Mulligan’s Fantasy Football Forecast, Week 14
Fantasy playoffs are here for most of us (except for your weirdos who play through Week 17) and that means you need every player on your team to produce. No longer can you afford to waste a start on guys who might not produce because if you lose, your season is over. So buckle down, and analyze every player’s match up for the next few weeks. Do your homework now and you’ll be rewarded later. Great, now I sound like my mother.
Good Matchups
Thomas Jones vs. Buccaneers defense: In case you were wondering, the Bucs are still woeful when it comes to stopping the run. Add that to the questions the Jets have surrounding QB Mark Sanchez’s health this week and it would seem that RB Thomas Jones will see plenty of carries in Tampa on Sunday. Whether Sanchez plays or not, Jones should produce a very nice fantasy line in this one.
David Garrard vs. Dolphins defense: Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that this Week 14 match up between the Fins and Jags would have gi-normous (made up word, I know) playoff implications in the AFC? Well, it does. Both of these teams are much better at stopping the run than they are the pass, so look for lots of points out of Garrard and you could probably get a good game out of Dolphins QB Chad Henne too if you’re desperate enough to need him.
Not so good matchups
Kevin Smith vs. Ravens defense: What has to be considered a disappointing season for Kevin Smith is about to get even tougher in the next two weeks as the Lions play two very good run defenses in the Ravens and Cardinals. It’s tough to bench a guy like Smith, who not only runs the ball but always catches a few passes as well, but I would at least look around for another option this week against Baltimore, who allows just 3.5 yards per carry (best in the NFL).
Jay Cutler vs. Packers defense: Keeping with the trend of disappointing seasons, Jay Cutler also gets himself a difficult match up this week. Not only are the Packers the NFL’s third best pass defense, they’re also the league’s number one overall defense in terms of yards per game allowed (273). For some reason, that tends to be an overlooked part of this Green Bay team. So, the league leader in interceptions thrown against the best defense in the NFL? I’ll pass.
Waiver wire pickups
Davone Bess, WR, Dolphins: Both Bess and QB Chad Henne had career games against the Patriots last week. Bess hauled in 10 catches for 117 yards and a score. Now, this could be just a fluke but Bess does get a good match up this week against Jacksonville and easily leads the Dolphins in targets this season (84). He’s absolutely worth a pickup this week.
(ITALICS) Kyle Mulligan is a contributing sports writer for the Observer. He welcomes your feedback and can be reached at kjmulli@gmail.com.