Fantasy Basketball: Week 14 Start/Sit Guide

We're teed up for another solid fantasy scoring period schedule-wise, as we have a five-game team for a second consecutive week and more four-game than three-game teams. There are plenty of consistent, prominent players sporting lower start rates than their production would typically command, affording us plenty of Start options to sift through this week.

Each week, we'll aim to highlight a pair of Start candidates at each position for your fantasy rosters who may shape up as some tougher calls of the week to make, focusing on players with a start or roster rate of 50% or less in Yahoo leagues. 

Likewise, we'll spotlight one Sit candidate at each position who would normally not be a consideration for a spot on your bench, often focusing on players with fewer game opportunities during the coming week.

TEAM WITH FIVE GAMES: Miami Heat

TEAMS WITH FOUR GAMES: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

TEAMS WITH THREE GAMES: Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards 

TEAM WITH TWO GAMES: Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers

Fantasy Basketball Week 14 Start/Sit Guide

Guards

Start: Kevin Porter, Bucks

29% start rate

Porter turned in a mystifying scoreless clunker against the Spurs on Thursday, but that's a clear outlier in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career. The veteran guard had averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals across 37.4 minutes over the previous 13 games, a span where he also drained 81.0% of his 4.5 free-throw attempts per contest. As that full stat line corroborates, Porter can be a boon for a fantasy lineup in any given scoring period even as he continues to struggle with shooting efficiency, especially when he has a full four-game week on his docket.

Start: Stephon Castle, Spurs

38% start rate

Like Porter, Castle had a suboptimal performance his last time on the floor, although he offset a 2-for-8 night against the Timberwolves with nine assists, six rebounds and three steals across 28 minutes. However, the second-year guard had been very effective over the previous 17 games he'd played following a hip injury, averaging 15.6 points (on 47.9% shooting), 7.4 assists, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 30.4 minutes. Castle continues to play a key complementary role on an ascendant Spurs team, and a four-game schedule that includes a pair of matchups against the Jazz and another versus the Pelicans tees up the UConn product for a very productive week. 

ALSO CONSIDER: Jaylon Tyson, Cavaliers (6% start rate)

Sit: Josh Giddey, Bulls

56% start rate

Giddey has missed 10 consecutive games due to his hamstring injury, and although he is doing some rehab work with the G League squad, the talented point guard could still sit out at least Tuesday's game against the Clippers. The Bulls have only three games overall this coming week, and Giddey could also have some sort of minutes restriction in his first game or two back, making him a risky Start option for at least one more scoring period.

Forwards

Start: Norman Powell, Heat

39% start rate 

Powell continues to author a career-best season in his Heat debut campaign, most recently averaging 22.9 points (on 47.6% shooting, including 39.5% from 3-point range), 3.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals across 31.1 minutes over the last 15 games. The veteran wing is averaging a hefty 16.5 shot attempts per contest in that span, and with Miami on a five-game West Coast swing during Week 14, Powell could be set to offer stellar returns. That holds true not just based on sheer opportunity in terms of game volume, but because there's a chance Tyler Herro (ribs) could miss the entirety of that span after not traveling with the team Sunday. Powell boasts a team-high 27.8% usage rate and averages of 28.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.4 steals per 36 minutes with Herro off the floor, making him all the more appealing this week.

Start: Naji Marshall, Mavericks

20% start rate

Marshall is another wing that's riding high going into Week 14, averaging 16.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.0 steals while shooting a blistering 59.0% across 30.3 minutes over the last 20 games. Marshall has been playing an even bigger role of late – unsurprising given the absences of both Anthony Davis (finger) and more recently, Cooper Flagg (ankle). Marshall has scored 22 or more points in three of the last four games, and he's averaging 20.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals per 36 minutes with both stars off the floor this season. Even if Flagg returns for part of Dallas' four-game schedule, Marshall's recent body of work and current starting small forward role makes him a name worthy of serious consideration as the Mavs embark on a four-game week that could include multiple high-scoring matchups against the Knicks, Warriors, Lakers and Bucks.

ALSO CONSIDER: Andrew Wiggins, Heat (33% start rate)

Sit: Franz Wagner, Magic

77% start rate

Wagner just returned from an extended absence due to an ankle injury and logged 27 and 26 minutes in his first two games. The talented forward posted 18- and 14-point tallies and also pulled down nine rebounds in the first game, but he now has just two games to work with this coming week. There's still a chance Wagner's minutes continue to be ramped up slowly, so the circumstances attached to him make Wagner less desirable in Week 14 than he would be otherwise.

Centers

Start: Jalen Duren, Pistons

41% start rate 

Duren has had an encouraging return from a four-game absence due to an ankle injury, averaging 15.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 blocks across 25.5 minutes in his first pair of contests back. The talented big man has logged 28 and 23 minutes in those games, but he'd been averaging 28.4 minutes per game prior to his absence; therefore, a boost in playing time over the Pistons' four-game week is certainly possible. Duren can make meaningful contributions in every category except for 3-point shooting, so he's certainly a viable option on a full schedule.

Start: Neemias Queta, Celtics

25% start rate

Queta has developed into quite a reliable complementary source of points and rebounds in particular, and he's also averaging 1.2 blocks per contest. Meanwhile, Queta is averaging a double-double (10.8 points, 10.0 rebounds) in his last nine games, shooting 65.6% while also recording 1.1 blocks per contest. Queta is generally doing a good job of staying out of foul trouble as well, which is helping his minutes to reliably remain in the mid-20s on average most nights. Queta will have another four games to work with this coming week, teeing him up as a big man to consider for one of your frontcourt or utility slots.

ALSO CONSIDER: Collin Murray-Boyles, Raptors (30% start rate)

Sit: Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers

49% start rate

Clingan also falls victim to a two-game week this week, and although he is coming off very impressive back-to-back double-doubles, he's had plenty of fluctuation in his production, particularly his scoring. Clingan had generated four consecutive single-digit point tallies prior to the last two games and hadn't scored more than 12 points in any of his previous six contests, so there's definitely risk attached on such a sparse schedule. There's even more the case when considering one of his two games comes against a tough Raptors defense, making a Clingan benching worthy of contemplating if you have some other viable three, four or five-game options.