Most fantasy football managers have one week until their playoffs begin, but NFL Week 14 will be their toughest yet.
For the second time this season, six NFL teams will be on bye in one week. That will eliminate numerous fantasy football contributors from starting consideration and create difficult start ’em, sit ’em decisions for fantasy owners.
Nowhere will that be more apparent than at the quarterback position. Two of the higher-end fantasy quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels, will both be out of action. C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson, a couple of strong streaming candidates each week, will also be unavailable.
The cherry on top? Bo Nix and Drake Maye, who have both become quality mid-tier fantasy quarterbacks in recent weeks, will also be unavailable. That will thin out the available streamers and sleepers to trust at the position.
Who are the best quarterbacks to start and sit in Week 14? Here’s a breakdown of the signal-callers to trust and fade during the thinnest week remaining on the 2024 fantasy football calendar.
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Fantasy football start ’em: Week 14 QBs
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers (at Detroit Lions)
The Lions have been a good defense against fantasy quarterbacks this season, but it’s because they have allowed a league-low 10 passing touchdowns to the position. Detroit has allowed the 10th-most total passing yards to quarterbacks this season (2,924), so Love should have a solid yardage floor in the contest.
Some may be scared off by Love’s failure to log a touchdown in his Week 9 matchup with the Lions, but it’s worth noting that game was played in cold, rainy conditions at Lambeau Field with Love nursing a groin injury. He’s healthier now and playing in Detroit’s indoor stadium, so he could have a better chance to replicate the 268-yard, three-touchdown passing line he posted against the Lions on Thanksgiving last season.
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (vs. New York Jets)
For all the talk about Tagovailoa’s struggles in cold weather, he wasn’t the main problem in the Dolphins’ Week 13 loss to the Packers. He gets a much easier matchup in Week 14, at home against a Jets defense that may be without the services of its top cornerback, Sauce Gardner (hamstring).
Tagovailoa is averaging 323.3 passing yards and three touchdowns per game over his last three starts. That makes him a true QB1 until he cools off.
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Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (at San Francisco 49ers)
Nick Bosa has missed the last two games for the 49ers. San Francisco has allowed 36.5 points and 348.5 yards per game over those two contests. That should position Williams and Chicago’s offense well to make interim head coach Thomas Brown’s debut in place of Matt Eberflus a good one.
Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Atlanta Falcons)
The rule of thumb in Week 14 is to trust the NFC North quarterbacks. The Falcons have allowed 21 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks in 2024, tied for the seventh-most in the NFL. That should give Darnold, who has thrown multiple touchdowns in five of his last six games, a high floor in a favorable matchup for the Vikings’ receiving corps.
Fantasy football sit ’em: Week 14 QBs
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Chicago Bears)
Purdy has now played three career games without left tackle Trent Williams blocking on his blindside. Purdy is 0-3 in those contests while averaging 243.7 passing yards per game with two total touchdowns and three interceptions.
It’s hard to recommend trusting Purdy without knowing if Williams (ankle) is playing. Thus, it’s better to steer clear of the 49ers quarterback, especially with the team’s top two running backs, Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason, being placed on IR with injuries ahead of Week 14.
Add in that the Bears have allowed the second-fewest fantasy quarterbacks this season and this looks like a spot in which to fade Purdy.
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Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons (at Minnesota Vikings)
Trusting Cousins in the proverbial “revenge game” against the Vikings may sound appealing on the surface, but this is a tough matchup the Falcons starter. Minnesota has allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points to quarterbacks this season, and its last five opponents have combined for just four passing touchdowns.
Cousins has also struggled over his last three games, averaging 241.3 passing yards per game with no touchdowns and a whopping six interceptions. He could eventually snap out of his funk, but trusting him to do it now isn’t a risk worth taking.
Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (at Pittsburgh Steelers)
Winston just threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns against a great Denver Broncos defense, so some will be inclined to trust him against the Steelers. That said, Pittsburgh has allowed the fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season and should have a chance to force Winston into turnovers, as the Broncos did on “Monday Night Football.”
Winston also failed to record a touchdown in his first meeting against the Steelers this season, so this isn’t a good matchup for him. He may have the volume needed to rack up yardage, but as always, his efficacy will come down to his touchdown to interception ratio.
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Fantasy football start ’em, sit ’ems, Week 14
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 14.
→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 14.
→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 14 with start ’em, sit ’em advice for wideouts.
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit in Week 14.
→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent’s offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 14.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fantasy football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 14: 7 QBs to start or sit
