Daily Fantasy Football Week 14: Strategy Advice for DraftKings, FanDuel Lineups

Navigating the world of daily fantasy football may be difficult in Week 14. Bye weeks are over, which means every healthy player will be available. The trick, of course, will be figuring out which of the top available players are going to shine.

On Thursday, for example, Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (238 yards rushing, four touchdowns) was the star. If you're playing a week-long cash game and didn't start him, you may already be out of it.

This doesn't mean Henry is going to be the only big-time performer, though. We're going to try identify the best remaining options for DraftKings and FanDuel games. We'll also take a closer look at some potential DFS sleepers.

Pairing a couple of sleepers with upside alongside the right fantasy stars is a good way to get value out of your daily lineup when practically everyone is available. For both sleepers and stars this week, we'll be focusing on favorable fantasy matchups—in terms of positional points allowed (PPA) according to FantasyPros.

Recommended DFS Plays, Opposing PPA Ranking and DraftKings, FanDuel Values

QB Philip Rivers vs. Cincinnati Bengals (32nd): $6,500 DK, $8,300 FD

QB Drew Brees at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30th): $6,600 DK, $8,500 FD

RB Aaron Jones vs. Atlanta Falcons (29th): $7,200 DK, $7,500 FD

RB Christian McCaffrey at Cleveland Browns (26th): $9,300 DK, $9,100 FD

WR Mike Evans vs. New Orleans Saints (32nd): $7,500 DK, $7,700 FD

WR Amari Cooper vs. Philadelphia Eagles (28th): $6,600 DK, $6,900 FD

TE David Njoku vs. Carolina Panthers (30th): $3,900 DK, $5,300 FD

TE Rob Gronkowski at Miami Dolphins (24th): $4,800 DK, $6,200 FD

Week 14 DFS Sleepers

RB Justin Jackson ($3,800 DraftKings, $ 4,500 FanDuel) vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Jackson had a strong game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week (82 rushing and receiving yards, one reception, one touchdown) and yet remains available at a bargain price. He's quite a bit cheaper in both DraftKings and FanDuel cash games largely due to Ekeler's PPR value.

However, Jackson could be in for a huge game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Both he and Ekeler should have strong outings against a Bengals defense that has allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs. If the Chargers get up early on Cincinnati, though, Jackson will likely be the guy to close things out on the ground.

Let's not forget that Los Angeles trailed the Steelers for much of the game in Week 13.

Just remember to keep an eye on the running back situation in L.A. heading into Sunday. While it appears starting back Melvin Gordon will be out again, there's no guarantee.

"You never know," head coach Anthony Lynn said, per NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. "You just want everybody preparing for everybody."

We're prepared to watch Jackson run through the Cincinnati defense on Sunday afternoon.

RB Jaylen Samuels ($3,700 DraftKings, $4,600 FanDuel) at Oakland Raiders

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

The Steelers are heading to Oakland to take on the lowly Raiders this Sunday, but they'll be doing so without starting running back James Conner.

With Conner out, the Steelers are going to rely on the backfield duo of journeyman Stevan Ridley and rookie Jaylen Samuels. Based on PPR value, we're going to give a slight edge to Samuels. He caught three passes for 20 yards and a touchdown last week.

Samuels, who played a variety of positions in college, is eager to prove he's an NFL-caliber running back too.

"I just want to cherish the opportunity and make the best out of it," Samuels said, per Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com. "Just to play true running back in the National Football League, that's tough and it's hard, but if you come well-prepared like I'm going to come well-prepared for this Sunday, you should have a good outcome."

Now, there is risk with both Samuels and Ridley because there's no telling who will carry the load on Sunday. Both have upside, though, as the Raiders have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing backs in 2018.

WR Courtland Sutton ($4,500 DraftKings, $5,600 FanDuel) at San Francisco 49ers

Denver Broncos wideout Courtland Sutton is still going for a bargain rate, and now is the time to jump on him. Not only is he coming off a breakout game (four catches, 85 yards, one touchdown), he's also now headlining Denver's receiving corps.

Demaryius Thomas was moved before the trade deadline, while Emmanuel Sanders was recently placed on injured reserve.

Sutton will be Case Keenum's No. 1 receiver when the Broncos travel to take on the San Francisco 49ers. While this will mean some matchups with cornerback Richard Sherman, Sutton will have opportunities to make plays. San Francisco has allowed the third-most fantasy points to opposing receivers this season.

If you can grab a team's de facto No. 1 wideout with a favorable matchup at a bargain price, you should.