Fantasy Football Start Em & Sit Em: Week 14

It's week 14 of the fantasy football season, which means there's really no time to make up for losses, especially if you've now entered the do or die phase of the fantasy playoffs. If that's the case, making the right decisions for your fantasy lineup becomes even more crucial. You didn't work this hard to go home early, did you? To help you out, the Bruno Boys present the Week 14 Start 'Em & Sit 'Em.

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QUARTERBACKS - START 'EM

Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) vs. Houston

Following a skid in which he was unable to surpass the 13-point mark during weeks seven, nine, and 10 (week eight was the Packers' bye), Rodgers has gone for 15, 22, and 25 fantasy points over the Packers' last three games. While the 15- and 22-point efforts were partly helped by nice match-ups with the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, the 25-point performance was against a Carolina Panthers defense that ranks 12th in the league against the pass, a team that had given up only eight passing TDs prior to Rodgers' three passing scores in week 13. The man is on fire, and there's no reason he shouldn't be able to burn the Houston Texans, who have given up 18 passing TDs on the year, for multiple scores.

Matt Cassel (New England Patriots) @ Seattle

Cassel makes the switch from a Sit 'Em in week 13 to a Start 'Em in week 14, and the reason is all about the match-ups. Week 13 pitted Cassel, fresh off two 400-yard performances, against the top passing defense in the league in the Pittsburgh Steelers. The results were less than stellar as Cassel threw for just 169 yards and committed 4 turnovers. Week 14 aligns Cassel with the other extreme, the worst pass defense in the league, the Seattle Seahawks. Look for the Patriots' quarterback to be closer to those 400-yard outings than the stinker he put up last weekend.

Tyler Thigpen (Kansas City Chiefs) @ Denver

This weekend the Chiefs will look to make it a perfect 2 and 0 against the Broncos despite heading into this week's affair with just two wins on the season. To do so, they'll need a solid game out of quarterback Tyler Thigpen, as the Broncos will be focused on shutting down Larry Johnson, who torched them for 198 rushing yards and 2 TDs in the teams' previous match-up. Thigpen, who has developed rather quickly into a solid NFL quarterback, should answer the call against the league's 27th-ranked pass defense. 

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QUARTERBACKS - SIT 'EM

Philip Rivers (San Diego Chargers) vs. Oakland

If one was just looking at the Oakland Raiders' 3-9 record, one might assume that this is a solid match-up for Rivers, but don't be fooled. The one thing Oakland has going for it this season is a solid pass defense, one that ranks eighth in the league. In fact, over the past four weeks, Oakland has yielded just 153 passing yards per game to go along with just one TD to six INTs. River's himself has been stymied by the Raiders as they held him to just 10 fantasy points in their first go-round. The Chargers are deflated; don't let Rivers deflate your fantasy championship run.

Kyle Orton (Chicago Bears) vs. Jacksonville

Prior to a high ankle sprain, Orton was developing into a nice fantasy option as he posted six straight double-digit games, including a 10-point effort in the week nine match-up in which he got hurt. Since returning to the field, he just hasn't been the same, going for just 3, 9, and 8 fantasy points. Even with the Jacksonville Jaguars giving up 19 passing TDs on the year, it's not worth risking your season with the hopes that Orton returns to that mid-season form. 

Chad Pennington (Miami Dolphins) @ Buffalo

Amazingly enough, Pennington and his noodle arm reside just outside the top 10 among fantasy quarterbacks after 12 games, coming in at No. 11. Still, that does not make him a must start. Coming off a mere seven points against the hapless Rams, Pennington now travels to Toronto to take on the 14th-ranked Bills' defense. The match-up is enough to keep us away, even in the comfort of a dome.

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Fantasy Football Start Em & Sit Em: Week 14