Fantasy Football Start/Sit Sleepers for Week 14 (2024)

Oh, we’re getting into the thick of it now! The first week of December brings us fantasy football playoff scenarios, as it’s the last week of the regular season for most of us. It also brings us to the sequel of “Byemageddon,” and like most sequels, it’s looking worse than the prequel. With six teams on bye this week, let’s look at some sleepers that will help you get through.

As always, I’ll recap last week’s picks. It was almost the same as Week 12, just more about the position groups. I led readers the right way at the quarterback position with Bryce Young scoring 9.6 points over projection! The receivers also balled out with Marquez Valdes-Scantling (+1.9) and Xavier Legette (-0.4)! Where did it go wrong? First off, both running backs scored three points under projection, and to make it worse, I chose the only Broncos RB not to have six-plus fantasy points in Audric Estime. Then, I managed to go consecutive weeks where the tight ends were sleeping and not scoring any fantasy points. It’s safe to say the “Kyle Pitts Experience” was more of a “Final Destination”-like rollercoaster. The total was 3.4 points under projection.

Alright, enough reminiscing; let’s clinch some postseason spots and guide you through the sequel nobody asked for in “Byemageddon 2” with some sleepers to consider in your Week 14 start/sit decisions!

Fantasy Football Start/Sit Consideration: Week 14 Sleepers

Quarterback

Geno Smith (Seattle Seahawks)

Despite Geno Smith having all the weapons a quarterback could need with D.K. Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he has gone back-to-back games with under 13.5 fantasy points. The Cardinals have also held quarterbacks to under 15 fantasy points in five of their last six games. While those are both negatives, we are taught that two negatives equal a positive.

There are positives for Smith: His averages are better against divisional opponents this season, with 299.2 combined yards, 1.5 total touchdowns, 1.7 interceptions and 17.4 fantasy points per game. That’s compared to his 16.8 average against non-divisional opponents this season.

I know the Cardinals have been rough against fantasy quarterbacks lately, but their last two games have shown that there are some blemishes. The former West Virginia Mountaineer ironically started it in Week 12, as the Cardinals have now gone back-to-back games of allowing a quarterback to have 256+ scrimmage yards and score 13.4+ fantasy points. Smith also has the most passing yards against the Cardinals in their last five games.

I believe the veteran can get out of this mini-slump and continue to excel in divisional games like he’s done so many times before.

Running Back

Cam Akers (Minnesota Vikings)

There’s been some ups and downs for Cam Akers since returning to the Vikings in Week 9. In two of his five games, he has 7.3+ fantasy points. However, he’s been held to under six fantasy points in the other three games, including consecutive games of 3.5 Points Per Reception (PPR) fantasy points or fewer.

This week, he faces the Falcons, who have allowed the 10th=fewest fantasy points to running backs this season. I like to believe in his opportunity this week, as Aaron Jones is currently dealing with a fumbling issue. It’s almost as if time is figuratively counting down for Jones. He has five fumbles this season, which ties a career-high. Four of those fumbles came within the last three weeks, including two last week. This leads me to the one running back in Minnesota who could see more action.

Now, the Falcons did stop the Chargers running backs last week, and kudos to them. They snapped a six-game streak of allowing a running back to score 84+ scrimmage yards and 15+ fantasy points against them. Akers has some sneaky potential here, especially behind a running back who could fumble this opportunity.

Kimani Vidal (Los Angeles Chargers)

Hey, Jim Harbaugh! Can we please see more of the rookie running back Kimani Vidal? This whole Gus Edwards thing is not working out. This is your opportunity to showcase him on “Sunday Night Football” against the two-time defending Super Bowl Champions. He’s already shown flashes once this season against the Broncos when he caught a 38-yard touchdown.

I know what you’re thinking: the Chiefs are the best against fantasy running backs this season. Those season-long numbers aren’t lying, but the Chiefs are beginning to struggle against running backs. The cracks started to form in Week 12 when Chuba Hubbard had 60 scrimmage yards, a touchdown and 13 fantasy points. Sincere McCormick emerged out of nowhere and had 65 scrimmage yards for 8.5 fantasy points. Then, the veteran Ameer Abdullah put up 7.3 fantasy points on 53 scrimmage yards.

In the past two divisional games against the Chiefs, a rookie running back has rushed for 53 or more yards, with Audric Estime and McCormick. That makes three running backs in the past two games to score 7.3+ fantasy points on 53+ scrimmage yards and back-to-back strong rookie running back performances in divisional games. I think the stars are starting to align.

Wide Receiver

Jalen Nailor (Minnesota Vikings)

You can add Jalen Nailor‘s name to the list of receivers that have unexpectedly emerged to be touchdown machines this season. Now, he’s just not getting the hype of Nick Westbrook-Ikhine and Valdes-Scantling due to opportunities.

Nailor has caught five touchdowns this season, and in all of those touchdown games, he had four or fewer targets and 54 or fewer receiving yards. This week, he faces the Falcons, who have allowed 15 receiving touchdowns to receivers this season, tied for the third-most.

Of the 13 receivers this season to score a touchdown against the Falcons, six fit that quota of having under four targets and 54 receiving yards. Also, four wide receivers have scored a touchdown while being held to 52 or fewer receiving yards in the last four games against Atlanta. This screams Nailor finding paydirt.

KaVontae Turpin (Dallas Cowboys)

Pop Quiz! Guess which Cowboys player has the most receiving yards in the last two Cowboys home games? The answer is KaVontae Turpin with 139! The answer you were probably expecting in CeeDee Lamb is right behind him with 132.

This former USFL MVP has been a bright spot for the Cowboys in the last three games. In Week 11, he was the only receiver to score a touchdown for Dallas. Then, in Week 12, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown. This leads to last week on Thanksgiving when he had the most receiving yards for the Cowboys with 53. He’s got some deadly speed, and they are willing to give him the ball to speed past defenders.

Then there’s this matchup with the Bengals on “Monday Night Football.” This Cincinnati defense is so bad that we’re running out of bad descriptive terms to describe them. That’s a low of lows, like how they have allowed a receiver duo to score double-digit fantasy points in seven of their last eight games. They’ve also allowed multiple touchdowns to the position in two of their last three games.

Another thing to note is that CeeDee Lamb is currently playing through a lot of pain. While I don’t expect him to miss this game, this could mean even more opportunities for Turpin. Aside from his return yards, I never thought Turpin would be much of a fantasy football asset, but he’s been a weapon that the Cowboys have continuously used recently.

Tight End

Pat Freiermuth (Pittsburgh Steelers)

There have been some growing pains between Pat Freiermuth and Russell Wilson. The Penn State product is averaging three receptions on 3.5 targets for 38 yards, 0.3 touchdowns and 8.9 fantasy points in games Wilson’s started.

However, the chemistry has certainly intensified in the past two games, as the Steelers tight end has produced four-plus targets, 59+ receiving yards and 9.9+ fantasy points in both outings. This is progress, considering that Freiermuth never went over three targets or 51 receiving yards in those first four games with Wilson.

We might see this chemistry transform to even newer heights against the Browns. Cleveland has struggled against the tight end position recently, allowing four tight ends to have 30+ receiving yards and eight-plus fantasy points since returning from their Week 11 bye. Also, since Week 6, the Browns have allowed every tight end to be targeted four-plus times to score at least eight fantasy points. When Friermuth last played the Browns in Week 12, he snagged four receptions for 59 yards in a blizzard. So, instead of a snow blizzard, how about a blizzard of fantasy points?

Check out all of our Week 14 fantasy football content:

Thanks for reading this week’s “Shore Thing Sleepers.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!

*Photo Credit: Vincent Carchietta – USA TODAY Sports*

Ben Siebert

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Week 14 Shore Thing Sleepers (2024)