Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Date/Time: Sunday December 12, 1:00pm ET
BettingPros Consensus Spread: Chiefs -9
BettingPros Consensus Over/Under: 48 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Chiefs 28.5, Raiders 19.5
Quarterbacks
Derek Carr: Carr’s recent fantasy performances have been a bit of a yo-yo. He’s finished as the QB19, the QB7, the QB23, the QB8, and the QB20 over the course of the past five games since Las Vegas came out of their bye week and it’s been difficult to predict exactly when Carr’s going to put together a solid performance. Despite playing some decent matchups during that stretch, Carr’s been hit-or-miss, which is truly a nightmare scenario for fantasy managers. There’s the narrative that Carr should be forced to throw a ton in this game to keep up with Kansas City, but the Chiefs offense hasn’t exactly been a high-powered unit in recent weeks. The current over/under for this matchup is listed at 48 points at the time of writing, so we could see the Raiders and Chiefs enter into a shootout, but it’s probably best to exercise caution with plugging Carr into your starting lineup. He can be viewed as a high-end QB2.
Patrick Mahomes: Is it time that we start discussing Mahomes as one of the leading candidates for Fantasy Bust of the Year? After being drafted as the essentially unanimous QB1 off the board this off-season, Mahomes started out the year on fire and has trailed off in a big way recently. Since Week 5, Mahomes has finished outside the top-15 QBs five times and has finished inside the top-15 just the remaining three times. He’s put up just 23 fantasy points over his past two games and he’s coming off of a performance in which we saw him complete just 51% of his passes and throw for just 184 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. With that being said, it’s important to note that Mahomes does have a QB1 overall fantasy finish in the aforementioned time frame and that was in Week 10 against the Raiders. He always has ridiculous upside, so we should always be considering him for our starting lineups, but it’s time to officially be concerned about Mahomes and his fantasy outlook for the remainder of the season. He can be viewed as a mid-range QB1 in Week 14.
Running Backs
Josh Jacobs: Raise your hand if you saw Jacobs being in the top-10 of receptions at the RB position through 13 weeks. There have been some very interesting storylines throughout the course of the 2021 NFL season, but Jacobs emerging as a receiving threat out of the backfield for Las Vegas was certainly one that I did not anticipate. Over the course of the last two weeks, Jacobs has seen 13 targets – which is as many as he saw through his first four games to start the year – and he’s finished as the RB12 and RB4 over the past two weeks in Full PPR scoring formats. He’s continued to see a significant workload in this offense and he’s also cashing in and finding the end zone recently. Jacobs can be viewed as a high-end RB2 in this matchup against the Chiefs.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire: CEH returned to action off of their bye week in Week 13 and proceeded to essentially split snaps with Darrel Williams. There’s the possibility that Edwards-Helaire’s bout with an illness leading up to Week 13 could have played a role in his workload, but it is concerning for fantasy managers moving forward. Regardless, he still saw 17 touches and was able to end the week as a top-24 RB. Looking forward to Week 14, CEH should be back to full strength and he gets a great matchup this week against the Raiders. Las Vegas is allowing the 6th-most fantasy points to opposing RBs this season and they have not been able to slow any opposing running games down as of late. CEH can be started as a mid-range/low-end RB2 with upside if last week’s usage was due to his battling an illness.
Darrel Williams: Did you know that Williams led the Chiefs in receiving this past week? While it was only off of three targets, Williams was able to total 60 receiving yards and finish as a top-24 RB on the week. While Williams did see essentially the same amount of snaps as CEH (26 to 29, respectively), he only totaled eight touches and that’s unlikely to lead to sustainable top-24 production. If you’re in a pinch, Williams is a fine fill-in option for your lineup as a mid-range RB3. However, we shouldn’t be viewing him as a locked-in starter for lineups while CEH is active.
Wide Receivers
Hunter Renfrow: There’s a possibility that Renfrow’s increased usage over the past couple of weeks is due to Darren Waller‘s absence, but he’s been playing extremely well regardless. Renfrow has seen 19 targets over the past two games and he’s totaled 236 receiving yards over that time frame. He’s the WR6 in fantasy football over Weeks 12 and 13 and he’s benefiting from being really the only proven option in town. With Henry Ruggs gone and Bryan Edwards failing to step into a larger role, Renfrow has stepped up and is soaking up targets. He’s set to draw coverage from L’Jarius Sneed this week, which is a tougher matchup, but the volume should be there to be relied upon as a steady mid-range/low-end WR2.
Bryan Edwards: Edwards had a solid game the last time these two teams played, but that’s really been his only solid performance over the last five weeks. Edwards finished as the WR9 in Week 10 when the Chiefs and Raiders squared off, but he’s finished outside the top-50 WRs every other game during that stretch. Edwards can’t be trusted in starting lineups anywhere.
Tyreek Hill: We obviously know that Hill comes with week-winning upside every single matchup. However, he has been an extremely volatile option in fantasy lineups. He has several performances within the top-12 so far this season, but he has nearly just as many finishes outside the top-50 at the position. Looking ahead to Week 14, Hill deserves to be right back in starting lineups as a top-5 play because of his upside in this matchup against Las Vegas. Nate Hobbs is allowing a 84% catch rate this season and he’s expected to line up primarily on Hill this week. We can feel confident that this is going to be one of Hill’s boom performances.
Tight Ends
Darren Waller: Waller will miss another week with knee and back injuries.
Foster Moreau: With Waller out again, Moreau becomes a viable streaming option. A lot of fantasy managers took a flyer on him last week, only to be disappointed by a 1-34-0 stat line on three targets. Given the paucity of pass-catching options for QB Derek Carr, Moreau maintains his streamer appeal this week against the Chiefs despite last week’s letdown. He lands at TE12 in the rankings.
Travis Kelce: Kelce led the team in targets by a wide margin this past week against Denver, but he was only able to reel in three of his eight targets for just 27 yards. This offense in Kansas City is looking a bit off-kilter and it affected Kelce this past week. With that being said, Kelce has still been the most consistent fantasy asset at the TE position this season and there’s no reason we should begin to panic just yet. Against the defense that’s allowing the second-most fantasy points to opposing TEs this season, Kelce’s a locked-in top-3 option.
Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns
Date/Time: Sunday December 12, 1:00pm ET
BettingPros Consensus Spread: Browns -2.5
BettingPros Consensus Over/Under: 42 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Browns 22.25, Ravens 19.75
Quarterbacks
Lamar Jackson: This Baltimore offense looks broken. Watching the game against Pittsburgh last week, you couldn’t help but notice that it’s essentially based upon short passes and then asking Lamar to scramble around and make something happen. This is a far cry from what we were witnessing earlier on in the year. From Weeks 1-6, Jackson was leading the entire NFL in ADOT with 10.6 for QBs with a minimum of 100 pass attempts. He had 9 touchdowns through that time frame and just five interceptions. From Weeks 7-13, Jackson’s ADOT has dropped to 9.6 and he has just seven touchdowns to eight interceptions over that time frame. He’s still providing a decent floor with his rushing ability, but we can no longer view Jackson as a consensus top-5 fantasy QB each and every week. In this matchup against Cleveland that’s allowing just 227.3 passing yards per game to opposing QBs, we can view Jackson as a mid-range QB1 with a wide range of outcomes.
Baker Mayfield: There’s the possibility that a week of rest did Mayfield good and that he’ll come out of their bye ready to get back to playing at near full strength. However, even with Baker potentially operating at 100%, there’s very little reason for us to look his way from a fantasy perspective anymore. With a lack of top-tier receiving threats, Mayfield can be viewed as a low-end QB2 at best this week.
Running Backs
Devonta Freeman: Did you know that Freeman is the RB9 in fantasy football over the past five weeks? After looking a bit sluggish to start the season, Freeman has taken advantage of the opportunity in Baltimore to revive his NFL career and he’s producing. Even with the offense struggling recently, he’s getting the job done for fantasy football and is seeing a significant workload. In Week 14, Freeman and the Ravens rushing attack gets to take on a Browns defense that is middle-of-the-pack when it comes to slowing down opposing RBs from a fantasy perspective. We can view him as a low-end RB2 in this matchup with upside if we can see the offense continuously get the ball into the red zone.
Latavius Murray: Murray has completely seceded this job to Freeman, which puts him off of the redraft radar. With no standalone value, plus limited upside even if something were to happen to Freeman, Murray can be dropped in the majority of leagues.
Nick Chubb: The last time that we saw Chubb on the football field was before their bye week against this very same Ravens team. In that matchup, Chubb touched the ball just 10 total times and he accounted for 39 total yards of offense. It was an extremely uncharacteristic game from Chubb and we shouldn’t take a ton away from it, but it does at least raise flags heading into the exact same matchup here in Week 14. We can view Chubb as a low-end RB1 against Baltimore.
Kareem Hunt: Chubb wasn’t a dominant option in Week 12 against the Ravens, but Hunt didn’t exactly do much to upstage him at all. The overall offense for Cleveland struggled against Baltimore the last time around and Hunt accounted for just 20 total yards of offense. We should see a much-improved game plan from Kevin Stefanski and the Browns coaching staff this time around, but it should lead us to at least temper our expectations for Hunt and this offense here in Week 14. Hunt can be viewed as a low-end RB2.
Wide Receivers
Marquise Brown: Through the first several weeks of the 2021 season, Brown was playing insanely well and had transformed into a very reliable fantasy asset at the WR position. Unfortunately, the offense has gone off the rails a bit in recent weeks and Brown’s fantasy stock is taking a hit because of it. Over his past three games, Brown has finished as the WR43, the WR34, and the WR36 in Half PPR scoring. While he continues to remain heavily targeted – 30 targets over those three contests – it’s simply not translating to top-tier production. From Weeks 1-9, Brown was averaging 14.8 Yards Per Reception. However, from Weeks 10-13, Brown has watched his YPR numbers literally be sliced in half to 7.5. Without the potential of big plays from Brown, there’s very little reason to keep ranking him as a top-24 WR. He can be viewed as a low-end WR2/high-end WR3 for Week 14 against the Browns.
Rashod Bateman: Bateman has now seen his snap count steadily decrease over the past two weeks and he’s now essentially irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint. After being one of the waiver wire darlings for a good portion of the middle of the season, Bateman’s now droppable in the majority of formats.
Jarvis Landry: The running game struggled in Week 12 against Baltimore the last time around, but Landry was able to get the job done against this Ravens secondary. He reeled in six of his 10 targets for 111 yards and he was able to finish as a top-24 WR for the first time all season since Week 1. There’s no guarantee that this happens again here in Week 14, but it’s worth noting that it’s in the range of outcomes for Landry to have another solid performance. He can be viewed as a mid-range WR3 this week.
Donovan Peoples-Jones: DPJ is dependent upon the big play and Mayfield’s health is a major question mark right now. He can be viewed as a boom-or-bust FLEX play in deep formats.
Tight Ends
Mark Andrews: While the Ravens offense has certainly taken a hit here in recent weeks, Andrews has continued to provide one of the highest floors in all of fantasy football. From Weeks 9-13, Andrews leads the entire NFL in terms of team target share at the TE position with 25.1%. He’s seen a whopping 47 targets over that time span and he’s now the TE2 on the entire season, only behind Travis Kelce. The offensive woes may continue for Baltimore, which puts a cap on the scoring upside for Andrews, but the volume is going to be much for us to downgrade him at all in the rankings for Week 14. He can be viewed as a top-5 lock against Cleveland.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Football Team
Date/Time: Sunday December 12, 1:00pm ET
BettingPros Consensus Spread: Cowboys -4
BettingPros Consensus Over/Under: 48 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Cowboys 26, Washington 22
Quarterbacks
Dak Prescott: Prescott wasn’t able to get it done in Week 12 against the Saints, unfortunately. He went 26-of-40 for only 238 yards and just one touchdown to one interception, but fantasy managers shouldn’t be pressing the panic button just yet. Prescott has finished inside the top-12 QBs on the week six out of his last eight games and he comes with tremendous upside if the matchup is favorable. That’s exactly what we have here against Washington heading into Week 14. Washington has tightened things up slightly since their bye week, but they’re still the third-worst team in Football Outsiders’ Total DVOA metric and they’re allowing the most fantasy points to opposing QBs. We could see Dallas put up solid numbers this week and Prescott’s going to be at the center of that effort. He can be viewed as a borderline top-5 play this week.
Taylor Heinicke: Heinicke is so much fun to watch play QB and he’s putting enough solid tape together to convince Washington that he’s worthy of being declared the starter for 2022 and potentially beyond. While he’s been making plays out on the football field recently and helping The Football Team to victories, it hasn’t translated to top-tier fantasy success recently. He’s finished as the QB22 and the QB16 each of the past two weeks and he has just three touchdowns to two interceptions over that span. We could see Dallas get out to a big lead in this game, which would force Heinicke to air it out more than he’s had to recently, but there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical with Heinicke in our 1QB leagues this week. We can view him as a mid-range QB2 and one of the last solid streaming options at the position.
Running Backs
Ezekiel Elliott: At this point, we all have to acknowledge that Zeke just doesn’t look like himself. The knee injury certainly seems to be hampering Elliott and he’s now gone six straight games without eclipsing 51 rushing yards. He’s still seen the touchdown opportunities throughout that time span, which has kept his fantasy production afloat, but he’s simply not seeing the type of volume that we’ve come to know as Zeke’s calling card in the NFL. He had a tough matchup last week against New Orleans and it doesn’t get much easier here this week against Washington. While The Football Team has been gashed by opposing passing games, they’re currently only allowing 63.8 rushing yards per game to opposing RBs, which is now tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the fewest in the NFL. Zeke can be viewed as a high-end RB2 that will need to find the end zone in order to push his way into the top-12.
Tony Pollard: Pollard has actually become one of the more consistent options at the position here in recent weeks as he’s now gone four straight weeks with top-24 finishes. Even in a tough matchup last week, Pollard was able to come through for fantasy managers that started him thanks, in large part, to a 58-yard touchdown run. While his production in that game was heavily dependent upon that run (Pollard had just 74 total yards), it showcased his talent level and what he can do when he’s given just a sliver of daylight. Looking forward to Week 14, Pollard has a tougher matchup here against Washington’s run defense that has tightened things up recently and he’s also reportedly missing practices. We’ll continue to monitor the situation as we move throughout the week, but assuming that Pollard plays, it’s best to view him right on the edge of the top-24 in rankings.
Antonio Gibson: Since Washington came off of their week 9 bye, Gibson is averaging 27.25 touches per game. Yes, you read that correctly. He is receiving a truly ridiculous workload in this offense and he’s putting up dominant fantasy numbers with the opportunity. Since Week 10, Gibson is the RB4 in fantasy football and he’s averaging 17 Half PPR fantasy points per game. Fantasy managers have been waiting and hoping for this type of volume for him since he entered the league and he’s absolutely taking full advantage. Even with McKissic potentially coming back into the lineup, we shouldn’t panic on Gibson and bump him down the rankings. With his workload, he’s a sure-fire RB1 and he’s going to be right on the edge of the top-5 in my Week 14 rankings.
Jd Mckissic: McKissic reportedly returned to practice on Wednesday, but we’ll still need to monitor his status as we get closer to Sunday. Even if he does play, it appears as though Gibson has completely taken over this backfield and McKissic would be nothing more than an RB3 play in Full PPR formats.
Wide Receivers
Amari Cooper: Cooper wasn’t 100% last week against New Orleans, which is evidenced by his 34% snap share, but he was still able to make a smaller impact and reel in two receptions for 41 yards. After extended time off to rest and rebuild his conditioning, Cooper should be back to 100% for this matchup against Washington’s secondary. There are certainly questions about how the targets will be distributed with all three receivers healthy, but Cooper should be started as a top-24 option purely due to the matchup.
CeeDee Lamb: Dak didn’t do a ton as a passer in Week 12, but that didn’t stop Lamb from putting together a dominant performance. He saw a 31.7% target share and reeled in 7 of those 13 targets for 89 yards while adding 33 yards rushing on the ground. Lamb is truly a superstar and he’s been everything that he was hyped up to be coming out of college. Looking ahead to Week 14, Lamb now draws a matchup against the Washington secondary that is allowing the third-most fantasy points to opposing WRs this season. There are reasons to be concerned about what the target breakdown is going to be with everyone healthy in this offense, but this matchup shouldn’t stop us from confidently starting Lamb as a low-end WR1.
Michael Gallup: Gallup continues to showcase his talent this season and it was put on full display last week with a beautiful toe-tap reception in the back of the end zone. There are a lot of reasons to be excited for Gallup next year as he heads into free agency, but there are also reasons to be optimistic this week. Washington is allowing 23.4 fantasy points per game to opposing wideouts, which means that there’s going to be enough opportunity for Cooper, Lamb, and Gallup to all have solid games. We can view Gallup as a mid-range WR3 with upside this week.
Terry McLaurin: It’s time that we address the elephant in the room. McLaurin has simply not been productive for fantasy over the back half of the season. Over the course of his past five games, McLaurin has finished as a top-10 WR once. The other four games have all been outside the top-30 on the week and he’s just not able to help push fantasy lineups over the top. Coming off of yet another matchup in which McLaurin should have had a solid outing in Las Vegas, it’s time to be concerned. The Cowboys are allowing the fourth-most fantasy points to opposing WRs, so we should still keep McLaurin in the top-24 conversation, but we can no longer view him as this top-15 option week in and week out.
Tight Ends
Dalton Schultz: There was a four-week stretch at the beginning of the season where Schultz went on an absolute tear. From Weeks 3-6, Schultz didn’t finish worse than the TE10 on the week and he was putting up dominant numbers. Unfortunately, since coming off of their bye week in Week 7, Schultz has finished inside the top-12 TEs just once. He’s providing a decent floor for fantasy managers that’s causing him to remain in lineups, but the upside has been dependent upon him finding the end zone. With so many other receiving options on this offense, it’s far from a guarantee that Schultz takes one in for six. In a favorable matchup, Schultz can be viewed as a high-end TE2.
This season, the Primer is presented by Pristine Auction. They are going to be providing giveaways throughout the season. See below for how to win a signed Clyde Edwards-Helaire jersey!
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
Date/Time: Sunday December 12, 1:00pm ET
BettingPros Consensus Spread: Titans -8.5
BettingPros Consensus Over/Under: 43.5 points
Implied Vegas point totals: Titans 26, Jaguars 17.5
Quarterbacks
Trevor Lawrence: The rookie struggles continue. Lawrence has thrown just one TD passes in his last five games and has averaged only 162.2 passing yards a game over that stretch. (Yikes.) Even in a good matchup against a Titans defense allowing 20.3 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, keep Lawrence out of your lineup.
Ryan Tannehill: There’s a chance Tannehill will get WR Julio Jones back from a hamstring injury this week, and the quarterback could sure use a proven wide receiver since A.J. Brown is on injured reserve. In his most recent game, with AJB and Julio both out of action, Tannehill completed 11 of 21 passes for just 93 yards with one touchdown and one interception in a Week 12 loss to the Patriots. Over his last four games, Tannehill has thrown four TD passes and six interceptions, and he’s topped 213 yards only once (although he’s run for a couple of touchdowns over that stretch). Tannehill faces a Jaguars pass defense that ranks 31st in DVOA and 29th in opponent passer rating but is nevertheless allowing 17.6 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs, the ninth-lowest total in the league. Tannehill is a midrange QB2 this week and a DraftKings fade at $6,400.
Running Backs
James Robinson: Robinson lost a fumble last Sunday on the Jaguars’ first possession while being wrestled to the ground by Rams DT Aaron Donald, and he didn’t touch the ball again until early in the third quarter. J-Rob’s backup, Carlos Hyde, lost a fumble late in the third quarter and had two carries on the very next series. It’s been suggested that Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer might have a double standard since Hyde played for Meyer at Ohio State. Granted, Robinson had also lost a fumble against the Falcons a week earlier, but he’s also a far better player than Hyde. Not only do J-Rob investors have to worry about a quick hook, but they also have to be concerned about a heel injury that had Robinson’s status questionable in the days leading up to the game against the Rams. This week’s matchup against the Titans isn’t an easy one either, with Tennessee giving up 97.8 rushing yards per game. Robinson has averaged 15 touches per game in 2021, but he’s still just a midrange RB2 this week.
D’Onta Foreman: Before going on bye in Week 13, Foreman had the first 100-yard rushing day of his career, carrying 19 times for 109 yards in a Week 12 loss to the Patriots. He played a season-high 31 snaps in that game, and he figures to get a lot of the early-down work this week against a middling Jaguars run defense. He’ll give way to Dontrell Hilliard and/or Jeremy McNichols on obvious passing downs. Consider Foreman a high-end RB3 this week. He’s an interesting GPP option at only $5,100 on DraftKings.
Dontrell Hilliard: When we last saw Hilliard, he was producing a 12-131-1 rushing day against the Patriots in Week 12. The highlight for Hilliard in that game was a 68-yard TD run that came on a draw play on 3rd-and-3. Hilliard had a 51% snap share in that game, splitting work fairly evenly with D’Onta Foreman. The question is what happens to Hilliard if Jeremy McNichols comes back from a concussion that has kept him out of action the last two games. McNichols is likely to be the primary third-down back upon his return. Foreman is an early-down thumper. Where does that leave Hilliard? He’s almost certain to be part of the mix, but don’t take double-digit touches for granted. He’s ranked as a low-end RB3 this week.
Jeremy McNichols: If McNichols is able to return from a concussion that’s sidelined him for the Titans’ last two games, he’ll probably go back to being the Titans’ primary passing-down back. He had eight catches for 74 yards back in Week 4, but McNichols hasn’t been especially fantasy-relevant.
Wide Receivers
Marvin Jones: In 2020, Jones finished as the WR17 in half-point PPR scoring. This year, he’s the WR41, and he’s bend trending downward as the season has worn on. Over his last six games, Jones has averaged 32.8 receiving yards and hasn’t scored a touchdown. In a dysfunctional Jacksonville passing game, Jones is averaging 6.6 yards per target, his lowest mark since his rookie year with the Bengals in 2012. Even against a Titans defense that’s been heavily damaged by opposing wide receivers at times this season, Jones is merely a mid-range WR4.
Laviska Shenault: Shenault is averaging 6.0 fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR). Over his last eight games, Shenault’s high-water mark in receiving yardage is 58 yards. The second-year man from Colorado is averaging 9.8 yards per catch and 6.2 yards per target. He’s not in the top 50 at wide receiver in this week’s rankings.
Julio Jones: The Titans have designated Julio Jones to return from IR, and it’s possible he’ll practice this week in preparation to play against the Jaguars on Sunday. A hamstring injury has sidelined Julio since Week 9, and he’s only played six games all season. If he’s able to go, consider Jones a low-end WR3 with a boom-or-bust range of potential outcomes.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: If Julio Jones isn’t able to return from a hamstring injury, Westbrook-Ikhine figures to be the Titans’ de facto No. 1 receiver. He saw a team-high six targets for the Titans in their Week 12 loss to the Patriots just before their bye. That doesn’t seem like much, but Titans QB Ryan Tannehill attempted only 21 passes in that game, so it amounted to a whopping 28.6% target share. Westbrook-Ikhine had 2-25-1 in Week 12 and 7-107-0 against the Texans in Week 11. He’s a midrange WR4 this week if Julio plays and a low-end WR3 if Julio sits. At $4,500, Westbrook-Ikhine is a possible cost-cutting option in DraftKings contests.
Tight Ends
James O’Shaughnessy: In the four games he’s played this season, O’Shaughnessy has averaged 3.0 catches for 28.5 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown since 2019. O’Shaughnessy is a high-end TE3.
Geoff Swaim: Swaim scored touchdowns in Weeks 8 and 9, but he hasn’t had more than 29 receiving yards in a game all season. Plus, Titans TEs Anthony Firkser and MyCole Pruitt sometimes get into the act, too. It’s hard to trust any of the Titans’ tight ends, which is why Swaim is the TE27 this week.