Week 14 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em: What to Do with Darren McFadden and Others

It's definitely a concerning week for fantasy football players in the postseason. Win and stay alive, lose and it's all over.

That being said, here are four star players and what to do with them in Week 14.

Ahmad Bradshaw: RB, Giants (at Dallas)

In an article by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Vacchiano quotes Giants head coach Tom Coughlin about his RB Ahmad Bradshaw in the Packers game:

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He brings with him a serious, serious attitude about playing the game and being physical and not accepting things that don’t go well.

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That being said, the question is if Bradshaw's presence will be more effective in a big Week 14 game at Dallas. New York needs a win and Bradshaw is their best option in the backfield against an athletically aggressive Dallas defense.

Include his versatility as a checkdown target and Bradshaw needs to be used more this week to give the Giants the best chance to win. Though not a No. 1 RB yet, since he's still coming off the injury, Bradshaw is still a good option to start at the flex position.

Andre Johnson: WR, Texans (at Cincinnati)

In his second game back from injury, Texans WR Andre Johnson caught just four passes against the Falcons. However, he compiled 97 yards in doing so.

With that said, with Houston now having to rely on the ground game even more on offense with TJ Yates under center, don't expect Johnson to catch a lot of passes.

He will have a high average per catch so the yardage will be solid, but he is not a No. 1 option this week.

Against the Bengals, who have a solid defense all around, the Texans will run the ball and try to set up Johnson deep. In addition, look for Johnson to get a TD in the red zone because no one in the Bengals secondary can jump or run with him.

Despite not having the same number of receptions, having a good number of yards and one TD is still a realistic possibility this week for Andre. Start him at either the No. 2 WR or flex position.

Darren McFadden: RB, Raiders (at Green Bay)

According to Steve Corkran of the Contra Costa Times, it's uncertain as to when or if Darren McFadden will return this regular season:

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As preposterous as it might sound, Raiders coach Hue Jackson can’t say for sure whether running back Darren McFadden will be back before the regular season ends.

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This is an unfortunate situation for McFadden, the Raiders, Oakland fans and fantasy players who have McFadden.

Oakland had one of the best two-back tandems in the NFL along with Michael Bush. While the Raiders' playoff hopes are still alive, McFadden's absence is only making things more difficult.

To that end, if you have McFadden, be sure to bench him this week as his return appears to be on hiatus.

DeSean Jackson: WR, Eagles (at Miami)

In an article by Reuban Frank of Comcast Sportsnet Philadelphia, Frank explained what Eagles coach Andy Reid had to say about Jackson's production:

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Reid said teams are gearing their coverages to stop Jackson and daring the Eagles to beat them with other guys. So far, those other guys have not done the job."

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Frank mentioned earlier in the article:

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The other side of the equation is that Jackson is not having a great year and has struggled in particular since Jeremy Maclin suffered hamstring and shoulder injuries that have kept him out of the last three games.

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It's clear that Jackson is most likely frustrated because of defenses keying in on him more. In turn, that will make any explosive WR frustrated as they're not being productive.

As for fantasy football, Philly plays at Miami this week. The Dolphins have a vulnerable pass defense, but—much like Seattle and New England—you have to expect them to focus on shutting down Jackson.

Therefore, until he actually produces, he should remain on the bench unless you really need a flex position starter.

It has nothing to do with his attitude and effort. It's simply defenses having the right game plan because he is their best offensive weapon. Their strategy is to blanket him and force Riley Cooper and Jason Avant to emerge.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27