RADIO
As we head into Week 14 of the NFL season and draw closer to the fantasy league playoffs, every decision matters for fantasy managers.
The NFL - and fantasy football - is a game of constantly moving parts, and just when you think you know everything, things can change.
In the interest of keeping fantasy GMs up to date and informed, I'll be putting some interesting nuggets in one convenient place. This info might be in the form of stats, trends, or injury news, but it's info that I believe can help fantasy managers win their matchups this week. Without further delay, here are 10 Things You Should Know Ahead of Week 14.
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#1. Life Without Lamar
Lamar Jackson suffered a sprained PCL in Week 13. Jackson was forced to leave last Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos early and did not return. The star QB has not practiced this week and has been all but officially ruled out for a Week 14 divisional clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With Jackson expected to be out against Pittsburgh, Tyler Huntley will get the starting nod for the Ravens in Week 14. He stepped in for the injured Jackson in last week's win over the Denver Broncos. Huntley connected on 27 of 32 pass attempts for 187 yards and a pick, while also rushing for 41 yards and a TD.
While last week marked Huntley's first action of the season, he's no stranger to filling in for Jackson. Huntley started five games for Baltimore in 2021, throwing for 1,081 yards, three TDs, and four INTS while rushing for 294 yards and two scores.
#2. All Aboard The Bengal Express
After a sluggish start to the year, the Cincinnati Bengals are finally starting to look like the team that made a run to last year's Super Bowl. The Bengals defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in Week 13 and have now won four straight, as well as six of their last seven.
Cincinnati is averaging 29.14 points per game since Week 6, a stat that's pretty heady all on its own, but even more impressive when you realize they've been without both Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Mixon for multiple games over that stretch. With Chase back in the lineup last week and Mixon expected to return in Week 14, the Bengals look primed for another stretch run.
Joe Burrow and the boys draw a true "revenge game" spot against the Cleveland Browns this week - the team that handed Cincy their last loss back in Week 8. Joey B. and this high-octane offense should continue to roll against a Browns squad that stands 27th in Total Defense DVOA this season and looked lost offensively in their first game with Deshaun Watson at the helm last week.
#3. Detroit Finding Their Grit
If you watched this season's entertaining HBO series Hard Knocks with the Detroit Lions, then you probably became a fan of the team...at least to some extent. Some of the main takeaways from the series? Lions head coach Dan Campbell is awesome, a classic meathead, maybe a little crazy, and definitely all about the #Grit.
Despite some heartbreaking losses along the way, Detroit has displayed plenty of the aforementioned grit en route to a 5-7 record, which includes wins in four of their last five.
The Lions enter a Week 14 divisional showdown with the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings as a - believe it or not - two-point favorite. With a tight spread and one of the highest O/Us of the week at 52.5, this one sets up as a great spot for fantasy goodness, as both the Lions and Vikings possess talented playmakers on offense and little in the way of defensive prowess.
#4. The Battle of New York: Part Two
Although the Jets dropped their Week 13 game to the Minnesota Vikings, they are objectively a much better offense with Mike White at the helm. Since Zach Wilson's benching, Gang Green has produced 53 points and a whopping 952 total yards in two games without Wilson. This offensive awakening has led to big fantasy outings for both White and star rookie WR Garrett Wilson.
The going could get tougher for New York's offense in Week 14, as they're set to square off against Josh Allen and the division-leading Buffalo Bills. While the Bills opened the year displaying Ivan Drago-like dominance, the squad has been cut a couple of times in recent weeks, including a Balboa-sized upset loss to these very Jets back in Week 9.
This could be a defensive slug-fest like their first meeting of the year that ended at 20-17, but White's presence means that the Jets have the offensive spunk needed to battle back against Allen and the juiced-up Buffalo offense.
#5. Hurts So Good
No matter how lofty your fantasy hopes might have been for Jalen Hurts prior to the 2022 season, he's exceeded all of them. Last week was another great performance in what's been a season full of them for Hurts. The Philly signal caller threw for three TDs while rushing for another in a 35-10 destruction of the Tennessee Titans.
Hurts and this Eagles offense have every chance to continue the party this week against the New York Giants. After a surprisingly good start to the year, the Giants are now winless in their last three and come in off an overtime slog against the Washington Commanders that ended in a 20-20 tie. New York has allowed 20 or more points in three straight and their defense ranks just 28th in the NFL in both Total and Pass Defense DVOA.
#6. Mr. Irrelevant
The last pick of the NFL draft is annually tagged with the "Mr. Irrelevant" moniker. Quarterback Brock Purdy earned the nickname this year when the San Francisco 49ers selected him with the 262nd pick of the 2022 draft. Mr. Irrelevant is suddenly anything but.
With Trey Lance already sidelined with a season-ending injury, the Niners had a pretty good backup plan in place with Jimmy Garoppolo. Unfortunately, Jimmy G. went down last week against the Miami Dolphins with a foot injury. The task of leading this really good Niners squad that had/has Super Bowl aspirations now falls to the 22-year-old Purdy. I'd say he's relevant now.
Purdy played well in relief of Garoppolo in Week 13. The rookie completed 25 of 37 pass attempts for 210 yards and two TDs en route to a win over the Miami Dolphins, while also tossing one INT. He played his college ball at Iowa State and spent four years as a productive QB in Cyclones HC Matt Campbell's offense. He threw for 12,170 yards and 81 TDs with 33 INTs across his college career. The rookie will now be tasked with leading this Niners squad into the postseason and his first start will come against the legendary Tom Brady and Tampa Bay in Week 14.
#7. Seattle's Backfield Is A Messy Situation
Let me take a deep breath before trying to explain this one. Ok...here goes:
This is the nastiest backfield situation I've seen in quite some time, as we have not one, not two, but three backs that are involved to some degree.
Both Seattle's incumbent starter Kenneth Walker III and backup RB DeeJay Dallas were injured in last week's game against the Rams. Neither has been able to participate in practices this week as they deal with injuries. Seahawks HC Pete Carroll has labeled both backs as "game-time decisions." Yuck.
Travis Homer missed Week 13 altogether with an illness but did resume practice in a limited fashion on Wednesday before logging full sessions on Thursday and Friday. He is the healthiest back on the Seattle roster and would be in line for a huge workload if both Walker and Dallas were to miss Week 14's date with the Carolina Panthers.
Former Saints RB Tony Jones Jr. is also on the Seattle depth chart and would be a fringe consideration if both the aforementioned backs were out.
With a 4:25 PM ET kickoff, this situation is going to put fantasy managers to the test.
#8. L.A. Ready To Make A Charge?
Losers of three of their last four, it is a season on the brink for the 6-6 Los Angeles Chargers. As they sit one game out of the final AFC playoff spot, the Chargers are set to take on the Miami Dolphins in primetime this Sunday night.
One component in L.A.'s disappointing record is a seemingly neverending string of injuries. The receiving corps has been hit especially hard, as both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams have spent large chunks of the season on the sidelines. The dynamic duo has played a grand total of 46 snaps together in 2022.
It appears as though this Chargers pass-catching group is getting healthy just in time for the stretch run. Allen has put together strong performances in back-to-back weeks, while Williams has resumed practicing in full and looks to be a full go for Week 14.
Finally reunited, the trio of Allen, Williams, and star QB Justin Herbert are set to take on a Dolphins unit that ranks 23rd in the NFL in Pass Defense DVOA.
#9. Bye-Mageddon
Bye weeks are just part of life for fantasy managers, but the 2022 bye schedule is a bit odd. The NFL schedule had no teams off in Week 12, just two teams resting in Week 13, but a massive six teams will be on their byes this week...the most in a single week since Week 9.
With many fantasy managers trying to qualify for their league's playoffs, the mass exodus of available options this late in the season is certainly a thorn in the side of GMs.
#10. Kadarius Toney Still Missing
The fantasy community rejoiced when the Kansas City Chiefs acquired Kadarius Toney from the New York Giants earlier this season, but it's been the same old, same old for the perma-injured receiver in KC.
The 23-year-old flashed his sky-high potential soon after his arrival in KC by catching four passes for 57 yards and a TD, while rushing for 33 yards on two carries in just his second game in a Chiefs uniform.
Unfortunately, that Week 10 outing has been the lone bright spot for Toney with the Chiefs, as he reaggravated a seemingly never-ending hamstring injury in Week 11, has not yet returned to action, and has once again been ruled out for Week 14.
There's still time for the second-year player, so it's hard to completely close the book on Toney just yet, but the enigmatic receiver seems to be almost contractually obligated to cause his fantasy managers pain.
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