This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.
The Week 14 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EST and features 11 games. The Eagles, Colts, Dolphins and Patriots are on bye, while three games fall outside the main slate this week. The action kicks off Thursday at 8:20 p.m. with the Steelers and Vikings, while Bears-Packers (Sunday night) and Rams-Cardinals (Monday night) rivalry games wrap up the slate. The wide receiver position in particular has a lot of premier options in action outside of the main slate, but there are still plenty of enticing players to target Sunday afternoon. Among the recommended options in Week 14 are a pair of quarterbacks who have underperformed lofty preseason expectations by varying degrees, a few playmaking running backs taking on generous defenses, and reliable receivers from across the price spectrum, not to mention an affordable and underrated defense primed to capitalize on a juicy matchup.
TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)
QB: Patrick Mahomes, KC vs. LV ($38): Mahomes hasn't been as consistent as we've grown accustomed to, but his ceiling remains astronomical, as evidenced by his 406-yard, five-touchdown performance in Week 10 against the Raiders. That was part of a three-game stretch in which Vegas allowed 35.3 points per game before holding Washington to 17 in last week's loss. Facing a struggling, familiar foe could help coax another superstar performance out of Mahomes, who still ranks in the top five in both passing yards and passing touchdowns despite having a down year.
RB: Alvin Kamara, NO at NYJ ($33): Kamara hasn't played since Week 9 due to a knee injury, but he'll be worth the risk against the hapless Jets defense if cleared for action as expected. If neither Kamara nor Mark Ingram, who has tested positive for COVID-19, are able to play, Tony Jones ($10) would become an enticing value play. Kamara's elite as both a rusher and pass-catcher out of the backfield when healthy, and the Jets have been unable to stop either aspect of the opposing attack. New York has allowed the third-most rushing yards (1,411), second-most receiving yards (753), most rushing touchdowns (18) and fourth-most receiving touchdowns (four) to the running back position.
WR: Hunter Renfrow, LV at KC ($18): Kansas City's defense has done a good job against wide receivers and is playing particularly well of late, but Renfrow's still an appealing option as the only receiver quarterback Derek Carr trusts. He's gone from "3rd and Renfrow" to "every down and Renfrow," securing 17 of 19 targets over the past two games for 236 yards, while topping the century mark in each. Even if tight end Darren Waller (knee) makes his return, Renfrow should continue to rack up catches and yards as the focal point of the Raiders passing game.
Other Against-the-Grainers
QB: Tom Brady (TB, $34), Taysom Hill (NO, $28), Ryan Tannehill (TEN, $25)
RB: Nick Chubb (CLE, $29), Leonard Fournette (TB, $27), Adrian Peterson (SEA, $14)
WR: Ja'Marr Chase (CIN, $28), Mike Evans (TB, $21), Laquon Treadwell (JAX, $11)
TE: Nick Vannett (NO, $10), Ricky Seals-Jones (WAS, $14)
DST: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. BUF, $17), Los Angeles Chargers (vs. NYG, $13)
CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)
QUARTERBACK
Russell Wilson, SEA at HOU ($29): Wilson has started to look more like himself after two terrible performances following his return from a finger injury, tossing multiple touchdowns in each of his last two games. The Texans have been more vulnerable on the ground, but Seattle's inability to run the ball will likely put the onus on Wilson to carve up a Houston defense that's allowing 26.9 points per game— third most in the league. Houston's also tied for the most rushing touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks with five, and Wilson has the mobility to capitalize on that vulnerability, as he's scrambled for at least 489 yards in six of his previous nine seasons. Wilson's a low-risk, high-reward option under center.
RUNNING BACK
Javonte Williams, DEN vs. DET ($26): Williams proved last week that he's more than capable of carrying the mail as Denver's lead back, racking up 178 scrimmage yards and a touchdown against the Chiefs with Melvin Gordon (hip/shoulder) sidelined. The rookie should deliver another dominant performance at home against the Lions, especially if Gordon remains inactive or limited. Detroit's 18 scrimmage touchdowns allowed to running backs are second most after the Jets.
Saquon Barkley, NYG at LAC ($19): With quarterback Daniel Jones (neck) and most of their receiving corps dealing with injuries, the Giants will likely feed Barkley against a Chargers defense that's allowed 1,426 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns to running backs. Both marks are second most in the league, behind the Texans and Jets, respectively. Saquon has racked up 17 touches in each of the past two games, and he appears to be regaining some of the explosiveness he was showing before hurting his ankle in Week 5. He has been a major disappointment relative to his second overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, not to mention the early selection it took to land him in season-long fantasy formats, but in this spot, Barkley looks like a strong value proposition.
WIDE RECEIVER
Jarvis Landry, CLE vs. BAL ($15): When asked about his controversial decision to go for two rather than kick the game-tying PAT late in last week's loss to the Steelers, Ravens coach John Harbaugh cited injuries in his secondary as the reason for that decision. That same beat-up secondary will now be tasked with stopping a Browns receiving corps in which Landry's the clear No. 1 option. The veteran eclipsed 100 receiving yards when these teams played in Week 12, and he's since had a bye to make sure his ailing knee is in tip-top shape for the rematch, making him an appealing value play.
Stefon Diggs, BUF at TB ($29): Given the Bills' history as a franchise, it would unfortunately be on brand for them to go from fighting for the No. 1 seed in the AFC to possibly being on the outside looking in for a playoff spot due to back-to-back losses to the Patriots and Tom Brady. That could all happen and still not keep Diggs from finding fantasy success in what's expected to be Week 14's highest-scoring game (over/under 52.5 points). Buffalo will have to throw early and often, both to keep pace with the high-powered Tampa Bay offense and because the Bills' underwhelming running game is unlikely to produce much against the stout Buccaneers front. Diggs is by far the favorite target for quarterback Josh Allen, ranking ninth league-wide with 9.0 targets per game. The star receiver has also shown a nice nose for the end zone after a slow start, with six of his seven touchdowns this season coming in the last seven games.
Jalen Guyton, LAC vs. NYG ($10): With both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams in COVID-19 protocols, Guyton's in line to work as the top receiver for standout quarterback Justin Herbert unless one of the other two wideouts gets cleared. Either Allen or Williams would make for strong players if they return, but Guyton handled himself well with both in there last week against the Bengals, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Guyton should return tremendous value at a minimum valuation against a Giants defense that gives opposing wideouts a large cushion underneath but also struggles to cover them in the red zone. That less than ideal combination has led to New York allowing the fourth-most catches (169) and fifth-most touchdowns (14) to wide receivers.
TIGHT END
George Kittle, SF at CIN ($23): Kittle carried San Francisco's offense with nine catches for 181 yards and two touchdowns last week, but even before that game, he had looked more like the dominant tight end we've grown accustomed to watching, with three touchdowns in the previous four games and a 100-yard performance mixed in. His reign as the undisputed top target may not last long if No. 1 wide receiver Deebo Samuel returns after missing last week's game due to a groin injury, but tight end has been a position in which it's prudent to pay up for top talent, and the $11 gap between Travis Kelce and Kittle isn't justified.
DEFENSE
Seattle Seahawks, SEA at HOU ($14): Lost amid Seattle's disappointing 4-8 record has been the quietly impressive play of the defense, which is allowing the sixth-fewest points per game (20.8). That number should drop even lower after this game against the league-worst Houston offense (13.7 points per game), which was shut out last week and will dress either a banged-up Tyrod Taylor (wrist) or underwhelming rookie Davis Mills under center. At this salary, Seattle's the premier high-floor, affordable option on defense in Week 14.
Honorable Mentions
QB: Justin Herbert (LAC, $34), Dak Prescott (DAL, $37), Cam Newton (CAR, $27)
RB: Josh Jacobs (LV, $17), Chuba Hubbard (CAR, $18), Dontrell Hilliard (TEN, $17)
WR: DJ Moore (CAR, $20), Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (TEN, $13), Terry McLaurin (WAS, $24)
TE: Rob Gronkowski (TB, $23), T.J. Hockenson (DET, $16)
DST: Tennessee Titans (vs. JAX, $18), Denver Broncos (vs. DET, $19)
