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    WR Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em Week 14: Can Hunter Renfrow, Van Jefferson, and Brandin Cooks lead managers to the playoffs?

    With the fantasy football playoffs inching closer, who makes the list of the top WR start 'em and sit 'em options for Week 14?

    As we make our push towards the end of the fantasy football season and upcoming playoffs, making WR start ’em or sit ’em decisions for Week 14 begins to carry even more weight as teams separate themselves from the pack. With not all matchups being equal, here are our top wide receiver start ’em and sit ’em plays for Week 14 of fantasy football.

    Week 14 Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

    The fantasy playoffs are nearly here. Every start or sit decision begins to mean just that little bit more. Let’s get into this week’s start ’em and sit ’em plays at the wide receiver position. Which wide receivers are starts heading into Week 14?

    Start ‘Em | Elijah Moore, New York Jets (vs. NO)

    For a second there, I thought we had lost him. After Elijah Moore had his glow-up with Magic Mike White and even Joe Flacco, it seemed Zach Wilson was going to mess this whole thing up. Yet, after a 9.3 point outing in Week 12, Moore bounced back in a massive way with 20.6 PPR points last week against a stingy Eagles defense.

    Since Week 9, Moore is the No. 2 WR in fantasy, averaging 20.1 points per game, and is responsible for 39.8% of the Jets’ air yards and 25.4% of the targets. That places Moore behind only DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Brown, and Terry McLaurin for the highest team percentage of air yards over this time.

    He’s not a fringe player; Moore is a weekly must-start and will be a top-18 WR off the board next season, at minimum.

    He’ll take on the Saints in Week 14, who travel to East Rutherford and have the No. 28 defense vs. WRs (38.37). Add in Corey Davis done for the season (core muscle surgery), and Moore should continue his torrent pace.

    Start ‘Em | Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders (@ KC)

    Hunter Renfrow continues to be the player no one is excited about but puts up gaudy numbers. He’s seen 8+ targets in eight games, including five of his last six. In games where Renfrow has seen 6+ targets (10), he has double-digit fantasy points in every one of them. Since the Raiders’ bye in Week 9, Renfrow is the WR8 in PPR scoring, averaging 8.2 targets, 7 receptions (85.4% catch rate), 72.2 yards, and 16.8 points.

    With Darren Waller out of the lineup these last two weeks (knee), Renfrow put up 21.6 and 19.2 points, respectively, on 26% of the targets. But the value was there prior to Waller’s injury, so even when he returns, Renfrow will still be the top WR on this offense. The Chiefs have been playing well against WRs as of late but given Renfrow is a volume-style player, he should be just fine in this matchup as a fantasy starter in Week 14.

    Start ‘Em | Russell Gage, Atlanta Falcons (@ CAR)

    Russell Gage has stepped up for the Atlanta Falcons after Calvin Ridley (personal) stepped away from football, but this is nothing new. Gage saw 109 targets last season as the No. 3 option for the Falcons, catching 72 passes for 786 yards and 4 touchdowns. So to see him having success isn’t a massive surprise.

    Granted, his 11-for-130 performance was an outlier, but he’s scored 12+ points in four of his last seven games, including 18+ against Jacksonville and Tampa Bay in his last two games. Carolina just surrendered a big game to Jaylen Waddle in Week 12 (9-137-1) and came in No. 20 vs. WRs during the previous four weeks (34.6). Gage comes in as a flex-worthy starter in Week 14.

    Start ‘Em | Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns (vs. BAL)

    Here is something you never see in the NFL or basically anything outside of “best-of” playoff formats, a team playing the same opponent in back-to-back games. In Week 12, Cleveland played the Browns and then had their bye last week. In Week 14, it’s the same matchup, this time in Cleveland.

    That means Cleveland has spent nearly three weeks only focusing on the Ravens. The last time these two played, Landry had 6 receptions on 10 targets for 111 yards, which were his best game in terms of yards and second on the season in points (15.5 PPR).

    Since the last meeting, the Ravens lost CB Marlon Humphrey (chest) for the season, and their secondary is in rough shape. There is some risk when trusting the Browns’ passing game, but if Landry would ever string together back-to-back performances, this is the week.

    Start ‘Em | Van Jefferson, Los Angeles Rams (@ ARI)

    Van Jefferson is a legitimate NFL receiver and fantasy asset. He’s seen 7+ targets in six of his last seven, and ever since the bye week where Sean McVay could retool the offense after the loss of Robert Woods, Jefferson has been as fantastic. Over his last two, he has 9 catches on 17 targets for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns.

    Jefferson has a fairly high floor in a game where we expect to see points galore. In fact, both Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. are startable WRs in Week 14. Beckham’s TD did save his outing last week, but that’s TDs in back-to-back weeks, 7 receptions on 15 targets, and 109 yards. I prefer Jefferson just a touch more, but both should find a place in your fantasy football lineups for Week 14.

    Week 14 Start ‘Em or Sit ‘Em: Wide Receivers

    Sometimes, wide receivers have a problematic matchup. Or maybe it comes down to inconsistent play, which forces them to remain on your bench. Whatever the reason, these WRs should be left off your starting roster in Week 14.

    Sit ‘Em | Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (@ CLE)

    I hate this. I hate every part of this. All I want is Rashod Bateman to shine, but it’s not happening right now.

    After seeing 34 targets from Weeks 6-11 (five games), Bateman has seen not only his targets drop but also his playing time. In Week 11, he played on 70% of the snaps, but that has dropped to 44.4% over the last two games.

    Last week, things hit rock bottom. Bateman did not record a reception on his lone target and was out-snapped and out-targeted by both Devin Duvernay and Sammy Watkins.

    Marquise Brown and Mark Andrews are the only pass catchers who can be trusted, or at this point, even rostered. Bateman could have a good game at any time, but those feel sporadic (if it happens at all) in 2021.

    Sit ‘Em | Brandin Cooks, Houston Texans (vs. SEA)

    There is a chance you don’t have better options and need to start the guys who brought you here. I get it. I am in the same boat and have to make this same choice with Brandin Cooks. We know the immense talent, and despite bouncing around to different teams, Cooks produces. With that said, this situation is different.

    In his last four games, Cooks has 1 touchdown. He’s also totaled 45 yards or less with 6 targets or less three games in a row.

    He IS the Texans’ offense, though. Cooks has 40.08% of the air yards, 27.4% of the targets, 31.2% of the receiving yards, and is one of just two players on the Texans’ roster with multiple TDs with 3 (Brevin Jordan – 2).

    Anyone who means this much to a team and has the talent can go off for a massive fantasy day. With that said, Cooks could be a gigantic bust in Week 14 against the Seahawks with Davis Mills under center.

    Sit ‘Em | Courtland Sutton, Denver Broncos (vs. DET)

    I am once again here bemoaning the fact Courtland Sutton is not startable or even rosterable in fantasy football. Sutton has 19 PPR points over his last five games. Over his last five games since the return of Jerry Jeudy, Sutton has caught 2 or fewer passes, seen 6 or fewer targets, and has 40 yards or less in every game, with three of those below 20 yards.

    I get they are playing the Lions. Normally, I’d love it. Yet, this is an offense that moves the ball on the ground and has three other options in Jeudy, Tim Patrick, and Noah Fant. There is not enough for Sutton to be on fantasy rosters. He needs to be sat in all leagues in Week 14.

    Sit ‘Em | Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions (@ DEN)

    One of the biggest things in fantasy is not to chase points. Just because a guy has a great game out of nowhere does not mean he needs to start instantly. Our most recent example is Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions.

    St. Brown set career-high totals across the board, recording 10 receptions on 12 targets for 86 yards and the game-winning touchdown last week against the Vikings.

    The fact my mentions were going off when he scored was awesome because I have been a massive fan of his talent for quite some time. Yet, one game does not make a career, nor does it make someone consistent, especially on a not-so-great football team. Not to mention, Minnesota had allowed the second-most fantasy points to WRs on the season and are 32nd over the last four games.

    Denver — the Lions’ Week 14 opponent — is not so easy, sitting eighth on the season and fifth in the last four games (25.47). While his name might be in reference to the sun god of ancient Egypt, don’t expect sunlight to shine on him again this week in Mile High.

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