First off, it’s December, and my Chicago Bears are NFC’s top seed.
Second off, for the first time in a zillion seasons, my fellow Chicagoans have legitimate playoff dreams.
Third off, for the first time in zero seasons, we fantasy managers have legitimate playoff dreams.
Okay, not all of us have legitimate playoff dreams. Like the unlucky fantasy players who inexplicably believed in Minnesota’s QB room (J.J. McCarthy…ugh) drafted Vikings WR Justin Jefferson in the first round.
Or the unlucky fantasy players who thought Ravens QB Lamar Jackson would get them to the Promised Land.
Or the unlucky fantasy players who felt Eagles RB Saquon Barkley and Raiders RB Ashton Jeanty was a sure-thing league-winning backfield.
But for those of us whose dreams of postseason fantasy glory are still realistic here in Week 14, let’s fire up the start ‘em, sit ‘em cannon.
NFL Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em
Here’s who to consider throwing into your lineup or parking on the bench.
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold: Start ‘Em
Seahawks @ Falcons - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when the Atlanta Falcons defense was, if not scary, at least somewhat nerve-wracking.
Okay, granted, it wasn’t a particularly long stretch. Truth be told, it was just one game, a Week 5 tilt in which they held QB Josh Allen and his Bills to 2 touchdowns.
Atlanta’s D is now settled smack-dab in the middle of the pack, ranked 15th in yards allowed and 16th in points. And fantasy-wise, over the last month, they’ve been super-friendly to QBs, ranking 27th in points allowed to the position.
Despite his Seahawks’ dismantling of Minnesota last Sunday, Slingin’ Sammy Darnold is coming off his worst fantasy performance of the season, a 3.1-point stinkeroo that landed him at QB30, two spots behind Titans rookie Cam Ward. (If you’re behind Cam Ward in any statistical category, you know you had a lousy week.)
But last Sunday, Jets QB Tyrod Taylor lit up the Falcons to the tune of 21.7 fantasy points (QB7), so this might well be a get-right game for Darnold.
Sam Darnold PrizePicks Projection: 231.5 Pass Yards, 0.5 Rush Yards
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence: Start ‘Em
Jaguars vs. Colts - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when the Indianapolis Colts were the sexiest team in the league.
RB Jonathan Taylor and QB Daniel Jones were the AFC’s scariest one-two punch. TE Tyler Warren was cruising to an Offensive Rookie of the Year award. And the defense was…good enough.
But that was then.
The Horseshoes have dropped three of their last four, allowing an average of 24.0 points along the way, This is opposed to the first season, when it was 20.7.
Can you say regression?
Conversely, their division-mate Jaguars have been scoring in bunches, putting up 29.2 points over their last five, much of which came via the arm of QB Trevor Lawrence.
The Clemson phenom has topped 20 fantasy points in each of his last two games, finishing Weeks 12 and 13 as, respectively, QB7 and QB5. Yeah, he’s still QB16 for the season, but he’s on a heater, and he’ll be staring down a defense that’s on the opposite of a heater, so bask in the wonder of Trev’s glorious hair as he (hopefully) gets you and his Jags into the postseason.
Trevor Lawrence PrizePicks Projection: 227.5 Pass Yards, 17.5 Rush Yards
Raiders QB Geno Smith: Sit ‘Em
Raiders vs. Broncos - 4:05 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember that back in 2024, Geno Smith played some pretty good quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
And in 2024, Sam Darnold played some very good quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.
And in 2025, Sam Darnold is playing some pretty good quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
And in 2025, Geno Smith is playing some garbage quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The ‘Hawks came out of this musical chair thing as the clear winner, while the Raiders, not so much. Geno is currently the NFL’s QB32 (there are 32 teams, so you do the math), who has topped 20 fantasy points just twice this season. He’s thrown 14 picks and taken 46 sacks, with just 15 passing TDs to show for it.
Compounding the issue, Vegas’ opponent on Sunday, the Denver Broncos, has allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards in the league. So grab some bench, Geno. Grab some bench.
Geno Smith PrizePicks Projection: 202.5 Pass Yards
Colts QB Daniel Jones: Sit ‘Em
Colts @ Jaguars - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when Colts QB Daniel Jones was in the MVP conversation. I also recall when he went on a Mahomes-esque fantasy run, topping 22 fantasy points in five of his first eight games.
But over the last month, he’s looking very much like the New York Giants-era Danny Dimes, barely topping 16 fantasy points in his last three outings. Granted, he might or might not have a fractured fibula, but numbers are numbers, and the fantasy playoffs are the fantasy playoffs, so if you have another option at QB — Jets signal caller Tyrod Taylor is probably on your waiver wire, for instance — consider it. Like, really consider it.
Daniel Jones PrizePicks Projection: 233.5 Pass Yards
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley: Start ‘Em
Eagles @ Chargers - 8:15 p.m. ET (Monday Night Football)
I’m old enough to remember the scary-ass 2024 version of Saquon Barkley. But there’s zero reason to believe in the 2025 version.
He’s managed just one 100+ yard game, and hasn’t found the end zone since Week 8.
And on Monday night, his flailing Eagles have to make the cross-country trip to Cali, where they’ll face a Chargers D that allows a pretty-dang-good 21.2 fantasy points to opposing RBs. There’s little reason to believe this will be The Saquon Barkley Game.
But I do.
Why? Because I’m old enough to remember 2024.
Saquon Barkley PrizePicks Projection: 67.5 Rush Yards
Browns RB Quinshon Judkins: Start ‘Em
Browns vs. Titans - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when Shedeur Sanders was a good college quarterback. And I’m also old enough to remember that Shedeur Sanders, to this point, is not a good pro quarterback.
In his first three starts, his TD-to-INT ratio is 1:1, and he’s taken 6 sacks, all of which adds up to a QBR of — avert your eyes, Browns fans — 7.0.
All of which means that facing a Tennessee team that allows over 22 points to opposing running backs, rookie Judkins could eat. And eat. And eat some more.
Quinshon Judkins PrizePicks Projection: 84.5 Rush Yards
Titans RB Tony Pollard: Sit ‘Em
Titans @ Browns - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when Tony Pollard, coming off of consecutive seasons in which he topped 1,000 yards, signed a three-year, $21 million contract to take the Titans to the Promised Land.
Considering that here in 2025, Pollard has posted the worst per-carry average of his career (3.9), welp, let’s say it’s looking like Tennessee might have buyer’s remorse.
And if you have Pollard on your fantasy roster, you probably do too, as the Memphis product is currently fantasy’s RB40, making him the J.J. McCarthy of running backs.
If he’s your RB2, you have some thinking to do.
Tony Pollard PrizePicks Projection: 39.5 Rush+Receiving TDs
Packers RB Josh Jacobs: Sit ‘Em
Packers vs. Bears - 4:05 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when the Chicago Bears held Eagles RB Saquon Barkley to 5.6 fantasy points on a Black Friday. Granted, that Black Friday was like five days ago, but you get the point.
And that point is, the Bears defense, as was not the case for the first month of the season, doesn’t suck, ranking 14th in fantasy points allowed to opposing RBs over the last month. (Yeah, I know, 14 is the middle of the pack, but it doesn’t suck.)
On Thanksgiving afternoon, Jacobs managed just 9.1 fantasy points against a middling Detroit run D — they rank 13th in the league against the run — so facing a Chicago defense that’s beyond confident could make it a rough day for the former Raider.
Josh Jacobs PrizePicks Projection: 79.5 Rush Yards
Jets WR Adonai Mitchell: Start ‘Em
Jets vs. Dolphins - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when everybody was all like, “Adonai who?”
But then the Texas product dropped 102 yards, a tuddy, and 16.2 fantasy points on the Falcons, and everybody was all like, “Get this dude off the waiver wire and onto my roster!”
And then the Jets get to host a Dolphins team that’s allowed the 19th-most points in the NFL, and everybody was all like, “Get this dude into my starting lineup.”
Which is exactly how everybody should be all like.
Lions WR Jameson Williams: Start ‘Em
Lions vs. Cowboys - 8:15 p.m. ET (Thursday Night Football)
I’m old enough to remember that last week, I had Williams in my start ‘em column, and he racked up his season-high 19.9 fantasy points. I’m also old enough to remember gloating about it. I know, I’m gloating about it as I type, but, again, you get the point.
Detroit’s WR1, Amon-Ra St. Brown, is nursing a sore ankle, and it’s up in the air as to whether he’ll take the field against Dallas on Thursday night, but even if St. Brown is healthy enough, Williams could see extra targets — he had 10 last week — and become Detroit’s de facto WR1.
And yours.
Jameson Williams PrizePicks Projection: 77.5 Receiving Yards
Cardinals WR Michael Wilson: Sit ‘Em
Cardinals vs Rams - 4:25 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when Michael Wilson had a two-week run as one of the league’s most dangerous receivers.
And that was two weeks ago.
In Week 12, his 11.9 fantasy points landed him at WR13, and in Week 11, we saw 18.5 points and a WR3 finish.
Last week, Wilson fell back to Earth, biffing 4 of his 7 targets and managing just 36 receiving yards and 3.6 fantasy points (WR47).
The chances of regaining his form against the Rams and their second-ranked defense aren’t awesome.
Michael Wilson PrizePicks Projection: 47.5 Receiving Yards
Falcons WR Darnell Mooney: Sit ‘Em
Falcons vs. Seahawks - 1:00 p.m. ET
Darnell Mooney blew it.
With Atlanta’s WR1, Drake London, on the shelf, Mooney had the chance to plant his flag and rack up some WR1 numbers.
He didn’t.
Granted, he was catching balls from creaky QB Kirk Cousins, but he should have done more, because, well, you just expect more out of a substitute WR1 than 7.9 fantasy points per game.
And even if London remains sidelined, it’s not like facing a Seahawks D that allows just 200 passing yards a game is going to help him trend upward.
Bears TE Cole Kmet: Start ‘Em
Bears @ Packers - 4:25 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when the Bears drafted Colston Loveland in the first round of the 2025 draft, and the Bears incumbent starting TE, Cole Kmet, was pissed. But first-year Chicago head coach Ben Johnson assured Kmet he’d be a vital part of the offense.
Johnson spoke the truth.
Kmet played a key role in Chicago’s Black Friday upset in Philly, racking up a TD and 9.3 fantasy points (TE6). He’s averaged 3 targets and 28 yards in his last three games, and in a grudge match against the Packers, anything goes. Possibly even Kmet.
Texans TE Dalton Schultz: Start ‘Em
Texans @ Chiefs - 8:20 p.m. ET (Sunday Night Football)
I’m old enough to remember when WR Nico Collins was the Houston Texans’ leader in every receiving category. But of course I am. Because that’s today.
But I’m also old enough to remember when Dalton Schultz was second in both targets (80) and yards (552).
Admittedly, he’s only hit pay dirt once here in ‘25, but over the last month, Houston’s Week 14 foe, the Kansas City Chiefs, have given up the 14th most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, so the end zone might be calling for Mr. Schultz.
Dalton Schultz PrizePicks Projection: 38.5 Receiving Yards
Titans TE Chig Okonkwo: Sit ‘Em
Titans @ Browns - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when the Titans offense was good. Granted, it was when they were the Houston Oilers, but still.
Titans rookie QB Cam Ward isn’t a bust, but he’s legitimately bad (for now), and hasn’t done wonders for any of his pass catchers’ stats. For that matter, Okonkwo is the Titans leading receiver with a whopping (he says sarcastically) 406 yards and 0 touchdowns.
The fact that Tennessee’s leading receiver is fantasy’s TE32 tells you everything you need to know.
(Oh, P.S. - Chig gets the Browns’ third-ranked passing defense, and Cam Ward is still his QB, so good luck with that.)
Falcons TE Kyle Pitts Jr.: Sit ‘Em
Falcons vs. Seahawks - 1:00 p.m. ET
I’m old enough to remember when I wrote that Pitts earned a permanent place in Sit ‘Em World.
Because I write that every.
Single.
Week.
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