Week 14 features a number of teams on bye. There's no CMC. There's no Tetairoa McMillan. There's no Jaxson Dart or Drake Maye. For season-long players, this situation creates major challenges when it comes to roster construction at such a pivotal part of the season. For DFS players, it's just another week of finding fantasy potential in different places.
Here's how our team is approaching Week 14 for the Sunday DraftKings main slate and the Pick 6 options of the week:
Jump ahead
Lineup Construction | Building blocks | High-upside plays
Solid floor plays | Narrative street | The stacks
Don't be surprised... | Contingency Plans | Late-swap special
Pick 6
Lineup construction
Tyler Fulghum on the optimal lineup build given slate dynamics to maximize your floor and upside
Despite it being Week 14, it's far from a full slate due to byes. Who signed off on that, by the way?
At first glance, the main slate doesn't look all that exciting, save for one game in particular: Cincinnati at Buffalo. We're going to want some exposure to this game due to Buffalo's desperation, Cincinnati's soft defense and the return of Joe Burrow (and maybe Tee Higgins and Dalton Kincaid).
At QB we have two options: 1) spend up for Josh Allen or 2) shop in the $5k-or-less range. Jacoby Brissett, Trevor Lawrence and Tyrod Taylor stand out amongst the options in this group. I'm going to opt to spend down so I can play two skill players in the $8k range.
At RB, we definitely want to spend up for at least one of the four players priced at $7,800 or higher. James Cook III has the best matchup, Bijan Robinson is #ReallyGoodAtFootball, De'Von Achane's is getting hammered with touches and Jonathan Taylor is averaging the most DK points per game in the NFL this season. It's more likely than not we need at least one of these players in our lineup to turn a profit this week.
At WR, Ja'Marr Chase is going to be popular, for good reason, which will force most lineups to spend down with the other two WR selections. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of comfortable clicks in the sub-$5k value range. This is the most critical lineup decision we're going to make this week. Finding the right WRs in this price range that pop off is likely going to decide who makes the most money this week. Some players in this group include Terry McLaurin, AD Mitchell, John Metchie and Devaughn Vele.
Due to everything mentioned above, it's essentially impossible to pay up at TE, which removes Trey McBride, Brock Bowers and (maybe) Tyler Warren from the equation. IF Kincaid returns from injury, he'll be hard to ignore. But, by and large, most lineups will be paying about $4k or less at this position, which is more than fine if we land on a player that finds the end zone.
It doesn't look like there's a reasonable punt defense, so I imagine many lineups will look to spend $3k+ to get the spot they desire.
Building blocks
Mike Clay on the safe, chalky players who are likely to be among the most played this week
Josh Allen, Bills ($7,700): The Bills are facing the Bengals' league-worst defense this week, so we must find some exposure to their offense, especially in cash games. Kincaid, Khalil Shakir and especially Cook are all viable options, but I'd certainly recommend spending up and getting Allen in your lineup. Yes, Allen is priced $800 higher than any other quarterback, but he also projects for 5.5 more fantasy points than any other passer. Allen has a massive fantasy ceiling due to his dual threat ability and he's in a terrific spot against a defense that sits top 5 in yards, touchdowns and fantasy points allowed to quarterbacks.
Devaughn Vele, Saints ($3,700): With Rashid Shaheed and Brandin Cooks no longer with the Saints, Vele, whom the team traded for in August, is finally getting his chance to shine. The second-year receiver had a career day in Week 13, hauling in all eight of his targets for 93 yards and one touchdown. Vele carries some risk considering that this marked his first double-digit fantasy outing of the season, but his playing time (87% of the snaps over his last three games) and a terrific matchup (the Bucs have allowed the second-most fantasy points to receivers over the last eight weeks, and two Saints receivers reached 14 points when these teams met in Week 8) positions him as an appealing punt at just $3,700.
High-upside plays
Matt Bowen on some high-risk, high-reward players who are in a position to pop this week
Devaughn Vele, WR, New Orleans Saints ($3,700): I'm on board with Clay's assessment above. With his long frame and catch radius, Vele can run the deep in-breakers in Kellen Moore's offense. And those are timing throws for rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. Plus, he gives you some red zone upside. Good value here in the Week 14 matchup against Tampa.
Luther Burden III, WR, Chicago Bears ($3,800): Burden has seen at least five targets in three straight games, with a rushing attempt in each of his last two. A motion/movement player in Ben Johnson's offense, Burden can be schemed on manufactured touches, and he has the ball carrier vision to produce in space. There's big-play potential here on Sunday if Green Bay brings pressure early. Screens and quick game throws. He's electric after the catch.
Solid floor plays
Eric Moody on the players who are consistently part of the game plan and will produce at a reasonable price
Quinshon Judkins, Cleveland Browns ($6,400): The Browns offense ranks 31st in total yards and 29th in points per game this season and hasn't been a fantasy-friendly offense. But that's exactly why Judkins stands out as a value. Since Cleveland's Week 9 bye, Judkins has averaged 20.7 touches per game and 12.2 fantasy points per game. He now faces a Titans defense that has allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs, putting him in a favorable spot this week.
Field Yates and Daniel Dopp explain Quinshon Judkins' fantasy potential vs. the Titans in Week 14.
Breece Hall, New York Jets ($6,400): Hall set a season high in snaps in Week 13, finishing with 21 touches and 15.6 fantasy points for a Jets offense that ranks 27th in total yards. He's a strong runner, an effective receiver and one of New York's top playmakers, reflected in his 18.1 touches per game this season. Hall runs behind an offensive line that ranks 12th in run block win rate and has started the same five linemen all year. He's positioned for another heavy workload against a Dolphins defense allowing the sixth-most fantasy points to running backs.
Narrative street
Liz Loza's got a feeling ....
Liz Loza breaks down James Cook's Week 13 fantasy performance and why managers can look to him to keep delivering.
James Cook, Buffalo Bills ($7,800): Cook has been on a hot streak and has registered seven games over 100 rushing yards, which is the most by any Bills' player since LeSean McCoy back in 2016. I expect the explosive back to break more records in an exploitable matchup versus Cincinnati this Sunday.
The Bengals run defense has ceded the second-most rushing yards (1,893) as well as the second-highest number of runs over 20 yards (12) thus far into 2025. Al Golden's unit is additionally allowing 5.1 yards per carry. That sets up nicely for Cook, who has ripped off eight runs of 20 or more yards (T-RB4) and is averaging 5.3 YPC (RB6). Look for Cook to hit triple-digit rushing numbers for the eighth time this season, managing the most such outings for a Buffalo back since Thurman Thomas had nine in 1992.
Darren Waller, Miami Dolphins ($3,800): Waller might have played for that "other" team in New York, but he still has history with the Jets. Not only was his first post-retirement effort versus Gang Green (wherein he registered a 3-27-2 stat line), but he also set a franchise record for a tight end with 200 receiving yards and two scores playing against New York when he was with the Raiders in 2020.
Back from injury and working as Miami's WR2 in terms of production, Waller figures to work as a premier end zone weapon on Sunday. Waller ranks second on the team in end zone targets (5) behind only Jaylen Waddle, despite missing seven games in 2025. It doesn't hurt that the Jets have given up seven scores to the position (tied for the third most) so far this season.
The stacks
Daniel Dopp on building a lineup around teammates who are set up for joint success
Buffalo: Josh Allen ($7,700) & Dalton Kincaid ($4,300)
There's a chance Kincaid doesn't suit up this week, so continue to monitor the practice reports, but if he does go, this is my favorite stack of the week. It's not often that I prefer a stack with a TE, but this Bengals matchup is too good to ignore.
Allen is coming off a dud on the road, but I'm expecting him to bounce back at home this week against a lowly Bengals squad that has given up the sixth-most fantasy points to QBs this year. I know he's the highest-priced QB on the slate, but it's because he has week winning potential in a fantastic matchup.
As far as his pass catcher, we're going with Kincaid because of how well tight ends have done against Cincy this year. No team has given up more points to the position than the Bengals. Five tight ends have had at least 19.9 fantasy points against Cincy this year, and another six have at least 11.8 FP. With 13 TDs allowed to the position, Kincaid is in a prime spot against a soft defense at home in Buffalo, and with a cheaper price tag, you could spend up for Chase as a comeback play on the other side of this one.
Minnesota: J.J. McCarthy ($4,700) & Justin Jefferson ($6,900)
Daniel Dopp and Mike Clay discuss the fantasy outlooks for Justin Jefferson and the rest of the Vikings' receivers heading into Week 14.
This stack is all about upside and low rostership. McCarthy has been bad, and that has caused his superstar WR to suffer as well. However, if you're willing to zig while others zag, this matchup is really nice for both players.
McCarthy draws the Commanders in Week 14, and the matchup is what we're targeting. Washington has given up the third-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this year. Along the way, the defense has allowed eight different QBs to hit at least 18.5 FP. This could be a breakout game for McCarthy.
With Jefferson, the problem hasn't been volume, it's been production. But if we're buying into the narrative of a breakout McCarthy game, then JJetta's where I'm putting my money. Given his recent struggles, I wouldn't be shocked to see other managers go a different direction at WR. There's a decent chance this stack duds again, but given the matchup, if it hits, it should prove to be nice value for your DFS squad.
Don't be surprised...
Eric Karabell on fading the market and expecting the unexpected
Daniel Dopp breaks down Khalil Shakir's inconsistent fantasy performance throughout the year and questions if he can be trusted in Week 14.
Khalil Shakir, Bills ($5,300): He has been all or nothing lately, but the Bengals defense tends to be more "all" for opposing passing games.
Blake Corum, Rams ($4,600): Both Rams backs should enjoy facing the Cardinals, and Corum is clearly trending up.
Contingency plans
Tristan H. Cockcroft anticipates the injury-related plays you may want to make if and when players get ruled out
Josh Jacobs ($6,800)/Emanuel Wilson ($4,800), RB, Green Bay Packers: Jacobs is one of the game's best goal-line backs, and he now faces a Bears defense that ranks 28th against the run. While Jacobs returned to handle 17 carries in his Week 13 return from a knee injury, the ailment continued to limit him during the practice week. He's an ideal play for the price, but if Jacobs does take a turn for the worse, Wilson, who scored 29.5 points as a Week 12 fill-in, would be a no-brainer substitute at low cost.
Dalton Kincaid ($4,300)/Dawson Knox ($2,800), TE, Buffalo Bills: Discount shoppers at the position should exploit a Bengals defense that has surrendered 12-plus DraftKings points to nine different tight ends. Kincaid is the ideal pick if healthy, but Knox, if needed to sub in, has a cheap price tag that affords flexibility to pay up elsewhere.
Additional notes: Should Chris Olave (back) be unable to play, the aforementioned Vele ($3,700) would become a top value for Week 14.
The late-swap special
Daniel Dopp on how to set yourself up for the late games based on how the early games went
Christian Watson, Packers ($5,200): It's a dart throw at best, but the point of a dart throw is sometimes you hit a bullseye. When your 1 p.m. games have gone poorly and you need a MASSIVE game in the 4 p.m. slate, switching from a floor play to a ceiling play like Watson could make all the difference. Watson has probably been the most stable fantasy WR for the Packers over the last month, but that doesn't mean he's a sure thing. With two games of 18+ fantasy points over the last three weeks, he's worth a late swap if you need the upside.
Our DraftKings Pick 6 picks of the week:
Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: More than 215.5 passing yards. He's averaging 233.8 yards -- and 274.9 against bottom-16 pass defenses. I'll take this up to 225.5 yards, or so long as the multiplier doesn't shift. -- Cockcroft
Davante Adams, Rams: More than 0.5 rushing + receiving touchdowns. He has touchdowns in six consecutive games (11 in that span). Don't stop now! -- Karabell
D'Andre Swift, Bears: More than 50.5 rushing yards. Swift ran for 125 yards last week, and he has reached 80 yards in three of four games. -- Karabell
AD Mitchell, Jets: More than 46.5 receiving yards. Mitchell broke out last week with 102 yards vs. the Falcons. He's seeing a team-high 28% target share the last three games. -- Fulghum
Jayden Higgins, Texans: More than 34.5 receiving yards. Higgins has topped 42 yards receiving in three of his last four games. He's a big body target who can create separation to the ball. -- Bowen
Colston Loveland, Bears: More than 37.5 receiving yards. Loveland has 40 or more receiving yards in four of his last five games. He's a matchup target for quarterback Caleb Williams. -- Bowen
Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints: More than 214.5 passing yards. Shough has registered at least 239 passing yards in three consecutive efforts. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's defense has given up the third-most passing yards on the season (an average of 265 per game). As 8.5-point road underdogs and given a solid stable of pass-catching options (including the recent emergence of Vele), Shough figures to flirt with upwards of 230 passing yards. -- Loza
Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals: More than 19.5 receiving yards. Brown has cleared this line in seven of his last 10 games.-- Moody
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis Colts: More than 52.5 receiving yards. The Jaguars defense has allowed the second-most targets and second-most receiving yards per game to tight ends. -- Moody
James Cook, Buffalo Bills: More than 0.5 rushing + receiving touchdowns. Cook gets the matchup of a lifetime against the Cincinnati Sad Cats. The Bengals have allowed 14 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for sixth most in the NFL. Cook will get plenty of work early and often in this game and should find be able to find the end zone. -Dopp
