Here are players to consider stashing ahead of this weekend’s slate of games.
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QUARTERBACKS
Tyrod Taylor vs. Seahawks in Week 14
Is there a quarterback worth grabbing this week to get ahead of the curve for Week 14? Well, yes and no. On one hand, there isn’t a widely available quarterback with a great Week 14 matchup. On the other hand, the streaming options are so thin for Week 14 that if you have to go that route, it might be best to act now and do it on the cheap. Taylor is probably the best of the widely available options. He’s averaging just 184.2 passing yards in his five starts this season, but he’s run for 136 yards and three touchdowns. You saw Taysom Hill‘s performance against the Cowboys on Thursday night. A lot of his throws were comically off-target, but his rushing ability fueled a 24-point performance. Taylor has that sort of rushing ability, too, and he gets a pretty decent Week 14 matchup against the Seahawks.
RUNNING BACKS
Rex Burkhead vs. Seahawks in Week 14
Admittedly, the Texans’ backfield hasn’t been a good place to pan for fantasy gold this year. The Texans have an NFL-low 861 rushing yards. Houston has produced only six TD runs and has averaged 3.2 yards per carry. However, Burkhead seemed to take on a lead role for the Texans in Week 12, playing 61% of the offensive snaps and getting 15 touches. Over the last two weeks, Burkhead has logged 20 carries. Granted, those 30 carries produced only 67 yards and no touchdowns. But that sort of workload might pay off against a bad defense, and in Week 14, Burkhead will face a Seahawks defense that’s giving up 24.8 fantasy points per game (0.5 PPR) to opposing running backs, the second-highest total in the league. The Texans also have an attractive Week 16 running-game matchup against the Chargers.
Tevin Coleman vs. Saints in Week 14
Rookie RB Michael Carter is out until at least Week 15 for the Jets. Coleman got most of the early-down snaps in Carter’s absence last week and had 16-67-0 rushing against the Texans. He has a tough matchup this week against the staunch New Orleans run defense, but volume often trumps matchup at the RB position.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. Bears in Week 14
Over his last two games, MVS has eight catches for 173 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets. Valdes-Scantling’s average depth of target is 19.4, so those are high-value targets being delivered by Aaron Rodgers, one of the best deep-ball throwers in NFL history. We know Davante Adams is going to be a target hog for the Packers, but Valdes-Scantling is emerging as a clear No. 2 receiver for Green Bay. He has an appealing matchup this week against the Bears, who are giving up 24.3 fantasy points per game to wide receivers
Nick Westbrook-Ikhene vs. Jaguars in Week 14
Titans WR A.J. Brown will be out with a chest injury until at least Week 16. With Brown on the shelf in Week 12, Westbrook-Ikhene saw a team-high six targets and had two catches for 25 yards and a touchdown. In Week 11, he had seven catches for 107 yards on eight targets. Julio Jones could potentially return from a hamstring injury in Week 14. Even if he does, Westbrook-Ikhene will be heavily involved in the Tennessee passing game, and he has favorable matchups against the Jaguars and Steelers the next two weeks.
TIGHT ENDS
Gerald Everett at Texans vs. Steelers in Week 14
In the three games since Seahawks QB Russell Wilson returned from a finger injury, Everett has seen more targets (21) than WRs D.K. Metcalf (20) and Tyler Lockett (18). Everett has 16 catches over that stretch for 137 yards and a touchdown. He gets favorable matchups the next two weeks against the Texans and Rams.
Cole Kmet at Packers in Week 14
Kmet saw a season-high 11 targets against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day and had eight catches for 65 yards. Kmet hasn’t scored a touchdown this season, but he’s been heavily involved in the Bears’ passing game, with at least six targets in four of his last five games.
DEFENSES
Denver Broncos vs. Lions in Week 14
The Denver defense is averaging 8.4 fantasy points per game to rank sixth in that category. The Broncos have held four of their last five opponents to 17 points or fewer. In Week 14 they get an appealing home date against Jared Goff and the Lions. The Denver defense will be a sought-after streaming option in Week 14, so grabbing them now could save you a little bit of FAAB money. The Broncos are widely available this week because of their unattractive Week 13 matchup against the Chiefs.
Tennessee Titans vs. Jaguars in Week 14
Opposing defenses are averaging 9.5 fantasy points a game against the Jaguars, and only the Texans (9.6) are yielding more. The Titans’ defense ranks 16th in fantasy scoring and has recorded 29 sacks, just four behind the league-leading Vikings.
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