The art of who to start or sit can be as tricky as the art of finding who optimal candidates are to consider as “borderline candidates.” So, hopefully, the biggest question marks at the running back position are here to help put your Week 14 worries at ease.
As always, check out The Wolf’s Week 14 Fantasy Rankings if you have any other tricky lineup decisions.
With the playoffs next week, those who are fighting to secure that special seeding spot or paw and claw their way into the playoffs should heed the sage advice offered below.
With all of that said, alliterations aside, it’s time to commit the crime of rhyme. Let’s go!
Week 14 RB Start ‘Em
Chase Brown vs. Cowboys
I will come out and admit, Brown was one of the biggest whiffs of my career. As a prospect, Brown hugged the ground anytime contact was around. Despite his hulking frame and cat-like agility, Brown played soft as Cottonelle tissue paper.
I got major Kalen Ballage vibes from his skillset. A straight-line savant, but a real lateral loser that couldn’t fight through contact.
When Brown runs on the football field, Chuck Norris runs off. When he puts his cleat in the ground, lava erupts from beneath the surface. In other words, Brown has been ON FIRE!
He’s averaging 19+ fantasy points in four straight games and nothing about the Cowboys’ defense is scary unless you’re foolish enough to start them against the Bengals offense.
Dallas’ defense has put flashing strobe lights that guide running backs to the endzone. Five RBs on the year have scored 20+ on them, with three going over the 30 mark. Zimmer’s scheme is a disaster and Mike McCarthy has coached the Cowboys franchise into its crypt.
Brown has legitimate RB1 overall upside this week.
Brown ranks as the RB5 overall in the Wolf’s Week 14 rankings, just one spot below consensus ECR.
Tony Pollard vs. Jaguars
Pollard put up a STINKER last week against the Commanders. Not all of it was his fault.
The Commanders bulldozed the Titans from the start. Jayden Daniels appears to have broken through his brief stint behind the rookie wall and before anyone could heat a leftover turkey sandwich from Thanksgiving, the score was 28-0.
Pollard wasn’t vital to the offense at that point.
Two of the NFL’s apex predatorial cats, the Jaguars and the Panthers, have purred like kittens against opposing RBs. Starting an RB against the not-so-ferocious felines in Jacksonville has ended with 15+ points scored in 11 of 13 games. That’s like printing money; I mean fantasy points for Pollard.
From week 7 through week 13, Pollard’s pacing for more than 1,500 yards from scrimmage, even with the weekend whiff. More importantly, he is pacing for 51 receptions on 78 targets and has not seen fewer than 3 targets since week 4.
That’s a steady floor with a handwritten invitation to the endzone for Pollard this week. Don’t give starting him a second thought unless you could be trotting out the likes of Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson.
Pollard ranks 16th on the Wolf’s Week 14 rankings, two spots behind the consensus ECR.
Other Week 14 RB starts: Isaac Guerendo, Tyrone Tracy
Week 14 RB Sit ‘Em
Isiah Pacheco/Kareem Hunt
Nope. No no. Do not. Did I mention no? Okay good.
Matt Nagy is an unmitigated disaster. His impact on this offense has resulted in complete and utter disarray.
There is some chattering that maybe Patrick Mahomes has lost his fireball. It’s worth noting that since Nagy returned to Kansas City, Mahomes has experienced:
- A 31.7% touchdown per 17-game season reduction
- Nearly 10% reduction of passing yardage per season
- A 30.8% reduction in TD rate
- A 53.7% TD/Int ratio reduction while experiencing a nearly 1% increase in interception rate
Travis Kelce isn’t what he once was; that much is evident. The receiving weapons have been subpar, particularly at getting open, staying on the field, and catching the ball. It isn’t fair to place 100% of the blame on Nagy; it’s up to the players to execute, Mahomes included.
History shows Nagy has predominately been a disaster wherever he’s gone. He has invited the kiss of death upon whatever franchise he’s coached at and destroyed the offensive scheme along the way.
What’s all of this got to do with Pacheco and Hunt? Well, as Mahomes goes, so goes the offense.
With predictable playcalling come predictable failures in execution. Failures in execution lead to a negative impact on touchdown equity and RB efficiency.
If the matchup was favorable enough, then Pacheco and/or Hunt could power through and provide fantasy production, as Hunt has successfully done despite his inefficiencies.
However, the Chargers are not your run-of-the-mill defense. They allow the sixth-fewest points per game to the position and, with the backfield appearing to be split, there’s not enough volume to go around to bank on fantasy returns.
Place the pair on the pine and pour yourself a glass of eggnog.
Pacheco and Hunt rank 25th (-1 vs. ECR) and 31st (-2) respectively in the Wolf’s Week 14 rankings.
Chuba Hubbard vs Eagles
What happened last week?
Hubbard had been a shining star this season for the otherwise hapless Panthers attack. He put up a dreadful 2.3 fantasy points against a lovely Tampa Bay matchup. To make matters worse, Jonathan Brooks looked like the better fantasy option on limited work.
| xFP | FPOE | RZ Rushes | RZ Targets | Opp. | FP | FPPO | |
| Hubbard | 6.7 | -4.4 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 2.3 | 0.19 |
| Brooks | 11.3 | -4.2 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 7.1 | 0.79 |
The Eagles matchup doesn’t inspire confidence to start Hubbard either.
On the season, the Eagles rank 5th against the RB position, surrendering 15.7 total points to the position on the season.
In what appears to be a committee situation, Hubbard’s status as a must-start is now matchup-dependent going forward. But this week Hubbard is more likely to find himself sitting on the bench chewing some Hubba-Bubba Bubble Gum than chewing up the Eagles rush defense.
Hubbard ranks as the RB 17 (+4 vs. ECR) in the Wolf’s Week 14 rankings.
Other RB sits: Aaron Jones, Travis Etienne/Tank Bigsby, D’Andre Swift
