2023 Fantasy Football Week 15 Target Report Preview: Cooper Kupp Primed for an Elite Finish

Now that we’re into the nitty-gritty weeks here, Target Report will take a bigger shift toward player-focused takes to help you better with starts, sits, and who you can trust in your lineups going forward into the fantasy football playoffs.

Targets are paramount when it comes to evaluating pass-catchers for fantasy football. There are no air yards, receiving yards, receptions, or touchdowns without first earning a target. And to earn a target, you need to be deemed “open” by the quarterback. It’s one significant trickle-down effect. There’s a reason the biggest and most consistent target-earners are near the top of fantasy football ADP: They can be relied on by not just their team’s offense to earn targets and produce on those targets, but that also trickles down to the fantasy managers drafting those pass-catchers and starting them in their lineups each week.

In this season’s Fantasy Football Target Report, we’ll take a weekly team-by-team look into these target earners and separate the wheat from the chaff. To properly lead into what we’ll be looking at this season, we’ll have to establish a baseline of the most important things we’re looking at with targets and other receiving metrics that paint the complete picture for who we should be rostering, who we should be adding, and who we can drop. Combing the box score stats doesn’t paint a clear picture of the players we should target, roster, and start. Fantasy football rankings can only paint so much of the picture as well.

Everything we’ll discuss here and this season in the Fantasy Football Target Report will be some of the best statistics and metrics that correlate with fantasy football production. Think of targets as a page in a coloring book, just the outline yet to be colored. Coloring on that page adds context and flavor to that page. That’s what we’ll be doing with targets — adding more context than just some target totals and saying, “go add this player,” which doesn’t help anybody.

This season, we're adding a video component, so if you want to get some of the juiciest nuggets of the target report in video form, check out the Target Report Bulletpoints for the upcoming Week 15!

Bye Weeks:

• Week 5: CLE, LAC, SEA, TB
• Week 6: GB, PIT
• Week 7: CAR, CIN, DAL, HOU, NYJ, TEN
• Week 9: DEN, DET, JAX, SF
• Week 10: KC, LAR, MIA, PHI
• Week 11: ATL, IND, NE, NO
• Week 13: BAL, BUF, CHI, LV, MIN, NYG
• Week 14: ARI, WAS

NOTE:

Any player not listed for a particular team is not somebody who’s rostered in most fantasy formats. The listing at the end (QB1, RB2, etc.) is how they should be viewed for the rest of the season, not for the next week.)

All statistics below are listed in the following format:

• QB as:
  • (20-of-30, 212 yds., 1/1; 4-100-2) 
  • Pass Completions - Pass Att. - Pass Yds., TD/Int; Rush Att - Rush Yds. - TD
• RB as:
  • (18-75-1; 10-4-100-2) 
  • Rush Att. - Rush Yds. - TD; Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD
• WR/TE as:
  • (10-4-100-2)
  • Targets - Receptions - Rec. Yds. - TD

NFL Target Report

Arizona Cardinals

BYE WEEK

Week 14 Arizona Cardinals Fantasy Takeaways:

• Kyler Murray
  • Off of the Cardinals’ bye, Murray has decent upside in the fantasy playoff three-week sprint, but the 49ers loom this upcoming week, where he’s a low-end QB2 option. That said, San Francisco has lost some pieces on their defense so Murray may be a sneaky option. Of course, you may not have a choice with quarterback turnover so rampant with injuries in fantasy. 
    • High-end QB2 with weekly QB1 upside
• James Conner
  • Conner faces the best defense against running backs in the 49ers, so while he has the lion’s share of the work on the ground in the Cards’ offense, he’s a low-end RB2 this week and is a back-end RB2 or flex option.
    • Low-end RB2/flex option
• Marquise Brown
  • Brown does not exactly have the best momentum right now, coming from a game in Week 13 where he went catchless on three targets. He’s taken a backseat to Trey McBride as the primary target earner in this offense and is a risky back-end flex for Week 15 and the fantasy playoffs.
    • Low-end WR3/High-end WR4
• Trey McBride
  • While the 49ers represent a tough matchup this week, you’re starting McBride no matter what.
    • Must-start TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Atlanta Falcons

Week 14 Atlanta Falcons Fantasy Takeaways:

• Desmond Ridder (26-of-40, 347 yds., 1/1; 4-15-1)
  • The Falcons had 40 pass attempts; I never thought I’d see the day! Ridder is still hard to start weekly, but if you lost Justin Herbert and need to scrounge the waiver wire for an option, Ridder is there, and the Falcons DO play Carolina. You could do worse. (Granted, you could do BETTER, but you could do worse, too.)
    • Mid-range QB2
• Bijan Robinson (10-34-1; 7-5-54)
  • While Bijan has been a mild disappointment this season due to expectations and where he was drafted, his role is improving by the week. Robinson is seeing much more work with high-value touches (seven this week), and Tyler Allgeier’s role has scaled back considerably — especially in the receiving department. Fire up Robinson as an RB2 in the fantasy playoffs with much more confidence than we had earlier in the season.
    • High-end RB2 with overall RB1 upside
• Tyler Allgeier (9-40)
  • Allgeier’s role in the receiving game has cratered, as he’s seen no more than 8% of routes per dropback in the last three games and is merely getting empty carries to spell Bijan Robinson. He’s a handcuff and a desperate flex.
    • Mid-range RB3 and a low-end flex with contingent value
• Drake London (11-10-172)
  • London caught a ton of 15+ yard catches toward the end of the game, which propped up his yardage and carried him to a banner day in Week 14. 
    • Mid-range WR3/high-end flex
• Kyle Pitts (6-3-57-1)
  • Despite catching a touchdown, Pitts is still hard to trust, but at least he’s running routes on 90% of dropbacks for two consecutive weeks. He’s a streaming tight end if you’re desperate.
    • Mid-range TE2/high-end streamer

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Baltimore Ravens

Week 14 Baltimore Ravens Fantasy Takeaways:

• Lamar Jackson (24-of-43, 316 yds., 3/1; 11-70)
  • Elite fantasy quarterback.
    • High-end QB1
• Gus Edwards (6-15)
  • Edwards is losing some of his steam to Keaton Mitchell, as Mitchell has infringed on some of his early-down work. Edwards will get the goal-line work and steal some touchdown equity, but even his game-to-game workload is trending downward. 
    • Low-end RB2 and trending down
• Keaton Mitchell (9-54; 2-1-8)
  • This backfield is a mess, but Mitchell has massive upside and can hit the home run. It depends on whether he’s getting carries, but Mitchell did lead the Ravens’ backfield in snaps in Week 14. I’d start him if you’re looking for the ceiling play.
    • Low-end RB2 with upside for much more
• Zay Flowers (10-6-60-1)
  • Zay Flowers has been hit or miss through the middle of this season but has put together consecutive games with 20+ fantasy points and was a top-10 wide receiver in both weeks. He’s still a worthy option in your WR3 or flex spot, but Flowers’ weekly fantasy floor can be pretty low.
    • Mid-to-high-end WR3
• Odell Beckham (10-4-97-1)
  • I know I said we couldn’t trust him too much, but on a per-route basis, Beckham has been excellent. Lamar Jackson is showing offensive intent to get him the ball with his 218 air yards in Week 14. He’s a flex option despite running routes on just 59% this past week.
    • Low-end WR3 with flex viability in a pinch
• Isaiah Likely (7-5-83-1)
  • So Likely is basically a one-for-one Mark Andrews replacement in routes and role on the Ravens. At tight end, you can take this to the bank as a low-end TE1 where options that earn consistent work, volume, and touchdown upside are scarce outside the top options.
    • Low-end TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Buffalo Bills

Week 14 Buffalo Bills Fantasy Takeaways:

• Josh Allen (23-of-42, 233 yds., 1/1; 10-32-1)
  • Stud.
    • Locked-in QB1
• James Cook (10-58; 5-5-83-1)
  • Cook has seen a lot of receiving work lately while still maintaining a 38-43% snap share and splitting work with Latavius Murray and Ty Johnson, but Cook has (wait for it) cooked in the last few weeks. Cook has 16 or more fantasy points in his last three games. He’s volatile, and we hate seeing some of the work go other backs, but Cook had produced. Keep him in your lineups.
    • Low-to-mid-range RB2; volatile asset
• Stefon Diggs (11-4-24)
  • A set-and-forget stud. These games happen where a defense clamps down on a top target, and they don’t let Diggs beat them. That’s what happened here.
    • WR1
• Gabe Davis (2-0-0)
  • The very definition of boom-or-bust.
    • High-end WR4 and basically a coin flip each week
• Khalil Shakir (1-1-12)
  • Shakir’s routes took a big hit with Dawson Knox returning to the lineup as they sunk to 65% from 81% in Week 13 to this past week. If this is the new normal, Shakir can’t be rostered. In fact, if you need roster space, you can drop him now.
    • Mid-range WR4/deep-league stash
• Dalton Kincaid (8-5-21)
  • With Dawson Knox back, Kincaid’s role didn’t change, which is GREAT for his fantasy playoff prospects. The fear was that Kincaid’s routes — which sat at the 85-90% range almost every week — would crater once Knox returned. That didn’t happen, so we’re still bullish on Kincaid in must-win games for the Bills to end the season.
    • Low-end TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Carolina Panthers

Week 14 Carolina Panthers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Chuba Hubbard (23-87; 2-2-9)
  • Hubbard has the clear lead-back role in Carolina and his role is rock solid, with 25 and 23 carries in the past two weeks. The trouble is, he’s a Carolina Panther. Still, that’s good enough for a volume-based play that could also see a few targets.
    • Mid-range RB2 with a solid floor
• Miles Sanders (10-74)
  • It’s a weak standalone role for Sanders, but he’s an okay contingent play if you held onto him. If your team is still alive, that is.
    • Mid-range RB3 with mild contingent value
• Adam Thielen (7-5-74)
  • Thielen has a floor-play archetype at wide receiver but can bottom out, thanks to Bryce Young being #not good.
    • Low-end WR3 with major fantasy downside

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Chicago Bears

Week 14 Chicago Bears Fantasy Takeaways:

• Justin Fields (19-of-33, 223 yds., 1/0; 12-58-1)
  • You take the good with the bad. You know he can put up a dud, but you know he has overall QB1 in his range of outcomes. We plug away and start him anyway.
    • Low-end QB1 with weekly overall QB1 upside
• Khalil Herbert (3-8)
• D’Onta Foreman (11-50; 3-2-22)
• Roschon Johnson (1-6)
  • I’m lumping all three running backs together as the Bears seemed to play the hot-hand approach. Foreman had the routes and snaps advantage, but all three mixed and matched. Johnson looked like he was looking ready for more work, but that wasn’t the case. I’d have trouble starting any of them, but if I had to choose one, I’d lean into Foreman with Herbert and Johnson splitting some of the receiving work.
    • Herbert and Johnson are mid-range RB3 options, while Foreman is reaching a bit as a low-end RB2. Foreman gives me the most confidence if I had to start any of these running backs
• DJ Moore (10-6-68-1; 3-20-1)
  • The clear top target in Chicago’s passing game, Moore is the only pass-catcher receiving consistently usable volume and the production to go with it.
    • High-end WR2
• Cole Kmet (7-5-66)
  • Kmet is the clear second target in Chicago as he’s vaulted over Darnell Mooney. There’s not a ton of target volume in Chicago, but Kmet gets his and gets it over Mooney. A tough matchup with Cleveland this week looms, so he’s probably more of a high-end TE2 that if I had anybody else at tight end that was a worthy start, I’d consider them.
    • Low-end TE1/high-end TE2

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Cincinnati Bengals

Week 14 Cincinnati Bengals Fantasy Takeaways:

• Jake Browning (18-of-24, 275 yds., 21; 3-7-1)
  • Browning put together a solid performance in Week 14, but it’s Jake Browning. He worked a lot in the screen game with Joe Mixon and Chase Brown, which was a sizable chunk of his passing output. Let’s not make him more than he is: a mid-range QB streamer.
    • Middle-of-the-pack QB2/streamer
• Joe Mixon (21-79-1; 4-3-46)
  • Mixon retains his sizable role, but the Bengals are noticeably passing less without Browning, as they should. It’s gotten Brown much more work, but both can co-exist.
    • Mid-range RB2
• Chase Brown (8-25; 3-3-80-1)
  • Brown is seeing a big uptick in work, and if something happens to Mixon in the next week or two, Brown could be the guy winning people fantasy football championships. Regarding Brown’s standalone value, Brown isn’t startable but should be on benches in most leagues.
    • Mid-range RB3 but excellent contingent value
• Ja'Marr Chase (4-3-29)
  • With Browning spreading the ball to running backs and tight ends, the receivers have felt it, but you won’t bench Chase because of that. He’s more of a WR2, but of course, the upside is immense.
    • High-end WR2
• Tee Higgins (4-2-72)
  • Higgins is just about at his routes per dropback range he was at, but the reins of the offense being in the hands of Jake Browning and not Joe Burrow muddies it up for the wide receivers, as we talked about with Chase. 
    • Mid-range WR3 when healthy

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Cleveland Browns

Week 14 Cleveland Browns Fantasy Takeaways:

• Joe Flacco (26-of-45, 311 yds., 3/1)
  • Joe Flacco was Joe Flacco. He’s statuesque, will rack up a bunch of pass attempts (44 and 45 in the last two weeks), still has a strong arm, and is not afraid to dump the ball off. He’s fine if you need a plug-and-play quarterback. But you’re just getting passing stats.
    • Mid-range QB2/decent streamer 
• Jerome Ford (12-51; 6-5-31; left Week 14 - hand)
  • Ford saw a strong workload until he left with a hand injury and ceded the rest of the work in the backfield to Kareem Hunt and Pierre Strong. We’ll see if Ford can go against Chicago, as he’s practiced in a limited capacity.
    • Low-end RB2 when healthy
• Kareem Hunt (10-27-1; 1-1-3)
  • Hunt saw most of his backfield work when Ford left the game, but he grabbed a late touchdown. He would benefit if Ford could not go with his hand injury against Chicago in Week 15.
    • High-end RB3/solid contingent value
• Amari Cooper (14-7-77)
  • Cooper cleared concussion protocol and racked up 14 targets and a solid day’s work. At least Flacco understands the assignment each week to target his best players. Cooper is a high-floor option moving forward in the fantasy playoffs.
    • Low-range WR2/High-end WR3
• Elijah Moore (6-3-42)
  • Moore hit a snag, as we all thought, after earning 21 targets combined over the past two weeks. He’s a volatile flex option, but he at least has pass volume on his side. That tips the scales in his favor in quite a few instances, with similarly-ranged wide receivers like Jerry Jeudy and George Pickens as examples.
    • Mid-range WR3 if Cooper misses Week 14
• David Njoku (8-6-91-2)
  • With Joe Flacco cresting the 40 pass attempt mark in consecutive weeks, all of the main pass-catching targets are in play here, especially Njoku, who was TE2 in Week 14. We can’t expect two touchdowns each week, but he will get targeted. At the tight end position, sometimes that’s just enough.
    • Low-end TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Dallas Cowboys

Week 14 Dallas Cowboys Fantasy Takeaways:

• Dak Prescott (24-of-39, 271 yds., 2/0; 3-11)
  • Dak is a must-start fantasy option at quarterback. He was only QB14 this week, but if that’s the fantasy points floor, we’ll definitely take that.
    • Top-6 fantasy QB
• Tony Pollard (16-59; 8-7-37)
  • Despite the propensity for Dallas to push the ball downfield, they didn’t need to here as the Cowboys were ahead for almost all of their Week 14 tilt with the Eagles, so Pollard saw a lot of checkdowns and volume on the ground. Pollard’s role is safe and secure, with another snap percentage in the low-70s (72%) this week. Lock him in your lineups.
    • High-end RB2
• Rico Dowdle (12-46-1; 1-1-6)
  • Dowdle is a valuable handcuff in case something happens to Pollard — one of the few worth stashing on every bench. He’s seeing some low-value touches but got into the end zone in Week 14. Dowdle’s role is not one you need to put in your lineups unless something happens to Pollard.
    • Low-end RB3 and a contingent hold on benches
• CeeDee Lamb (10-6-71-1)
  • Stud.
    • A must-start WR1 every week
• Brandin Cooks (5-2-37)
  • The Cowboys didn’t need to push pace, so the secondary pass-catchers suffered a bit here, including Cooks. Still, he’s a solid flex option in the fantasy playoffs.
    • Low-end WR3/high-end flex
• Jake Ferguson (8-5-72)
  • Ferguson got back into fantasy’s good graces with a touchdown last week and saw some solid volume this week. Good offense, good utilization (74% snaps and routes), and a good start as a low-end TE1.
    • Low-end TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A
 

Denver Broncos

Week 14 Denver Broncos Fantasy Takeaways:

• Russell Wilson (21-of-33, 224 yds., 2/1; 6-5)
  • Eh. Wilson is acceptable in the QB streamer territory if you need a quarterback in a pinch. He’s only scored 20 fantasy points twice this season and not once since Week 4.
    • Mid-range QB2/okay streamer
• Javonte Williams (17-66-1; 4-3-25)
  • Williams FINALLY got into the end zone for his first rushing touchdown of the season. He’s still keeping his role and fending off Samaje Perine and Jaleel McLaughlin, so fire him up as a volume-dependent RB2.
    • Low-end RB2
• Courtland Sutton (4-3-62-1)
  • Continuing the touchdown tradition of those before him, like Robert Tonyan, Sutton has had 34% of his fantasy production come via the touchdown. You can start him for sure, as he’s been the only pass-catcher that’s worked in this dull, plodding offense.
    • Safe, mid-range WR3

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Jerry Jeudy (you’ll never start him, so why hold him?)

Detroit Lions

Week 14 Detroit Lions Fantasy Takeaways:

• Jared Goff (20-of-35, 161 yds., 1/2; 1-0)
  • The Lions were very run-heavy in their approach against the Saints, and Goff kept the team afloat after his three-fumble game on Thanksgiving.
    • Low-end QB1
• Jahmyr Gibbs (11-66-1; 4-3-16)
  • Gibbs got the edge in touches (14) in the Lions’ backfield but was on the field a lot more as the Lions were in a trailing script for much of the game. Both running backs are startable, with Gibbs as the primary short-area receiving weapon and in trailing scripts.
    • High-end RB2 with weekly RB1 upside
• David Montgomery (10-66; 3-3-19)
  • Montgomery took a backseat to Gibbs this week, and even when he saw 13 total touches, he was in on just 35% of snaps and 20% of routes. Still, his standing role as a 1A/1B that varies each week is safe for fantasy purposes.
    • High-end RB2 with weekly RB1 upside
• Amon-Ra St. Brown (9-3-21)
  • Stud. Must-start.
    • Solid WR1
• Sam LaPorta (6-2-23; 1-4)
  • It was a down week for the entire passing game, but we’ll give them a pass. They just get so enamored with running the ball that games get away from them when they don’t push the ball downfield in the passing game.
    • Top-6 fantasy TE

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Green Bay Packers

Week 14 Green Bay Packers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Jordan Love (25-of-39, 218 yds., 1/1; 2-2)
  • After I talked him up last week, Love put up his second-worst fantasy performance of the season in Week 14 as they gave away a game to the New York Giants. He’s a low-end starter because of that lack of consistency.
    • Low-end QB1/High-end QB2 and priority streamer
• Aaron Jones (Missed Week 14 - MCL sprain)
  • Jones missed another week; I’m just not sure if we’ll get a healthy Jones at any point this season.
    • Mid-range RB2 when healthy
• AJ Dillon (15-53; 3-2-25)
  • Dillon was merely fine in Week 14, but he certainly wasn’t the reason the Packers won or anything, so don’t get it twisted. Dillon is simply name value because of his sizable appendages (quads) and not much else.
    • High-end RB3, even when Jones is out
• Christian Watson (Missed Week 14 - hamstring)
  • Watson missed Week 14 with his hamstring and looks unlikely to go in Week 15.
    • High-end WR3 when healthy
• Romeo Doubs (7-4-32)
  • Doubs is too inconsistent to see starting treatment despite Watson being out of the lineup. He’s been very touchdown-dependent, and in a pinch, you could do worse in your flex.
    • Low-end WR3 and an inconsistent low-end flex
• Jayden Reed (10-8-27; 4-38-1)
  • Can I start calling him diet Deebo Samuel yet? That’s how the Packers are utilizing him and Reed looks like the best player on the field on almost every snap.
    • Mid-range WR3 with multiple avenues to quality upside
• Tucker Kraft (4-4-64)
  • Kraft has been very solid since entering the starting lineup, but he’s a streamer through and through despite playing 100% snaps for the Packers.
    • Mid-range TE2/okay streaming option

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Houston Texans

Week 14 Houston Texans Fantasy Takeaways:

• C.J. Stroud (10-of-23, 91 yds., 0/0; left Week 14 - concussion)
  • Stroud struggled big time against the Jets in his worst game of the season. To top it off, he left Week 14 with a concussion and has to make it through concussion protocol before having a shot to play in Week 15. If it’s Davis Mills under center and not Stroud, this offense takes a big hit.
    • Top-8 fantasy QB when healthy
• Devin Singletary (13-65-1; 3-0-0)
  • Singletary saw a bump to his snaps and was the lead back again for the Texans as, hopefully, they have figured out what they don’t have in Dameon Pierce. Singletary is still a little volatile as an RB2, but he’s a decent flex play, even with Davis Mills under center.
    • Low-end RB2 and mid-range flex
• Nico Collins (1-1-13; left Week 14 - calf)
  • Just as Tank Dell was lost for the season, Collins only made it three snaps before he succumbed to a calf injury. Collins seems unlikely to play in Week 15 either, which is an awful runout for the Texans. 
    • High-end WR2 when healthy
• Noah Brown (5-0-0)
  • Brown could find himself in a more prominent role with Tank Dell out for the season and Nico Collins on the shelf with a calf injury. For this week, it might be Davis Mills slinging the passes his way, which significantly drops the floor and ceiling of this offense.
    • WR4/deep flex
• Dalton Schultz (Missed Week 14 - hamstring)
  • Schultz missed Week 14 with a hamstring injury, but he practiced in full for the first time in two weeks and is trending towards playing against Tennessee in Week 15. It’s a bad matchup for Schultz, so I’d only have him as a mid-range TE2 at best, with Davis Mills as the quarterback.
    • High-end TE2/mid-range streamer with a brutal upcoming schedule for fantasy playoffs

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Brevin Jordan (Dalton Schultz is trending toward playing in Week 15, but if Jordan plays, he’s still a pretty lousy play against a tough Titans defense against tight ends with Mills throwing him the ball down Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Should I keep going?)

Indianapolis Colts

Week 14 Indianapolis Colts Fantasy Takeaways:

• Gardner Minshew (26-of-39, 240 yds., 1/1; 2-5)
  • Minshew hasn’t been particularly great, but amidst the quarterback injuries around the league, Minshew starts looking better and better. He’s a floor play with a dash of upside at times.
    • Mid-range QB2/okay streamer
• Jonathan Taylor (Missed Week 14 - thumb)
  • Head coach Shane Steichen has said he expects Taylor back before the end of the season, but whether that’s Week 15 is a different story. I would guess not, but Week 16 or 17 could be doable for him.
    • Locked-in RB1 when healthy
• Zack Moss (13-28; 8-4-28)
  • Moss’ magic may have run out from earlier in the season, as his volume just isn’t turning into anything fruitful for fantasy managers. If you start him, you’re hoping and praying for a touchdown.
    • Low-end RB2 when Taylor is out
• Michael Pittman (11-8-95)
  • A solid, safe, consistent WR2 with bankable targets and an excellent weekly floor. Pittman had his fourth-straight game with double-digit targets. Lock him into lineups.
    • High-end WR2
• Josh Downs (3-3-32)
  • Downs has been unable to get to where he was earlier in 2023. He’s averaged seven targets per game since the Week 11 bye, but 13 of those targets came in Week 12. You can’t slot him into fantasy lineups right now, but he’s a decent bench option. Should you need to start him, Godspeed.
    • Low-end WR3/low-end flex option that’s trending down a bit

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 14 Jacksonville Jaguars Fantasy Takeaways:

• Trevor Lawrence (28-of-50, 257 yds., 3/3; 3-11)
  • Lawrence was inefficient against the Browns in Week 14, who have clamped down on many quarterbacks and offensive weapons this season. Still, the volume was excellent to see (50 pass attempts) and produced some gaudy target totals, albeit inefficient production from those targets.
    • Low-end QB1
• Travis Etienne (14-35-1; 4-4-37)
  • Etienne returned from a 60% snap share in the last four weeks to 78% snaps for the first time since Week 8. While he wasn’t efficient (a running theme with the Jaguars), he got into the end zone to salvage his day.
    • Low-end RB1/high-end RB2
• Calvin Ridley (13-4-53)
  • Ridley got the volume this week but was incredibly inefficient. We just can’t get the games right with Ridley, so he’s a WR3 with a high ceiling and a low floor.
    • Volatile WR3 with WR1 upside 
• Zay Jones (14-5-29)
  • Jones is back to running 90% of routes per dropback like last season, so it’s looking like Zay Jones might be on the menu for more league winning. If you need a flex in a pinch, I like his role going forward, and he should be able to produce a bit for the Jaguars in their final chunk of the season.
    • High-end WR3
• Evan Engram (12-11-95-2)
  • Engram has been the most consistent pass-catcher week to week and was TE1 this week with his massive line. He was the star for the Jaguars and should be in every starting lineup for the fantasy playoffs.
    • Mid-range TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Kansas City Chiefs

Week 14 Kansas City Chiefs Fantasy Takeaways:

• Patrick Mahomes (25-of-43, 271 yds., 1/1; 1-8)
  • Despite his weapons being up and down, we know what Mahomes can turn this ragtag bunch of weapons into every week.
    • QB1, but the offense hasn’t provided many spike weeks
• Isiah Pacheco (Missed Week 14 - shoulder)
  • Pacheco missed Week 14 with his shoulder and watched Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and Jerick McKinnon split up his usual workload to little success. If Pacheco is back, he should slot back into his solid RB2 role for the fantasy playoffs.
    • Mid-range RB2
• Rashee Rice (10-7-72-1)
  • Rice has put together two fantastic weeks where he’s been WR3, WR22, and WR13, but he should be running 90% of routes per dropback, not 70%. He DID get to 82% routes per dropback last week, so it's better late than never, right? If you haven’t been starting him, get him in your lineups ASAP.
    • Mid-range WR3 with upside
• Travis Kelce (10-6-83)
  • Stud. Dating Taylor Swift. Winning at life.
    • Overall TE1

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: N/A

Las Vegas Raiders

Week 14 Las Vegas Raiders Fantasy Takeaways:

• Josh Jacobs (13-34; 2-2-16; left Week 14 - knee)
  • The Raiders were shut out, and Josh Jacobs left a knee injury that left his Week 15 status in the air. If Jacobs misses Week 15, it looks to be a weird split between Ameer Abdullah and Zamir White, where White gets more work on the ground, and Abdullah gets the receiving work.
    •  Mid-range RB1
• Davante Adams (10-7-53)
  • Adams got a ton of volume in Week 14, but it hasn’t been the same Adams we’ve grown accustomed to. Still, if you have him on your roster and are still vying for a championship, you’re not NOT starting him.
    • Low-end WR1
• Jakobi Meyers (6-5-25)
  • Meyers has a more volatile role than earlier in the season, but he’s a low-tier flex in the fantasy playoffs.
    • Low-end WR3/mid-range flex

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Michael Mayer (saw a season-high 73% of routes but has been unable to produce on the increased time on the field)

Los Angeles Chargers

Week 14 Los Angeles Chargers Fantasy Takeaways:

• Justin Herbert (9-of-17, 96 yds., 0/1; left game - fractured finger)
  • Herbert fractured his finger and will be out for the season as he’ll get surgery on his throwing hand. Easton Stick (the forgotten North Dakota St. quarterback between the Carson Wentz and Trey Lance eras) came in to try and salvage what he could, and he was at least respectable on a per-attempt basis. He could get a start in Week 15, but the Chargers offense is different than it was a month ago.
    • Low-end QB1
• Austin Ekeler (10-51; 7-5-49)
  • If the offense does anything for the rest of the season, it will fall on the shoulders of Austin Ekeler. He’s been inefficient on the ground for most of the season but had a solid game on 15 touches in Week 14.
    • Inefficient but high-touch-dependent RB1
• Keenan Allen (12-6-68; will miss Week 15 - heel)
  • Allen was ruled out for Week 15 due to a heel injury, a devastating blow for the Chargers and fantasy managers who have gotten Allen’s monstrous fantasy production all season.
    • Top-5 fantasy WR
• Joshua Palmer (Missed Week 14 - knee; activated for Week 15)
  • The Chargers lose Allen but gain Palmer as a trusted target for Easton Stick, who assumes quarterbacking duties with Justin Herbert out for the season. Palmer will get a ton of volume, but this passing game is clearly different from what it was earlier in the season. Temper your expectations.
    • Low-end WR3

Add ‘Em: N/A

Dump ‘Em: Justin Herbert (out for the season - finger fracture)

Los Angeles Rams

Week 14 Los Angeles Rams Fantasy Takeaways:

• Matthew Stafford (23-of-41, 294 yds., 3/0; 1-(-1))
  • Stafford has stepped up his game from earlier in the season and tossed three touchdowns on a previously impenetrable Browns defense and three more on the Ravens this past week. Having the threat of Kyren Williams certainly helps this offense.
    • Mid-range QB2/mid-range streamer
• Kyren Williams (25-114; 4-3-(-1))
  • Williams is an absolute stud with one of the best roles in fantasy football for a running back.
    • Low-end RB1 with receiving upside
• Cooper Kupp (10-8-115-1)
  • Kupp looks healthy again, and this offense is finding its groove late in the season. Kupp looks good and needs to be in every lineup down the stretch.
    • Low-end WR1
• Puka Nacua (8-5-84; 1-6)
  • Nacua does exceptionally well playing off of Cooper Kupp, and quarterback Matthew Stafford looks for him just as much as Kupp. Nacua is a slight step down in terms of fantasy value, but he’s a worthy start in every format in the fantasy playoffs.
    • Mid-range WR2