Week 14 of the 2021 fantasy football season is upon us. It’s time to identify the best streamers at the quarterback, tight end and defense/special teams positions.
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All three positions offer plenty of options this week, though perhaps none are more enticing than New Orleans Saints TE-turned-QB Taysom Hill, who has top-five upside at the position.
Quarterback
Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team | 39% rostered
Heinicke isn’t just a fun story, he’s also nearing QB1 territory with 206.0 fantasy points in 12 games. The diminutive yet mobile quarterback has Washington in a playoff spot as of today, and that comes on the back of six straight games with double-digit fantasy points. His consistency is one of his best traits, though he also offers some upside, as he’s surpassed 20 points twice in the past six games.
This week, he'll face a pretty good Dallas Cowboys defense, but it is beatable. The Cowboys have conceded the 15th-most points to quarterbacks and rank just 28th in passing yards and 22nd in explosive pass percentage allowed. Overall, they’re a solid sixth in EPA per play against but have conceded decent yardage and efficiency to the position. Heinicke is one of the best mixes of performance and matchup at the position this week.
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints | 34% rostered
It pains me to list Hill here, but he’s a fantasy cheat code regardless of how bad he is in real life. Hill attempted 41 passes and threw four interceptions in his first start last week, yet still scored 20.7 fantasy points and was the QB3 on the week. Rushing quarterbacks aren’t fair, and Hill is living proof.
Hill is dealing with a finger injury that could limit his effectiveness, but he has a great matchup against the New York Jets: They’re PFF’s lowest-graded defense and rank 31st in EPA per play against. The Jets haven’t been beaten for much yardage or production by quarterbacks on the ground, but they’ve been horrific against the pass — that's pretty clear when Gardner Minshew secures a QB10 finish in his first start of the year. Hill has a QB1 floor against this defense in Week 14.
New York Jets defense vs. QBs | 2021
| Fantasy points allowed (Rank) | |
| Week 1 | 19.0 (16th) |
| Week 2 | 7.4 (4th) |
| Week 3 | 11.8 (8th) |
| Week 4 | 18.8 (15th) |
| Week 5 | 21.5 (22nd) |
| Week 7 | 25.0 (22nd) |
| Week 8 | 20.2 (20th) |
| Week 9 | 24.2 (24th) |
| Week 10 | 20.6 (24th) |
| Week 11 | 17.5 (17th) |
| Week 12 | 15.3 (17th) |
| Week 13 | 18.7 (19th) |
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers | 29% rostered
Newton has been a bit of an enigma this season but reminded us of what he’s capable of with a dominant 26.2-point performance in Week 11. The veteran is coming off a brutal game in Week 12, but the Panthers are adjusting and have since fired offensive coordinator Joe Brady.
Newton enters the Week 14 slate with possibly the best matchup of the week against the Atlanta Falcons. Only one team has conceded more fantasy points to quarterbacks than the Falcons, who also rank 29th in rushing yards allowed to the position. They’ve been every bit as bad at defending the pass, with just two teams allowing more passing touchdowns this season. Atlanta hasn’t been very efficient, either, coming in at 28th in EPA per play against. Newton should have enough juice for a top-10 finish in this matchup.
Tight End
Tyler Conklin, Minnesota Vikings | 30% rostered
The tight end position hasn’t presented many options most weeks, but this slate could have some decent low-key contributors. Conklin is coming off a strong 12.6-point performance and a 21.9% target share this past week. Both of those numbers were made possible after Adam Thielen suffered a high-ankle sprain, which could be a big factor once again in Week 14.
With Thielen out, Conklin ended up running a route on 73.9% of the team’s dropbacks. Both of those metrics should remain steady, offering the fourth-year TE a strong chance to produce even in a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Gerald Everett, Seattle Seahawks | 29% rostered
Everett caught four passes for an abysmal seven yards last week, fumbling the ball twice and dropping a touchdown that turned into an interception. It was a horrific performance, but Everett has the 13th-most targets among tight ends (27) since Week 8. Strong performances have yet to follow, but an 18.2% target share suggests they’re coming.
A matchup against the Houston Texans could be the elixir Everett needs. They rank average to below average in yards, touchdowns, passing yards per attempt and explosive pass percentage allowed to the position. This is a situation where strong usage in a good matchup can add up to a TE1 finish.
Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders | 23% rostered
Moreau’s spot on this list shouldn’t come as a surprise: He’ll be a threat every week Darren Waller is sidelined. If Waller is unable to return, Moreau is another fun streaming option who is widely available in most leagues. His 8.1% target share with Waller out is a concern, but Moreau does find a way to make big plays downfield — he secured a 34-yard catch on his lone reception in Week 13 — and has a 10.2 average depth of target.
The Raiders will be undermanned against an improving Kansas City Chiefs team this week, but they’ve conceded the eighth-most points to the position. The Chiefs are still just PFF’s 24th-highest-graded defense, though they’ve played much better in recent weeks. Kansas City has struggled to contain tight ends, ranking 22nd in touchdowns, 31st in passing YPA and 22nd in explosive pass percentage allowed. Moreau’s downfield usage aligns well with where the Chiefs have struggled.
Defense/Special Teams
Denver Broncos D/ST | 46% rostered
The Broncos defense is a talented unit worthy of starting pretty much every week, ranking eighth in scoring on the season. They head into a dreamy matchup against the Detroit Lions, who defeated the Minnesota Vikings and still allowed their D/ST to score a respectable six fantasy points and rank 13th in scoring for the week. Denver is way more talented on the defensive side of the ball and should be able to capitalize on a Lions team that ranks 31st in EPA per play.
New Orleans Saints D/ST | 45% rostered
The Saints are in the exact same spot as the Broncos on this slate. They’re a good defense that ranks 10th in scoring, and they have a brilliant matchup with the Jets next up. The Jets have played better in recent weeks, scoring 21 and 18 points, but they’re very mistake-prone. It’s hard for defenses to not take advantage of an offense that ranks 24th in sacks and 30th in pressures allowed and leads the NFL by a country mile in interceptions thrown.
Seattle Seahawks D/ST | 13% rostered
Streaming the D/ST23 is a risky proposition, but the Seahawks — like the two teams above — have an awesome matchup in Week 14. Seattle gets the pleasure of sharing the field with a Texans offense missing starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The Seahawks haven’t created interceptions or sacks at a high rate, but the Texans are PFF’s lowest-graded offense this season. No team has a lower EPA per play on offense, and the Texans also rank just 31st in offensive scoring (touchdowns plus field goals).
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