Fantasy Football: 20 Fun Facts to Consider When Crafting Week 14 Lineups

Jay Clemons

Jun 7, 2018

Here are 20 fun facts involving some of the NFL's biggest stars leading up to Week 14—the first playoff weekend on the universal fantasy calendar.

Hopefully, these numbers-based revelations will help bring clarity to your lineup dilemmas.

To view my smartphone-friendly cheat sheet for this weekend, click here.

1. In his last seven games against divisional foes, Marshawn Lynch boasts stellar averages of 114.6 total yards and 0.6 touchdowns. On the flip side, Lynch has never crossed the 100-yard threshold in six career meetings with the Cardinals (including one with the Bills in 2008).

2. I like Victor Cruz's chances for 115 yards and/or one touchdown on Sunday. He's averaging six catches, 87 yards and one TD at home this season...and against the Saints last year, he rolled for nine catches, 157 yards and two scores.

3. Adrian Peterson, currently riding a six-game streak of 100-plus rushing yards, has averaged 107.4 total yards and one touchdown in his last seven meetings with the Bears (2008-12).

4. A.J. Green's nine-game streak of at least one touchdown (Weeks 2-11) may have masked some fantasy shortcomings for the stretch run. In six home outings, he's averaging only 5.7 catches, 71 yards and 0.8 touchdowns. (Good, but hardly elite tallies.)

5. Aaron Rodgers (3,124 yards passing, 29 TD) has averaged only 219 yards passing and two touchdowns at Lambeau this season—a middling line that directly clashes with his four-TD home outings against New Orleans (Week 4) and Arizona (Week 9).

6. From any angle, Jamaal Charles is a statistical marvel heading into the weekend: In his previous four games against AFC North foes, he averaged 119 total yards and 0.5 touchdowns. And on the road this season, he's averaging 105 yards and 0.5 TDs.

7. In his last seven outings against the Panthers, Tony Gonzalez (73 catches, 770 yards, seven TDs) has middling averages of 5.4 catches, 54 yards and 0.4 touchdowns.

8. For what it's worth, Vincent Jackson (50 catches, 1,014 yards, seven TDs) has only one career catch against the Eagles (November 2009).

9. Trent Richardson (1,166 total yards, eight TDs) has notched 110 total yards and/or one touchdown in his last five games. In that span, he's also averaging 124.3 total yards and 0.6 TDs.

10. For his recent homestand against the Browns, Redskins and Eagles, Dez Bryant totaled 26 catches, 388 yards and five touchdowns. For his six road tilts this season, Bryant has just 26 receptions, 313 yards and three touchdowns.

11. We have the ultimate good news/bad news proposition involving Stevan Ridley: The Patriots back has scored a touchdown in five straight outings...but he doesn't have one catch or receiving yard in that span.

12. Ryan Fitzpatrick has a bad news/good news track record at home this season. He's averaging only 207 yards passing...but 2.4 touchdowns per contest.

13. Donnie Avery may have torched the Lions for two touchdowns last week, including the game-winner with no time on the clock. But T.Y. Hilton (39 catches, 588 yards, six TDs) was the only Indy wideout to post 100 yards vs. Detroit. Since Week 9, Hilton has two outings of double-digit targets, three games of 100 yards and four TDs.

14. Brandon Marshall has racked up 17 targets twice this season—against the Jaguars in Week 5 (12 catches, 144 yards, one TD) and Vikings two weeks ago (12 catches, 92 yards).

15. For the Redskins' three-game winning streak, Alfred Morris has 320 total yards and one touchdown. And at home this season, the rookie rusher boasts rock-solid averages of 92 total yards and 0.3 TDs.

16. Since Week 8, Anquan Boldin ranks among the top 10 wideouts in targets (44). On the flip side, the Ravens receiver hasn't scored a road touchdown since Week 7 of last year (at Jacksonville).

17. Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (59 catches, 654 yards, eight TDs) gets a free pass for last week's bland outing against the Falcons. In his previous six road games (before the Atlanta trip), Graham tallied six touchdowns.

18. For the Brent Celek loyalists (a brave bunch), your moment of fantasy reckoning may be here: Celek (50 catches, 601 yards, one TD) has endured nine long weeks without a touchdown (he's overdue)...and the Bucs have surrendered 309 yards passing per game since Week 8.

19. Of his last four outings against AFC East foes, Andre Johnson has racked up either 110 yards receiving or one touchdown three times. (The lone clunker came against the Jets nine weeks ago.)

And finally...

20. Check out Michael Turner's absurd history against the Panthers:

In his last eight games against Carolina (dating back to 2008), Turner has amazing averages of 115.4 total yards and 1.5 touchdowns.

This is not the calling card of a rolling-pin back who's ready for a diminished fantasy role during the playoffs.