Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.

With bye weeks in the rear view mirror, the Sunday-only NFL main slate for Week 14 features 14 games, excluding only the Jaguars-Titans (Thursday Night Football), and Vikings-Seahawks (Monday Night Football). While there's some fantasy star power being taken off the table, that's still plenty of options ready to pop in Sunday's games, including a pair of running backs whom very few people had penciled in as fantasy difference-makers at the start of the season.

TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)

QB: Baker Mayfield, CLE vs. CAR ($32): Mayfield posted an ugly 1:3 TD:INT last week after managing a 7:0 mark over the previous two games, but he atoned for those turnovers somewhat with a career-high 397 passing yards. The first overall pick in the 2017 draft is putting up strong fantasy numbers regardless of whether he's leading his team to wins or padding his stats in the garbage-time portion of blowout losses. While either scenario is possible against a Carolina club that still has playoff aspirations at 6-6 despite losing each of its last four games, Mayfield's primed to exploit the Panthers' 22nd-ranked secondary either way.

RB: Tevin Coleman, ATL at GB ($14): Coleman struggled against two of the league's best run defenses in New Orleans and Baltimore over the past two weeks, but this matchup with a Packers defense that's allowing 127.8 rushing yards per game presents a terrific buy-low opportunity on Atlanta's primary running back. In addition to his work on the ground, Coleman's also capable of doing damage as a receiver out of the backfield, with five receiving touchdowns this season and 15 catches over the past five weeks.

WR: Tyreek Hill, KC vs. BAL ($29): With his gamebreaking speed, Hill's capable of making a massive impact any time he touches the ball. His usage has climbed with Sammy Watkins (foot) out, but even if Watkins returns, Hill's upside remains tremendous relative to his $29 valuation. Buying the dip against the elite Ravens pass defense didn't work with Julio Jones last week, but Hill's speed presents a unique challenge that Baltimore's defense may not be capable of overcoming.

Other Against-the-Grainers

QB: Andrew Luck (IND, $34); Matt Ryan (ATL, $31)
RB: Chris Thompson (WAS, $15); Stevan Ridley (PIT, $10); Todd Gurley (LAR, $36)
WR: John Brown (BAL, $13); Tre'Quan Smith (NO, $16); Odell Beckham (NYG, $29)
TE: Dan Arnold, (NO, $10); Travis Kelce (KC, $28)
DST: Dallas Cowboys ($12); Los Angeles Rams ($20)

CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)

Quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger, PIT at OAK ($37)

Big Ben's been a bit interception-prone of late, but it's hard to complain about his overall numbers -- 3,945 passing yards and 26 touchdowns to 13 interceptions through 12 games. Directing one of the league's most talented passing attacks, Roethlisberger should have no problem racking up fantasy points against a Raiders team that's allowing 30.6 points per game. With starting running back James Conner out due to an ankle injury, Roethlisberger will likely be asked to carry an even larger load offensively.

Running Back

Justin Jackson, LAC vs. CIN ($16)

Melvin who? Gordon's stand-in at the running back position was fantastic in Los Angeles' comeback win last week, garnering 82 yards and a touchdown on nine touches. That performance comes on the heels of 57 yards on seven touches in the previous game. While Gordon could return from his knee injury this week, the Chargers will likely ease him back in, so Jackson's could ee his workload trend up just in time to trample a Bengals defense that's surrendering league-highs in rushing yards (153.3) and points (30.9) per game.

Phillip Lindsay, DEN at SF ($30)

Lindsay's having a historically good season for an undrafted rookie running back, and he seems to get better with each passing game. After rushing for a career-high 110 yards and a touchdown on 7.9 yards per carry in Week 12, Lindsay one-upped himself with a new career best of 157 yards and two touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry in Week 13. In the past six games, Lindsay has 591 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. His recent success should continue against a 49ers team that's giving up 28.0 points per game.

Wide Receiver

Mike Evans, TB vs. NO ($32)

Covering wide receivers on the outside is the weakness of this year's Saints club, and Evans is primed to exploit that weakness. Though Carolina was able to hold him in check for the second time in as many meetings last week, New Orleans had no such luck in Week 1, when Evans snagged seven catches for 147 yards and a touchdown. Tampa Bay will throw early and often rather than challenge the league's top-ranked run defense, giving Evans plenty of opportunities to capitalize on this favorable matchup.

Tyler Boyd, CIN at LAC ($20)

Back to being the undisputed top dog in Cincinnati's passing game with A.J. Green done for the season, Boyd should have another productive outing. He has at least three catches in every game this year, and his average stat line over the past 11 games is 6.0 catches for 82.9 yards. Boyd's a scoring threat as well, having accumulated six touchdowns over that 11-game stretch. Despite checking all the boxes as a true WR1, Boyd can be had for just $20 in a game that should feature plenty of passing given the Bengals' defensive woes.

Amari Cooper, DAL vs. PHI ($28)

Those who thought Dallas overpaid for Cooper (myself included) have been eating crow over the past two weeks, as he's pulled down 16 of 17 targets for 255 yards and two touchdowns. The reinvigorated trade acquisition is helping the Cowboys make their playoff push, and he should make a sizable impact in this pivotal matchup against an injury-riddled Eagles secondary that's been the seventh-most generous in the league this season.

Tight End

Zach Ertz, PHI at DAL ($30)

The Cowboys had no answer for Ertz when these teams met in Week 10, allowing the tight end to rack up season highs across the board with 14 catches for 145 yards and two touchdowns. While a repeat effort is unlikely, it wouldn't be surprising to see Ertz top 110 receiving yards for the fifth time this season. After all, he's as clear an offensive focal point as any receiver or tight end in the league, which is why Ertz already has the Eagles franchise record for receptions in a season at 93, and there's still four weeks left to play.

Defense/Special Teams

New York Giants, NYG at WAS ($10)

This unit is the perfect choice for owners looking to spend big at other positions. The Giants have quietly picked things up since their Week 9 bye, winning three of four subsequent games. Their defense has averaged a respectable 8.8 fantasy points over that span, but it can still be had at the minimum $10 price against a Redskins offense that lacks weapons on the outside, relies on a 33-year-old to lead the rushing attack and will be forced to start third-string quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Honorable Mentions

QB: Philip Rivers (LAC, $39); Lamar Jackson (BAL, $29)
RB: Jaylen Samuels (PIT, $14); Christian McCaffrey (CAR, $38); LeGarrette Blount (DET, $19)
WR: Keenan Allen (LAC, $28); Davante Adams (GB, $35); Emmanuel Sanders ($21)
TE: Jared Cook (OAK, $19); Jimmy Graham (GB, $14)
DST: Buffalo Bills ($15); Detroit Lions ($14)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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