Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.

The Week 14 NFL main slate begins Sunday at 1:00 p.m. EDT and features 14 games, while the Patriots and Rams will kick off the week Thursday night and Monday's Ravens-Browns game will conclude the full-week slate, barring any changes to the schedule. Some of the standout Week 14 options include a pair of 23-year-old Johnsons, a star quarterback facing a porous pass defense, an affordable running back positioned for a third consecutive big game, and a wide receiver who could finish among this slate's top performers despite not scoring a touchdown yet this season.

TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)

QB: Jalen Hurts, PHI vs. NO ($22): Hurts' floor is low in his first NFL start, but the dual-threat quarterback also has a high ceiling, especially relative to his $22 valuation. The rookie second-round pick scored 10.26 fantasy points in 22 minutes of action last week thanks to 109 yards, one touchdown and one interception through the air and 29 yards on the ground, so at least doubling that production over a full 60 doesn't seem like a stretch, even against the stingy Saints defense. Philadelphia's running game is unlikely to get much going against a New Orleans front that's allowing just 76.1 yards per game on the ground, which will leave Hurts to attack an injury-riddled secondary that could be down to two healthy cornerbacks.

RB: Ty Johnson, NYJ at SEA ($15): Johnson took over as the lead back after Frank Gore suffered a concussion early in last week's loss to the Raiders, and he ended up turning 24 touches into 117 scrimmage yards and a touchdown. The 23-year-old Lions castoff had shown promise in a limited role previously with 60 yards on eight carries (7.5 YPC) for the Jets coming into last week, and his elusiveness in the open field should keep Johnson involved as a receiver out of the backfield if New York falls behind as expected. Seattle's defense has been more vulnerable to the pass than the run, but Johnson's certainly worth a flier nonetheless if Gore sits.

WR: Collin Johnson, JAX vs. TEN ($13): Johnson has shown a nice rapport with quarterback Mike Glennon, leading the Jaguars in receiving yards in each of the last two weeks. That uptick in production coincides with Glennon's two starts under center, during which Johnson has caught eight of 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown, plus a two-point conversion. The rookie fifth-round pick remains quite affordable despite his recent success, and Johnson should have no trouble outplaying his $13 valuation against a struggling Titans secondary that allowed three different Browns wide receivers to top 60 yards and a touchdown last week.

Other Against-the-Grainers

QB: Lamar Jackson (BAL, $30), Andy Dalton (DAL, $23), Mike Glennon (JAX, $25)

RB: D'Andre Swift (DET, $21), Todd Gurley (ATL, $24), Chase Edmonds (ARI, $16)

WR: DeAndre Hopkins (ARI, $27), Stefon Diggs (BUF, $27), Robby Anderson (CAR, $19)

TE: Will Dissly (SEA, $12), Mike Gesicki (MIA, $16)

DST: New Orleans Saints (at PHI, $20), Houston Texans (at CHI, $12)

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

QUARTERBACK

Russell Wilson, SEA vs. NYJ ($39): Wilson has been pedestrian over the past four weeks, but he's primed to bounce back in a big way against a Jets defense that's particularly bad at defending passes deep downfield due to a combination of the league's worst cornerback corps and a largely dormant pass rush. New York's 291.0 passing yards allowed per game are second-most behind only Wilson's own Seahawks, and opposing quarterbacks have mustered a 13:1 TD:INT plus three rushing touchdowns over the Jets' last five games. With two elite downfield threats at his disposal in DK Metcalf ($36) and Tyler Lockett ($27), Wilson will likely tear apart the vulnerable Jets secondary, especially since New York's decent run-stopping ability should keep Seattle throwing throughout.

RUNNING BACK

David Montgomery, CHI vs. HOU ($19): Montgomery's string of favorable matchups continues, as he'll face one of the league's most generous defenses towards running backs for the third week in a row. He capitalized on his opportunities against the Packers and Lions to the tune of 22.8 and 25.1 fantasy points, respectively, and Montgomery should remain the focal point of Chicago's offense against a Houston defense that has allowed the most rushing yards (1,677) and second-most rushing touchdowns (15) to running backs this season. Montgomery has received double-digit carries in every game played this season and has also been more involved as a pass-catcher recently, snagging nine of 10 targets over the past two weeks. His receiving skills should come in handy considering the Texans' 550 receiving yards allowed to the position are fifth-most in the league.

Giovani Bernard, CIN vs. DAL ($15): Bernard has been bottled up since Joe Burrow got hurt, but a matchup with the porous Dallas defense could be just what the veteran running back needs to get back on track. The Cowboys allow the most rushing yards (167.8) and points (32.8) per game in the league, and Bernard should have plenty of opportunities to capitalize on this favorable matchup, having averaged 10.8 carries and 4.3 targets in the six games since Joe Mixon (foot) went down.

WIDE RECEIVER

Davante Adams, GB at DET ($39): Adams has been unstoppable recently, finding the end zone in seven consecutive games while catching 61 of 81 targets for 776 yards and 11 touchdowns. His quiet game against the Lions in Week 2 was due to a pulled hamstring Adams suffered in the contest, which proceeded to keep him sidelined for a month. Considering Detroit's 2,319 yards allowed to wide receivers are fourth most in the league, a healthy Adams should thrive in the rematch. This slate's priciest wideout is worth paying up for.

T.Y. Hilton, IND at LV ($16): Hilton's finally hitting his stride in what was shaping up to be an underwhelming season. The veteran wideout has scored his first two touchdowns of the season in the last two weeks, catching 12 of 16 targets for 191 yards in that stretch. He's still the No. 1 receiver in Indianapolis and is primed to keep rolling against a Raiders defense that has allowed 35.3 points per game in its last three.

Michael Thomas, NO at PHI ($30): Thomas is on the verge of a breakout game, and the Eagles' recent struggles against No. 1 receivers suggests such a performance could be coming here. He has finished with nine catches and over 100 yards in two of Taysom Hill's three starts, and the other game in that stretch was against a quarterback-less Broncos team, so New Orleans was content to grab a quick lead and then run clock and rely on its defense. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has allowed a combined 20 catches for 298 yards and two touchdowns to Seattle's Metcalf and Green Bay's Adams over the past two weeks, as former standout cornerback Darius Slay no longer seems capable of keeping up with the game's top receivers.

TIGHT END

Eric Ebron, PIT at BUF ($18): Ebron's role in Pittsburgh's pass-heavy offense has grown substantially over the past two weeks, as he finished each of the past two games with seven catches on 11 targets. That increased involvement should continue against a Bills defense that has allowed the most catches (73) and second-most yards (803) to tight ends while being tied for the seventh-most touchdowns allowed to the position with seven. Ebron has now reached the 50-yard mark four times thanks to his recent surge while finding the end zone four times as well this season, so he has showcased the skills necessary to capitalize on this favorable matchup.

DEFENSE

Carolina Panthers, CAR vs. DEN ($17): This unit was tremendous in the Panthers' last two games, scoring 17 fantasy points in a shutout win over the Lions before adding 19 thanks to a pair of Jeremy Chinn touchdowns the next week against Minnesota. Now refreshed after a week off, Carolina should continue its defensive success against a Broncos offense that's averaging just 12.8 points per game in its last four and 18.8 overall -- second fewest in the league. Denver also leads the league in interceptions thrown (21) and giveaways (28) this season.

Honorable Mentions

QB: Taysom Hill (NO, $30), Justin Herbert (LAC, $38), Deshaun Watson (HOU, $33)

RB: Aaron Jones (GB, $33), Jonathan Taylor (IND, $24), Derrick Henry (TEN, $37)

WR: Corey Davis (TEN, $24), Jamison Crowder (NYJ, $19), Justin Jefferson (MIN, $27)

TE: Rob Gronkowski (TB, $17), Dalton Schultz (DAL, $15)

DST: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. MIN, $17), Seattle Seahawks (vs. NYJ, $16)

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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