Favorable QB & TE Matchups for Week 14 (2021)
Every week this season, Fantasy In Frames is going to help you at the quarterback and tight end position by providing you with some of the best favorable matchups of the week. This week, let’s discuss the favorable QB & TE Matchups for Week 14!
It is the final countdown!
We finally made it to the last week of the fantasy football regular season. Some of you are safely in the playoffs, some are already eliminated, and a lot of you must win this week to make it to the “big dance.”
This week is tough with four teams on their bye week, and several key players out of action. You make need to take more risk this week to be rewarded with a win. It does not feel good and until your matchup hits double zeroes you will be incredibly anxious, but that is why we play fantasy football. Most players on the list this week are all about high risk for high reward. You should always play to win. Don’t play to not lose. It is best to go down swinging and give it your best shot instead of losing while playing scared to lose.
Now let’s do our best to finish strong and get in the playoffs!
How Did We Do?
For the season we have recommended streaming a QB1 35% of the time, and for Week 13 we did okay going 1 for 3 with Tua Tagovailoa (11), Taylor Heinicke (15), and Carson Wentz (21).
For the season, we have recommended streaming a TE1 38% and a TE2 62% of the time, and for Week 13 we were 1 for 3 for TE1. Tyler Conklin (6) came through for us, but Foster Moreau (26) and Gerald Everett (45) did not help us win last week.
Week 14 Bye Week Teams (impacted QBs and TEs): Indianapolis Colts (QB Carson Wentz), Miami Dolphins (QB Tua Tagovailoa and TE Mike Gesicki), New England Patriots (TE Hunter Henry), Philadelphia Eagles (QB Jalen Hurts and TE Dallas Goedert)
Quarterbacks to Stream – Week 14
Taysom Hill (@ NYJ) – 43.3% rostered in ESPN:
TAYSOM HILL 😱
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 3, 2021
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/I0kGksCAnq
I was hesitant to put Taysom Hill on this list last week for his first start because he has a foot injury. As a passer, Hill played poorly only completing 46.3% of his passes and throwing four interceptions. Hill finished as the QB7 last week with 24.66 despite that horrific passing stat line because he ran 11 times for 101 yards. There is a chance Alvin Kamara is back this week, which may see Hill run less in Week 14. He could improve his passing stats by targeting Kamara all game. Taysom Hill hurt his finger on his throwing hand last week, which could impact his poor accuracy even more. The main reason Hill makes this list is that he gets to play the New York Jets. They are the worst defense in the NFL, and they cannot stop the run. Taysom Hill can run all over the Jets and score goal-line touchdowns even if his finger is bothering him. Hill is the quintessential high risk and high reward quarterback, but he just proved how well he can score for fantasy football while not playing well for real-life football.
Cam Newton (vs ATL) – 35.4% rostered in ESPN:
If you thought Taysom Hill looked like a bad passer then Cam Newton said, “Hold my beer.” Cam Newtown is coming off a bye, but in Week 12 he was benched for PJ Walker after completing 5 passing on 21 attempts (23.8%) for 92 yards. Newton will look much better against the awful Atlanta Falcons defense. Newton has played in 3 games (started 2) and scored one rushing touchdown in all three games. Newton’s rushing abilities give him a solid floor, and in a good matchup, he has “boom” potential. After that horrible Week 12 game, there is tons of risk to start Newton in Week 14, but he has the potential to be a Top-3 QB and help you win.
Jimmy Garoppolo (@ CIN) – 14.2% rostered in ESPN:
Jimmy Garoppolo seems like such a boring quarterback. Over his last six games, he is the QB10 in points per game (20.5). He has the highest average yards per completion (9.1) during that six-game span. Deebo Samuel and George Kittle making huge plays after the catch is helping that stat, but the points still count for Garoppolo. He averages only 1.5 touchdowns per game over the last 6 games, but the 49er’s running backs are injured so they could lean more on Garoppolo passing this week to move the ball. The Cincinnati Bengals are just average defense. The biggest reason Jimmy Garoppolo is on this list is because of his fantasy football playoff schedule. He plays against the Falcons in Week 15 (31st against QBs), the Titans in Week 16 (31st against QBs), and the Texans in Week 17 for the championship (14th against QBs). Garoppolo has the best playoff schedule for quarterbacks, and he is worth the stash now if you do not need to stream him this week.
Tight Ends to Stream – Week 14
Tyler Conklin (vs PIT) – 40.2% rostered in ESPN:
Minnesota will likely be without Adam Thielen, and @saraperlman thinks Tyler Conklin will step up in the passing game. 📈
— NBC
🔊: https://t.co/d3pDFYnn2h pic.twitter.com/5l95uyjILkSports EDGE Betting (@NBCSportsBet) December 8, 2021
We have talked about Tyler Conklin a lot in this article this season. The Steelers have a solid defense, but they have some injuries, including their best cornerback being ruled out for the Thursday Night Football game. Before Week 13, Conklin averaged five targets per game from the previous five games. Early in the game of Week 13, Adam Thielen was injured and out for the rest of the game and Tyler Conklin had a season-high of 9 targets (22% target share). Conklin is capable of getting a 20%+ target again this week, which allows him to be a Top-10 TE again. For the season, he has the 4th most tight end targets in the endzone (7). Conklin feels like the “safest” streaming tight end this week.
Austin Hooper (vs BAL) – 20.6% rostered in ESPN:
Austin Hooper has not been special at all this season as the TE26 through Week 13. The Browns’ other tight end, David Njoku, was placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list this week and his availability for Week 14 is significantly in question. The Ravens’ defense has given up the third-most fantasy points to tight ends in the NFL this season. They also just lost their best cornerback, Marlon Humphrey, to injury. Their defensive strength is stopping the run game. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt are great running backs, but the team may try to pass more to attack the defensive weakness. Hooper is a longshot streamer, but he has the opportunity to have way more targets than he has averaged this season. Fortunately, a tight end only needs to catch a touchdown to be a TE1 for the week, and Hooper has a legit chance this week to score.
Gerald Everett (@ HOU) – 9.0% rostered in ESPN:
I saved the best for last. Well, not really, but if I put Gerald Everett at the top of the list then you would have stopped reading the rest of the article. Everett had a chance to be the TE2 (behind Kittle) last week and literally fumbled it away. He had two fumbles and caused an interception by tipping the ball up in the air. One fumble was at the goal-line and the tipped interception was at the goal-line. He somehow only had 7 yards from 4 receptions with 6 targets. However, he was still targeted multiple times near the goal-line and could have scored twice. Everett has the 7th most tight end targets inside the 5-yard line. The Houston Texans’ defense gives up 12.1 fantasy points per game to tight ends. Everett is a massive risk with a high reward tight end streamer, but he has a great matchup and will have an opportunity to score.