Week 14 marks the beginning of the fantasy football playoffs in most leagues, and with all 32 teams in play for the first time in more than two months, owners are going to have a lot of difficult decisions on their hands. For the last couple of weeks, running back has been the position where you start your best players and don't think twice about it, while quarterback and wide receiver have offered a little more freedom to play the matchups. In Week 13, for example, Joe Flacco, Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton each out-scored (Yahoo standard scoring) Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady and Drew Brees. At WR, Tyler Lockett, Albert Wilson and Brandon LaFell all finished in the Top 5 at the position, while Mike Evans was outside the Top 50. Lineup choices at those two particular positions are going to be critical down the stretch, and with that in mind, you can click through the gallery for a closer look at my favorite sleeper starts and potential busts for Week 14. (Getty)
Start: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Opponent: vs. New Orleans Saints
Matthew Stafford just produced the first QB1 week (Top 12 at the position) against the Saints since Week 9, but that's a bit misleading, as New Orleans had faced Trevor Siemian, Cam Newton and Jared Goff in its previous three games. Ultimately, this is still a defense that has given up multiple passing touchdowns in four of the last five weeks and ranks 28th in the NFL in yards per pass allowed. Winston is just 14th among QB's in fantasy points per game, but at home against this defense, he's an easy Top-10 option. (Getty)
Sit: Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans
Opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
Here's a list of quarterbacks to face the Broncos this season, along with their weekly finish at the position: Cam Newton (9th), Andrew Luck (27th), Andy Dalton (24th), Jameis Winston (21st), Matt Ryan (17th), Philip Rivers (24th), Brock Osweiler (30th), Rivers (17th), Derek Carr (26th), Drew Brees (7th), Alex Smith (27th), Blake Bortles (21st). That's a lot of good QB's, and just one Top-10 finish since Cam Newton's rushing-aided performance in Week 1. Mariota has been fantastic for the last two months, but it's difficult to fully trust him in a must-win matchup against the league's stingiest pass defense. (Getty)
Start: Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Opponent: at Cleveland Browns
The Browns have actually held Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning to under 200 passing yards in consecutive games, but the Steelers game featured 40 mph winds, while Eli threw three touchdowns to salvage his fantasy day. Even with those two games, the Browns remain 30th in fantasy points per game allowed to QB's and 30th in yards per pass attempt allowed. Dalton, meanwhile, threw for 308 yards, two touchdowns and zero picks when these teams met in Week 7, and he should be able to replicate those numbers even if AJ Green remains out, as is expected. (Getty)
Sit: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
Opponent: at New York Giants
If you weren't already, it's time to start treating this Giants pass defense as one to avoid whenever possible. The G-Men entered Week 13 giving up the second-fewest fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, then proceeded to limit Ben Roethlisberger to 289 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. That may not seem like a great performance, but the 18.6 fantasy points for Big Ben were well below the 27.83 he was previously averaging at Heinz Field this season. Prescott has been great this season, but in a key divisional matchup on the road against a tough pass defense, this feels like a game where the 'Boys will feed Ezekiel Elliott as much as possible. In fact, it could be very similar to last week's contest against an equally stout Vikings pass D, in which Prescott attempted a season-low 18 passes. (Getty)
Start: Bilal Powell, New York Jets
Opponent: at San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are last in the NFL in yards per carry allowed, last in rushing yards per game allowed and last in fantasy points to running backs allowed. Whether it's a third-down back, a pass-catching back, a goal-line back, or a back with one leg, if he has a significant role, you're starting him against 'Niners. Powell is typically good for around 10 touches per game, and this matchup puts him on the low-end RB2/flex radar, especially in PPR leagues. (Getty)
Sit: Terrance West, Baltimore Ravens
Opponent: at New England Patriots
West turned 13 touches in 68 yards last week, a middling performance that was turned great thanks to two touchdowns. But don't be fooled. In his previous five games, he was averaging 46.2 yards from scrimmage per game and 2.86 yards per carry with just one total touchdown. His fantasy value right now is mostly reliant on finding the end zone, but that's difficult to depend on when he has played more than 50 percent of the snaps just once since Week 6, and when Kenneth Dixon continues to improve and carve out a significant role. A matchup in Foxboro against the Patriots, who are 7.5-point favorites and are expected to force Baltimore to play from behind (a game script that favors Dixon, the pass-catching back), certainly doesn't help West's outlook, either. (Getty)
Start: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals
Opponent: at Cleveland Browns
In five career games against the Browns, Hill is averaging 111.0 yards from scrimmage per game and 6.28 yards per carry with four touchdowns, which includes a 168-yard, one-touchdown performance from earlier this season. What's more, he produced the latter on just nine carries, and now he's looking at a role that is easily double that, as he has averaged 21.5 touches per contest since Gio Bernard went down. Hill hasn't exactly been a model of efficiency this year, but the workload and matchup alone make him a must-start option in all leagues. (Getty)
Sit: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams
Opponent: vs. Atlanta Falcons
The matchup on the surface looks prime, at home against an Atlanta team that has given up the third-most fantasy points per game to running backs. But the Falcons have limited David Johnson and Spencer Ware to 87 total rushing yards on 27 carries (3.22 YPC) the last two weeks, and if not for the special teams giving up a 55-yard run on a fake punt to Albert Wilson last week, they would rank 13th in yards per carry allowed (instead, they're 25th). So, while it may seem like it, this isn't actually a great spot for Gurley, who has been wildly disappointing for much of the season, to get back on track. (Getty)
Start: Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills
Opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Watkins had just three catches for 38 yards in his second game back from injury on Sunday, but there were also some positive takeaways, as he played 68.1 percent of the snaps (up from 45.5 in Week 12), ran 36 pass routes on Tyrod Taylor's 41 dropbacks and received nine targets (up from three in Week 12). He's a threat for double-digit targets (especially if Robert Woods is out again), he's a big play waiting to happen, and the Steelers have allowed either 100 yards or a touchdown to a receiver in four of their last five games. The upside is just too (Getty)
Sit: Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers
Opponent: vs. San Diego Chargers
Benjamin has scored one touchdown in his last eight games, averaging just 4.25 receptions and 64.5 yards per contest during that stretch. He's still a big-play threat, and he's still getting about eight targets per game, so there is certainly some upside left, but don't expect this to be the week that he reaches that upside. Benjamin figures to see a lot of shut-down corner Casey Hayward, who held Mike Evans to three catches for 38 yards last week, leads the NFL in pass breakups and ranks as Pro Football Focus' No. 4 corner on the year. (Getty)
Start: Malcolm Mitchell, New England Patriots
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Continuing to gain more of Tom Brady's trust, Mitchell played 84.8 percent of the snaps last Sunday on his way to career-highs in targets (10) and receptions (eight). He is now averaging 7.3 targets, 5.67 catches and 74.0 yards with three touchdowns over his last three games, and at the very least, the volume should continue in Week 14, as the Ravens are a brick wall against the run but have proven to be vulnerable at times against the pass. (Getty)
Sit: Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars
Opponent: vs. Minnesota Vikings
An up-and-down season has its low point over the last three games, as Robinson has turned 21 total targets into just eight receptions, 73 yards and one touchdown. While the Vikings have actually allowed four Top-20 weekly WR performances over their last six games, this is still a very good secondary, and Robinson is still an inconsistent option playing with a struggling QB. We've seen what his upside can be, but his floor is just too low for a playoff matchup. (Getty)
Start: Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers
Opponent: at Buffalo Bills
After missing the first nine weeks of the season with an ankle injury, then providing very little in his first three weeks back, Green exploded on Sunday to the tune of 11 targets, six receptions, 110 yards and one touchdown. I don't like chasing production, but I believe the breakout can be trusted. He has always had potential as an athletic specimen in an explosive offense, and now he looks like the No. 3 option behind Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell that the Steelers have desperately been seeking. Not only should he continue to be peppered with targets, but they should be high-quality, down-field targets, and when you consider the lack of depth at the tight end position, Green's upside makes him a low-end TE1. (Getty)
Sit: Martellus Bennett, New England Patriots
Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Bennett has completely failed to take advantage of the injury to Rob Gronkowski, compiling a total of 11 targets, six receptions and 40 yards over the last three games. Tom Brady tends to feed hungry mouths, so it wouldn't be surprising if Bennett broke out for a big game at some point, but it's hard to bank on that happening in Week 14, as the Ravens have held tight ends to just 41.0 yards per game and two total touchdowns on the year. (Getty)
Fantasy Football Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Week 14 Predictions