We’ve finally made it to the fantasy football playoffs! After a season filled with intrigue, injuries, alongside plenty of ups and downs for all 32 NFL franchises, fantasy managers can gear up for single-elimination playoff matchups, starting in Week 15. This will be the final installment of the studs and duds series for the 2023 fantasy football season, so let’s recap several of the most noteworthy performances, both good and bad, that we watched unfold during Week 14.
NFL fantasy analyst Matt MacKay is back one final time to share his Week 14 studs and duds, using half-PPR scoring to contextualize how fantasy managers should approach these prospects during the upcoming three-week fantasy football playoff schedule. Best of luck in your pursuit of fantasy football championship glory!
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Studs
Lamar Jackson (QB – Ravens)
After scoring under 20 fantasy points in four of his past five games, Lamar Jackson’s arm brought him back into an overall QB1 finish against a good Rams pass defense in Week 14, logging 31.6 fantasy points with over 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes.
Jackson’s inability to score rushing touchdowns since Week 7 remains an issue for his ceiling, but he has a top-two fantasy matchup against a porous Jacksonville secondary in Week 15. Jackson also rushed for 70 yards in Week 14, reaching this mark for the first time since Week 3, so keep the Ravens’ franchise quarterback locked into lineups as a top-five quarterback option moving forward.
Breece Hall (RB – Jets)
Breece Hall’s usage as a receiver elevated his production in Week 14, as the Jets’ second-year running back caught eight of nine targets for 86 yards and a touchdown. Hall also added 10 carries for 40 rushing yards, breaking 20 fantasy points for the first time since Week 5 on the road against Denver. Hall remains an RB2 in Week 15 against Miami’s run defense, but there is a possibility that he finishes as an RB1 after watching Derrick Henry (RB – Titans) score twice against the Dolphins in Week 14. The passing role is too enticing to overlook, so keep Hall plugged as a mid-range RB2 with RB1 upside rest of season.
James Cook (RB – Bills)
Since the firing of former Bills OC Ken Dorsey, second-year running back James Cook has seen his usage trend upward. Cook finished as the overall RB2 in Week 14, one spot ahead of Breece Hall, logging 22.6 fantasy points, catching all five of his targets for 83 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Cook also added 10 carries for 58 yards, turning 15 touches into over 100 scrimmage yards and a score. Unfortunately, Cook runs into Dallas in Week 15, the toughest fantasy running back matchup, but he’s still an RB2 that should remain in most 12-team league lineups.
Drake London (WR – Falcons)
Drake London took advantage of Tampa Bay’s porous secondary in Week 14, scoring 24.2 fantasy points to finish as the overall WR2 behind only Deebo Samuel (RB – 49ers). London caught 10 of 11 targets for a whopping 172 receiving yards, which was more than enough to overcome zero touchdowns scored against the Buccaneers.
London has been stuck in neutral in an underwhelming, run-centric offense, but if he continues to earn double-digit targets, he quickly ascends into a fringe WR1 prospect. Next up, a bottom-five matchup on the road against Carolina. Here, expectations for London should be tempered, but he’s a viable candidate in lineups as a fringe WR2.
D.J. Moore (WR – Bears)
No one is benefitting more from Justin Fields’ (QB – Bears) return from injury than wide receiver D.J. Moore. The Bears’ WR1 has turned in three straight performances of at least 16.9 fantasy points, scoring his second-highest fantasy outing of the 2023 season against Detroit in Week 14, catching six of ten passes for 68 receiving yards and a touchdown. Moore also handled three carries for 20 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown, totaling two against the Lions. He’ll go on the road in a much tougher matchup against Cleveland, but Moore still contains WR2 value and should remain a starter.
Evan Engram (TE – Jaguars)
Leading all tight ends in Week 14, Evan Engram’s two touchdown burst on the road against Cleveland showcased his upside and skillset as a receiver lined up in the slot. Engram caught 11 of 12 targets for 95 yards and a pair of touchdowns, building off of 9-82-1 stat line against Cincinnati in Week 13.
Engram is heating up at the right time and feasting on eight to 12 targets per game in each of his past three contests, so despite a bottom-ten matchup against Baltimore in Week 15, he’s solidified himself as a must-start option in fantasy lineups.
Duds
Jared Goff (QB – Lions)
Jared Goff has regressed significantly since the Lions’ Week 10 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers. After scoring 21 fantasy points in that matchup, Detroit’s signal caller has struggled with turnovers and underwhelming passing production. Goff’s lack of mobility doesn’t offer much of a floor, as witnessed during Week 14, where he turned in a 6.4 fantasy point performance, completing under 58 percent of his pass attempts and throwing two interceptions.
Goff is quickly becoming a liability and can be benched or cut ahead of another difficult matchup against a vastly improved Denver defense in Week 15, before drawing two more tough matchups against the Vikings and Cowboys during the fantasy playoffs.
D’Andre Swift (RB – Eagles)
Finishing as the RB47 in Week 14 was a huge disappointment for D’Andre Swift, who has quickly become a major bust in fantasy lineups. After scoring 13 – 25 fantasy points in five consecutive weeks earlier in the season, Swift’s role as a pass catcher has dried up, drawing no targets in Week 14 against Dallas, while only converting 11 carries for 39 rushing yards. Swift hasn’t scored 10 fantasy points since Week 11 against Kansas City.
Don’t fade him yet though, as Swift gets three top-12 fantasy running back matchups during the fantasy playoffs, starting with a top-five matchup against Seattle’s porous run defense in Week 15. He’s an RB2 with RB1 upside, despite underachieving in tougher matchups the past few games.
Calvin Ridley (WR – Jaguars)
Another highly touted player this offseason who has found himself on the duds list way too often is Jaguars wideout, Calvin Ridley. Ridley only caught four of 13 targets in Week 14 against Cleveland, finishing with 53 receiving yards and 7.3 fantasy points. Ridley’s volatility has been an issue all season, and it’s tough to predict when he’ll pop, as he scored 19.4 points against a good Houston pass defense in Week 12. Ridley gets another bottom-ten matchup against Baltimore in Week 14, making him a boom-or-bust WR3 with WR2 upside.
Dalton Kincaid (TE – Bills)
Buffalo’s offense has been playing better with Dalton Kincaid in a less prominent role, which could fare poorly for him in the fantasy playoffs. The first-round rookie tight end has been electric as the primary starter during Dawson Knox’s (TE – Bills) stint on I.R.
Now with Knox back though, combined with a more run-centric game plan from current OC Joe Brady, Kincaid may be relegated to a low-end TE1 ceiling. He has earned six to eight targets across his last three games played, failing to hit eight fantasy points. Now, a shoulder injury that he sustained against the Chiefs is another issue for fantasy managers to worry about. Dallas is the 13th toughest matchup for fantasy tight ends, so benching Kincaid in Week 15 isn’t a bad idea, but don’t cut him, as a top-six matchup against the Chargers awaits in Week 16.
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Matthew MacKay is a featured writer for FantasyPros. For more from Matthew, check out his archive and follow him @Matt_MacKay_.