Start 'Em, Sit 'Em Week 14: Choosing Top Fantasy Football Locks and Flops

It looks like the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tough spot this week as they go to Cincinnati to battle the first-place Bengals.

A look at the conference standings shows that Marvin Lewis' team is technically in the No. 1 spot in the AFC with four weeks to go.

On first glance, you have to figure that a December game in Cincinnati will be a low-scoring affair.

Get that thought out of your head immediately. This is a game that may be set up for the Steelers to win thanks to their high-powered offense.

The Steelers almost always win in Cincinnati. They have won 12 of their last 14 trips to the Queen City, and it's a home away from home for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers.

Roethlisberger should be ready for a huge game. He led the Steelers to a 45-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13, and while he has battled injuries this year, he has the Pittsburgh offense humming.

Roethlisberger leads the fifth-ranked passing offense in the league, and he is averaging 328.2 passing yards per game. Roethlisberger has thrown 15 TD passes in eight games, and he should throw at least two in this game.

The Bengals pass defense is respectable (12th in passing yards allowed), but they don't have anyone who can stay with superstar wideout Antonio Brown. 

Roethlisberger needs to be in your fantasy lineup.

Position	Player	Team	Opponent	Lock/Flop
QB	Ben Roethlisberger	Pittsburgh	Cincinnati	Lock
QB	Kirk Cousins	Washington	Chicago	Flop
QB	Cam Newton	Carolina	Atlanta	Lock
RB	Thomas Rawls	Seattle	Baltimore	Lock
RB	Todd Gurley	St. Louis	Detroit	Flop
RB	Matt Forte	Chicago	Washington	Lock
WR	DeAndre Hopkins	Houston	New England	Lock
WR	Calvin Johnson	Detroit	St. Louis	Flop
WR	Allen Robinson	Jacksonville	Indianapolis	Lock
TE	Richard Rodgers	Green Bay	Dallas	Lock
TE	Crockett Gillmore	Baltimore	Seattle	Flop

Fantasy Locks

RB Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are rounding into form at the proper time of the year. While the Seahawks played indifferent football for the first half of the season, they are coming on with a purpose as the season nears the home stretch. Seattle has won three games in a row.

It's no surprise that the Seahawks have the No. 1 ranked running game in the league. They have been at or near the top in recent seasons. But the presence of Thomas Rawls as their leading rusher is a surprise. 

Marshawn Lynch has been injured throughout the year, and Rawls has answered the call whether it has been on a short-term or long-term basis. Right now, it's a long-term insertion in the starting lineup, and he should have an opportunity to rush for 100 yards and a touchdown against the Baltimore Ravens, who rank 10th against the run.

While that's not bad, it's not good enough to slow down Rawls, who has rushed for 786 yards and is averaging 5.6 yards per carry. Rawls had 101 rushing yards and a touchdown on the road against Minnesota last week, and he should be in top form against the Ravens.

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WR DeAndre Hopkins, Houston

There may be some hesitation in fantasy circles about going with DeAndre Hopkins as the up-and-down Texans host the New England Patriots this week.

The Patriots are sure to come up with a big effort after dropping two straight games, as Bill Belichick's team does not lose three games in a row. That may well be the case, but it doesn't mean that New England's secondary is going to stop Hopkins.

Nobody stops Hopkins, and while the Patriots may have the will to shut down or limit this stud receiver, but they don't have the talent on the back end to do it. New England ranks 14th in passing yards allowed, and that means the Pats are quite mediocre against the pass.

Hopkins has been targeted 145 times this year, and he has built an excellent rapport with quarterback Brian Hoyer. Hopkins has caught 86 passes for 1,169 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and he's not going to slow down here.

He should have at least 100 more receiving yards and get into the end zone once. He should be a lock in your fantasy lineup.

TE Richard Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

It was just one play, but it may turn out to be the one that turns the Packers' season around in the right direction.

Richard Rodgers was on the receiving end of Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary pass in Week 13 against the Detroit Lions that allowed the Packers to pull an "L" off the scoreboard and replace it with a big, fat "W."

The Packers head into Week 14 with an 8-4 record and a half-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings (who lost Thursday night) in the NFC North.

Rodgers loves his tight end with the same last name, and he knew he could make key catches before he came down with the game-winner in the end zone.

Rodgers has caught 48 of the 61 passes that he has been targeted with, and he has 439 receiving yards and six TDs. Look for him to score at least one more TD as the Packers host the Dallas Cowboys, and the team may give him another chance to make a big play by asking him to go deep.

Make sure Richard Rodgers is in your fantasy lineup Sunday.

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Fantasy Flops

QB Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins

The Redskins blew a huge opportunity in Week 13 when they lost at home to the Dallas Cowboys. A win would have given them a one-game lead over the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. Instead, they are tied with those two teams, and while the Redskins have the tiebreaker edge at the moment, the lead is tenuous.

Now they go back on the road, where the team has not won a game this season. They Chicago Bears will be in a nasty mood after blowing a home game to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13.

The Bears have the second-ranked pass defense in the league, and they could make it very tough on Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins. The Washington quarterback has thrown for 3,006 yards and has a 17-10 TD-to-interception ratio, but all of his best games have come at home.

Keep Cousins on your fantasy bench this week.

RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams

Todd Gurley was one of the top stories in the league at midseason. He rattled off four straight games with 128 yards or more, and it appeared he would be the game's next big star.

He may indeed get to that level, but Gurley is learning that finding consistency in the NFL is anything but easy. He has now had five straight games where he has not come close to the 100-yard mark, and he is coming off a 19-yard rushing performance in Week 12 and a 60-yard showing in Week 13.

The Rams offense is stuck in the mud, and it's doubtful they will get it going this week against the Detroit Lions. Stopping Gurley will be their top priority because the Rams passing game is ranked 31st in the league.

Until the Rams can come up with a credible passing game, Gurley will have problems. Do not put the running back in your fantasy lineup.

Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

If the Lions are going to hold the Rams' stud running back in check, then St. Louis is likely to do the same with the Lions' star receiver, Calvin Johnson.

The Rams are tired of getting embarrassed, and while their offense is not likely to pick it up, the defense is capable of a strong game at home.

That means holding the Detroit passing game in check. The Rams rank 11th against the pass, and their secondary includes cornerback Trumaine Johnson, who has four interceptions and 15 passes defensed.

Johnson has caught 70 passes for 965 yards and seven touchdowns this season, but he caught just three passes for 44 yards against Green Bay last week and is less than 100 percent with an ankle injury.

This will not be Johnson's week to star, so keep him on your bench.