6 December 2023 • by abovedev
What’s up and welcome to Rival Fantasy Week 14 Risers! The goal of this article is to discuss players whose fantasy football stock is on the rise. The players discussed in this article may be good trade targets, waiver wire adds, must starts and more.
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Jake Browning is a DAWG! I’ll be the first to admit major concern for the Bengals playmakers when Joe Burrow was announced out for the season. I worried that the loss of Burrow would impact even the most solid parts of the Bengals offense, including Ja’Marr Chase and Joe Mixon. Week 13 proved otherwise, with Jake Browning hitting Chase for 11 receptions, 149 yards and 1 touchdown. Even Joe Mixon caught 6 receptions for 49 yards, while also rushing for 68 yards and 2 touchdowns. I’d love to see more Tee Higgins involved, but still, Jake Browning is a riser heading into fantasy football week 14.
Joe Flacco was signed late in the season, raised from the practice squad and then started in place of Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was starting in place of Deshaun Watson. Joe wasn’t perfect in his first NFL game in the 2023 season, but he also wasn’t terrible, throwing for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. It certainly didn’t help that star WR Amari Cooper left the game with a concussion, but Flacco still has weapons in the offense that gives him value in fantasy if he continues to start. I’m a fan of DTR, but Flacco performed better than him, so I don’t imagine Browns coaches switching back to DTR if he’s healthy.
QBs I mentioned last week: Jordan Love & Russell Wilson
Well it’s safe to say De’Von Achane is healthy again, because we got yet another 20+ fantasy point performance from him in week 13. Crazy enough, Achane has finished as a top 5 running back every single week that he’s received more than one carry. There is no doubting his skills or the Dolphins use of them, as long as he stays healthy, Achane is part of an elite offense and he will continue to flourish in fantasy.
Chuba Hubbard finished week 13 as the running back 6 in PPR scoring, with 104 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns. After the Panthers fired their head coach and with Bryce Young having a rough rookie season, I wanted to bail on this entire offense in fantasy. Now that Hubbard turned around and had a good game against a tough defense, I have to step on the breaks. Not getting any passing targets hurts, but if the plan is to just keep feeding Hubbard, I’m here for it.
RBs I mentioned last week: Kyren Williams & Bijan Robinson
The Texans have two WRs I love in fantasy, unfortunately in week 13 they lost breakout rookie WR Tank Dell for the season, leaving C.J. Stroud down one fantastic playmaker. Thankfully for Stroud, he still has Nico Collins and some other talented pass catchers, and one is about to rise in a serious way. Noah Brown, who you might remember had 153 yards in week 9 and 172 yards in week 10, will now be relied on to pick up where Dell left off. Noah is a riser for the rest of season.
Week 13 had some explosive fantasy performances by WRs, but it’s also a week that the position saw a few injuries. Browns star WR Amari Cooper left with a concussion, so Joe Flacco turned to a familiar face in wide receiver Elijah Moore. In Week 13 Moore had 4 receptions for 83 yards, but he also had 12 targets in the game, so there’s higher upside available here. The Browns play the Jags next week, who just got ate up by QB Jake Browning, so I’d say Flacco and Moore have the potential for big games in store.
WRs I mentioned last week: Rashee Rice & Christian Watson
Brevin Jordan played well in place of Dalton Schultz who was out with an injury in week 13. We don’t know yet if Dalton will return in week 14, but Jordan did enough to prove he’s worthy of a pick-up and start if Dalton misses any more time. Jordan may have put up a quiet 3 receptions for 64 yards, yet that placed him at TE9 in week 13. With Tank done for the season and Dalton banged up, Jordan is a riser at tight end.
It’s important to first mention that nobody steps in and duplicates what Mark Andrews does in the Ravens offense. Isaiah Likely is now the starting tight end and in week 12 vs the Chargers he actually had the most receiving yards on the team. He has Lamar Jackson throwing to him, who prior to the injury was busy helping Mark Andrews be one of the top tight ends in the NFL. Outside of a handful of players, you’ll be hard pressed to find a TE with the upside that Likely has the rest of the season.
TEs I mentioned last week: Tyler Higbee & Pat Freiermuth
The injury to Derrick Henry in week 13 is yet another reminder of how good Tyjae Spears can be in fantasy football. Nobody enjoys seeing players get hurt, but the simple fact is that when it does happen, it’s an opportunity for the next guy to fill those shoes. Last week Spears finished right outside the top 15 at RB and that’s with Henry running for 102 yards and 2 touchdowns. If Henry misses week 14 against the Dolphins, Spears has a big moment ahead of him, but even if Henry does play, Spears is a riser that cannot be ignored.
Bonus Flex I mentioned last week: Jakobi Meyers
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