Fantasy Football IDP Start/Sit Lineup Advice: Week 14 (2023)

Kenny Pickett and Mac Jones, both not starting for different reasons, promised to make this one of the season’s least interesting Thursday Night Football games. Bailey Zappe looked competent in the first half, throwing three touchdown passes, putting the Patriots up 21-3 over a struggling Mitch Trubisky and a still-swarming Steelers defense. Pittsburgh made it interesting late, but an overmatched offensive coordinator reared its head again in Steel Town. On the IDP side of things, Jahlani Tavai went bonkers and Jabril Peppers stepped up for the Patriots, and the Steelers got some solid production from linebackers Mykal Walker, Elandon Roberts, and Nick Herbig. Looking ahead to this weekend, we will take a look at five players fantasy managers should do their best to plug into their lineups and five others who are better left on benches despite promising upside. Let’s dig in.

IDP Start em, Sit em – Week 14

Start em

Nick Bolton (LB – KC)
Bolton has been designated to return and has practiced in full on both Wednesday and Thursday, all but ensuring that he will be activated for Week 14. The Chiefs need him with Drue Tranquill likely to miss the contest due to being in concussion protocol, so expect him to log heavy snaps in his first game back. He should step right back into an everydown role and is someone to start as a top-15 option for Week 14. Treat him as an LB1 option for a plus Week 14 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Ji’Ayir Brown (S – SF)
Ji’Ayir finally had the type of performance fantasy managers were waiting for, recording five solos and one assist. The strong solo count is a step in the right direction for a player who had just one solo in his first game as a starter. Brown will continue to play an everydown role with Talanoa Hufanga lost for the season and is safe to deploy as a DB3/4 for Week 14. Start him this weekend despite the tough on-paper matchup against a Seattle Seahawks team limiting opposing safeties to the ninth fewest fantasy points per game.

J.J. Russell (LB – TB)
Russell was excellent in Week 13, racking up six solos, one assist, one sack, and one tackle for loss on 99 percent of the snaps. He played well ahead of KJ Britt and is expected to see another heavy snap count with Devin White set to miss another contest. Having Lavonte David back in the lineup should only help free up Russell, keeping him in the LB3 range despite the return of the veteran. J.J. should still see north of 80 percent of the snaps and has teased us with some exciting upside. Start him wherever possible for a plus Week 15 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

Nicholas Morrow (LB – PHI)
Morrow’s future in the middle got complicated when the Eagles signed Shaq Leonard, but for Week 14, it should be Morrow who gets the start and has the larger IDP impact. Leonard has yet to regain his pre-injury form, but if the Eagles use him right, he could still make a big enough impact (and steal enough snaps) to render Morrow impossible to trust as anything more than an LB4. However, for Week 14, Morrow can be deployed as an LB2/3 option for a plus matchup against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jadeveon Clowney (DE – BAL)
Clowney has revitalized his career in Baltimore. The DL9 in fantasy points per game since Week 9, Clowney has four of his 7.5 sacks in his last three games. Believe it or not, Clowney is now actually on pace to set a career-high in sacks, as the former All-Pro defender has yet to reach double-digit sacks in a season. With Justin Madubuike commanding double teams in the middle, it should only be a matter of when, and not if, Clowney hits at least 10 sacks on the season. Tap Clowney as a low-floor DL2/3 with DL1 upside for a plus Week 14 matchup against a Los Angeles Rams team surrendering the 15th most fantasy points per game to opposing edge rushers.

Sit em

Bryan Cook (S – KC)
Bryan Cook was rock solid in Week 13, recording six solos and one assist on just 34 percent of the snaps. Unfortunately, his best IDP game of the season was cut short due to an ankle injury. Cook missed the first two practices of the week and appears to be heading toward an early rule out. Even if he does end up playing this week, Cook should remain on fantasy benches until he shows some more consistency. Look elsewhere for Week 14.

Christian Izien (S – TB)
Izien had a strong fantasy outing in Week 13, tallying five solos and a forced fumble. It was one of his best IDP games of the season, but Izien simply hasn’t shown enough consistency to plug into lineups during a week with just two teams on bye. Izien does have enough upside to stash at the end of your bench, but if you need to start him in a league with less than 16 teams, you need to reevaluate your defensive back depth in the first place. Continue to stash him where possible, but leave him out of lineups for Week 14’s contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

Emmanuel Ogbah (DE – MIA)
Ogbah added another sack in Week 13 but played just 29 percent of the snaps. The 2.5 sacks in his last two games suggest that he should see an expanded role, but the Dolphins coaching staff is clearly not very high on him, and the addition of Jason Pierre-Paul means that Ogbah’s role is likely to shrink sooner or later. Leave Ogbah on benches for Week 14.

Bud Dupree (DE/LB – ATL)
Dupree was excellent in Week 13, reeling off three solos, four assists, two sacks, two tackles for loss, and one forced fumble. The two sacks put him at five for the season. The two sack outing was enough to make him an end-of-the-bench stash candidate, but he is not someone you want to be starting for Week 14. If he can tack on another sack this weekend against Tampa Bay, he can become a DL4 candidate, but barring that, he is more emergency depth than someone you want to start despite the plus matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Leave Dupree on benches for Week 14.

Willie Gay (LB – KC)
Despite the injury to Drue Tranquill, Gay is not someone IDP managers should be looking to start for Week 14. Gay was seeing sporadic snaps even when Nick Bolton was sidelined, so it’s difficult to trust him now with just two teams on bye. He is too talented not to stash in competitive leagues, but fantasy managers should leave him on the pine for Week 14 despite the plus matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.