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL.
The Texans are a bottom-10 defense against the pass, so I anticipate the 49ers will air it out often. That will help Goodwin’s numbers, which have been on the rise in recent weeks.
Sit
Jamison Crowder vs. Los Angeles Chargers
As you can see with my choices this week on start/sit, I’m not buying the Redskins. The Chargers are really good against the pass, so don’t expect much out of Crowder and company.
The Chargers are allowing the fifth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers in the last five weeks, and they’re keeping opposing wide receivers out of the end zone.
That’s been one of Crowder’s main push-backs in fantasy. He doesn’t reach the endzone. He has just one touchdown this season, so if he’s not piling up on yards, his value vastly decreases. The yards won’t come easy against the Chargers, so I’d look in other directions this week.
Robby Anderson vs. Denver Broncos
I jumped on the Anderson bandwagon last week, watching Anderson go for more than 100 yards again against a terrible Kansas City pass defense.
Anderson has been one of the biggest surprises of this fantasy season. And while I believe the Broncos are lifeless, I still believe there’s enough in the tank defensively to limit Anderson.
The Broncos still have enough in the secondary that I’m not buying in Anderson’s recent string of solid outings. The last three games, where his targets have increased, he’s faced Tampa Bay, Carolina and Kansas City. All three are in the bottom-half in fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, with the Buccaneers and Chiefs ranking 1 and 2 in allowing the most fantasy points per game to wide receivers.
The Broncos, despite all their deficiencies, still allow the fourth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers. Stay away from Anderson this week.
Sammy Watkins vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Even with Robert Woods out of the lineup, Watkins just doesn’t get enough targets to earn the designation of a weekly starter.
His fantasy points haven’t been bad in the last five weeks, thanks to scoring at least one touchdown in four of the past five games. However, he has more than four targets in only one of those games.
That’s not going to be enough against the Eagles, which are allowing 152 yards passing per game in the last three contests. This game won’t be as high-scoring as many believe, so don’t expect much volume for Watkins.
