Fantasy Football Sunday Morning Decisions for NFL Week 14: Start 'Em or Sit 'Em

Just hours before the start of Week 14 I know many people have questions running through their heads.  Who should I start?  Who should I sit?

Let’s take a look at a few situations to try and settle things:

Hakeem Nicks/Steve Smith – Wide Receiver – New York Giants
According to reports out of Minnesota (click here to view), today’s Giants-Vikings game has been postponed until Monday night.  NFL VP of Operations Michael Signora was quoted as saying, “due to severe weather in Minnesota and on recommendation of Dome officials, NYG-Min moved to Monday night.”

Fantasy owners had a difficult decision to make on both players to begin with, but moving the game to Monday night complicates it even more.  Now, we won’t know 100% for sure if they will be playing or not until Monday, leaving fantasy owners hanging.  Either you take the risk and scramble for a replacement (if either does suffer a setback), or you go with the safer option who plays on Sunday afternoon.

This really has to be taken on a case-by-case basis, depending on the other options available to you.  However, with it being questionable how many snaps each would play to begin with, if you have a suitable replacement playing on Sunday I would go with it.

Matt Cassel – Quarterback – Kansas City Chiefs
It appeared unlikely that he would play after undergoing an appendectomy mid-week, but the Chiefs tried to keep everyone guessing.  However, Cassel didn’t make the trip to San Diego and is out.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though his replacement, Brodie Croyle, is not someone you want to be dealing with.

As for the rest of the Chiefs offense, most notably Dwayne Bowe, I wouldn’t downgrade him very far.  The Chiefs offense is a run-first attack, but they are going to have to throw the ball some to keep the Chargers defense honest.  Bowe should get the same number of chances and, after being shut out last week, should be highly motivated.  Is he a top choice?  Probably not, but I would still consider him a WR2 at worst.

Steve Johnson – Wide Receiver – Buffalo Bills
The Bills and Browns are set to kick off at 1 PM in Buffalo, where they will very likely be met with a mix of rain and snow.  Is it enough to scare owners off from leaving Johnson on their benches?  It is going to depend on the format, but winds are supposed to be around 10 mph, so it’s not going to be that bad of conditions for throwing.

Obviously, the ball will be a bit slicker, making passing a little more difficult.  Still, Johnson was just a mid-level WR2, so I would consider him a low-level WR2/high-level WR3 at this point.  Depending on your other options, he’s still worth using against a Browns defense that is allowing 231.3 passing yards per game and has allowed 20 passing touchdowns.

Joel Dressen/Owen Daniels – Houston Texans – Tight End
With Daniels ready to return to the lineup, the Texans are going to utilize both players at tight end.  That makes both risky plays, as neither are going to be out on the field enough to guarantee big time statistics.  If you planned on using either of them, go looking to the waiver wire this morning and see what you can find.  Ed Dickson of Baltimore may be one option.

Johnny Knox – Chicago Bears – Wide Receiver
The Bears and Patriots are set to kick off at 4:15 in Chicago, where they are expected to be playing in 30 mph winds and snow (as well as temperatures that feel as if they are in the single digits).  The Patriots utilize a short passing game with Wes Welker and others, so their potential value should not take a major hit.

Knox, however, is averaging 18.0 yards per reception and needs to have the threat of the big play to make him worth using (he’s tied for 10th with 14 catches of at least 20 yards).  With the weather expected to be poor, he’s going to need significant yards after the catch to be successful, though it’s not even a lock that they throw the ball much.  Matt Forte could be depended on significantly more.

I’d consider him a real low-level WR3 at this point due to the weather risk, so look for other options.

What are your thoughts on these players?  Who would you start?  Who would you sit?

Make sure to check out Rotoprofessor’s Week 14 Rankings:

• Top 25 Quarterbacks
• Top 40 Running Backs
• Top 60 Wide Receivers
• Top 20 Tight Ends
• Top 15 Kickers
• Top 15 Defenses
• Waiver Worthy
• Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em
• Sunday Sleepers

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