It's Week 14 of the NFL season and we've got some big games on deck, including what should be an exciting Thursday night contest that pits NFC North rivals against each other.
The Lions have won 10 in a row, but lead the second-place Vikings by just a game and the third-place Packers by just two games. This division is a bloodbath. Even the fourth-place Bears are a solid team. They're 4-8 on the year, but they're 4-5 against teams that aren't in their division.
Thursday, we get the Lions hosting the Packers. A win for Detroit essentially makes the NFC North a two-horse race. A win by the Packers solidifies it as a three-way battle. The stakes are high.
Here is one player to fade and one player to start at each position in fantasy football for Week 14 of the 2024 NFL season.
Week 14 quarterbacks to fade and start
Fade: Jameis Winston - Cleveland Browns
Jameis Winston was unbelievable last week, throwing four touchdowns to his Browns teammates and finishing with 497 passing yards in a loss to the Broncos. He also threw two touchdowns to the Broncos though. It was a weird one.
Don't expect those kind of explosive numbers against the Steelers this week. For one, repeating a four-touchdown game where you throw for almost 500 yards isn't easy.
Additionally, the Steelers are just a really good pass defense. And yes, so were the Broncos, but let's not forget that despite allowing all those yards, Denver picked Winston off three times. This is a letdown spot for Winston.
Start: Sam Darnold - Minnesota Vikings
I'd have thought that by this point in the season, the old Sam Darnold would have emerged. But Minnesota keeps winning and Darnold keeps throwing touchdowns, with at least two passing scores in all but three games this season.
Last week, Darnold was 21-for-31 for 235 yards and two scores. He's now had 200 or more yards in all seven games since Minnesota's Week 6 bye.
This week, Darnold faces the Atlanta Falcons, who allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. He's easily a top 10 play with upside.
Week 14 running backs to fade and start
Fade: Gus Edwards - Los Angeles Chargers
With J.K. Dobbins out last week, Gus Edwards got his shot as the lead back for the Chargers. He ended up with six carries for 32 yards.
Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal barely cut into his role. It was just that Edwards didn't go much in a game where the Chargers struggled to move the ball.
This week, he faces a stout Chiefs run defense. There won't be much running room and there won't be much reason to deploy Edwards in fantasy lineups.
Start: Tony Pollard - Tennessee Titans
Tony Pollard looks to bounce back from a disappointing Week 13 game that saw him get just eight carries when he takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.
A big issue last week was that the Titans trailed so much of the game, forcing the team to throw more. That's unlikely to be the case this week as the Titans take on a Jaguars team that won't have quarterback Trevor Lawrence.
I'd expect a healthy dose of Pollard in this one. Jacksonville has really struggled against the run this season and Pollard already has five top-15 fantasy finishes this season.
Week 14 wide receivers to fade and start
Fade: Deebo Samuel - San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers are a mess this season. The Christian McCaffrey injuries have been a big part of that, but it doesn't help that Deebo Samuel has just been a constant non-factor.
Entering this game, Samuel has failed to even hit 25 receiving yards in three consecutive games, and he has just one carry in that time so he hasn't been able to supplment his meager production on the ground.
At this point, it's really hard to justify playing Samuel when his floor is this low.
Start: Jayden Reed - Green Bay Packers
With Romeo Doubs out with a concussion and Christian Watson struggling a bit, Thursday night should be a strong night for Jayden Reed.
While he still tends to have issues getting consistent targets in this offense, Reed has been making the most of what he does get. He has eight catches over the last three games since Green Bay's bye, but he's scored three touchdowns in that span.
The Lions might be the NFL's best team right now, but they have given up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers, so that's something to keep in mind as well here.
Week 14 tight ends to fade and start
Fade: Juwan Johnson - New Orleans Saints
I've noticed some movement up the rankings for New Orleans Saints tight end Juwan Johnson this week, as he currently sits as the consensus TE16 among experts at FantasyPros.
And I just have to say this — I don't get it.
Sure, he'll play about 70% of snaps and sure, the Saints need players to step up with Taysom Hill out for the year, but Johnston has just two games all season with more than three receptions.
And sure, one of those games was last week! But Johnson turned his five receptions into just 36 yards. If I'm diving for value at tight end, I'd rather bet on more Noah Gray touchdowns or big games in good matchups for Mike Gesicki or Chig Okonkwo.
Start: Will Dissly - Los Angeles Chargers
Last week was frustrating for Will Dissly. After three solid showings in a row that saw him finish as a top 20 fantasy tight end each week, Dissly crashed back to earth, failing to bring in his only target and scoring 0.0 fantasy points.
But I'm willing to bet on a bounce back this week against a Chiefs defense that's allowing the fourth-most fantasy points per game to the tight end position.
Add in that Dissly was on the rise before last week's stinker and that the Chargers still lack consistent options outside of Ladd McConkey for Justin Herbert to throw to AND that the Chiefs run defense should shut out Los Angeles and force more pass attempts and, well — I think you can see why I'm relatively high on Dissly this week.