Fantasy Football: Eliminator Picks for Week 14 and Previews of Key Matchups

In Week 13, I added another win in the Eliminator with the Patriots. They handled the Colts in New England despite a big day from new Colt’s starting QB Dan Orlovsky.

The Pats were the second-most popular selection last week behind the also victorious San Francisco 49ers.

Quite a few entries took their first (or second, or third) hit of the year as a few popular selections faltered.

The Bears lost their centerpiece Matt Forte to a knee injury and then the game to the Kansas City Chiefs in a boring affair, 10-3. Almost 13 percent of entries selected the Bears.

The Eagles burned about 11 percent of entries this week as they lost to the Seahawks Thursday night.

The Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens have clearly been the most devastating teams in the Eliminator this season. Along with the loss Thursday night, the Eagles' loss to Arizona in Week 10 was a surprise to many. The Ravens' busted entries in Week 7 with a loss to the Jaguars and in Week 10 with a loss to the Seahawks.

The Week 10 loss by the Ravens is the one red mark on my Eliminator season thus far.

Maybe the lesson of the season was not to bet against the Seahawks.  

In a bright spot for me, but maybe not for you, the Panthers trounced the Tampa Bay Bucs. As I predicted, Cam Newton had a field day against the Tampa D, scoring four touchdowns as the Panthers took down the Bucs and about 10 percent of entries.

Here are my picks through Week 13:

Week 1: San Diego Chargers

Week 2: New York Giants

Week 3: Dallas Cowboys

Week 4: Green Bay Packers

Week 5: New Orleans Saints

Week 6: Cincinnati Bengals

Week 7: Carolina Panthers

Week 8: Tennessee Titans

Week 9: Houston Texans

Week 10: Baltimore Ravens (loss)

Week 11: San Francisco 49ers

Week 12: Atlanta Falcons

Week 13: New England Patriots

For the third week in a row, there's a relatively even spread among the top selections.

The Thursday night game is getting a lot of action again as the Pittsburgh Steelers are hosting the Cleveland Browns. About 11 percent of entries are using the Steelers here.

While I still have the Steelers available and think they will win here, I’m making a different selection.

The New York Jets kept their playoff hopes alive in Week 13 with a win over the Redskins. Ten percent of entries are thinking the Jets can do it again this week against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs did just enough to get by an injury-plagued Chicago Bears team last weekend.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the Jets here; they should get the win. A third straight quality game from Mark Sanchez would mean wonders for this team’s confidence as well.

The Baltimore Ravens are hosting the Colts in Week 14 with the Ravens being the popular pick. Yes, the Ravens are a much better team and should win this handily, but they have shown a tendency to not show up in games against lesser competition.

In 2011, the Ravens come with a disclaimer: Select at your own risk.

The Texans are a surprising top-five selection as they go on the road to face the Bengals. The Bengals are coming off a dud game against the Steelers, but they’re still a quality team playing at home.

The Texans run attack is fierce, but the Bengals rush D is ranked sixth in the league. I haven’t seen enough from T.J. Yates at quarterback to endorse the Texans in this one.

My selection this week is the Detroit Lions.

The Lions are looking to rebound after consecutive losses to the undefeated Packers and the formidable Saints. They will have a golden opportunity to get back on track as they host the Minnesota Vikings (2-10) in Week 14.

Adrian Peterson will likely be out for the Vikings. QB Christian Ponder has had an up-and-down season. He doesn’t look like a quarterback capable of carrying his team just yet.

I suspect Matthew Stafford will reconnect with Calvin Johnson this week and lead the Lions to a much-needed W.

Week 14 Selection: Detroit Lions