Winners Club: Week 14 Begins with Rams Hosting Raiders
Raiders-Rams sounded more like a marquee matchup back in August than it does now that December has arrived.
Still, this game will certainly be compelling, one way or another. It’s a must-win for Las Vegas, which has battled back from a terrible start. And though the Rams are all but eliminated, they could end up starting yet another new quarterback, one NFL fans are plenty familiar with.
In today's Winners Club, you'll find:
- LV-LAR betting preview
- Thursday Night Football player props
- SI Sportsbook’s Perfect 10 contest
- Fantasy football player rankings
- World Cup quarterfinals predictions
L.A. is a Home Underdog Against Las Vegas
8:15 p.m. ET (Prime Video)
Las Vegas is putting together a playoff push with three wins in a row after it began the season 2-7. Meanwhile, the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles is on a six-game losing streak with its best players out for Thursday Night Football. That includes quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp, both of whom are on injured reserve, and All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
The heart of the Raiders' run has been its talented skill position players. Running back Josh Jacobs and receiver Davante Adams have been unstoppable on the current winning streak, while quarterback Derek Carr has played well, too. The defense has sometimes held the team back, but it's going up against a hampered team that is trotting out one of the worst offenses in the NFL. And there’s a chance Baker Mayfield, who the Rams claimed off waivers this week, will start on prime-time.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Frankie Taddeo put together a detailed betting preview of the LV-LAR matchup, made his pick and shared three prop bets to tail for tonight. And Albert Breer, Michael Fabiano and Jen Piacenti discussed all the key storylines heading into this game.
Some things you should know:
- If Mayfield starts against the Raiders, he will be the Rams’ third different starting quarterback in as many weeks. John Wolford, who started last week’s close loss to the Seahawks, is questionable with a neck injury.
- Jacobs, the NFL’s leading rusher, is up against the fourth-best rushing defense in the league.
- Las Vegas is 3-0 against the spread on its winning streak.
- The Rams are 2-0 against the spread with a backup quarterback starting this season.
- Los Angeles is 2-6 against the spread over its last eight games at SoFi Stadium.
To compete in SI Sportsbook’s Perfect 10 contest, pick 10 games against the spread for a chance to win $10,000. Check out the betting breakdown of this week’s slate before you make your selections. Even with six teams on bye, it’s a loaded schedule.
Get your NFL Tickets for Week 13 with SI Tickets
Fantasy Football Week 14 Prep
This is it. Week 14. The final week of the fantasy regular season. Crunch time.
Whether you're going for that bye week, trying to lock up a playoff spot or just trying to avoid spending 24 hours in a Waffle House, you must win this week. For some strange reason, there are six teams on bye this week, even though just two were on bye in Week 13, so your roster might be a little shorthanded.
But you can overcome that by making the best lineup picks possible with help from our experts below. Good luck—go get that W!
Start 'Em, Sit 'Em
Quarterbacks: Start Tua Tagovailoa and Justin Herbert against one another this week.
Running backs: Stay away from Leonard Fournette against the 49ers’ front.
Wide receivers: Believe in Christian Kirk on the road against Tennessee.
Tight ends: Coming off a goose egg, you cannot trust Dawson Knox.
Kickers and defenses: The Cowboys need to be in your lineup against the Texans.
Positional Rankings
Quarterbacks: Tyler Huntley is just out of QB1 range this week.
Running back: Samaje Perine is a top-12 running back against Cleveland.
Wide Receivers: DK Metcalf comes in ahead of teammate Tyler Lockett.
Tight ends: It’s hard to do better than the reliable Pat Freiermuth.
Flex: The two best flex plays this week are both AFC West running backs.
Defenses: The Ravens and Steelers are viable options against each other.
Kickers: Trust in a Justin Tucker bounce-back this week.
Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
Stat Projections
Quarterbacks: Jalen Hurts is projected to break 30 points against the Giants.
Running backs: D’Andre Swift is just north of the 20-point threshold.
Wide receivers: Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase will both finish with 20-plus points.
Tight ends: Only 10 players are projected to score double-digit points
In Other News
World Cup Quarterfinals Predictions: The field is down to eight teams: Brazil, France, England, Portugal, Argentina, Netherlands, Croatia and Morocco. See who our experts have advancing to the semifinals and winning it all.
Yankees Ink Aaron Judge to Massive Contract: The reigning AL MVP is returning to New York on a nine-year, $360-million deal. Judge turned down an offer from the team before last season, bet on himself and his price tag jumped after he smashed 62 home runs.
Padres, Xander Bogaerts, Agree on 11-Year Deal: San Diego signed away the Red Sox star shortstop to add to a lineup that already includes Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado. The deal will keep Bogaerts under contract through his age-40 season.
Falcons to Start Rookie Desmond Ridder at QB: Atlanta is making a quarterback move during its bye week. After the week off, the third-rounder out of Cincinnati will take over for Marcus Mariota behind center for the 5-8 Falcons.
Bills’ Linebacker Von Miller Out for the Season: One of Buffalo's key offseason additions to boost its pass rush will miss the rest of the year after surgery to repair his torn ACL. Miller won the Super Bowl with the Rams last season and played 11 games for the Bills.
Thanks for reading Winners Club! I’ll be back in your inbox Sunday morning.
