Fantasy Football Week 14 Quarterback Preview: Playoff stashes, DFS plays, and more
Everything you need to know about quarterback for Fantasy Football in Week 14
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3 min read
Week 14 is a strange week in Fantasy Football. In my leagues, it seems about a third to half of the league has something to play for. The rest of the league is either eliminated or has already locked up their bye or playoff spot. I can't help those of you eliminated, and the rest of this article is for those teams that are fighting for position in Week 14. But at the top, I would like to offer some help for those teams who have already locked in their playoff seeding.
For starters, congratulations. Now, let's take a look at the playoff schedule at the quarterback position.
At the quarterback position, there has been no better target than the Dallas Cowboys. They have given up 28.17 Fantasy points per game to opposing QBs, five more points than any other defense. They are also not much help for planning in the playoffs. In the playoffs, they face J.J. McCarthy, Justin Herbert, and either Jayden Daniels or Marcus Mariota. If Mariota was guaranteed to start, he would be an excellent stash, but that is not our expectation.
In a strange twist, the Vikings actually face the three best matchups for opposing QBs in the Fantasy playoffs. That probably isn't much help other than to know that J.J. McCarthy could be a good option in two QB leagues. The one QB those three QBs face in the Fantasy playoffs that you may be able to stream is Aaron Rodgers, if he is still starting. He gets the Dolphins in Week 15 and the Lions in Week 16. This makes me want to make sure he's rostered in one-QB leagues and to roster Mason Rudolph in Superflex leagues.
So who are the top streaming options in the playoffs? In Week 15, I like Marcus Mariota against the Giants if he is still the starter or Rodgers against the Dolphins. In Week 16, my favorites are Rodgers against the Lions and C.J. Stroud against the Raiders, followed by Tua Tagovailoa against Cincinnati and Bryce Young against Tampa Bay. In Week 17, Tagovailoa against the Buccaneers is the best option available. It probably seems strange to target the Dolphins in December with their track record, but they are in Florida for their final two games, so there could be some uncharacteristically good performance down the stretch.
Let's get to the rest of the Week 14 preview:
Week 14 QB Preview
QB Preview
Numbers to know
- 0 -- The Buffalo Bills have allowed zero QBs to score 20 Fantasy points in a game since Week 1. That includes Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield, and Drake Maye. Up next? Joe Burrow.
- 7.71 -- Jordan Love's 7.71 ANY/A is his career best as a starter. He's playing very good football on very low volume. I am starting him this week.
- 6.5 -- Justin Herbert is averaging 6.5 yards per pass attempt without Joe Alt. I would like to sit him.
- 77 -- Matthew Stafford leads the NFL with 77 pass attempts inside the red zone. Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes are the only other QBs with more than 60 red zone pass attempts.
- 15.4% -- Lamar Jackson 15.4% off-target rate is the second-highest amongst qualified starters.
- 2.0 -- Jaxson Dart scored two Fantasy points with his legs in his first game back. It may be tough to trust him in the Fantasy playoffs if he is less aggressive running the ball.
QB Preview
Waiver Wire Targets
Adds/Streamers (QB Preview)
As of Tuesday, we are not expecting Jayden Daniels to return in Week 14. If he doesn't, Marcus Mariota is the clear top streamer. He has topped 20 Fantasy points in two of his last three starts, has Terry McLaurin back, and still has rushing ability to boost his floor and his upside. It is not a good matchup, so I wouldn't start him over Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, or Joe Burrow, even though I am low on those guys. I would start Mariota over Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams, and Sam Darnold. Just make sure Daniels doesn't get cleared.
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Stroud has a bad matchup this week, at Kansas City, so don't rush to start him. But if you are trying to replace Drake Maye or Jaxson Dart, Stroud is the best replacement widely available. In his last two full games, he has thrown for nearly 600 yards and averaged better than 7.9 yards per attempt. I expect that Houston will have to pass more than they generally do in this must-win game. Added bonus, Stroud has used his legs more than usual in 2025, and the Chiefs have given up the second-most rushing TDs to QBs.
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QB Preview
DFS Plays
Top DFS Play
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Brissett has scored at least 19 FanDuel points in every start he has made. He has topped 23 FanDuel points in more than half of his starts. He is still reasonably priced and should throw more than 40 times against the Rams.
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Contrarian DFS Play
Projections powered by
Sportsline
Jackson is now down to the third most expensive QB. His recent play would suggest an even lower price, which means he should be contrarian. How often do you get a chance to start a QB with his upside at both a lower price and a lower roster rate? There is not much in his recent play that suggests a turnaround, but what we know is that when it clicks, he has the ability to lap the field. That's the kind of guy I want in my contrarian lineups. Throw Zay Flowers in there as well, and you may have a tournament-winning stack.
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QB Preview
Heath's projections
My full set of Week 14 Fantasy football projections for every position is now available on SportsLine. Find out which of my favorite plays are projected to score higher than consensus rankings and which don't live up to their draft hype, at least in Week 14. Projected stats for all starting quarterbacks are available, so be sure to check out the full set of projections at SportsLine.
