Fantasy Football Week 14: Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
By Liam McKeone
Welcome to our weekly start 'em, sit 'em fantasy football column. Here are five players who you may think about starting or sitting this week. We'll do the heavy lifting for you and explain why you should change your mind, or stay the course. (All stats via ESPN PPR leagues)
Michael Gallup, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Gallup's season has come along quite slowly and that is reflected in his fantasy output. But the last two weeks have provided some momentum as Gallup put up 11 points against the Giants before scoring 18 against the Colts on Sunday night. He's gotten seven or more targets in three of four Cowboys games since their bye. And Dallas has the pleasure of playing the godawful Houston Texans this week. Gallup should be on the rise barring any Odell Beckham-related additions, so keep an eye on the news cycle and start Gallup if all is quiet on the Cowboys front. START 'EM
D'Andre Swift, RB, Detroit Lions
Against the Jaguars, Swift received double-digit carries for the first time since Week 1 and capitalized. He put up 21 points thanks to 14 carries for 62 yards and a TD on the ground, along with four catches for 49 yards. Detroit has been careful about leaning on Swift too much, but the playoffs are in sight for the first time in years. While Swift will still be splitting duties with Jamal Williams, he is clearly the more versatile of the two and will get plenty of touches. It feels like this past Sunday set a tone that will carry until the end of the season, health willing -- get Swift the ball in space and let him cook. That should be the case against the Vikings this week thanks to their below-average rush defense. START 'EM
Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams
It took nearly two full years but Akers finally delivered on his fantasy hype! Kind of. The longtime fantasy "sleeper" nobody could stop talking about had himself a big day against Seattle on Sunday, turning 17 carries into 60 yards rushing and two TDs. Can he do it again? In his favor is the fact that the Rams are freaking awful. All bad teams need to run the ball and running backs on those bad teams are usually quite productive fantasy-wise. But Akers averaged all of 3.5 yards per carry against the Seahawks and his final line is too touchdown-dependent. This was not his breakout game. Trust us. SIT 'EM
Tyler Lockett, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Lockett has been pretty consistent yet only gets the nod to start in barely more than half of all ESPN leagues. This week should change your mind permanently on that front. His 27-point outing against the Rams marks his sixth consecutive contest with double-digit fantasy points, and he's scored more than 15 points in four of his last five. Lockett has a tough-ish matchup against Carolina's secondary next week but he's gone up against better this season and still put up good numbers. He's reliable, even if blow-up games like last week are not terribly common. START 'EM
DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
Smith has been pretty hit-or-miss so far this year in regards to his fantasy output but has found some solid footing since the Eagles' Week 7 bye. Smith has gotten at least eight targets in five of six games played since then, but has only managed to pivot that volume into three decent fantasy performances. This past matchup against the Titans was great for Smith. But it feels likely he'll regress next week against the Giants, who boast the fourth-toughest defense for wideouts in fantasy this year. SIT 'EM