Justin Jefferson is a locked-in starter any other week of the
season, but Week 14 has some unique circumstances. Jefferson has
been dealing with a hamstring injury that has kept him sidelined
since Week 6. Can Jefferson be trusted in Week 14 coming off an
injury? The answer is a clear yes. Jefferson is one of fantasy’s
top assets when healthy. He started the season on a tear with
three straight games of 150+ yards and I don’t see why he
can’t perform at a high level in Week 14 assuming he’s
fully healthy. The only thing that may hold Jefferson back is
the play of Josh Dobbs. However, the reward outweighs the risk
and he must be in lineups this week.
Following a string of promising performances, Jayden Reed disappointed
fantasy managers with a 5.6-point performance in Week 13 against
the Chiefs. However, Reed is a prime candidate for a bounce-back
game in Week 14 as he faces a Giants secondary that allows the
fourth most points to slot receivers. Reed will also benefit from
a banged up or absent Christian Watson (hamstring). With a plus
matchup and the potential for more targets, Reed is a quality
flex option this week.
Cooks has quietly been very productive in the last month. In
his last four games, he has been a WR2 or better three times.
A lot of this has to do with Dallas adopting a pass-happy offensive
approach. But you know what they say, “If it ain’t
broke, don’t fix it”. I don’t expect the Cowboys
to do anything different against a struggling Eagles’ defense.
The secondary that was known as a shutdown group in 2022 now allows
the most fantasy points per game to WRs in 2023. In a game with
a total set at 51.5, expect plenty of scoring and some deep looks
for Cooks.
A good rule of thumb in 2023 is to just sit your TE if they are
facing the Browns. This holds true for Evan Engram. The Browns
allow just 2.3 receptions and 21 receiving yards per game to tight
ends. The Jaguars are also dealing with injuries at quarterback.
Starter Trevor Lawerence is dealing with an ankle injury that
will likely keep him sidelined and backup C.J. Beathard has a
shoulder injury but should be able to go. The odds are stacked
against the Jaguars offense and considering how the Browns are
able to shut down TEs, benching Engram should be an easy decision.
While it may be impossible to bench Collins after his performance
last week, it’s at least worth considering given his matchup.
The Jets simply shut down outside receivers. They allow the fewest
fantasy points to the position and have not allowed a single touchdown
to outside receivers. Collins has a chance to have a respectable
day from volume alone due to the absence of Tank Dell. However,
understanding the risks given the matchup is critical and benching
Collins must be considered.
Prior to Carolina’s Week 7 bye, Thielen looked like the
biggest steal at WR in 2023. Following the bye, the script has
completely flipped. Thielen has just two WR2 and zero WR1 performances
since (six games) and his lack of production can be attributed
to declining usage. Since the bye, Thielen is seeing two fewer
targets and catching three fewer passes per game. Many of these
looks are going to rookie Jonathan Mingo, who has been making
strides in recent weeks. With a declining role and a brutal matchup,
Thielen is a fringe flex in Week 14.
