Fantasy Football fool’s gold: 3 players you should believe in, 2 players you shouldn’t in Week 14

The long road through the fantasy football regular season is about to come to an end. Week 14 marks the finish line for the fantasy regular season in standard leagues (aka leagues that aren't crazy enough to decide their championships in Week 18), offering managers one last chance to either sneak into the playoffs or secure a higher seed in the postseason.

Unfortunately for anyone invested in fantasy football, the NFL decided to throw another bye-pocalypse into Week 14 with six teams set to rest on Sunday. There are plenty of fantasy heavy hitters sitting out as Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, Jayden Daniels and C.J. Stroud are among the big names who will not be available in Week 14.

Which players are capable of helping you navigate this Week 14 storm and which are simply fool's gold? Read on to find out who to trust or bust in the latest edition of the fantasy football fool's gold report.

Fantasy football fool's gold: Week 14 report

Jordan Mason, RB, San Francisco 49ers

The big injury news from Week 13 was a disaster in Buffalo for Christian McCaffrey owners, who watched the top pick in most fantasy drafts exit a snowy loss early with a non-contact knee injury. 49ers' head coach Kyle Shanahan told reporters that it looks like McCaffrey sustained a potentially season-ending PCL injury, which is a devastating blow for him.

The injury does create a rare opportunity to add a bona fide starting running back on the waiver wire in Week 14 in the form of Jordan Mason, who showed he is capable of being an RB1 during McCaffrey's earlier absence this season. Mason handled the majority of the work after McCaffrey left on Sunday, carrying 13 times for 78 yards, while Isaac Guerendo mixed in for four carries that went for 19 yards and San Francisco's only touchdown.

The speed of Guerendo should factor into the mix here but San Francisco will likely lean on Mason going forward. Assuming McCaffrey owners weren't able to hang onto him as a handcuff option, Mason is the top pickup off the waiver wire and the most trustworthy option of the week.

Verdict: Trust

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, WR, Tennessee Titans

We've covered Westbrook-Ikhine before in this space and recommended him as a trustworthy option in Week 11 as a hedge against the upcoming bye weeks. A lot of people ignored that advice, viewing Westbrook-Ikhine's touchdown streak as fluky, but his results merit a second look for most managers.

Some things in the NFL don't make sense and Westbrook-Ikhine's streak of recording touchdowns in seven of his past eight games is certainly up there. While most would assume that regression is coming in that department, he has established himself as a trustworthy part of the Tennessee passing game and has a good connection with Will Levis as well.

Screaming regression feels nice but an eight week sample size is enough to hop on board and ride the train for as long as it lasts. With six teams on bye in Week 14, Westbrook-Ikhine should be propping up a fantasy lineup near you.

Verdict: Trust

Parker Washington, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

Another AFC South receiver of interest is Parker Washington, who has become one of the top pass catchers in Jacksonville. It is understandable to not want much of a stake in the Jaguars' offense, particularly with Trevor Lawrence dealing with various injuries, but Washington had a breakout performance against Houston in Week 12.

Washington was targeted a career-high 12 times against the Texans, catching six of them for 103 yards and a touchdown on the afternoon. The good news for Washington truthers is that Gabe Davis joined Christian Kirk on injured reserve this week, making him the de facto No. 2 receiver in Jacksonville behind rookie sensation Brian Thomas Jr.

The problem is that Lawrence is in concussion protocol, leaving Mac Jones to throw passes, which is far from ideal for the passing game. Jacksonville's upcoming schedule features four teams in contention for the top pick in the draft (Tennessee twice, the Jets and Las Vegas), so there's a good chance garbage time doesn't factor into many of these contests, leaving Washington's Week 13 performance as a likely outlier.

Verdict: Bust

Aidan O'Connell, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

The merry-go-round at quarterback continued for Las Vegas in Week 14 as Aidan O'Connell was forced back into action a week early after Gardner Minshew II landed on IR. O'Connell acquitted himself well against a strong Kansas City defense on Black Friday, completing 23-of-35 passes for 340 yards with two touchdowns in the Raiders' 19-17 loss.

Head coach Antonio Pierce can't be happy about O'Connell's costly fumble to end the game but the Raiders figure to give the second-year man every chance to establish himself as their quarterback of the near future. The passing game also features a few good weapons for O'Connell to work with, including veteran slot man Jakobi Meyers and rookie phenom Brock Bowers, who has been one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL this season.

The next three weeks feature weak pass defenses on the Raiders schedule with Tampa Bay, Atlanta and Jacksonville on tap. The combination of bad secondaries and the potential for garbage time makes O'Connell a strong consideration for a streamer over the next few weeks, including fantasy playoff time.

Verdict: Trust

Alexander Mattison, RB, Las Vegas Raiders

We'll stay in Las Vegas and look at the Raiders' running game, which feels like spinning a roulette wheel and hoping you get lucky if you're invested in it for fantasy purposes. The Raiders pulled the rug out from potential Ameer Abdullah backers in Week 13, instead elevating practice squad back Sincere McCormick and giving him the lead role in the running back committee.

The committee could gain another member in Week 14 with Alexander Mattison on the mend from an ankle injury. A Sunday-to-Friday turnaround limited Mattison's chances of getting back for the Chiefs' game but he was practicing last week, opening the door for him to take the field against the Buccaneers on Sunday.

While Mattison has been the Raiders' most productive back so far, this room has full-blown committee potential that will make everyone in it unplayable. Teams desperate for help this week can roll the dice on Mattison claiming top dog status in Las Vegas but this is a situation that should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Verdict: Bust