Week 14 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: Final Review of Most Difficult Fantasy Matchups

Fantasy football owners who are contending for a championship must juggle tough matchup calls that will impact first-round playoff showdowns. Some situations are too sweet to ignore, but the safer, the better with everything on the line.

All eight discussed players will pack up their bags and hit the open road. After all, escaping the familiar, habit-forming safety net of home opens the untapped path to enlightenment through fulfilling exploration. 

OK, fine, it was just a coincidence. Happy?

Some players will strive in unaccustomed terrain, but others are welcomed by daunting matchups amid a cloud of uncertainty. Given the grand stakes, managers can't afford to take such steep risks during the playoffs.

Away from home, these guys will determine whether your fantasy squad wins or goes home this weekend. Well, you're home either way, but you get the idea.

Start: Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks (at Philadelphia)

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He doesn't tout elite passing numbers, but Russell Wilson's propensity to wreak havoc with his legs makes him a fantasy starter to etch in all starting lineups.

Since the Seattle Seahawks traded Percy Harvin before Week 6, the quarterback has had to display some more creativity moving the ball. He's averaging 65.4 rushing yards in seven ensuing games, which prorates to 1,046 over a full season.

Rank	Player	Rush YDs	Rush TDs
1	Russell Wilson	679	4
2	Colin Kaepernick	353	0
3	Cam Newton	342	2
4	Blake Bortles	296	0
5	Ryan Tannehill	289	1

He has outgained Andre Ellington, Steven Jackson, Giovani Bernard and all but 14 rushers on the ground. He won't break the bank with a limited assortment of receiving weapons, but he avoids negative plays with just five turnovers.

The Philadelphia Eagles proved they're no pushover against Tony Romo on Thanksgiving. Behind that No. 26 passing defense lies an NFL-best 57.5 opposing completion percentage. They're also one of six teams to surrender more than 200 rushing yards to quarterbacks, contributing to their fourth-worst resistance against the position in terms of ESPN.com fantasy points.

Outside the obvious superstars, Wilson tops the second tier of starting options in a pivotal NFC clash.

Sit: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (at Cincinnati)

This is not a good matchup for Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He'll face his AFC North foe, the Cincinnati Bengals, for the first of two December meetings, and few defenses fare better against the pass.

Cincinnati rates No. 14 in passing yards allowed, but it's a top-five unit in terms of opposing completion percentage, yards per attempt and quarterback rating.

In a losing effort to the New Orleans Saints, he soared as a garbage-time hero, compiling 435 yards and two late scores to Antonio Brown on 58 attempts. That came against the No. 27 passing defense, which also picked him off twice.

He also hit his hand on Curtis Lofton's wrist pad, but he insisted to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette that he's fine.

“There is absolutely nothing wrong with my wrist,” Roethlisberger said. 

Calling him a "sit" was not easy. This is a quarterback with 3,705 passing yards and 26 touchdowns this year. When in doubt, roll with the established players, as it'll hurt much more if Mark Sanchez ends your season.

Yet take out Roethlisberger's two six-touchdown outbursts, and he has not delivered top production. Yahoo Sports' Scott Pianowski tracked his erratic positional standing by the week:

Cincinnati's vulnerable run defense also gives Pittsburgh a window to run Le'Veon Bell often, so Roethlisberger is at best a low-end starting quarterback this weekend.

Start: Jonathan Stewart, RB, Carolina Panthers (at New Orleans)

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Every year, someone awakes from a yearlong slumber to shift some playoff bouts. Last week, Jonathan Stewart auditioned to become this season's playoff star.

In 14 touches, he recorded 110 total yards against the Minnesota Vikings. The 27-year-old has received sporadic carries for the Carolina Panthers, but that could change in December.

Paving his path to more opportunities, Carolina's Twitter page confirmed running mate De'Angelo Williams won't suit up this Sunday due to a broken hand:

It's perfect timing for Stewart's fantasy appeal, as New Orleans allows 4.6 yards per carry. Over the past two weeks, Justin Forsett and Le'Veon Bell scorched the Saints for 444 combined total yards.

While Stewart hasn't done much all year, he is quietly averaging a solid 4.3 yards per run, his highest clip since 2011. Albeit a risky plot, he makes an intriguing flex play or low-end No. 2 back.

Sit: Doug Martin, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Detroit)

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Nope, not buying it. Don't fall into the Doug Martin trap again.

Anytime the Tampa Bay rusher pops up, fantasy gamers flash back to his breakout rookie season and hold out hope for an encore. Now he's averaging 2.9 yards per carry.

But wait, he received a season-high 18 carries last week while scoring his first touchdown since September. Maybe he's the fantasy back to rise from the dead at an opportune time.

Not this week. Not against the Lions, the proud owners of the NFL's premier rushing defense. They yield a minuscule 65.9 yards per game on the ground, amounting to a 3.1 average per run. So Martin can achieve his first 100-yard game this season, but only if he's given 33 handoffs.

He got a heavier workload than usual against a mediocre Cincinnati rushing defense. Against a brutal Lions' front seven, he'll revert to another meager 10-carry, 30-yard day.

Start: Stedman Bailey, WR, St. Louis Rams (at Washington)

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Stedman Bailey is now looking like a steady No. 3 wide receiver to use at Washington this weekend.

He has blossomed into Shaun Hill's top target, tallying 12 receptions, 189 yards and a score through the last pair of games. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer spoke to ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner about the 24-year-old's progress:

"

I think he’s real comfortable now, coming back. Dialed in on the system. Doesn’t surprise us, the catches that he makes, he makes those all the time out here. Got terrific body control, really good feet and those catches for him are kind of ... they’re just easy for him to make. Add him to the mix of the guys that we’ve got and try to spread people around and move the ball to different people.

"

Washington has allowed an NFL-worst 8.2 yards per pass attempt, and opposing wideouts wield 14.3 yards per catch. As Bailey evolved into a larger role, Kenny Britt faded into the distance with one target during the St. Louis Rams' 52-0 massacre over the Oakland Raiders.

Bailey is comfortably the top receiver on a team with a great matchup. Look for him to keep rolling on Sunday.
 

Sit: Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons (at Green Bay)

Your team enters Monday night down four points. The other side is done for the weekend, so you're cautiously confident Roddy White will produce the necessary points to overcome that slight deficit.

Then he's ruled out, and you're forced to pray for a lesser Plan B to save the deal. Does this sound like an ideal scenario? 

As of Saturday, the veteran wideout's status remains uncertain for Monday night's clash with the Green Bay Packers. Per the Atlanta Falcons' Twitter page, he is officially listed as questionable:

If Atlanta gives a positive prognosis on Sunday morning, play him. Following a rough start, he has collected 37 catches and 409 yards in his past five games. Benching him is no knock on White but simply an unwillingness to play the waiting game.

For those sticking by White's side, be sure to own Harry Douglas or Davante Adams as a backup plan. With White out, Douglas would get targets in a high-scoring game, and Adams is a high-upside lottery play.

Starting either isn't the end of the world, but chances are a better alternative exists on Sunday. Finding a better No. 3 wideout (Bailey, Kenny Stills, Jarvis Landry, Rueben Randle) is far from an impossible task.

Start: Travis Kelce, TE, Kansas City Chiefs (at Arizona)

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Travis Kelce is capable of so much more than this.

While the second-year pro is averaging 13.1 yards per catch, he has been provided a mere 57 targets this season. Over the past four games, he has notched only a dozen catches in 15 looks, claiming 159 yards while Anthony Fasano poached two touchdowns.

So why is it so hard to break up with Kelce? He's 6'5" and 260 pounds with incredible size and strength. Given more usage, he could invade the top tier of fantasy tight ends.

John Paulsen of 4for4football speaks for Kelce owners across the globe:

Before giving up, take a look at this weekend's matchup. The Arizona Cardinals rank No. 26 in passing defense, and no team relies less on wide receivers than the Kansas City Chiefs. Arizona's No. 6 rushing defense should also pressure Andy Reid into opening up the aerial game.

As for Fasano stealing the touchdowns, he has scored twice on three targets, which is hardly a sustainable blueprint. This is the perfect game for Reid to unleash Kelce to the delight of fantasy owners everywhere.

Sit: Tim Wright, TE, New England Patriots (at San Diego)

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For those who are fine with rolling the dice on a tight end in hopes of landing on six, go ahead. Tim Wright has scored six touchdowns for the New England Patriots over an eight-game stretch. How many other guys can match that end-zone production?

While his ceiling is a touchdown and solid yardage, his floor is literally nothing. He has gone four games without a single grab, and that's not including a one-yard game and two-yard day. (Both were touchdowns.)

After scoring twice in Week 12, he responded with one 12-yard reception against the Packers. And no, that catch did not take place in the end zone. That's the game anyone must play with Wright on a weekly basis. Will he score, or will he deliver absolutely nothing?

Don't take a chance on Wright cataloging a zero this weekend.