Fantasy Football Week 14: Award Roundup for Busts and MVPs

Each week of fantasy football is defined by peerless performances, as the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson once again posted prolific fantasy numbers on his way to MVP honors among signal-callers. 

Did a certain star save your season with a big game? Or were you sunk by injuries and underwhelming production? The spectrum of outcomes each week offers insight into the wins and losses we endure and the season still ahead.

Please join us in discussing the biggest performances and busts from Week 14. As always, feel free to share your picks for fantasy MVPs and busts at each position.

Fantasy QB MVP: Russell Wilson Wins the Week

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The Seahawks' Russell Wilson has thrown for five touchdowns twice in his career, both in the last three weeks. All five scoring passes in Week 14 came from inside the pocket, based on game tape. Wilson has thrown at least three TD passes and completed at least 70 percent of his throws in four consecutive games. For his hot hand, Wilson is the QB MVP in fantasy football this week. 

After the game, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said, via ESPN, "Those guys protected all day." He continued, "Russell had the opportunity to sit back, and then he took full advantage of it and again had another big game throwing the football." 

We're also impressed with the Jacksonville Jaguars' Blake Bortles, who now has multiple touchdowns in eight of his past nine games after tossing three scores and rushing for one touchdown in a drubbing of the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14. Bortles has at least 22 fantasy points in three straight games and gets the reeling Atlanta Falcons at home and then the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome in Week 16. Sweet schedule, bro. 

The New York Jets' Ryan Fitzpatrick is 13th in fantasy points among quarterbacks in ESPN leagues for the season, while Bortles is impressively seventh. The Jets signal-caller has thrown for multiple scores in five of six games and has nine passing touchdowns over the past three outings. With productive wideouts, Fitzpatrick is a weekly starter in fantasy football. 

The Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton is pretty, pretty, pretty good in our best Larry David approximation. Newton is just 18 fantasy points behind Tom Brady for the most in ESPN leagues this season. A visit to the New York Giants is up next, and Newton is poised as the top fantasy QB going into Week 15. 

It was nice to see Drew Brees produce on the road, as he entered the game with a meager stat line away from home this season, but left Week 14 in Tampa Bay with 312 yards and two scores in an efficient outing. Brees gets two straight home games against the Detroit Lions next Monday night and the Jaguars in Week 16.

Fantasy QB Bust: Big Ben Proves Statistically Small in Week 14

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The implied point total was high and the team was poised to produce, but the Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger was held without a touchdown and threw a pick in what was still a rousing win for his team. However, it was a tough result for fantasy investors, as Roethlisberger is the biggest bust among signal-callers this week with just single-digit fantasy production in Week 14.

Next week could also prove difficult, as the Denver Broncos defense offers a real challenge to Big Ben and his elite passing weapons. 

Hopefully, not too many playoff teams were relying on the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan or the San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers in Week 14. Both were held scoreless, with Rivers at least having the excuse that he's lost his entire receiving depth chart to injury. Ryan, meanwhile, has just been bad throughout this season and is 19th in fantasy points among signal-callers in ESPN leagues at this point.

Fantasy Football's Top Tailback for Week 14: Todd Gurley Goes Wild

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The St. Louis Rams' Todd Gurley gained 64 yards after contact in Week 14, as we learned from the broadcast during the Rams' much-needed home win. For compiling two scores and 147 yards from scrimmage, Gurley is the MVP among tailbacks for Week 14.

A tough finishing schedule is ahead for the Rams rookie, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' improved front in Week 15 and then the Seattle Seahawks on the road in Week 16. If anyone can power through tough matchups, however, it's this rare rookie. 

The return of Eddie Lacy with a big box score was driven by 25 touches, an emboldening number for his investors in the coming weeks. We can actually trust the Green Bay Packers running game again, with James Starks earning flex appeal for a valuable receiving role and goal-line usage. 

The Pittsburgh Steelers' DeAngelo Williams has proved stellar in place of Le'Veon Bell this season, with the combination of the two backs proving to be the most valuable backfield in fantasy football. 

The Cleveland Browns' Isaiah Crowell enjoyed an awesome Week 14, but he remains merely a flex consideration given his hit-or-miss (mostly miss) production pattern. 

It was impressive to see Tim Hightower tote the ball 28 times, a sure sign he's the beneficiary of Mark Ingram's workload. C.J. Spiller continues to serve a side role for the New Orleans Saints. Hightower is suddenly a legit RB2 for Week 15 against the Detroit Lions.

Running Back Bust of the Week: Devonta Freeman with Another Dud

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The Atlanta Falcons' Devonta Freeman was bottled up by the Carolina Panthers' stout front seven in Week 14, leaving him as the week's fantasy bust after tallying just four fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues. Freeman remains a viable top fantasy back for the fantasy playoffs, but he might need to get it done via the air in Week 15, as the Jacksonville Jaguars allow the third-fewest yards per carry to backs this season. 

The San Francisco 49ers' Shaun Draughn wasn't used in the passing game nearly as often as in recent games, leaving him with a weak box score. Game script can often prove negative for the 49ers, thus removing their running game when they trail opponents. 

We knew the Philadelphia Eagles' DeMarco Murray wasn't going to be very helpful, but even Ryan Mathews was held to modest production despite 15 touches. The Eagles backfield is as easy to read as a teenager's texts at this point.

Wonderful Wideout: Doug Baldwin Does It Again for Seattle

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Three of Russell Wilson's five touchdown passes went to Doug Baldwin on Sunday. The Seattle Seahawks receiver now has a franchise-record three-game streak with multiple touchdown receptions. Over the last four games, Wilson has completed 77 percent of his passes to Baldwin at 12.7 yards per attempt with eight touchdowns. Baldwin is the clear MVP at the position thanks to the week's top fantasy score among wideouts. 

While teammate Tyler Lockett also produced a top-five fantasy day at the position, it's Baldwin we find as a sudden must-start with the Cleveland Browns coming to town in Week 15. 

The Carolina Panthers' Ted Ginn Jr. hauled in two catches in Week 14. Oh yeah, they went for 120 yards and two touchdowns. We can't rely on such big-play-dependent production from Ginn, but he's certainly in the flex tier going forward for his ceiling alone. 

The New York Jets' Brandon Marshall has 100 yards or a touchdown (and sometimes both!) in all but one game this season, and he had 67 yards in that one outlier outing. There is an argument to be made that Marshall is the top fantasy wideout this season.

Marshall trails the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown by 20 fantasy points on the season in ESPN leagues, but has produced at least 10 fantasy points in all but two outings this season. Such a high floor should be greatly valued.

Which wideout led you to glory in Week 14? 

Calvin Johnson Is a Megabust in St. Louis in Week 14

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Matthew Stafford had no passes thrown 20 yards downfield Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. We learned from the broadcast that Stafford did, however, attempt a career-high 14 screen passes. Such conservative deployment saw Calvin Johnson essentially removed from the game plan, held to a single catch on five targets. For such a no-show box score, Johnson is the bust at wideout this week. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Mike Evans also left managers hurting with just three hauls and 39 yards on four targets in a game that appeared perfect for massive numbers. It's clear Evans is a boom-or-bust WR2 at this stage, especially on an offense that prefers to trend run- and short-pass-heavy at nearly all costs. 

The New England Patriots are best at isolating the top weapon of an opponent, and they certainly curbed the Houston Texans' DeAndre Hopkins in Week 14. Hopkins has 57 or fewer yards in three of the past five games, but amazing red-zone and target rates keep him in the elite tier going forward. 

Allen Robinson's lackluster day was saved in that his lone catch went for a four-yard score, helping the Jacksonville Jaguars' breakout star establish a fine fantasy floor. We're still talking about a WR1, just like in Hopkins' case. 

Which wideout let you down in Week 14?

Top Tight End of Week 14 in Fantasy Football: Jordan Reed Runs Free

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The Washington Redskins' Kirk Cousins was 9-of-9 for 120 yards and a touchdown when targeting tight end Jordan Reed on Sunday. Reed has caught nine passes on four other occasions in his career, and one of those also happened to be against the Chicago Bears, back in 2013. For such a rich blend of catches, yards and an end-zone appearance, Reed earns fantasy MVP this week at the position. Given such a tight rapport and production pattern, Reed can be considered a top-five option to finish the season. 

We see you, Gary Barnidge. The Cleveland Browns' amazingly consistent tight end produced another awesome fantasy outcome for investors, proving he really can produce with any signal-caller this season. Much like Reed, Barnidge is firmly in the must-start mix at the position. 

The Bears' Zach Miller has thrived of late, including 85 yards and a score in Week 14 in place of Martellus Bennett. With Bennett out, Miller is a top target in a scheme that features the position across the middle. Miller is available in 80 percent of ESPN leagues as of press time. 

Mr. Rob Gronkowski returned to the field and did Gronkonian-type stuff, as in big gains and physical play. The New England Patriots superstar is once again the top tight end in real and fantasy football. 

On the bust side of things, Travis Kelce continues to disappoint, as the Kansas City Chiefs' conservative passing scheme simply doesn't offer him many big-play windows. You are better off streaming a guy like Chicago's Miller at this stage.

Carolina Panthers D/ST Shines Again in a Division Drubbing

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The Carolina Panthers defense and special teams has produced the second-most fantasy points at the D/ST position this season, just 34 fantasy points behind the Denver Broncos' elite group in ESPN leagues.

The Panthers are not only the top fantasy defense in the NFC—along with being undefeated, of course—but they also have a 14.8 percent lead in fantasy production over the No. 3 fantasy D/ST, the Kansas City Chiefs. For their dominant Sunday against the reeling Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers earn MVP honors at the position this week in fantasy football. 

The Jacksonville Jaguars tied the Panthers D/ST with 20 fantasy points in ESPN leagues this past Sunday in hosting the mistake-prone Indianapolis Colts. Two touchdowns fueled a big day for the Jags. They do at least host the aforementioned Falcons in Week 15. 

In Week 14, the New England Patriots shut down DeAndre Hopkins, and thus the Houston Texans offense, and next host a fantasy-friendly foe in the rookie-driven Tennessee Titans. 

On the bust side of the outcome spectrum, the Detroit Lions disappointed against a suspect St. Louis Rams offense, while the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles failed to produce in facing off in South Philly this past Sunday. Feel free to cut bait on any disappointing groups, but make note the Lions host the fantasy-friendly San Francisco 49ers in Week 16.