🦃 BLACK FRIDAY - TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE THANKS
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

NFL Pick 'Em Pool Picks (Week 14) - Targets, Avoids, Predictions for Pickem Contests

Dolphins Defense D/ST Streamers, Rankings, Waiver Wire - Jalen Ramsey Fantasy Football IDP

The top NFL Pick'em pool picks for Week 14 of the 2023 NFL season. Andrew's weekly NFL Pick Em pool targets, avoids and predictions to help win pick 'em contests.

The final two teams (Washington & Arizona) are taking their bye week, meaning we are in the home stretch of the NFL (and Pick 'Em) season. Just four weeks remain following this weekend's sale. It's time to make a move in Pick 'Em standings if you're falling behind. In winner-take-all groups, riskier selections can vault you back into contention. Playing it safe will keep those at the bottom of the standings in the cellar.

Each week of the NFL season, I’ll share my picks for each game, and rank the selections for those who play in a format that requires it. The games will be grouped into locks, semi-confident picks, and toss-ups. The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least confident pick. The winner picks are italicized.

Some weeks you may see a subcategory of “Wait and See” because some platforms require all games to be selected before the kickoff of Thursday Night Football. Injury question marks for Sunday and Monday games may still be hanging. If that’s the case, I’ll leave those games off to the side and suggest where they should be placed if a player suits up or not. Without further ado, let’s jump into our locks of the week.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Week 14 NFL Pick 'Em Pool Locks

The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least-confident pick. The higher the number, the better. The winner picks are italicized.

  • 15 - Miami vs. Tennessee
  • 14 - Houston at New York Jets
  • 13 - New Orleans vs. Carolina
  • 12 - San Francisco vs. Seattle
  • 11 - Pittsburgh vs. New England

The Dolphins take the top spot in the pick 'em rankings for the second week in a row. This time, they host a miserable Tennessee offense that hasn't been able to put up big numbers away from Nashville. Similar cases can be made for Houston and New Orleans. Both are middle-of-the-pack in the standings but face teams at the bottom. New York will continue to struggle with possibly a fourth starting quarterback in Trevor Siemian. Carolina has no coach, no defense, and an inexperienced quarterback.

Pittsburgh also gets the benefit of a cupcake matchup on Thursday Night Football. The Patriots' roster is so devoid of talent that Amazon promoted the contest with an image of Bill Belichick. Even Mitch Trubisky can navigate the Steelers to a victory, which has a current over/under of 30. That would be the lowest in three decades.

Seattle has dropped four in a row to San Francisco and was overwhelmed in all three facets of the game just two weeks ago. That matchup happened in the Pacific Northwest. Now, they're in the Bay area.

 

Semi-Confident Picks For Week 14 Pick 'Em Pools

10 - Denver at Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers are three-point home favorites in this contest, but, frankly, I don't understand how they've earned those odds. They've only defeated the Patriots (and didn't score a touchdown) in their last four games. Austin Ekeler has seemingly hit the wall that every running back hits when they reach that age.

The weakness of the Denver defense is through the run, which Ekeler, Joshua Kelley, and the Chargers' offense currently can't do efficiently. With Patrick Surtain II covering Keenan Allen, Justin Herbert will have to rely more on Quentin Johnston, whose debut season has been the definition of a disaster.

The five-game win streak for the Broncos was finally snapped by Houston in Week 13, in what may have been Russell Wilson's worst game of the season. He tossed three interceptions, including the game-clinching turnover, and passed for under 200 yards (that part of the stat line isn't as much of a surprise). The Chargers are significantly worse than the Texans in the pass defense department and force fewer interceptions.

If you're looking to catch up in the standings, this is the upset to pick.

9 - Indianapolis at Cincinnati

Minshew Mania was on full display in Nashville.

The Colts' backup quarterback threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning strike to Michael Pittman Jr. in overtime, to secure their fourth straight victory. Those wins have come against teams with a combined 12 wins, so it's not the most impressive winning streak. But winning four straight in the NFL is no easy task, regardless of opponent.

Jake Browning may have been cooking on Monday Night Football, but I'm still not buying that this version of the Cincinnati Bengals is significantly better than the Buccaneers and Titans (the two best teams in Indianapolis' recent stretch).

Side note: The Colts wrap up their season with Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Las Vegas, and Houston. Start buying into Indianapolis being a playoff team.

8 - Detroit at Chicago

Both iterations of the Detroit Lions were on full display in New Orleans.

A combination of explosive offensive plays and turnovers contributed to a 21-0 lead before half of the first quarter had expired. Detroit took that lead into the second quarter and led 24-7 at halftime. Then, the Saints found the end zone twice and Detroit needed a late fourth-quarter stand against Jameis Winston to walk away victorious.

It's the inverse of what Detroit did against Chicago just a few weeks ago. The Lions slept through the beginning of the second half and needed their offensive outburst late (like 30 seconds remaining late) to avoid the upset to the Bears.

Inconsistency will eventually bite them in the butt, and that could happen during the postseason. It could even happen on Sunday in Chicago, but the safer bet is to ride with the superior team.

7 - Green Bay at New York Giants

Jordan Love was the truth, the next Hall of Fame quarterback in Green Bay's history, slinging touchdowns at a better rate than Aaron Rodgers.

Then he wasn't.

Now, he's even more comfortable in Matt LaFleur's offense. His young wide receivers, specifically Christian Watson (hamstring) and Jayden Reed, are blossoming. And they just defeated the defending Super Bowl Champions in primetime in December.

If the postseason began today, the Packers would be in, which is a wild statement considering the state of their franchise just a few weeks ago.

The New York Giants are opting to start undrafted rookie Tommy Devito over the now-recovered Tyrod Taylor (ribs) on Sunday. Whether DeVito or Taylor, it's a moot point. Neither is good enough to lead a subpar roster past one of the hottest teams in football.

6 - Baltimore vs. Los Angeles Rams

Speaking of teams currently on the rise, the Rams have also salvaged their season and put themselves in the playoff picture (they were the 7th seed before the Packers' victory on Sunday night). Matthew Stafford and Kyren Williams are healthy, which opens the entire passing game for Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. Kupp isn't predictably being funneled targets anymore (he may not be 100% healthy), which is giving the offense new life and the fifth-round rookie is shining.

However, a cross-country trip against one of the Super Bowl favorites is a formula that typically leads to a loss. The Ravens are coming off of a bye week. They're fresh, healthier, and are contending for the top seed in the AFC. They are touchdown favorites as of this writing, but John Harbaugh has been known to let winnable games slip away. That's why this game falls into the "semi-confident" category instead of the locks.

NFL Pick 'Em Toss-Ups Of Week 14

5 - Minnesota at Las Vegas

Both of these teams come out of their bye week in similar, but vastly different situations. The Raiders are what they are this season. They won't be a playoff team, but interim coach Antonio Pierce has them competing at least. Their long-term questions are whether Pierce will be the head honcho moving forward, or if they will opt for an outside hire. Plus, they still need to figure out who their franchise quarterback is.

Similarly, the Vikings also have quarterback question marks, both this season and beyond. Joshua Dobbs is fresh off a four-interception performance and coach Kevin O'Connell noted that the team may revert to rookie Jaren Hall or journeyman backup Nick Mullens.

Unlike Las Vegas, the Vikings are in the mix for a Wild Card spot and their best player, Justin Jefferson, is back on the football field. Whoever is under center in Week 14 can just loft a few attempts up to one of the best receivers in the NFL. Walking away with a victory in these winnable games will go a long way in determining Minnesota's postseason fate.

4 - Atlanta vs. Tampa Bay

Writing about the NFC South takes away all of the fun of writing about football.

At 6-6, Atlanta is the "best" team in the division, with a game and current tiebreakers over 5-7 Tampa Bay and New Orleans. Incredibly, if the Buccaneers win on Sunday, they'll split the season series and own the same division and overall record as Atlanta. This is gross. One of these teams is probably going to host Dallas or Philadelphia for a playoff game.

The Tampa Bay secondary is still as leaky as they come. Even rookie Jonathan Mingo set a career-high in targets, catches, and yards, and he plays for Carolina. Drake London should bounce back from his (predictable) disappearing act against the Jets. The question mark, as it has been all season, is whether Desmond Ridder can actually connect with the talented first-round pick.

If Tampa Bay linebackers Lavonte David and Devin White remain out in Week 14, Atlanta will be able to run the football with ease. If they're back, Ridder and the passing game will need to step up.

3 - Jacksonville at Cleveland

Another AFC favorite, the Jacksonville Jaguars, did control their destiny for home-field advantage through the conference playoffs, but then they dropped a game to the drowning Cincinnati Bengals.

Trevor Lawrence has been the electric quarterback that everyone thought he would be since being blown out by the San Francisco 49ers. And then the injury happened. The former first-round pick couldn't put any weight on his ankle as he was helped off of the field in the fourth quarter on Monday night. If early signs are any indication, veteran C.J. Beathard seems to be in line for the start on Sunday.

The Browns survived for as long as they could without their starting quarterback and running back. But the injuries are piling up and winnable games are slipping through the cracks. The cursed franchise may find themselves outside of the playoff picture soon.

2 - Kansas City vs. Buffalo

There are ample reasons to be concerned about the chances of a Super Bowl repeat for the Kansas City Chiefs. Their red zone touchdown rate is worse than the Bears and Cardinals. Travis Kelce isn't putting up his standard numbers because opposing defenses have no other receiving threats to worry about. Rashee Rice is a fine prospect, but Justin Watson, Skyy Moore, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling are not good.

The Buffalo Bills are currently outside of the playoff race. The Cincinnati Bengals lost Joe Burrow and are out. What happened to all of the AFC favorites?

It's a do-or-die game for Buffalo as they have a date with Dallas following their tilt with Kansas City. They'll give the Chiefs everything they have, but we've also seen everything they have before in playoff matchups, and against Philadelphia, and it wasn't enough. The Chiefs' defense will prove that their showing at Lambeau Field was an anomaly, forcing Josh Allen into enough turnovers to add another number to their winning column.

1 - Dallas vs. Philadelphia

"This is likely a situation where the home team wins in the two matchups this season. Siri, remind me that I wrote this and to pick the Cowboys in Week 14."

That's what I wrote ahead of the Eagles and Cowboys matchup in Week 9 and nothing has happened since to change my mind. Dallas still hasn't lost a home game (14 straight, second-longest in Cowboys' history) and was possibly a foot away, on multiple occasions, from beating the Eagles in Philadelphia.

The NFL schedule is presenting Philadelphia with disadvantages in back-to-back weeks. San Francisco got extra time to prepare for the defending NFC Champions. Dallas has that same benefit, playing on Thursday for the last two weeks. With extra rest and home-field advantage, the Cowboys split the season series with their division rival.



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy football app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, rankings, starts/sits & more. All free!

More Weekly DFS Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

DeVonta Smith

Listed as DNP on Tuesday
Vinnie Hinostroza

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Pyotr Kochetkov

Dealing With Undisclosed Injury
Tristan Jarry

Expected to Be Available Wednesday
Evgenii Dadonov

Doubtful for Wednesday
J.T. Miller

Joins Team for Road Trip
Joel Kiviranta

Ready to Return Wednesday
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Expected to Return on Saturday
Marvin Bagley III

Ruled Out Versus Atlanta
Luke Kennard

Available on Tuesday Night
RJ Barrett

Unavailable Wednesday
Landry Shamet

Out for Wednesday
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Questionable for Wednesday's Matchup With Milwaukee
Bogdan Bogdanović

Bogdan Bogdanovic Considered Questionable for Tuesday
Jauan Jennings

Won't be Suspended
Draymond Green

Will be Questionable for Wednesday Against the Rockets
Goga Bitadze

Downgraded to Questionable
Dereck Lively II

Will Miss At Least 7-10 Days
Paul George

Will Not Play Tuesday against the Magic
Tyrese Maxey

Will Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Omarion Hampton

Chargers Open Omarion Hampton's Practice Window
Joel Embiid

Ruled Out Against Orlando
Lamar Jackson

Returns to Practice
DK Metcalf

D.K. Metcalf Will Be Limited Early in the Week
Isiah Pacheco

Set to Return on Thursday
J.T. Realmuto

Red Sox Showing Interest in J.T. Realmuto
Sonny Gray

Red Sox Acquire Sonny Gray From the Cardinals
Brian Thomas Jr.

Expected to Make his Return in Week 13
Aaron Rodgers

Steelers Have "Great Optimism" Aaron Rodgers Will Play in Week 13
CFB

Jeremiah Smith, Makai Lemon, Skyler Bell Named Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Jayden Daniels

has Been Throwing, Return Timeline Unclear
NFL

As Many as Three NFL Teams Could Have Interest in Hiring Bill Belichick
Tre Johnson

Out Indefinitely With Hip-Flexor Strain
Goga Bitadze

Active Tuesday in Philadelphia
Wendell Carter Jr.

Cleared To Play Against 76ers
Jalen Suggs

Ready to Return Tuesday in Philadelphia
Luke Kennard

Uncertain For Tuesday's Game Against Wizards
Adem Bona

Will Not Play Tuesday Against the Magic
Marvin Bagley III

Listed as Questionable vs. Hawks
Kyshawn George

Could Miss Tuesday's Game
Sam Reinhart

Extends Scoring Streak With Three-Point Effort
Adam Fox

Delivers Two Assists in Monday's Win
Brandon Hagel

Tallies Three Points Against Flyers
Andrei Vasilevskiy

Extends Winning Streak With Shutout Performance
Logan Cooley

Erupts for Five Points in Monday's Win
Mathieu Olivier

Sustains Upper-Body Injury Monday
Zach Werenski

Hurt Against Capitals
Paolo Banchero

Remains Out Tuesday
Isiah Pacheco

Targeting a Return on Thursday
Shohei Ohtani

to Play for Team Japan in 2026 World Baseball Classic
Lamar Jackson

Now Dealing With a Toe Injury
Jake Walman

to Remain Out Tuesday
Ridly Greig

Still Out Monday
Baker Mayfield

Dealing With Low-Grade Shoulder Sprain
Thomas Chabot

Misses Monday's Matchup
Kirill Marchenko

Out Monday
J.T. Miller

Unavailable Monday
Brayden Point

Out Against Flyers
Nikita Kucherov

Good to Go Monday
Chris Godwin

Buccaneers Plan to "Ramp Up" Chris Godwin's Usage
Colorado Rockies

Warren Schaeffer to Stick Around as Rockies Manager in 2026
Ashton Jeanty

Ankle Injury isn't Severe
Jayden Daniels

to Practice This Week, Considered a Long Shot for Week 13
C.J. Stroud

Remains in Concussion Protocol
Mike Evans

Could Return Before End of Regular Season
J.J. McCarthy

in Concussion Protocol
Tyrod Taylor

to Remain the Jets' Starting QB
Shedeur Sanders

to Make Another Start for Browns in Week 13
CFB

Chris Bell Out for Rivalry Matchup Against Kentucky
Ryan Helsley

Tigers Eyeing Ryan Helsley as a Starter
Dan Hooker

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Marcus Semien

Shipped to the Mets on Sunday
Arman Tsarukyan

Gets Submission Win
Brandon Nimmo

Traded to Texas
Belal Muhammad

Loses Back-to-Back Fights
Belal Muhammad

Ian Machado Garry Outpoints Belal Muhammad
Alonzo Menifield

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Volkan Oezdemir

Gets Back In The Win Column
Jack Hermansson

Gets Knocked Out
Jack Hermansson

Myktybek Orolbai Knocks Out Jack Hermansson
Shamil Gaziev

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Shines At UFC Qatar
Tagir Ulanbekov

Suffers Third-Round Submission Loss
Kyoji Horiguchi

Makes Triumphant UFC Return
Adolis García

Rangers Non-Tender Adolis Garcia on Friday
CFB

Beau Pribula Expected to Start Against Oklahoma
Dan Hooker

An Underdog At UFC Qatar
Arman Tsarukyan

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Ian Machado Garry

A Favorite At UFC Qatar
Belal Muhammad

Looks To Bounce Back
Alonzo Menifield

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
Volkan Oezdemir

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Myktybek Orolbai

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Jack Hermansson

Makes His Welterweight Debut
Kyoji Horiguchi

Returns To The UFC
Elly De La Cruz

Played Through Partially Torn Quad to End 2025
Tarik Skubal

Tigers "Doubtful" to Trade Tarik Skubal