Agonizing Ways Your Fantasy Football Team Could Lose in Week 14

SI Staff | Dec 6, 2016

Agonizing Ways Your Fantasy Football Team Could Lose in Week 14 /

Agonizing Ways Your Fantasy Football Team Could Lose in Week 14

One of your players pulls a Jack Doyle and fumbles the ball out of the end zone while trying to dive for a touchdown.

With the news that Ryan Fitzpatrick has been benched permanently by the Jets for Bryce Petty, Brandon Marshall is not going to get the targets, receptions nor touchdowns that you were counting on in the playoffs against the 49ers. And given the way Petty targeted Robby Anderson in Week 13. Well, it was a good run between Fitzpatrick and Marshall while it lasted.

Your opponent is starting the Minnesota defense against Jacksonville this week and the stat you can't get out of your head is that Blake Bortles has more pick-sixes (11) than he does career wins (10). As fate would have it, he throws another one Sunday, adding to your misery.

Jeff Fisher is so proud of having found his challenge flag that he throws it early and often against the Falcons. Problem is, he doesn't have any challenges left when you need it most to stay in the playoffs. Yelling at your tv, you shout, Good thing I don't have to deal with that loser next year. Then you remember, Ugggh, Fisher just got a two-year extension.

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Well, you don't have to worry about Cam Newton being benched for the opening series because he didn't wear a tie to the stadium. (Still hard to believe that actually happened, right?) But as the Newton owner, you do have to worry about the San Diego defense adding on to what has already been a disappointing season for the Carolina quarterback.

With the Bears and Lions squaring off this week, it's worth reminding fantasy owners of the October 2015 matchup in which officials on the field ruled that the Bears had intercepted a pass off the hands of Golden Tate only to have the call reversed into a Golden Tate touchdown. What is and isn't a catch in the NFL continues to be one of the most agonizing ways to lose a matchup.

Because of the way Week 13 broke in your league, you're playing a tougher opponent that originally expected in Week 14, and, well, it doesn't turn out favorably for you. Better luck next season.

Odell Beckham doesn't pull down another one-hander against the Cowboys, but he has a big enough game to send you to bed in a funk Sunday night at being knocked out of the playoffs.

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As the Tom Brady owner you've known all along that you might be on thin ice with him facing Baltimore's nasty defense in Week 14 and Denver's top-notch unit in Week 15. There's no way you're benching him, but Monday night is going to be intense for you and your playoff opponent.

The Titans headed into their Week 13 bye week saying they had discussed using Derrick Henry in more short yardage situations. Much to your dismay as the DeMarco Murray owner, they follow through, depriving you of some much-needed points.

You need a big day from your starting quarterback to make up a huge deficit, and he follows the Week 13 script of Andrew Luck: four TD passes, 278 passing yards and 26 rushing yards with tons of time still left in the third quarter. Trouble is, the game is such a blowout that your QB gets the rest of the game off, leaving you a few agonizing points short of a victory.

The turf toe injury that Julio Jones struggled with in Week 13 keeps him out of Sunday's game against the Rams for longer than you can afford. Yet another year of an early-round draft pick letting you down in the fantasy playoffs.

The hard-hitting Seahawks get to Aaron Rodgers repeatedly, putting a dent in the point production of all of your Green Bay fantasy players.

Melvin Gordon's string of seven games without a fumble comes to an end as he has a rough outing at Carolina.

After not scoring a touchdown in the first 12 weeks of the season, Dennis Pitta continues his Week 13 exploits and piles up points against your team and the Patriots.

Fresh off of his three-interception disaster-of-an-outing against Detroit, in which he failed to throw a touchdown pass at home for the first time in 60 games, Drew Brees finds himself under even more pressure against playoff-hungry Tampa Bay.

Mike Gillislee isn't just vulturing a LeSean McCoy touchdown from time to time these days. No, now he appears to be the Bills' fulltime goal-line back, and a big thorn in your side.

The return of RG3 proves wonders for Corey Coleman and Terrelle Pryor, ruining the day for those who picked up the Cincinnati defense for what they thought would be a dream matchup.

Doug Martin says he'll be fine against the Saints after missing the latter portions of last week's game with a sore ankle. How many times have you trusted an athlete or a coach before and been burned? Think long and hard about this one and hope that you're right.

Kirk Cousins and Washington lose in back-to-back weeks, with the Eagles holding him to a single touchdown pass for the second time in seven days.

David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/TNS via Getty Images

According to sportingcharts.com, Michael Crabtree ranks fourth in the league in dropped passes this season. That can't be comforting to his owners heading into Thursday night's matchup against a stingy Kansas City defense.

Anyone who's starting Tyrod Taylor against Pittsburgh or Colin Kaepernick against the Jets after their letdown performances in Week 13 is braver than most fantasy owners. If it ends in defeat, you have only yourself to blame.

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If Paxton Lynch starts again for an injured Trevor Siemian in Week 14, at Tennessee, Emmanuel Sanders figures to get more than the 28 yards on three receptions he totaled in Week 13, right? Right?

Jerry Maclin's impending return doesn't bode well for Travis Kelce or your fantasy team. Here's hoping Kelce doesn't repeat the costly fumble he had during last December's matchup against Oakland.

By now you've given up on another 200-yard game by Jay Ajayi. Heck, you'd be overjoyed if he gets 80, something he hasn't done in his last four outings. Things don't get any easier this week against Arizona, which gives up the fewest points to the running back position.

Latavius Murray has scored double digits in fantasy points in four consecutive games. That he's playing on a Thursday makes your decision-making uncomfortable, especially if he lays an egg against the Kansas City D.

Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images

As the Carson Palmer owner, will you get good Carson or bad Carson this week on the road in Miami. When he's on his game, he keeps you pumped up. When he's not ... oh the head-slapping agony. And know this, Arizona is 0-4 on the road this year with Palmer under center, with the veteran QB having thrown seven TD passes in those games and eight interceptions.

Jordan Howard is finding his stride just when you could least afford it, coming off that three-touchdown day against San Francisco in Week 13. Imagine that, getting kicked out of the playoffs by a Chicago running back that coach John Fox didn't want to start in the first place.

You didn't make much of the 110 receiving yards and the touchdown catch by Ladarius Green in Week 13 until you realized you're facing him in the fantasy playoffs. How is that your playoff opponents always get all the good luck.

Published Dec 6, 2016

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