Fantasy Football Week 14 Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Justin Jefferson vs. Cortland Sutton
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Wow. Flash back before the start of week one, and the debate of who is a better play in fantasy football between WR1 of the Minnesota Vikings, Justin Jefferson, and WR1 of the Denver Broncos, Courtland Sutton, would have been a laughable debate. But in the ever-changing landscape of fantasy football, in week 14 of 2025, it is not. Here is a breakdown of who to start between Jefferson and Sutton this week in fantasy football.
Justin Jefferson
The hope and hype behind the third-string quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings Max Brosmer, was loud going into week 13. And with all the noise, he and the rest of the Vikings went out in a lull as they lost 26-0 to the Seattle Seahawks. Brosmer struggled heavily against the Seattle secondary, and that translated to some poor outings for the Minnesota pass catchers, including their star WR Justin Jefferson. In the game, Jefferson had two receptions on six targets for four yards.
Going into week 14, Jefferson and the Vikings will have a better matchup than last week, as they take on the Washington Commanders. JJ McCarthy will also be back as a starter after clearing concussion protocol. He has also had his fair share of struggles this year, but hopefully, a week off the field gave him a breather to reevaluate things and turn his season around.
The Commanders this year are allowing the third-most passing yards per game. In the year, they are also giving up the fifth most fantasy points to the WR position in PPR fantasy formats. In the 12 games they have played this year, they have given up over 100 receiving yards to an opposing pass catcher in five contests.
Courtland Sutton
WR1 for the Denver Broncos is coming off a good outing in week 13 against the Commanders. Against Washington, Sutton had five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. For the week in PPR fantasy formats, this had Sutton ranked as WR16.
The one thing that has been lacking in Sutton’s game throughout the 2025 season is explosiveness. He has been consistent in getting over 50 receiving yards, doing so in eight out of the 12 games he has played this year, but these huge receiving yards games have not been there. In the 2025 season, he has had two games over 90 receiving yards; last year, he had four. Hopefully, in week 14, Sutton can tap into some of his old self and have one of his better games to date this year as he and the Broncos take on the Las Vegas Raiders.
Las Vegas this year, with a record of 2-10 statistically, is not bad at defending the pass. They currently allow the 17th fewest passing yards per game in the NFL. And as of recent, WR1s have fared ok. In their last three games, only one opposing WR1 had over 50 receiving yards against the Raiders, but two of them found the endzone.
Something that could also limit Sutton’s ability in this game to perform well is a bad game script. If the Broncos get a big lead against the Raiders, that could make them less likely to pass on a larger scale. This seems like a real possibility given, the Raiders this year have lost by 14 or more six times. FanDuel Sportsbook currently has Denver in this game as -7.5 point favorites.
Final Verdict
When it comes to who should start between Jefferson and Sutton in fantasy football in week 14, Jefferson should start, and Sutton should sit. Yes, the QB play has been extremely shaky for Minnesota, but with Washington being their opponent, Jefferson is too talented a player to sit out in this debate. Sutton is still a solid play in the grand scheme of fantasy, but in this start-and-sit battle against Jefferson, he does not have the edge.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops