Week 14 DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Football Picks, Lineup Tips for Sunday

Football Sunday has arrived. It's Week 14 in the NFL, and another slate of daily fantasy sports (DFS) is upon us. With bye weeks now over, fans will get a 14-game schedule and should have a relatively full player pool.

Not every premier DFS option will be available, however. Carolina Panthers star running back Christian McCaffrey, for example, is not likely to make his return Sunday.

"He's doubtful," Panthers coach Matt Rhule said, per Darin Gantt of the team's official website. "We do not expect him to play."

Of course, leaning on star players isn't the only way to get ahead in DFS. Finding the right matchups, pegging a sleeper or two and knowing which players are healthy can help deliver a winning lineup.

Here we will examine some key matchups and strategies for Week 14. First, though, let's take a look at some of the latest information.

Injury Roundup

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

As mentioned, McCaffrey isn't expected to play for the Panthers against the Denver Broncos. Minnesota Vikings running back Alexander Mattison has been ruled out, which could lead to an increased workload for Dalvin Cook.

The Vikings could also be without tight end Kyle Rudolph, who has a foot injury.

"He's been getting a lot of treatment this week, and he wants to play really bad," coach Mike Zimmer said, per Andrew Krammer of the Star Tribune. "I don't want to count him out yet."

The Miami Dolphins are in a tricky situation at running back. Salvon Ahmed has been ruled out, and Myles Gaskin was recently added to the reserve/COVID-19 list. This means that DeAndre Washington, Elijah McGuire and Patrick Laird will likely split the workload against the Kansas City Chiefs.

New York Jets rookie Denzel Mims has been ruled out, as has Detroit Lions standout Kenny Golladay. The Jets may also be without wideout Jamison Crowder.

"His game status is up in the air," Jets coach Adam Gase said Friday, per Peter Botte of the New York Post.

On a more positive note, the Lions expect to have rookie running back D'Andre Swift back in the lineup against the Green Bay Packers. The New York Giants should also have quarterback Daniel Jones back to face the Arizona Cardinals.

A full look at this week's injury report can be found at NFL.com.

Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers

Kelvin Kuo/Associated Press

DFS Value: $6,800 DraftKings, $8,300 FanDuel

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was held in check by the New England Patriots in Week 13. He threw for just 209 yards with two interceptions a week after throwing for 316 with a touchdown and one pick.

However, a sagging two-week trend shouldn't be enough to scare away managers from one of the best matchups of the week. Herbert is set to face the Atlanta Falcons, who have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks this season.

Expect Herbert to put up numbers more similar to the ones he produced against the New York Jets in Week 11—366 yards and three touchdowns.

For an added DFS boost, consider stacking Herbert with Chargers running back Austin Ekeler. Since returning in Week 12, the points-per-reception (PPR) machine has caught 15 passes on 25 targets and has a low total of 68 yards in that two-game stretch.

Aaron Jones, RB, Green Bay Packers

Jason Behnken/Associated Press

DFS Value: $7,600 DraftKings, $8,700 FanDuel

Packers running back Aaron Jones has established himself as one of the top DFS options over the past couple of years. He's coming off of a stellar game against the Philadelphia Eagles in which he produced 148 scrimmage yards, three receptions and a touchdown.

Like Herbert, Jones will have one of the top matchups of Week 14. The Lions have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing running backs in 2020. Consequently, the expectations for Jones are high. DraftKings Sportsbook has Jones at +225 (wager $100 to win $225) to score two or more touchdowns Sunday—making him the favorite among listed players to do so.

It won't be a shock to see Jones find the end zone multiple times or to top 100 scrimmage yards. Jones isn't a budget option, but he could still be a tremendous value.

Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals

Don Wright/Associated Press

DFS Value: $4,800 DraftKings, $6,400 FanDuel

Rookie wideout Tee Higgins, on the other hand, is a fine budget option for Week 14. While the Cincinnati Bengals offense has struggled since losing quarterback Joe Burrow for the season, Higgins has maintained a fair bit of PPR value.

He has caught five passes in each of his past two games and has been targeted 23 times in his past three outings. Higgins suffered a hamstring injury in Week 13 but is on track to play against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

"He got some good work in today and certainly improved throughout the week, so I'm optimistic about him," Bengals coach Zac Taylor said on Friday, per James Rapien of All Bengals.

The Cowboys are potent enough offensively to bring a bit of shootout potential to this game, which would bode well for Higgins. Dallas is also pretty awful at defending the pass, notably surrendering the second-most fantasy points to opposing wideouts this season.

Dalton Schultz, TE, Dallas Cowboys

Nick Wass/Associated Press

DFS Value: $3,500 DraftKings, $5,100 FanDuel

For managers looking to save a bit of cap capital at the tight end spot, Dallas' Dalton Schultz could be the perfect sleeper option. He has emerged as one of Andy Dalton's favorite targets and a player with a high PPR floor.

Schultz has caught at least four passes in each of his past five games. He has 23 receptions and has been targeted 30 times over that span.

Like Higgins, Schultz has a tremendous matchup in this game given Cincinnati has allowed the second-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends this year.

It's often best to go with one of the top-tier tight ends—namely, Travis Kelce or Darren Waller—because their floor is dramatically higher than those of most other players at the position. However, Shultz should be worth a play for those looking to splurge at running back or wide receiver.

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