Fantasy Football Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Dak Prescott vs. Matthew Stafford

This Week 14 fantasy football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em guide evaluates Dak Prescott and Matthew Stafford to decide which quarterback offers more upside.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) has the higher ceiling that fantasy football managers are looking for in Week 14 over Matthew Stafford. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Fantasy football managers face a pivotal moment as Week 14 arrives. With the playoffs looming in most leagues, the margin for error has vanished. This is the time of year when lineup decisions transform from casual preferences into season-defining moves.

Two of the most prominent names in the quarterback conversation this week are veterans playing at an elite level: Dallas Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Both have delivered QB1 value throughout the season, leading high-powered offenses that can tilt a fantasy matchup single-handedly.

Prescott enters the week leading the NFL in passing yards, while Stafford has thrown for over 30 touchdowns. They are arguably the two most reliable pocket passers in the league right now. However, only one can start in a single-quarterback format. While both players offer high floors, a deep dive into the metrics, matchups and recent trends reveals a distinct advantage for one of these passers in Week 14.

Dak Prescott carving up defenses with consistency

Dak Prescott continues to play some of the best football of his career. He is dismantling coverages with machine-like consistency, a trend that was on full display in Week 13 when he shredded the Kansas City Chiefs for 320 yards and two touchdowns. That performance marked his seventh multi-touchdown outing in his last nine games.

The Cowboys are relying heavily on Prescott’s arm, and it shows in the box score. He leads the league with 3,261 passing yards and is on pace to eclipse 4,000 yards for the fourth time in his career. Prescott attributes much of this success to the steady hand of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

DAK FLIPS IT TO JAVONTE WILLIAMS AND THE COWBOYS TAKE THE LEAD BACK 🤠

KCvsDAL on CBS/Paramount+
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/25aUHSUmQo

— NFL (@NFL) November 28, 2025

“I just credit him for being the same, being consistent, and it’s something that he talks about,” Prescott said regarding Schottenheimer. “But to actually watch him be consistent and be the same man through the adversity and now through some success, he’s a hell of a leader. He’s the right guy for the job. We’re all following him.”

The matchup for Week 14 sets up beautifully for this aerial attack. Prescott faces a Detroit Lions secondary that remains one of the league’s most vulnerable units. The Lions just surrendered four touchdowns to Jordan Love on Thanksgiving and have allowed 17 or more fantasy points to eight different quarterbacks this season. With weapons like CeeDee Lamb and newcomer George Pickens operating at full speed, Prescott enters Thursday night with legitimate overall QB1 upside.

Matthew Stafford looking to bounce back from Week 13 misstep

Matthew Stafford is coming off his first statistically poor showing in months, but savvy managers know better than to panic. In a 31-28 loss to the Carolina Panthers, Stafford threw two interceptions, his first picks since Week 3. Before that hiccup, he had set an NFL record with 28 consecutive touchdown passes without an interception.

Despite the turnovers, the volume and production remain elite. Stafford has amassed an obscene 3,073 passing yards and 32 touchdowns through 12 games. Even in a "down" game last week, he managed two touchdown passes, extending his streak of games with multiple scores to six. He is clearly in rhythm with Davante Adams, particularly in the red zone.

Matthew Stafford is an actual sicko. He no-looked this to move #11 out of his throwing window. pic.twitter.com/nurFxtxj6a

— Sosa Kremenjas (@QBsMVP) December 1, 2025

Week 14 offers a solid bounce-back spot against the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals rank 30th in defensive dropback success rate and have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks over the last three weeks.

This is a divisional clash that could easily turn into a high-scoring affair, with a betting total of 48.5 points suggesting plenty of offense. Stafford remains a high-end fantasy option who usually thrives in dome environments against questionable secondaries.

Verdict: Dak Prescott offers higher point ceiling

In our Week 14 quarterback rankings, Prescott and Stafford are slotted at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively.

While both quarterbacks are top-tier options, Prescott is the safer play and start 'em with the higher ceiling for Week 14 over Stafford. The primary differentiator is the projected game environment. The Cowboys playing the Lions in a dome typically guarantees points, but the specific dynamics of the team's middling defense create potential for a high-scoring shootout.

The Dallas defense has struggled significantly, often forcing the offense to keep the pedal down for all four quarters. This negative game script is gold for fantasy production. Furthermore, the Lions' pass defense is statistically inferior to Arizona's, giving Prescott a clearer path to a massive stat line.

Prescott is playing for a contract future and MVP consideration, boasting the league's highest QBR at 75.3. He has more explosive weapons, a weaker defensive opponent, and a greater need to throw the ball deep into the game. Start Prescott with confidence and expect him to feast on Thursday night. For this exercise, Stafford is the sit 'em, but he remains a top-five fantasy option in Week 14.