We’ve reached Week 14 of the 2017 NFL season. For some — i.e. the season-long leaguers who didn’t make the fantasy playoffs — this might be their first week of DFS for the year. Welcome!
To everyone else: Welcome back!
Here’s the list of players you can lock into your Week 14 DFS lineups for Sunday’s main slate.
Note: There’s always a case to be made for playing any player in tournaments. This list of “locks” is cash game focused, but I typically like these players across all contest types.
Quarterbacks
Carson Wentz, Philadelphia Eagles
Wentz is the most expensive quarterback on both sites, but he’s worth the price on an overall bad week for quarterbacks. Wentz has at least 20 DraftKings points in all but three games this year, and he has at least 15 points in all but one.
Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Dalton is too cheap. After giving up eight passing touchdowns over the first eight weeks combined, the Bears — Dalton’s Week 14 opponent — have given up six in their last four contests. Dalton has multiple touchdowns in six of his past seven games, with the one missing game being a contest against the so-far-historic Jags pass defense.
Blake Bortles, Jacksonville Jaguars
It won’t make you feel comfortable, but Bortles is way too cheap to ignore this week, particularly on DraftKings, where he’s only $5,000. Bortles is averaging 16.5 DraftKings PPG (over 3x value on his salary), including 18.7 PPG over his last seven games. And the Seahawks pass defense is no longer all that scary because of injuries.
Running backs
Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
Gordon draws the Redskins, who have given up the sixth-most fantasy PPG to opposing running backs this year. Gordon is guaranteed 20-25 touches in this red-hot Chargers offense. Gordon has also been on the wrong side of touchdown variance, with just one score on his past 88 touches. He’ll see positive regression in that category soon.
I love McCoy has a four-point home favorite against the Colts, who have given up the seventh-most fantasy PPG to opposing running backs this year, including a gaudy 12 total touchdowns against in as many games.
Forte is a good sneaky cheap option against the Broncos, who have given up some monster lines to opposing running backs in recent weeks, paving way to an unfathomable average of 33 PPR fantasy points against by opposing backfields in their past five contests.
Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Assuming he’s the starter again, you have to like Barber and the discount he provides. Barber should touch the ball 20-25 times, which is difficult to find for a player in his price range, and the Lions have given up the fourth-most fantasy PPG to opposing running backs, including at least one rushing score against in seven straight games and 100-plus yards against in four straight. The matchup is ripe and the price is right.
Wide receivers
Jones has produced 85 yards and/or a touchdown in six of his past seven games, which is the most cash-game-worthy stat you’ll ever read about a wideout. And this week he gets the Buccaneers, who have given up the most receptions, yards, and fantasy PPG to enemy receivers.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals
Fitzgerald is unstoppable at home, where he’s averaging a line of 8-90-0.66 this year. He should decimate Tennessee’s 23rd-ranked pass defense.
Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders
Amari Cooper still isn’t practicing, so Crabtree could be in line for a ton of volume against the Chiefs, who have given up the second-most fantasy PPG to opposing wideouts this year, including a monster 11-210-2 line to Cooper earlier in the year.
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants
With Eli Manning back under center, Shepard is just too cheap across the industry. Shepard is one of the safest bets in the entire league for at least five catches and 60 yards this week — as a baseline. It’s a great matchup against the Cowboys, who have given up the third-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this year, including multiple scores to opposing receiving corps in three straight games. Only the Houston Texans (Weeks 8-10) match that streak.
Tight ends
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Typically a lock regardless of matchup, Kelce is an obvious lock when the matchup is great. And it is this week, as the Chiefs take on the Raiders, who have given up the eighth-most fantasy PPG to tight ends this year. Kelce had 4-33-1 against them earlier in the year, and that would be considered a poor outing at this point.
Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks
Graham has become an every-week lock at this point due to his touchdown-scoring abilities. Graham has at least one score in seven of his last eighth contests, which is just unheard-of efficiency. He has double-digit DraftKings points every week since Week 3.
Witten crushing the Giants is not just a meme — it’s true. He crushed the Giants for a 7-59-1 line back in Week 1, and the Giants have been bleeding points to tight ends ever since, giving up the most fantasy PPG to the position on the year. Witten has at least five targets in three of his past four games.
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