Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 14: Final Review Before 'Thursday Night Football'

Fantasy football owners have to turn around quicker than the recent surge by the Seattle Seahawks to stand a chance this late in the season. 

Thursday Night Football, as it has all season, requires owners to take no days off when it comes to researching lineups. Especially this week, though, as Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings square off with Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals in a game that is sure to provide fantasy fireworks. 

In an effort to help owners make the best possible decisions on short notice, here's a look at value comparisons in table form and start-sit questions that are sure to come up.

QB   

Matchup	Verdict
Tom Brady (at HOU) vs. Russell Wilson (at BAL)	Tom Brady
Cam Newton (vs. ATL) vs. Andy Dalton (vs. PIT)	Cam Newton
Carson Palmer (vs. MIN) vs. Philip Rivers (at KC)	Carson Palmer
Aaron Rodgers (vs. DAL) vs. Blake Bortles (vs. IND)	Aaron Rodgers
Eli Manning (at MIA) vs. Drew Brees (at TB)	Drew Brees

Start: Tyrod Taylor, Buffalo Bills (at PHI)

Gary Wiepert/Associated Press

Sometimes starting a quarterback on the road in Philadelphia in the cold doesn't sound like the best idea.  

This isn't one of those times. 

For some borderline inexplicable reason, Tyrod Taylor of the Buffalo Bills sits with an ownership percentage of 54.3—odd considering that over his last two games he posted 25 points or better. 

It's reasonable to expect more of the same when Taylor visits the Philadelphia Eagles, a team allowing the third-most points to quarterbacks. The unit has allowed its last three sets of quarterbacks encountered to total 29 or more points, so Taylor's in for another huge day.

Sit: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (at CAR)

Stick a fork in Matt Ryan.  

The Atlanta Falcons quarterback looks unreliable at best, having scored just nine and 12 points in his last two outings while tossing two touchdowns to three interceptions. 

Ryan's production just isn't there this season despite strong running from Devonta Freeman. Now he has to deal with the Carolina Panthers and a Luke Kuechly-led defense surrendering the fourth-fewest points to quarterbacks. 

Five sets of opposing quarterbacks have failed to even break 10 points against the Panthers. Ryan might, but that's not the strongest vote of confidence, is it?

RB 

Matchup	Verdict
Devonta Freeman (at CAR) vs. Chris Ivory (vs. TEN)	Devonta Freeman
Adrian Peterson (at ARI) vs. Lamar Miller (vs. NYG)	Lamar Miller
Doug Martin (vs. NO) vs. Todd Gurley (vs. DET)	Todd Gurley
DeMarco Murray (vs. BUF) vs. Matt Forte (vs. WAS)	Matt Forte

Start: Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. NO)

Brian Blanco/Associated Press

Owners might hesitate with Doug Martin of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers despite the fact he's fantasy's third-highest scorer at the position this year.  

Martin has had an off couple of weeks, scoring nine and 13 points his last two times out. 

Still, the good far outweighs the bad as Martin heads into a divisional showdown with the New Orleans Saints. The best description fitting the Saints would be the word "mess," as the unit allows the third-most points to backs. 

Martin only totaled seven points against the Saints in Week 2, but New Orleans has done nothing short of deteriorate as the season wears on, having allowed 41, 19 and 26 points to backs over its last three outings.

Sit: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. PIT)

Now for the opposite.  

Owners might be high on Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill for the first time this year. For good reason, too, considering the Bengals have shown a new commitment to the run in recent weeks and Hill has outings of 16, nine and 15 points to show for it. 

Just don't expect similar production against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a bitter rivalry matchup. Pittsburgh allows the second-fewest points to backs and held Cincinnati rushers to nine total points in Week 8. 

Not only is Pittsburgh strong against the run, opposing offenses love to sling it on a miserable secondary. Hill will continue to have a big season down the stretch, but not in this particular matchup.

WR 

Matchup	Verdict
Julio Jones (at CAR) vs. Brandon Marshall (vs. TEN)	Julio Jones
DeAndre Hopkins (vs. NE) vs. Allen Robinson (vs. IND)	DeAndre Hopkins
Odell Beckham Jr. (at MIA) vs. Jarvis Landry (vs. NYG)	Odell Beckham Jr.
Antonio Brown (at CIN) vs. Larry Fitzgerald (vs. MIN)	Larry Fitzgerald
Calvin Johnson (at STL) vs. A.J. Green (vs. PIT)	A.J. Green

Start: Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins (vs. NYG)

Matt Rourke/Associated Press/Associated Press

Miami Dolphins wideout Jarvis Landry defined the word "bust" last week. 

After a 22-point outburst and quite the favorable matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, Landry posted all of zero points, likely killing any lineup that had him, which should have been all of them. 

There's no reason to go away from Landry, though. He's still the team's No. 1 receiver, and even in a miserable game-flow situation, Landry tied for the team high with five targets. 

A target hog in the utmost sense, Landry now goes against a New York Giants team that last week allowed 32 to points to opposing wideouts and has allowed 20 or more points seven times, with a high of 57.

Sit: Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders (at DEN)

Oakland Raiders wideout Amari Cooper has done the opposite of what most would expect from a rookie.  

Instead of improving as the season has gone on, Cooper posted four double-digit outings through Week 8, but has just two since. 

The reason doesn't really matter. Over his last three games, Cooper has zero, 11 and six points, respectively. Now he heads into a nightmare matchup against the Denver Broncos, a team allowing the fewest points to wideouts and held Cooper to just four points back in Week 5 during his strong stretch. 

Just five entire wideout corps. have scored 10 or more points against the Broncos. Cooper won't do it on his own.

TE 

Matchup	Verdict
Tyler Eifert (vs. PIT) vs. Gary Barnidge (vs. SF)	Tyler Eifert
Greg Olsen (vs. ATL) vs. Delanie Walker (at NYJ)	Greg Olsen
Travis Kelce (vs. SD) vs. Jordan Reed (at CHI)	Jordan Reed
Benjamin Watson (at TB) vs. Antonio Gates (at KC)	Benjamin Watson

Start: Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints (at TB)

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

Despite not hitting double digits until Week 6, Benjamin Watson ranks among the top 10 scorers at tight end thanks to New Orleans' high-flying ways.  

Watson has four catches in each of his past two outings, last week being the most impressive as he went for nine points thanks to a touchdown against a tough Carolina defense. 

One of Drew Brees' favorite targets once again looks like a smooth play thanks to a contest against the Buccaneers. It figures to be a high-scoring affair against a defense that has let up six or more catches to tight ends three of its last four times out. 

Tampa Bay doesn't surrender a ton of touchdowns to the position, but that could change with Brees and Watson in town.

Sit: Charles Clay, Buffalo Bills (at PHI)

Charles Clay gave owners everywhere a positive sign last weekend by reaching double digits for the first time since Week 4, breaking a seven-game skid with six or fewer points. 

Owners would be wise to consider it an anomaly, though. 

Clay just isn't a reliable option in a run-first attack with LeSean McCoy, a mobile quarterback like Taylor and a top wideout such as Sammy Watkins. Now sprinkle in the fact he gets the Philadelphia Eagles this week, a team allowing the second-fewest points to the position with just three touchdowns allowed. 

A touchdown-reliant producer, owners will want to steer clear of Clay this week.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN standard leagues, as is points-against info and ownership stats as of December 9. Statistics courtesy of ESPN.