Fantasy Football Points Allowed: Best & Worst Matchups (Week 14)

This is it. In most fantasy football leagues, Week 14 is the final week before the playoffs begin in Week 15. Whether you’re fighting for a place in the dance, a bye or just to not come in last, it’s time to lock in.

As always, this article is here to help you put your best foot forward, using the Fantasy Points Allowed tool to find top matchups to target (and tough matchups to avoid) at every position. After a bye-less Week 13, the final four teams of the season are on break this week, making things slightly trickier and standards lower. Keep that in mind as we jump into this article — let’s get started.

Fantasy Points Allowed: Best & Worst Matchups (Week 14)

Week 14 Quarterback Fantasy Football Matchups

Good Matchup: Jared Goff (QB – DET) vs. Dallas Cowboys

After getting lit up by Patrick Mahomes on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys now lead the league by a wide margin with 25.2 points per game allowed to quarterbacks. Quinnen Williams has revitalized their run defense, which only further encourages opposing teams to target their weak secondary.

Jared Goff will likely be without his top weapon, Amon-Ra St. Brown, this week. He is still a QB1 option at home in the dome against this Dallas defense.

Bad Matchup: Patrick Mahomes (QB – KC) vs. Houston Texans

As mentioned, Patrick Mahomes is coming off a big fantasy outing (29.4 points) against the Cowboys’ defense. But that was just his first QB1 finish since Week 8, and Houston’s defense is a different beast than that of their Texas counterparts. The Texans allow just 12.5 points per game to opposing quarterbacks, the lowest mark in the league.

The Texans have yet to allow a single 20-point outing by a quarterback all season. And it’s not like they’ve had a super easy schedule, as that stat includes matchups with fantasy demigod Josh Allen (10.1) and MVP favorite Matthew Stafford (13.6). Mahomes is certainly capable of having a big game regardless of his opponent, but he hasn’t been undeniable this season. If you have another valid QB1 option, I recommend leaving the two-time MVP on your bench.

Week 14 Running Back Fantasy Football Matchups

Good Matchup: Aaron Jones (RB – MIN) vs. Washington Commanders

I wouldn’t blame any fantasy managers for not feeling confident in Aaron Jones right now. He left Week 13 early with a shoulder injury, resulting in his third straight finish of single-digit half-PPR points. Meanwhile, the Vikings’ offense as a whole is imploding — Max Brosmer was somehow substantially worse than J.J. McCarthy, who already ranks last by a mile among qualified signal-callers in expected points added (EPA) per play.

But Jones’ injury is reportedly minor. Before his early exit on Sunday, he had been a legit bell-cow back in Minnesota’s offense in recent weeks. And this is a great matchup, as the Commanders rank third in the league in points per game allowed to opposing running backs.

Washington is beatable both on the ground (sixth-most yards allowed to running backs) and through the air (fifth-most), which is perfect for Jones’ skill set. He’s not a must-start, but I recommend giving Jones one last chance this week if your other options aren’t appealing.

Bad Matchup: Zonovan Knight (RB – CAR) vs. Los Angeles Rams

I’ve actually been a Zonovan Knight believer for much of the past month. Despite being the Cardinals’ clear No. 1 RB, he has often — undeservedly — been an afterthought in fantasy circles. However, this is not the week to put your faith in him.

The Rams’ defense is the third-toughest matchup for opposing backs. We’ve also seen that the Cardinals are willing to abandon the run early, and Michael Carter was their primary pass-catching back instead of Knight last week. That bodes badly for a game where they are currently 7.5-point underdogs against one of the league’s best teams coming off a tough loss. Put it all together, and Knight is only startable if you are truly desperate this week.

Week 14 Wide Receiver Fantasy Football Matchups

Good Matchup: Zay Flowers (WR – BAL) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

I imagine that fantasy managers who roster Zay Flowers are feeling pretty frustrated with the third-year receiver. Since ranking as the WR1 overall in his season debut, he has averaged just eight half-PPR points per game, including scoring negative points last week.

However, Flowers is in a great spot to get back on track this week. Although they rank only fifth in points allowed to wide receivers, Pittsburgh’s defense actually leads the league in targets, yards and receptions allowed to the position. They are tougher in terms of touchdowns allowed, but Flowers hasn’t scored since that Week 1 explosion anyway. Even coming off his absurdly bad Week 13, he is a solid WR2 this week.

Bad Matchup: Terry McLaurin (WR – WSH) vs. Minnesota Vikings

After missing most of the season with a quad injury, Terry McLaurin burst back onto the scene in Week 13. He caught seven of a whopping 14 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown in the Commanders’ overtime loss to the Broncos. Even more impressive, he did this on just a 58% route share, as he was clearly being eased back into the lineup.

But McLaurin might be hard-pressed to make it back-to-back big games, as the Vikings’ defense is the second-toughest opponent for fantasy receivers. It’s also worth noting that Marcus Mariota attempted a whopping 50 passes in Week 13, a level of pass volume we can’t expect to repeat itself. With these factors in mind, McLaurin is by no means a must-bench, but he’s not the must-start he seems like at first glance, either.

Week 14 Tight End Fantasy Football Matchups

Good Matchup: Dalton Kincaid (TE – BUF) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The extent to which the Bengals’ defense has been weak to tight ends this season is genuinely comical. They have allowed 93.4 yards, 1.08 touchdowns and 19.3 points per game to the position. The next-highest team in each category isn’t even close: 72.1 yards, 0.62 touchdowns and 13.8 fantasy points.

Assuming he’s back from his hamstring injury, Dalton Kincaid should be fired up as a locked-in TE1. You can even consider Dawson Knox, whether or not Kincaid returns, as the Bengals have given up plenty of big plays to No. 2 TEs as well as top options.

Bad Matchup: Oronde Gadsden II (TE – LAC) vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the third-toughest matchup on paper for opposing tight ends, allowing just 7.1 points per game to the position. Only Evan Engram (11.3) and Cole Kmet (11.1) have scored more than 8.6 half-PPR points against them, and they both needed a touchdown to get there. On average, Philadelphia gives up just 35 yards per game to tight ends.

This is all bad news for Chargers rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden, who burst onto the fantasy scene around the midway point of this season. He has also been trending in the wrong direction anyway, averaging just 3.7 points over his last three outings. Especially with Justin Herbert potentially set to miss this game after undergoing surgery on his non-throwing hand, I recommend starting to look for another option now if you have been relying on Gadsden as your TE1.

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