The final week of the fantasy football regular season is here! For many managers, it’s a must-win week in order to make the playoffs and/or improve their seeding in the bracket. Having a half-dozen NFL teams on bye complicates an ultra-important fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em picture. When it comes to the running back position, the threshold feels very slim this week. Maximizing production from players with favorable matchups and offensive roles will be paramount to success.
As a reminder, players like Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara and Bijan Robinson will still be started in lineups weekly. It’s the RB2 and FLEX spots where things get a bit trickier. To help you make some of these tough decisions, check out our weekly fantasy football rankings and read on for our Week 14 fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em analysis at RB.
Wide Receivers — Week 14 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
Tight Ends — Week 14 Fantasy Football Start/Sit
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Fantasy Football Start ’em, Sit ’em: Week 14 RBs
Start: Rachaad White Fantasy Outlook vs Raiders
Even as Irving has taken over the reins as the Bucs’ top backfield weapon, White has maintained a stable role in the offense. He has notched double-digit carries in each of the last three games and nearly averaged seven yards per rush this past Sunday. Given how that matchup was against a bad Carolina run defense, managers should expect a similar contribution from White in Week 14. The Raiders’ defense is not good, and opposing RBs have caught 57 of a possible 65 passing targets thrown to them. This stat could be very telling when it comes to White’s complementary/change-of-pace role out of the backfield.
At the end of the day, while Irving has supplanted White as the top RB in Tampa Bay, the latter is still involved and efficient enough to warrant RB2 consideration in a favorable matchup with a bevy of teams on bye this week. Another facet to consider is the potential of a blowout. If the Buccaneers are cruising in the second half of this game, it could be White who takes on the lion’s share of the touches down the stretch.
RELATED | Week 14 RB Fantasy Football Rankings + Insights
Start: Isaac Guerendo Fantasy Outlook vs Bears
Christian McCaffrey wasn’t the only Niners RB placed on IR coming out of last week’s game. The same is true of his top backup, Jordan Mason, who we watched thrive as the top option for several weeks earlier this year when McCaffrey was sidelined. With both players out of the picture, Guerendo sits all alone in the 49ers’ backfield. Well, he isn’t technically alone. That said, if you think Patrick Taylor or the newly acquired Israel Abanikanda are somehow going to cut into his workload, more power to you. I’d give Kyle Juszczyk a better shot of vulturing a touchdown or two in the short term.
It’s also worth pointing out that Guerendo got to work as the 49ers’ top RB once previously this season. The rookie made the most of that opportunity, as he piled up 85 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and caught three of four targets in the passing game. RBs serve multiple purposes in Kyle Shanahan’s offenses, and timeshares simply don’t exist. As for the matchup, the Chicago Bears have a solid overall defense, but they do allow over 135 rushing yards per game. The consensus rankings may only be viewing Guerendo as a low-end RB2, but managers should be far more confident. Expect an RB1-caliber workload and production right away this week.
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Sit: Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt Fantasy Outlook vs. Chargers
Man, what is up with the Kansas City Chiefs? Is this a bad football team? Or do they just toy with their food and make sure they are in a close game every week for their own entertainment and adrenaline fix? Personally, while the Chiefs do have some major issues, it’s more of the latter. However, one of the team’s biggest problems is the offensive line. Injuries and poor blocking have stunted the production of this offense in multiple areas. This includes the running game as K.C. only ranks 19th in total team rushing yards per game. The fact that both Isiah Pacheco and Kareem Hunt are now actively involved is further wrecking the fantasy production of both players.
In last Friday’s narrow victory, Pacheco made his triumphant return from an ugly leg injury suffered early in the year. As expected, he did not play a full starter’s allotment of snaps. Head coach Andy Reid had previously suggested that Hunt would maintain a role in the offense upon Pacheco’s return. Given how well Hunt played in his absence, this makes sense. It is also logical from the Chiefs’ perspective to try and have Pacheco fully healthy for the playoffs.
Last week, both RBs had seven carries, with Pacheco being far more efficient. However, if the split ruined their fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em value against Las Vegas, it certainly doesn’t bode well against a stout Los Angeles Chargers defense. The Bolts have allowed the sixth-fewest PPR points to opposing RBs this season and contained Hunt quite well in the first meeting between these teams. Add it all up and it’s impossible to be confident in either Chiefs back on Sunday.
Sit: Nick Chubb Fantasy Outlook vs. Steelers
In Week 14, Chubb and the Browns will have to contest with the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers for the second time in three weeks. The 28-year-old was quite busy in the first encounter on a snowy field two weeks back with 20 carries. However, he only managed 59 rushing yards on those totes (2.95 yards per carry). Again, had it not been for reaching pay-dirt twice, his fantasy football start ’em, sit ’em stat line would have been nothing to write home about.
The lack of rushing yardage shouldn’t be a surprise as the Steelers have allowed the fourth-fewest rushing yards per game to opponents on the season. The more pass-happy Cleveland is offensively, the more snaps Chubb will lose to Jerome Ford as seen this past Monday night. Considering all of this, Chubb has to be viewed as an RB3 or FLEX as opposed to an RB2 this week.
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