The Week 14 NFL DFS Yahoo main slate begins Sunday at 1 p.m. EST and features 11 games. The Giants, Panthers, Patriots and 49ers are on bye, while teams playing on Thursday Night Football (Cowboys-Lions), Sunday Night Football (Texans-Kansas City) and Monday Night Football (Eagles-Chargers) are excluded from the main slate.
Playing in guaranteed prize pool (GPP) Yahoo DFS football contests is about chasing upside, while lineups geared toward head-to-head, 50/50 or double-up formats should prioritize high floors. The players you want to target for these different contest types aren't mutually exclusive, but winning a GPP tournament usually requires finding a hidden gem or going against the grain in a spot or two while building a solid base of the same chalk plays you would use anywhere. Against-the-grain plays typically consist of big-name players in tough matchups or boom-or-bust types with uncertain roles.
Keep in mind that Yahoo DFS football contests use 0.5 PPR scoring rather than full PPR, which lowers the comparative value of wide receivers and running backs (in that order) while especially affecting high-volume pass-catchers. NFL DFS Yahoo lineups consist of one QB, two RBs, three WRs, one TE, one FLEX (RB/WR/TE) and one D/ST unit. Suggested Yahoo DFS picks for Week 14 include a pair of big-name RBs facing vulnerable run defenses, as well as a pair of nominal No. 2 WRs who have been playing like the top targets for their respective teams in recent weeks.
QUARTERBACK
Bo Nix, DEN at LV ($33): Denver's offense has turned noticeably more pass-heavy since J.K. Dobbins' foot injury. Nix has thrown for at least 295 yards in both subsequent games while Denver's RBs have combined for just 108 yards on 36 carries (3.0 yards per carry). Facing a Raiders defense that's giving up 25.7 points per game, Nix is poised to put the offense on his back again while playing in pleasant conditions as much of the league deals with cold, wind and precipitation.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Allen, BUF vs. CIN ($44); Daniel Jones, IND at JAC ($33); Baker Mayfield, TB vs. NO ($32)
Against the Grainers: Lamar Jackson, BAL vs. PIT ($35); Jayden Daniels, WAS at MIN ($31); Shedeur Sanders, CLE vs. TEN ($21)
RUNNING BACK
James Cook, BUF vs. CIN ($39): Cook should be worth paying up for against a Bengals defense that has been putrid against RBs. The Bills' only reliable skill player outside of Josh Allen has compiled at least 114 scrimmage yards in eight of 12 games this season while scoring nine total TDs. Buffalo's offense as a whole has been much better at home, averaging 32.5 PPG at Highmark Stadium compared to just 23.7 PPG elsewhere. Cincinnati has been unable to defend RBs at any location, surrendering a league-high 175 scrimmage yards per game and the most total TDs (17) to the position.
Bucky Irving, TB vs. NO ($33): Irving had a triumphant return from an extended absence due to foot and shoulder injuries last week, racking up 81 scrimmage yards and a TD on 19 touches while jumping right back into the lead role. In five appearances this season, Irving has 511 scrimmage yards and three total TDs, and he was even more effective down the stretch of his standout 2024 rookie campaign. A Saints defense that's allowing the fourth-most rushing yards per game to RBs (111) is unlikely to contain the talented RB, whose price is likely to keep climbing as Irving gets further removed from his injuries.
Honorable Mentions: Kyren Williams, LAR at ARI ($35); Breece Hall, NYJ vs. MIA ($32); RJ Harvey, DEN at LV ($27)
Against the Grainers: Chase Brown, CIN at BUF ($32); Jordan Mason, MIN vs. WAS ($16); Devin Neal, NO at TB ($15)
WIDE RECEIVER
Chris Olave, NO at TB ($31): Olave ranks third in the NFL with 110 targets as the top pass catcher on a 2-10 Saints team that's usually playing from behind. A similar game script is likely to unfold on the road against the 7-5 Buccaneers, who lead the NFC South despite struggling to defend WRs. Tampa Bay's 13 catches and 160 yards allowed to WRs per game are fourth-most and seventh-most in the NFL, respectively. Olave has exceeded 50 receiving yards or scored a TD in every game this season, offering a high floor in this favorable matchup, even as he continues to play through a back injury.
Jakobi Meyers, JAC vs. IND ($21): Meyers remained the top option in the passing game even as the Jaguars welcomed Brian Thomas ($21) back from an ankle injury in their previous game, as Meyers caught all six of his targets for 90 yards and a TD to lead Jacksonville in receiving yards for the third time in four games with the team. Only the Steelers give up more catches to WRs per game than the Colts, and Indianapolis allows 164 receiving yards per game to the position, plus the they'll likely be without star CB Sauce Gardner (calf). Given Thomas' up-and-down play this season, the Jaguars will likely continue to lean predominantly on the steady Meyers in this battle for first place in the AFC South.
Troy Franklin, DEN at LV ($19): Over Denver's last six games, Franklin has 48 targets compared to 40 for Courtland Sutton ($26). Franklin has scored four TDs over that span and notched at least 84 receiving yards twice. Whether you stack Franklin with Nix or use the 2024 fourth-round pick as a standalone option, Franklin's a low-risk, high-reward play at just $19 against a Raiders defense that's giving up 156 yards per game to WRs and has allowed the fifth-most touchdown catches to the position (15).
Honorable Mentions: Puka Nacua at ARI ($36); Terry McLaurin, WAS at MIN ($27); Zay Flowers vs. PIT ($24)
Against the Grainers: Justin Jefferson, MIN vs. WAS ($25); Michael Wilson, ARI vs. LAR ($19); Adonai Mitchell, NYJ vs. MIA ($13)
TIGHT END
Zach Ertz, WAS at MIN ($17): Ertz is coming off his best game of the season, as he set season-highs with 10 catches for 106 yards on 13 targets against the stout Denver defense. That performance came with Marcus Mariota under center, and Ertz has 10 touchdown catches in his last 13 regular-season games when paired with Jayden Daniels (elbow), so the veteran TE has proven capable of producing impressive numbers regardless of who the Commanders start under center. Ertz is likely to maintain a prominent role against a Vikings defense that has been more generous than average against TEs, allowing 54 receiving yards per game to the position.
Honorable Mentions: Trey McBride, ARI vs. LAR ($30); Tyler Warren, IND at JAC ($20); Brenton Strange, JAC vs. IND ($16)
Against the Grainers: Brock Bowers, LV vs. DEN ($26); Dalton Kincaid, BUF vs. CIN ($16); Mason Taylor, NYJ vs. MIA ($12)
DEFENSE
Baltimore Ravens vs. PIT ($12): Baltimore's defense was among the worst in the league early in the season but has been much improved for a while now, averaging 9.0 fantasy points in its last five games while holding three of those opponents to 10 points or fewer and generating nine turnovers over that span. This unit is likely to build on that recent success at home against a Steelers offense led by the old and battered Aaron Rodgers, who has thrown for 161 yards or fewer in each of his last three outings. Pittsburgh just allowed 15.0 fantasy points to Buffalo's defense last week, and the Steelers have scored 20 or fewer points in each of their last 10 matchups against the Ravens, including playoff meetings.
Honorable Mentions: Denver Broncos at LV ($18); Cleveland Browns vs. TEN ($18); Miami Dolphins at NYJ ($14)
Against the Grainers: Tennessee Titans at CLE ($14); Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. NO ($13); Washington Commanders at MIN ($10)
