In our Week 14 fantasy soccer begin and sit, we let the information give one other perspective that probably varies from the knowledgeable consensus.
Final week was an odd one.
It seemingly occurs no less than as soon as each season, notably because the calendar nears or passes Thanksgiving. Final 12 months, it was in Week 14.
What can we imply? Contemplate the next, which once more, all occurred final week. The three highest-scoring offenses had been the Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Commanders and Denver Broncos.
When you’re maintaining observe at dwelling, these offenses are, respectively, led by a quarterback who’s being paid roughly $38 million by a unique group to not play for them, a rookie, and a rookie, who, by the way in which, is on the group that’s paying that first man to not play for them!
We’re simply getting began. The primary sport of the week, as turkeys had been cooking in ovens all around the nation, noticed the Chicago Bears lose in such an abysmal method that their coach was fired the following day.
Abysmal you say? Some would possibly say comical, some miserable. Historic? Yea, that might work as effectively.
We noticed a group run 77 performs and document 350 yards towards a group that had an offense that was solely on the sector for 46 performs, gaining a grand whole of 187 yards. The group that ran 77 performs was the Atlanta Falcons. They misplaced to the Los Angeles Chargers.
We had one other group fumble or muff three totally different kickoffs, shedding two of them. That very same group additionally allowed a 99-yard kickoff return for a landing and had a PAT blocked. But, the Seattle Seahawks nonetheless gained, beating the New York Jets after Aaron Rodgers missed a wide-open Garrett Wilson in the long run zone to place his group up 28-7 and proceeded to throw a 92-yard Decide-6 on the very subsequent play (to a man who weighs 300 kilos no much less).
And in completely dramatic style, how was the week capped off? Solely with soccer’s most chaotic participant having his most quintessential sport.
Jameis Winston led all quarterbacks in Week 13 in move makes an attempt, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He did all that whereas throwing two Decide-6s.
And in case you’re questioning, sure, he additionally led all quarterbacks in fantasy factors.
Jayden Daniels has been superior as a rookie, with back-to-back glorious video games. Sadly, there’s an opportunity that fantasy managers didn’t play him for both as a result of from Weeks 7-11, Daniels was solely QB18, averaging a paltry 14.1 fantasy factors per sport.
Josh Allen as QB3 is smart. However as a result of he performed in terrible situations, he was twenty eighth on the week in passing yards and final in move makes an attempt. So how did he nonetheless end as QB3? Nicely, he threw a landing move by which he was additionally rewarded with a receiving landing on the identical play.
We already talked about that the Steelers scored extra factors than another group final week. Russell Wilson had his second most passing yards in a sport, and in case you forgot, Justin Fields was drafted on common because the 198th participant in fantasy drafts. Wilson was drafted 203rd.
It’s been an actual wrestle for Caleb Williams this season. Getting into Thanksgiving, he solely had one sport all season with greater than two passing touchdowns. The Detroit Lions, in the meantime, hadn’t allowed a single multi-touchdown passing efficiency to a QB all season. The top end result? Williams threw three landing passes.
No shock seeing Lamar right here. However he actually shouldn’t have been. He scored 9.14 fantasy factors on a fully meaningless last drive with the sport already out of hand.
Tua Tagovailoa in his final three video games by which the temperature was beneath 40 levels at kickoff had averaged 212 passing yards and one landing per sport. This week? He threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns.
Bryce Younger?!?!?! He bought benched and was extensively thought to be a bust. He solely bought his job again as a result of the backup quarterback bought in a automotive accident. He’s hastily taking part in… OK? He’s led a late, fourth quarter, game-tying drive in back-to-back video games towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Anthony Richardson and Drake Maye performed one another. Richardson threw for 109 yards and solely accomplished 50% of his 24 move makes an attempt. Maye solely had one landing and the 2 mixed for 3 interceptions. However in addition they completed fourth and second respectively in speeding yards, showcasing the ability of taking part in a cellular quarterback in fantasy every week.
Lacking from that checklist? Quarterbacks with a mean draft place (ADP) of QB2 (Patrick Mahomes), QB3 (Jalen Hurts), QB5 (C.J. Stroud), QB7 (Joe Burrow), QB8 (Kyler Murray), QB9 (Jordan Love), QB10 (Dak Prescott) and QB11 (Brock Purdy).
Now coming into the house stretch, with six groups on bye, the waiver wire and your bench takes middle stage.
The Yays: Week 14 Fantasy Gamers Projected to Overperform Knowledgeable Consensus
Be aware: We’re evaluating our rankings to the knowledgeable consensus rankings (ECR) from Fantasy Execs. These rankings replace all through the week (we pulled these numbers from Wednesday). As soon as once more, we’re utilizing PPR except famous in any other case.
Brock Purdy, QB (SF) vs CHI (ECR: 13, Our Rank: QB7, Projected Factors: 17.97)
Has there been a single extra disappointing group than the San Francisco 49ers? Heck, has there been a extra injured group than the 49ers? Here’s a checklist of offensive gamers who’ve made no less than one All-Professional group whereas on the 49ers… Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Kyle Juszczyk, and Trent Williams.
When you’re questioning why Purdy has been so profitable to start out his profession, that checklist is one excellent spot to start out. And in case you’re questioning why Purdy has struggled this season, effectively these six gamers have missed a mixed 19 video games – solely Juszczyk has performed each sport.
However right here’s the flip facet, his struggles haven’t been as pronounced because the team-wide 49ers struggles. Within the first eight weeks of the season, all video games that McCaffrey missed, Purdy was QB5, with just one sport with fewer than 15 fantasy factors. With out McCaffrey (and with out backup Jordan Mason), that is Purdy’s offense.
Our mannequin is projecting him to complete among the many high 5 quarterbacks in each passing and speeding yards. He’s a top-10 play for the mannequin this week.
Najee Harris, RB (PIT) vs CLE (ECR: 21, Our Rank: RB14, PP: 13.64)
It’s not simply Russell Wilson that’s trending up; he’s the rising tide for a out of the blue fantasy potent offense. Since Week 7, when Wilson took over the beginning job, the Steelers are averaging 28.7 factors per sport, a mark that might be fifth within the NFL if that was their season-long whole.
For Harris, Wilson’s presence has been a growth. Since Week 7, Harris has had no less than 16 carries and 18 touches in each sport. He’s seventh amongst all gamers in touches per sport over the past seven weeks. In the meantime, they’re taking part in a Cleveland Browns group that simply allowed the Denver Broncos to hurry for over 100 yards and two touchdowns.
Our mannequin has Harris projected for the Eleventh-most carries and sixth-most touchdowns this week. Due to his constant quantity, he’s the definition of a high-floor participant. He’s a strong RB2 this week.
Darnell Mooney, WR (ATL) vs MIN (ECR: 30, Our Rank: WR6, PP: 16.88)
Listed here are the three gamers immediately behind Mooney in whole PPR factors this season… Tyreek Hill, A.J. Brown and Cooper Kupp. Not dangerous!
That’s with two tough weeks in a row for Mooney, scoring 5 or fewer factors in back-to-back video games. However his general physique of labor remains to be robust, which is why he’s our mannequin’s most underrated participant for this week. And if it looks as if the Minnesota Vikings protection is a tricky matchup, which may not essentially be the case.
Whereas the Vikings are second in fantasy factors, it’s as a result of they make splash performs. They’re fourth in sacks and second in whole takeaways. However in addition they permit the fifth most passing yards per sport, and solely 4 groups have allowed extra completions than the Vikings. And over the past three weeks, the Vikings have performed Will Levis, Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray – not precisely world-beating passers – and surrendered over 277 passing yards per sport.
It’s the Kirk Cousins bowl this week in Minnesota. Solely three QBs are projected to throw extra interceptions than Cousins, who it ought to be famous, is coming off a horrendous four-interception sport. However he’s additionally third in projected passing yards and Mooney is slated to be a serious recipient. He’s a WR1 for our mannequin this week.
The Nays: Week 14 Fantasy Gamers Projected to Underperform Knowledgeable Consensus
Patrick Mahomes, QB (KC) vs LAC (ECR: 7, Our Rank: QB13, PP: 15.09)
If the 49ers are essentially the most disappointing group of real-life soccer, essentially the most disappointing fantasy group is perhaps the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
The Chiefs are 11-1. They’re additionally solely twelfth within the NFL in factors scored and so they don’t have a single place participant who has scored no less than 150 PPR factors. In case you want some context, there are 45 gamers who’ve scored no less than that many. None of them play for the Chiefs.
It hasn’t precisely been a banner season for Mahomes both. He’s at present twenty third within the NFL in yards per move try, sandwiched between quarterbacks like Anthony Richardson and Will Levis. How dangerous has it been? Final week was solely the second time all season Mahomes threw for no less than 300 yards. That was towards the Las Vegas Raiders. And so they nonetheless solely managed 19 factors.
This week, dealing with a Los Angeles Chargers protection that has allowed 30 fewer factors than the following greatest protection (Philadelphia), the mannequin isn’t anticipating a lot of a change from Mahomes regular numbers this season. Mahomes is QB12 in factors per sport, and that’s proper round the place the mannequin expects him to complete this week.
Bucky Irving, RB (TB) vs LV (ECR: 8, Our Rank: RB21, PP: 11.79)
If we’re speaking purely about potential fantasy-league winners, there aren’t quite a lot of names that could possibly be on that checklist. Irving is. Since Week 3, Irving is RB13. Since Week 6, he’s Week 8. This, from a participant who was drafted because the 52nd working again in fantasy drafts.
Irving has scored no less than 27 PPR factors in every of his final two video games. However for all of the issues which have gone fallacious with the Las Vegas Raiders this season, they continue to be a comparatively stout speeding protection. Fifty-nine, 57 and 75 are the speeding totals that the Raiders have allowed to working backs over the past three weeks. And Las Vegas has solely allowed one speeding landing over the past 4 weeks.
Irving has supplanted Rachaad White within the Tampa Bay Buccaneers backfield, notably relating to speeding makes an attempt. However they nonetheless belief White within the passing sport, and that is prone to be a sport by which the Bucs discover extra success via the air. Irving is an RB2 for this week, however for the remainder of the season, he’s somebody you need in your roster.
DK Metcalf, WR (SEA) vs ARI (ECR: 20, Our Rank: WR31, PP: 12.36)
Each good fantasy story normally has a “loser.” We simply talked about the emergence of Irving, which is nice for all those that don’t have quite a lot of inventory in White. Nicely, in Seattle, the emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba has led to a decline in a real fan favourite throughout the league.
In his final 4 video games, Metcalf doesn’t have a sport with 10 targets and solely caught greater than 4 passes in considered one of them. Within the earlier 5 video games earlier than this newest stretch, Metcalf had no less than 11 targets in three of them.
In PPR codecs, with out a excessive reliability for receptions every week, touchdowns tackle an added significance. That’s normally Metcalf’s energy, however he solely has three this 12 months and just one since Week 4. Towards an Arizona protection that has solely allowed 4 passing touchdowns within the final six video games, Metcalf is a dangerous Flex play for the mannequin this week.
Didn’t see the names you had been after? Be sure you take a look at our full Week 14 fantasy soccer projections, in addition to our NFL, MLB, NBA, and faculty soccer protection. And observe alongside on Instagram, Bluesky, Fb and X for extra.
