*A couple updates this morning -
- Mostert is inactive, so J. Wright gets a bump up to RB2 role this week. Wright is still a long shot bet for fantasy production behind De'Von Achane.
- Malachi Corley is a surprise inactive with Lazard back.
- Sincere McCormick isn't technically a rookie, but if he were, I'd have him slotted just below Braelon Allen this week.
Welcome back to the Rookie Report! We’ve made it to the final week of the fantasy regular season, and the NFL schedulers haven’t done us any favors. Week 14 is Bye-pocalypse 2: The Reckoning. 6 NFL teams are off this week, and they’re teams that feature some of the most reliable fantasy weapons in the league this year – Denver, Baltimore, Washington, Indianapolis, Houston, and New England all have the week off.
As we talked about during Bye-pocalypse 1 back in week 12, having 6 teams on byes means you’re digging a little deeper for fantasy starters, and you may have to consider some players you normally wouldn’t. Fill-ins could come from unexpected places, and if you have a playoff spot at stake this week, those lineup decisions become magnified. I can’t make those crucial lineup decisions for you, but I can provide a little guidance if you’re considering any rookies for those spots.
A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Let’s get into week 14…
Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:
RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 14: vs. LV): The Bucs finally gave Irving managers what they wanted in week 12, making Bucky the clear lead back in this backfield. It was the first time all year that he ran more receiving routes than Rachaad White, and it was White carrying the ball in garbage time when the starters were out. Unfortunately, they seemed to reverse course a bit in week 13, with White re-establishing his advantage in passing situations, but it ultimately didn’t matter as Bucky pushed his advantage in the run game to new heights. Irving carried the ball 25 times last Sunday compared to just 11 carries for Rachaad, and while the route participation rate favored White (49% to 33%), Bucky still out-targeted White 3-to-1. None of those usage notes matter nearly as much as what Bucky did with his opportunities. The rookie piled up 185 scrimmage yards last week, his 2nd week in a row with over 150, and he’s now finished as a top-7 PPR back in 3 straight games. There’s no reason to treat him as anything less than an RB1 this week against a Vegas defense that ranks 22nd in FTN’s run defense DVOA.
RB Isaac Guerendo, SF (Wk. 14: vs. Chi.): Guerendo is a player you should’ve emptied out the FAAB budget for this week after the 49ers placed both Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason on injured reserve. Guerendo is now thrust into the starting role in one of the most running back-friendly offenses in the league. The 49ers rank 9th in the league in rushing attempts per game, and 6th in yards per rush attempt, and this week Guerendo gets to face a Chicago defense that allows the 10th-most RB points per game and ranks 30th in run defense DVOA. Isaac is a lock for 15+ touches, barring injury. I’d be telling you to start him even if there weren’t 6 teams on byes this week, but with so many teams off, Guerendo has clear RB1 upside.
RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 14: vs. NO): Tracy’s ceiling has been limited and held back by the Giants’ poor QB play – Tommy Cutlets and Drew Lock have somehow been even worse than Danny Dimes – but Tracy has a very stable workload and a great matchup this week. Tracy has had double-digit touches in 7 of his last 8 games, and the Saints rank dead last in run defense DVOA and have allowed the 5th-most RB points per game. Tracy’s hold on the starting job is still firm. His 71% snap share in week 13 was his 3rd-highest of the season, and while the Giants’ offense might not be sustaining drives and getting Tracy 20-touch outings any time soon, a full-time RB1 role against one of the worst run defenses in the league should be enough to make Tracy an easy RB2 this week.
WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 14: @ KC): McConkey has finished as a top-20 PPR WR in 3 straight weeks and in 4 of the last 6, and this week gets to face a middling KC pass defense that has allowed the 15th-most WR points per game and ranks 19th in pass defense DVOA. Ladd was truly amazing in week 13, as he was on the receiving end of 105 of the team’s 115 first half passing yards, and he finished the game with a whopping 52% target share. We know Ladd excels against man coverage – he ranks 5th in the league with 3.44 yards per route run vs. man – and the Chiefs play man-to-man defense at the 6th-highest rate in the league. There’s no reason to shy away from starting Ladd this week, especially considering the limited slate of games. One word of warning – McConkey is listed as questionable with a shoulder injury after logging 3 limited practices this week. I expect that he’ll play, but with this game scheduled for Sunday night, you may want to have a backup plan ready to go just in case (Jalen Tolbert, Brandin Cooks, Kavontae Turpin, Andrei Iosivas would all be reasonable options if available).
TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 14: @ TB): You already know what to do with Bowers. How many tight ends in the league can draw a 30% target share for even one game? Well Bowers has drawn a 40% or higher share in 2 of the last 3 games, and he topped 30 PPR points in both of those contests. The Raiders know to get him the football, and he’s producing when they do. There’s always the risk of a down game, but no tight end has a higher weekly ceiling right now than Bowers. The cherry on top this week as that he gets a strong matchup with the Bucs, who allow the 7th-most TE points per game. Bowers is a top-3 TE play this week, and I don’t think he’s #3.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:
RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 14: @ Mia.): Breece Hall has been officially ruled out for week 14, which means Braelon Allen likely steps into the RB1 role against a Miami defense that has allowed the 11th-most RB points per game. My only hesitation in calling him a guy you know you should start is that we don’t know exactly how big his RB1 workload will be, and the Dolphins have been much better against RBs in recent weeks. From what we saw last week, I’d expect fellow rookie Isaiah Davis to play a much bigger role on passing downs. He was on the field for 45% of the team’s long down & distance snaps last weekend compared to just 9% for Allen. That means Braelon is going to have to do most of his work in the run game, and the Dolphins haven’t allowed a running back to rush for 65+ yards against them since all the way back in week 5. There are still 6 byes this week, so any team RB1 is in play as a fantasy starter, but I’d view him as more of an RB2/flex option. If Breece Hall gets held out longer than this week, the Jets do get two plus matchups for RBs during the fantasy playoffs against Jacksonville and Buffalo, so Allen could have big value going forward.
WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 14: vs. NO): Starting Nabers hasn’t felt nearly as exciting in recent weeks as it did in September, but he continues to compile his way to useful performances, no matter the QB, and no matter the opponent. Nabers hasn’t finished as a top-20 PPR WR since all the way back in week 4. He also hasn’t finished lower than the WR26 since week 7. He’s earned a 30% target share in 9 straight games, and week-after-week he finishes as a fringe WR2. This week he faces a New Orleans defense that allows the 8th-most WR points per game, and I’d expect similar production to what we’ve seen for the last month and a half. Nabers doesn’t get the auto-start treatment this week because he's listed as questionable, and it was reported on Saturday by Adam Schefter that he could play a limited role due to a hip flexor injury. Keep an eye on reports on Sunday morning, but my feeling is that if he’s active, he should probably be in your lineup.
WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 14: @ Ten.): It’s hard to argue that Thomas’ ceiling isn’t lowered a bit with Mac Jones at QB, and the Titans allow the 7th-fewest WR points per game, but I’m going to give the rookie the benefit of the doubt in a week with so many byes. Aside from a 2-week stretch where Thomas was playing through a chest injury, he’s been a top-30 PPR WR in 8 of 10 games this season, including in each of the last two weeks when all of his receptions were delivered by Mac. I like his chances to finish as a WR2 this week as the Titans have struggled to contain wideouts in the past few weeks, allowing 6-81 to Justin Jefferson, 3-61-1 to Jordan Addison, 5-92-1 to Nico Collins, 3-72 to Tank Dell, and 8-73-2 to Terry McLaurin all in the last 3 weeks.
WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 14: vs. Sea.): If Harrison is on your roster, you know the drill by now. You know he’s going to be on the field for 90%+ of the snaps, and he’s going to have a 20%+ target share, but a few of those targets are going to be downfield, low-percentage opportunities. If he hits on a couple of those, it’ll be a game you’re happy he was in your starting lineup. If they don’t, you’ll probably be at least a little disappointed. With only 26 teams in action, the upside here is probably too great to leave Harrison on your bench unless you have great options ahead of him. Seattle allows the 16th-most WR points per game, so this isn’t a matchup to be intimidated by, but you know how the Harrison roller coaster goes. He’s a volatile WR3 this week for me.
WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 14: vs. LAC): It seems as though Worthy’s connection with Patrick Mahomes may be turning a corner in the last 3 weeks. His playing time has slowly been declining as the team added DeAndre Hopkins and got Juju Smith-Schuster back from injury – Worthy’s 67% route participation rate last Friday was a season-low – but that dipping playing time hasn’t kept him from finishing as a PPR WR3 or better in each of the last 3 games. Xavier has caught 4+ passes in a game 4 times this year, and 3 of them were in the last 3 weeks. In the first 9 games of the year, Worthy caught just 20 passes on 43 targets (a 46.5% catch rate), but over the last 3 weeks he’s caught 13 of 18 (72.2%). We already know Worthy is always a deep threat, but if his recent performances are indeed a signal of an improved connection with Mahomes, he may now be an efficient deep threat. There’s still risk here – the Chargers allow the 13th-fewest WR points per game and rank 5th in pass defense DVOA - but with 6 teams sitting at home this weekend, Worthy could easily be worth that risk as a WR3.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:
QB Caleb Williams, CHI (Wk. 14: @ SF): The Bears have now had Thomas Brown calling the plays for 3 games, and since he took over Caleb has completed 64% of his passes, averaged 275 passing yards and 47 rushing yards per game, and posted a 5-0 TD:INT ratio. In fact, he hasn’t thrown an interception since the team’s week 7 bye. Brown takes over as interim head coach this week, but I don’t expect that to change much with the offense. I wouldn’t be surprised if Caleb’s recent run of strong play continues, but I wouldn’t count on a QB1 fantasy day in this matchup even if he does play well. Only 2 QBs all season have thrown for 250+ yards against the 49ers, only 1 has run for 40+ yards, and Josh Allen is the only QB to score 17+ fantasy points against them in their last 7 games. They rank 6th in pass defense DVOA. It’ll be an uphill fight for Caleb to post a top-15 performance this week, even with such a limited slate of games. Treat him as a mid-range QB2.
RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 14: @ LAR): Ray Davis had some fun in the snow last weekend, didn’t he? Davis was on the field for 32% of the offensive snaps (his highest mark in any game James Cook has played), and he piled up 67 scrimmage yards and a touchdown on 12 touches in a drubbing of the 49ers. He gets to face a Rams’ defense this week that allows the 9th-most RB points per game and ranks 21st in run defense DVOA, but I wouldn’t expect a repeat performance by Davis. The conditions last weekend were perfect for a big game – the snowy, windy weather in Buffalo made throwing the ball difficult, and the team leaned on Davis much more than usual as a result. Davis had handled 6 or fewer touches in each of the 5 games prior to last week’s snow game. This week, the Bills will be playing indoors in sunny Los Angeles. Davis could see some carries late if the Bills are up big (they’re 5-point favorites), but I would expect him to be closer to the 5-6 touches we were used to than the 12 he saw last week.
RB Jonathon Brooks, CAR (Wk. 14: @ Phi.): Brooks’ playing time increased in his 2nd game of NFL action. He was on the field for 21% of the team’s offensive snaps, but he handled 9 touches compared to just 12 for starter Chuba Hubbard. The expectation has been that Brooks would handle some of the passing down work that Miles Sanders was handling earlier in the year, and his 3 catches last weekend (compared to zero for Hubbard) would seem to confirm that, but I’m not sure the usage numbers back that up. Hubbard was on the field for 86% of the long down & distance snaps, 100% of the 2-minute drill snaps, and was in a route on 60% of the team passing dropbacks. He’s on the field more than Brooks in the obvious passing situations. That usage is why I’m not more excited about Brooks this week in a game where the Panthers are 12-point underdogs and should be passing a lot…well, that usage and the fact that the Eagles allow the 4th-fewest RB points per game. I expect Brooks’ playing time to remain limited in a bad matchup, and I think he has less receiving upside in this one than you might expect.
RB Kimani Vidal, LAC (Wk. 14 : @ KC): As expected, Vidal served as the RB2 behind Gus Edwards last weekend with JK Dobbins now on IR, but unfortunately, his role behind Gus was smaller than I expected, especially in the passing game. Vidal played just 27% of the offensive snaps and was in a route on just 21% of the team passing dropbacks. He gave way to Hassan Haskins in long down & distance situations, typically so Haskins could stay in to pass protect. Haskins was in the game for 7 snaps where the Chargers dropped back to throw, and he was pass blocking on 4 of them. Vidal finished the game with just 4 rushes for 20 yards. If he’s not getting more involvement in the passing game, it’s hard to find a reason to start him even in deep leagues, especially against a Kansas City defense that allows the fewest RB points per game.
RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 14 : vs. Sea.): I mention Benson in the borderline section this week because we’ve seen him handle 9+ touches 4 times this year, and you may be digging pretty deep in the RB pool for fill-ins due to all of the byes, but as I’ve written in this space before, Benson is very game script dependent. Every time he’s handled 9 or more touches, it was in a game that was decided by 20+ points. The Seahawks and Cardinals will be battling for 1st place in the NFC West this week, and the Cards are favored by 2.5 points. That’s not a wide enough spread in my opinion for you to roll the dice on Benson. If this game stays tight, Benson likely handles just 4-5 touches, and you’d basically just be praying for a touchdown. Trey hasn’t scored 3+ PPR points in any game where he got less than 9 touches.
WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 14: @ SF): Odunze’s usage has been fairly consistent in recent weeks – he’s been targeted at least 6 times in 6 straight games – but his production has been anything but consistent. He’s only reached double-digit PPR points twice in that 6-game span, and he hasn’t scored a TD since week 3. The 49ers’ playoff hopes seem to be crumbling beneath their feet, but their pass defense hasn’t been to blame for their struggles. They rank 6th in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 8th-fewest WR points per game. The 49ers also get safety Talanoa Hufanga back from IR this week. If you’re in a pinch for a starter, you could do worse than a WR who is a virtual lock for 6+ targets, but the ceiling just hasn’t been there very often. I’d be trying to find more upside than Odunze has this week if possible.
WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 14: @ Phi.): The Panthers’ passing game has been improved in recent weeks since Bryce Young returned to the starting lineup, but that improvement hasn’t led to much of a bump in production for Legette. He’s been more consistent than he was early in the year, reaching at least 7 PPR points in all 5 games since Young’s re-instatement as the starter, but he hasn’t topped 4 catches or hit 60 receiving yards in any of those games. He’s been a TD-dependent WR4 and this week he faces a Philly defense that has erased perimeter WRs. Only 4 receivers have reached 10+ PPR points against the Eagles in 8 games since their week 5 bye, and Legette is not on the same level as any of those WRs (Ja’Marr Chase, Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Zay Flowers). Another game in the realm of 4-50 is probably reasonable to hope for here, but he’ll need a TD to really make you happy.
WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 14: @ LAR): It’s now been more than a month since Keon Coleman’s last game action, and as of Saturday night it’s still unclear if he’ll return this week. Coleman was wearing a red non-contact jersey at practice all week, and is reportedly still struggling to catch with his wrist injury. The Rams are a decent matchup for WRs – they allow the 12th-most WR points per game – but I’d expect Coleman to be playing a smaller role than usual if he’s able to play at all. He’s going to need to pull in a long ball to return value this week. The Rams have allowed the 6th-most completions of 20+ yards this season, so it’s not impossible that Coleman comes through, but it’s a low percentage bet.
WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 14: vs. LV): McMillan has been a frustrating player in his rookie season. He’s been basically a full-time player in a top-10 passing offense all season long, but he has just 2 games of 6+ PPR points to show for it. When it finally appeared he had an opening to produce with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans hurt, McMillan got hurt himself a week later. Now that Mike Evans has returned, McMillan’s opportunity has likely passed him by. He was in a route on 87% of the team’s passing dropbacks last Sunday (his 5th time above 80% in 8 games played), but he hasn’t earned a target share higher than 11% in any game that Mike Evans has been fully healthy for this season. He’s on the field enough that he could deliver a bye-pocalypse miracle, but you can’t count on more than a few targets.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 14: @ Phi.): Sanders is practicing this week, and it sounds like he’ll be able to return from his neck injury against the Eagles, but this is not a great matchup for tight ends, as Philly allows the 8th-fewest TE points per game. They’ve shown cracks in recent weeks, allowing 6-47-1 to Zach Ertz, 6-67-1 to Mark Andrews, and 5-38-1 to Isaiah Likely in the last 3 weeks, so there’s at least some hope for Ja’Tavion, who was starting to pick up steam before his injury. Sanders finished as a top-15 TE in 4 of his last 5 games before the injury, but after Tommy Tremble filled in so admirably last weekend (5-77 on 8 targets), I think there’s some risk that Sanders doesn’t step back into the same 75%+ route participation rate he was seeing prior to getting hurt, at least not for his first game back. He’s a mid-range TE2 for me.
Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:
RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 14: vs. NYJ): Wright has shown flashes when he’s gotten chances this season, but he was limited to just one snap and zero touches on Thanksgiving as Raheem Mostert largely had the RB2 role to himself. The Dolphins were trailing for most of that game, and it’s possible that game script contributed to Wright’s limited role – Mostert has been more involved in passing situations than Wright all year. Their playing time could flip this week with the Dolphins 6-point favorites against the Jets, but New York allows the 10th-fewest RB points per game, but Wright hasn’t reached 3+ PPR points in a game since week 7. Mostert is listed as questionable this week, but he’s expected to play.
RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 14: vs. LAC): Steele was on the field for just 4% of the offensive snaps in Isiah Pacheco’s first game back. He’s not worth rostering in anything but deep dynasty leagues.
WR Ricky Pearsall, SF (Wk. 14: vs. Chi.): I want to believe that Pearsall has fantasy upside this week against a slipping Chicago defense. He’s logged route participation rates of 64% or higher in all 6 games he’s played this year, but he hasn’t caught a single pass in the last 3 contests. Even with all of the byes this week, it would take a crazy amount of faith in Pearsall to plug him into lineups given the recent lack of production.
WR Jalen Coker, CAR (Wk. 14: @ Phi.): Coker has been sidelined the last two weeks with injury, and in the meantime David Moore and Adam Thielen seem to have cemented their roles in a much-improved Panthers’ passing attack. If Coker returns this week (he’s listed as doubtful), I’d expect him to serve as the WR4 against Philly. If by some miracle he’s able to play a significant number of snaps, the Eagles allow the 5th-fewest WR points per game.
WR Malik Washington, MIA (Wk. 14: vs. NYJ): Washington continues to run just enough routes to be intriguing, but he’s at best the 5th option in a passing game where no one outside of the top 4 options has reached 20 targets, 120 receiving yards, or even 1 receiving TD for the year. Washington was in a route on 46% of the team passing dropbacks last week, nearly double Odell Beckham’s rate of 25%, but he finished with just 2 catches for 8 yards, and this week’s opponent allows the fewest WR points per game.
WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 14 : @ Dal.): Burton had seen increased playing time for a few weeks prior to last week, but didn’t earn much production in the games with that increased playing time, and last Sunday he was in a route on just 5% of the Bengals’ team passing dropbacks. Burton could see more playing time once the Bengals are officially eliminated from playoff contention, but I don’t expect that increase in playing time to start this week.
WR Jamari Thrash, CLE (Wk. 14: @ Pit.): The Browns have ruled out Cedric Tillman again for week 14, and while that means Thrash will likely be on the field a bit, we saw last weekend that he’s clearly behind Michael Woods for the WR3 spot. Thrash was in a route on just 17% of dropbacks last week while Woods was at 76%. Anything more than a catch or two for Thrash would be a surprise.
TE AJ Barner, SEA (Wk. 14: @ Ari.): Noah Fant returned from injury last week after a 3-game absence, and that meant Barner was limited to just a 26% route participation rate and 2 targets. He did catch both, for 14 total yards and a TD, putting up more fantasy points in this game than he did in any during Fant’s absence, but you can’t rely on a TD every week on limited playing time. The Cardinals allow the 7th-fewest TE points per game.
TE Tip Reiman, ARI (Wk. 14: vs. Sea.): Reiman has seen a small bump in playing time in recent weeks – he’s been at a 20% or higher route participation rate in each of the last 3 games after only hitting that mark twice prior this stretch – but he’s only got 1 target and 1 reception to show for it. He’s not in consideration without injuries ahead of him.
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, DAL (Wk. 14: vs. Cin.): Spann-Ford played a much more distant second fiddle to Luke Schoonmaker in week 13 than he did in week 12. Brevyn was in a route on just 24% of the team passing dropbacks (Schoonmaker was at 73%), and the rookie wasn’t targeted once. The Bengals are a primo matchup for tight ends, allowing the 2nd-most points per game to the position, but it appears that Jake Ferguson will return this week, and Spann-Ford’s role isn’t big enough to be relied on even if Ferguson sits again.
TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 14: vs. NO): In case you missed the news, Theo is now on injured reserve with a Lisfranc injury and will miss the remainder of the season. It’s the sort of injury that could impact his 2025 season as well – recovery from Lisfranc surgery can take anywhere from 6 months up to a year. It’s a tough break for Johnson, who had reached at least 3 catches and 30 yards in 5 straight games and 7 of his last 8.
Rookies on byes in week 14: QB Jayden Daniels, WAS, QB Bo Nix, DEN, QB Drake Maye, NE, RB Audric Estime, DEN, WRs Troy Franklin & Devaughn Vele, DEN, WR Adonai Mitchell, IND, WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE, WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS, TE Ben Sinnott, WAS, TE Cade Stover, HOU
Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:
RB Isaiah Davis, NYJ (Wk. 14: @ Mia.): Breece Hall has been ruled out for week 14, and could possibly be out longer than that with the Jets’ season over, and that opens the door for Davis to serve as the RB2 for at least this week, and possibly the rest of the way. If last week is any indication, I’d expect Braelon Allen to get most of the early down work, with Davis serving as the passing down specialist. We could see Davis have a bigger workload as the RB2 than Braelon had behind Breece Hall as the Jets try to evaluate their rookie RBs for the future. Even if Isaiah is used exclusively in passing situations, the Dolphins have allowed 3 different backs to catch for 50+ yards in their last 5 games, and have given up 2 RB receiving TDs in that span. If you’re desperate at running back, Davis could be a sneaky option in full PPR leagues, and he could be a Braelon Allen injury away from being a postseason RB1.
RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 14: vs. Buf.): Corum’s usage probably doesn’t warrant getting him into lineups, but it’s worth noting that his playing time has slowly started to creep up as Kyren Williams has fumbled the ball 4 times in his last 5 games. We’ve seen Corum get the backfield to himself for a full drive here or there, but in week 13 he got the Rams’ first carry of the game and played a season-high 33% snap share in a competitive game with the Saints. He also matched his season-high with 8 rushing attempts. There haven’t been a lot of PPR points coming with that playing time since the Rams don’t throw to their running backs much, but we know this is an offense that can score points, so TD upside is there if Corum can continue to increase his playing time. I’d view him as more of a stash than a player to start this week, but the Rams do face a Buffalo defense on Sunday that allows the 3rd-most RB points per game. If the Rams lose this week, and next week on the road in San Francisco, they’ll likely fall out of the playoff picture, and we could see Corum take on a much bigger role, and he’s a weekly RB2 if anything happens to Kyren. If you’ve got space to stash Corum, it’s a move worth considering.
RB Will Shipley, PHI (Wk. 14: vs. Car.): There’s probably not a good reason to consider Shipley, but in a week like this with so many byes, all ideas are on the table. Philly is favored by 12 points over Carolina, and if things get out of hand, we could see Shipley getting garbage time touches against a Carolina defense that ranks 31st in run defense DVOA and allows the most RB points per game. The Eagles have won 2 games this season by more than 20 points. Shipley carried the ball 8 and 9 times in those 2 games. If things get out of hand here, the Eagles could look to get Shipley his first career TD. This is obviously a long shot that should only be considered out of extreme desperation, but there’s a non-zero chance that it works out.
WR Malachi Corley, NYJ (Wk. 14: @ Mia.): Corley isn’t a guy you can start this week…Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson still dominate the targets in this offense, but it’s worth being aware that Corley was in a route on 60% of the Jets’ passing dropbacks last weekend. He’s now moved ahead of Xavier Gipson into the WR3 role. The Jets are out of playoff contention, and their future is in flux with Aaron Rodgers potentially retiring or wanting out, so there’s a chance that at some point in the next few weeks they try to take a longer look at their 3rd-round rookie. At the very least, he could be a great buy low option in dynasty leagues. If Aaron Rodgers chooses to depart the Jets, I’d guess Davante Adams will do the same, possibly opening up more playing time for Corley in year 2. His round 3 draft capital probably won’t carry a ton of weight with a new front office regime, but the WR room will be pretty wide open behind Garrett Wilson if Adams moves on.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter/X (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game.
Please wait...
