So you come to this article and you’re like “Steve, I need some values in Week 14.” I say, “Well, they employ me to write this, so sure, I’ll give you a few.” So let’s take a look at what Week 14 will bring to help save you some salary. It’s the holidays, ya know? We’re not all rich.
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QUARTERBACK
($6,000 and under)
Taysom Hill, New Orleans Saints at New York Jets, $5,600 – So listen, I’m not a big Hill fan at all. From a fantasy perspective, the guy is a pain in the ass because of how often Sean Payton uses him. However, when he’s the solidified QB, I can get down with that. While he wasn’t overly accurate in his start against the Cowboys (19/41, 46.3% completion), he made up for it by rushing for 101 yards on 11 attempts. That type of upside makes him viable at just $5,600.
One of the big issues in that game was the constant pressure Hill was under. He was feeling the heat on 42.6% of his dropbacks, which saw him average, wait for it, 0.9 yards per pass attempt. Yup. Not even a yard per attempt. THAT SAID, with a clean pocket, he was 17/26 for 251 yards with an adjusted completion percentage of 79.2%. He’s not going to feel much pressure from the Jets so he’ll have a clean pocket to work with. This should be a much cleaner game for Hill but the ownership is going to follow him.
RUNNING BACK
($5,000 and under)
Ameer Abdullah, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons, $4,800 – The Panthers are still trying to figure out who should be the RB1 in this offense now that Christian McCaffrey is done. One would think it would be Chuba Hubbard ($5,900) but that may not be the case after all. After McCaffrey was hurt in Week 12 against the Dolphins, Hubbard played on just 18.9% of the snaps while Abdullah logged 51%. When McCaffrey returned in Week 9, Hubbard averaged just 13% of the snaps while Abdullah was at 26% during the three weeks he was healthy.
Neither Hubbard or Abdullah has made much noise lately but if Abdullah is indeed the RB1 in this offense, which is how it’s trending, he could be a tremendous value at $4,800. The Panthers are -2.5 home favorites against a Falcons team allowing an average of 26.5 DKFP (T-7th) with an average of 93 rushing yards, 49 receiving yards and 12 total touchdowns to the position. Abdullah was second on the team in target share last week with 19.4%, trailing only DJ Moore ($6,200) who had 32.3%. This could be a sneak spot for Abdullah and he won’t break the bank.
WIDE RECEIVER
($5,000 and under)
Jalen Guyton, Los Angeles Chargers vs. New York Giants, $3,400 – This play has everything to do with the status of Keenan Allen ($7,600) and Mike Williams ($6,000). Both players are on the COVID-19 list as of Friday morning and their status for Sunday are very much up in the air. If one or both are out, Guyton will step into a prominent role. When things are normal, Guyton struggles to crack more than a single-digit target share on the week. When he does get the ball though, he can get down the field, evidenced by his 16.1 YPR on 18 catches. The Giants secondary (and whole team quite frankly) struggle in the secondary, allowing an average of 37.1 DKFP, 153 receiving yards and 11 YPR to opposing receivers.
Laquon Treadwell, Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans, $3,400 – If you want to stay away from what will be a chalky Chargers receiver, Treadwell should see very little ownership. I don’t think anyone sets their lineup Sunday morning EXCITED to play a Jaguar but to Treadwell’s credit, he’s getting some looks lately. Averaging 83% of the snaps over the last three weeks, Treadwell has seen a total of 16 targets, which he’s turned into nine catches for 126 yards (14 YPR). Now he gets one of the worst secondaries in the league in a game they’ll be playing behind in. He should be a solid pivot at this position.
TIGHT END
($4,000 and under)
Austin Hooper, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens, $3,400 – The tight end position is a great spot to pay down in Week 14. Quite frankly, they have a number of values to consider like Gerald Everett ($3,500), Evan Engram ($3,500) and Nick Vanntt ($3,100). I’m rolling with Hooper in a good matchup against the Ravens, who have been one of the worst against this position. They’ve allowed an average of 16.6 DKFP, 67.5 receiving yards, seven touchdowns and 7.4 YPT. While Hooper’s production is inconsistent, he leads the position in snaps (69.6%), target share (13.1%) and most importantly, red zone targets (24.3%). This mid-$3K range is the way to go at tight end this week.
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
($2,800 and under)
Panthers DST, Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons, $2,800 – The Panthers check in exactly at the $2,800 mark to consider this a value. I love using them against the Falcons and Matt Ryan ($5,300). He’s been sacked 26 times this season, which is an average of 2.1 per game. The Panthers come into this game having at least two sacks in six straight games, including four against the Cardinals in Week 10. Ryan has faced a ton of pressure this season and the Panthers pass rush is above average. At this price tag, this has to be considered one of the top values.
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