FanNation Week 14 fantasy picks
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And in case you want something of a head-start, or you just want a little help setting your lineup, here are the Week 14 recommendations:
Quarterback: Drew Brees (projected points: 27)
Also considered:Aaron Rodgers (24), Matthew Stafford (22), Teddy Bridgewater (17)
Going for broke at QB -- Brees carries the highest projected total into this week (you can read up on why that's important here, if you are not familiar with the FanNation scoring system). Brees comes in hot, though, so a huge afternoon could be in the cards against the Panthers (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX). He hung five TD passes on Pittsburgh last week and threw for 420 yards and three scores in a loss to Baltimore the previous Monday.
Brees' numbers from an earlier win are not all that inspiring: 297 yards, one TD, one INT. But that was a Thursday road game before Carolina really bottomed out.
If you'd prefer to shy away from Brees, consider the three NFC North quarterbacks available this week. (Jay Cutler plays Thursday night, 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network.) Rodgers' home success does not need repeating and Atlanta has allowed the most passing yards of any defense in the league. Stafford has been mind-numbingly up and down, yet played well on Thanksgiving and draws a favorable matchup with Tampa Bay (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX). Bridgewater is a real shot in the dark, based on his chance to pick apart a suspect Jets defense (1:00 p.m. ET, CBS).
• NFL Power Rankings: Week 14 |NFL playoff picture entering Week 14
Running back:Eddie Lacy (projected points: 16)
Also considered:Arian Foster (18), Tre Mason (11), Joique Bell (9)
Here is reason No. 2 why Rodgers is not in my lineup this week: I wanted Lacy at RB, and the FanNation roster setup permits just one player per team. Why so bullish on the Green Bay back? He is averaging 122.3 yards from scrimmage over his last three games, for one. He also scored two TDs each in wins over Philadelphia and Minnesota.
There is reason to worry that Rodgers will render Lacy moot from a fantasy perspective -- see: the aforementioned Atlanta pass defense. Even in pass-heavy Packers games, though, Lacy has had his shots.
Fantasy football Week 14 stat projections
Foster might be the pick if I wasn't setting my lineup on Wednesday. The Texans' matchup with the Jacksonville run defense is tempting. He simply has been too in and out of the lineup to lock in this early in the week.
Mason should see a projected-point boost soon. The rookie RB has topped 100 yards on the ground in two of St. Louis' past three games, and he scored thrice last week. Bell found the end zone for a pair of scores himself, so the arrow there is pointed in the right direction.
Wide receiver/tight end:DeAndre Hopkins (projected points: 13)
Also considered: Jordy Nelson (18), Josh Gordon (13), Odell Beckham Jr. (13)
Fixing the QBs: Washington's Robert Griffin III
Might be a week late to the Hopkins party. Or perhaps his 238-yard, two-touchdown day against Tennessee was merely a sign of things to come. He has shown more chemistry with current starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick than with the now-injured Ryan Mallett.
Nelson is a gimme fantasy choice about every week. Gordon should be, as well, if the Browns can generate any production from the quarterback position. Even during last week's lethargic Brian Hoyer performance, Gordon caught seven passes for 75 yards on 13 targets.
Beckham and the Giants draw the same Tennessee defense this week that Hopkins schooled last Sunday (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX). Eli Manning has targeted Beckham at least eight times in the past five games.
