Week 14 Fantasy Football Quarterback Start/Sit: Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, Matthew Stafford and More

This is the final regular season week for most fantasy football leagues. The season goes fast. It stretches over four months, but those months go so much faster than the four prior to the season, don’t they?

For those still fighting for playoff position, it’s the last chance to hit big with a savvy free agent move or lineup decision. Six fantasy-relevant quarterbacks are on bye this week, ranging from superstars to fantasy streamers: Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels, Anthony Richardson, C.J. Stroud, Bo Nix, and Drake Maye.

With plenty of owners surely seeking another option, let’s look at three quarterbacks to start and three to sit in Week 14 of the NFL season. I used stats from NFL.com and our FantasySP defensive fantasy rankings to help determine the best and worst matchups. I will reference those numbers often.

Start

Will Levis, Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jags are the dream matchup for fantasy quarterbacks: they have allowed the most yards per pass attempt and fantasy points per game to QBs. Every passer has fantasy value against Jacksonville.

Levis leaves a lot to be desired. He’s around average at 7.0 yards per pass attempt in his career, but his completion percentage is just 61.2%. Levis is a low-end fantasy option when he has the right matchup.

This is one of those weeks. Levis shouldn’t be started above a top guy, but he’s in position to excel in this one.

Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys vs. Cincinnati Bengals

A Monday night quarterback: it’s kind of nice having a guy playing the last game of the week when you know it might come down to that ultimate player. A QB can go off for 30 points any given week, even if his team is losing (sometimes because his team is losing). That plays well in this situation, as the Cowboys are currently about a five-point underdog at home.

The Bengals have given up the 11th-most yards per pass attempt and third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. They were a basement-level pass defense last season, so it was surprising to see them look more competent early in the season. That has quickly faded, and they are now back in the sphere of teams to target in fantasy.

Rush has averaged over 265 yards per game the last three weeks with four total touchdowns and just one interception. He’s become a viable fantasy option after an ice-cold start, though the floor is still low.

Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns

These teams faced off on Thursday night football two weeks ago in the snow in Cleveland, with the Browns defending their home court 24-19. Wilson had a big day, though, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown on 9.6 yards per attempt.

Wilson doubled down on big division games last week, going over 400 yards with three touchdowns and an interception against the Bengals. Wilson is on a great run of matchups before hitting a brick wall in Philadelphia next week; take advantage while the good times last.

Wilson will have his highs and lows; it makes sense to expect him to have one more peak before possibly crashing next week.

Sit

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Mahomes had a nice statistical game against the Raiders on Black Friday, racking up over 300 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, but he averaged just 6.7 yards per attempt as his team limped to victory against a 2-10 team at home.

It’s another division game this week, but the matchup is much tougher. The Chargers have allowed the fourth-least yards per pass attempt and 11th-least fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. LA has one of the best defenses in football.

Mahomes is more of a matchup-dependent player than his name would make him seem, and this is one of the toughest teams he’ll see all year. Most fantasy owners aren’t benching him, especially with so many guys on bye, but it’s worth consideration.

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams vs. Buffalo Bills

This is a tough one, as any quarterback with both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp on the field could go off at any moment. Other than having the third-highest completion percentage of his career, Stafford has had a very average season by his own standards. That works out to a decent fantasy player.

The Bills are the wrong team to test, though, as they are allowing the third-least yards per pass attempt and third-least fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. Buffalo’s offense has had them in the mix the last few seasons, but this defense might be enough to push them over the top in the playoffs.

Most quarterbacks fall into the “streamer” category in fantasy football, meaning the matchup dictates their fantasy value. Stafford is part of that group, and one of the worst imaginable matchups makes him a guy to skip this week.

Bryce Young, Carolina Panthers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Young usually wouldn’t be worth listing here, as no one would consider him as a fantasy option anyway. He has put together a few OK performances since returning to the starting lineup about a month ago, though.

Young has combined for 561 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks, averaging over 6.9 yards per attempt (right around average). “Average” might not seem like a glowing review, but the Panthers would love Young to become a truly average quarterback by the end of the season.

Philadelphia has allowed the least yards per pass attempt and the eighth-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. No quarterback is a strong fantasy option against the Eagles, especially not a second-year guy who has struggled so mightily at times; this one could get ugly fast.

Young will have a few weeks before the end of the season in which he’s a low-end streamer, but he might be the worst fantasy quarterback play out of the 26 starters in action in Week 14.