Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

Yahoo DFS Football: Week 14 Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Football series.

We'll return to the usual format for Week 14, which features 14 games scheduled for the Sunday main slate beginning at 1:00 PM Eastern time. Additionally, the Cowboys and Bears will face off on Thursday Night Football, while the Giants and Eagles play Monday. While there's no shortage of enticing options with bye weeks in the rear view mirror, a couple of Packers stars and two prominent running backs facing vulnerable defenses stand out as players to target.

TOURNAMENTS (GPP – GUARANTEED PRIZE POOL)

QB: Devlin Hodges, PIT at ARI ($24): Hodges has assumed the starting job in Pittsburgh, and his fearless approach in last week's win over the Browns should work even better for the affordable rookie against the league's worst pass defense. Arizona gives up the most passing yards in the league, and that number has climbed to 307.5 per game following last week's 424-yard performance from the previously struggling Jared Goff. Hodges is primed to capitalize on this favorable matchup while leaving owners room to spend big at other positions.

RB: Todd Gurley, LAR vs. SEA ($20) Gurley scored two touchdowns in the first meeting between these teams this season, and he has found the end zone in all but one home game. At just $20, the value is too good to pass up, especially with Goff finding his game under center last week. Seattle's defense will need to respect the pass more, freeing up running lanes for Gurley to exploit. 

WR: Zach Pascal, IND at TB ($16): Pascal will continue to serve as the Colts' No. 1 wide receiver if T.Y. Hilton (calf) sits out. Coming off a career-high 109-yard performance, Pascal gets a golden opportunity to build on that effort against a Buccaneers defense that's allowing 281.8 passing yards per game -- second most in the league. If the $25 Hilton returns, he would make for a terrific against-the-grain play in this favorable matchup himself.

Other Against-the-Grainers

QB: Lamar Jackson (BAL, $38), Tom Brady (NE, $29)

RB: Derrius Guice (WAS, $19), Leonard Fournette (JAX, $29), Jamaal Williams (GB, $18)

WR: Jamison Crowder (NYJ, $17), Michael Thomas (NO, $35), Adam Thielen (MIN, $30)

TE: Mark Andrews (BAL, $20), O.J. Howard (TB, $10)

DST: Los Angeles Rams (vs. SEA, $17), Indianapolis Colts (at TB, $14)

CASH GAMES (H2H, 50/50s and DOUBLE UPS)

QUARTERBACK

Aaron Rodgers, GB vs. WAS ($31): While the more expensive quarterbacks on this slate have difficult matchups, Rodgers should thrive at home against a 3-9 Washington team that's giving up 24.2 points per game. Don't be scared by consecutive wins in the past two games for the visitors -- if anything, that should just help them hang around long enough to give Rodgers more passing volume. The quarterback's clunkers this season have come on the road, as he's averaging a robust 301.8 passing yards per game to go with a 12:2 TD:INT and a rushing touchdown in six games at Lambeau Field.

RUNNING BACK

Devonta Freeman, ATL vs. CAR ($20): Freeman should exploit a Panthers defense that just allowed 248 yards and three touchdowns on the ground to Washington. Atlanta will be fresh, having last played on Thanksgiving, and the matchup is too good to pass up for the team's affordable feature back, who logged 21 touches in his return after missing two weeks due to a foot injury. After last week's dreadful performance, Carolina now owns the league's fourth-worst run defense with 137.5 yards allowed per game.

Nick Chubb, CLE vs. CIN ($29): Even with Kareem Hunt in the fold, Chubb is Cleveland's go-to option on the ground, having logged at least 16 rushing attempts in every game this season and 20-plus in eight of the past 10 games. Chubb has earned that heavy workload with 4.9 yards per carry and seven rushing touchdowns this season, so he should carve up a league-worst Bengals run defense that's allowing 157.6 yards per game.

WIDE RECEIVER

Davante Adams, GB vs. WAS ($27): Adams has stormed back into the elite tier at the wide receiver position, with three touchdowns in the past two games and 37 catches in his last five games played. Washington isn't likely to slow Adams down, especially at rowdy Lambeau Field. If you're locking in Rodgers at quarterback, stacking his top receiver on top is a smart play.

D.J. Moore, CAR at ATL ($29): Moore has morphed into an elite receiver in the second half of his sophomore season, totaling 36 catches for 517 yards and three touchdowns over the past five games. The 26th-ranked Falcons secondary is unlikely to alter that trajectory, especially considering Moore managed eight catches for 95 yards in the Week 11 meeting between these teams, even as nothing else went right for Carolina in a 29-3 loss.

Tyler Boyd, CIN at CLE ($18): Boyd has come on of late, with five catches and a touchdown in each of the past two games, as well as 160 receiving yards over that span. With reliable quarterback Andy Dalton back under center as of last week, Boyd should outperform his $18 valuation against the rival Browns. This is the first meeting between these two teams this season and Boyd missed one of last year's games between the AFC North rivals due to injury, but he recorded seven catches for 85 yards and a touchdown in the all-Ohio affair he was healthy for in 2018.

TIGHT END

Kyle Rudolph, MIN vs. DET ($14): Rudolph is back to being the red-zone reindeer, with five touchdowns in his last four games and six scores in the last six. The affordable tight end is a major threat to score against a Lions defense that's allowing the third-most passing yards (280.1) and eighth-most points (26.3) per game.

DEFENSE

Tennessee Titans, TEN at OAK ($15): Sure, the Raiders play better at home, but it's hard to ignore that they're coming off a two-game road trip in which they were outscored 70-12 by the Jets and Chiefs. Meanwhile, the Titans defense is heating up as the team make a playoff push. Fourteen sacks, five interceptions, five fumble recoveries, four blocked kicks and two touchdowns add up to an average of 10.8 fantasy points over the past five weeks.

Honorable Mentions

QB: Kirk Cousins (MIN, $31), Matt Ryan (ATL, $32)

RB: Le'Veon Bell (NYJ, $28), Sony Michel (NE, $20), Derrick Henry (TEN, $35)

WR: DeVante Parker (MIA, $20), Calvin Ridley (ATL, $25), Courtland Sutton (DEN, $21)

TE: Vance McDonald (PIT, $16), Hunter Henry (LAC, $18)

DST: Cleveland Browns (vs. CIN, $15), Baltimore Ravens (at BUF, $19)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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