NFL Week 14 Optimal Flex Plays: You can trust Jameson Williams on his home court

Where do I start? It’s Week 14 and you may be fighting for a playoff spot while dealing with six weeks off. What do you do when you beat quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Anthony Richardson (QB7 since returning as starter, don’t hate it), Jayden Daniels, Bo Nix or CJ Stroud? I don’t normally cover quarterbacks in this column, but here are a few streaming options with decent matchups this week:

Players who were in this column last week, like Rico Dowdle (RB4), Rachaad White (RB28) and DJ Moore (WR7), appeared for us. We weren’t so lucky with guys like Michael Pittman Jr. (WR48), Khalil Shakir (snow) and Taysom Hill (injured). This week is the week of all weeks in fantasy football and we will finish strong. You may not be ready for some of the names here, but keep in mind that there are plenty of big names, including:

• RB: Derrick Henry, Joe Mixon, Jonathan Taylor, Brian Robinson Jr., Rhamondre Stevenson

• WR: Zay Flowers, Nico Collins, Tank Dell, Courtland Sutton, Josh Downs, Terry McLaurin

• TE: Mark Andrews, Hunter Henry, Zach Ertz

LET’S WIN.

Jameson Williams, WR, Lions vs. Packers

In Week 14, Williams will have the luxury of playing at home, in prime time and in a game where the current over/under is 51.5 points (the highest of the week). In five home games this season, Williams averaged seven goals, 4.2 receptions and 86.4 goals against against YPG, while away from home those numbers are 4, 2.6 and 39.6, respectively (in five away games). Additionally, Williams has seen at least six goals in his last three games. In a crucial NFC North matchup, look for the Lions to attack with Williams on the first-and-10, where he has gained 43.6% of his receiving yards this season.

Adam Thielen or Jalen Coker, WR, Panthers at Eagles

Bryce Young has turned things around as a young quarterback and it’s paying off for the Panthers, their offense and the wide receiver group. Now things get a little more difficult against an Eagles defense that just held the Ravens to 12 points with seconds left in the game. The Panthers are 12-point underdogs and should be in shooting mode. Thielen has been active and engaged since his return, coming off a game in which he posted a record of 8-99-1 with 10 goals. Jalen Coker’s return should see him pick up right where he left off. In Coker’s absence, David Moore averaged 9.5 goals per game, and while Xavier Legette could also be in the game, I’d go with Thielen or Coker first.

Tre Tucker, WR, Raiders at Buccaneers

Tucker had a very poor performance in Week 13, catching his only target for a 58-yard touchdown. The key here is that he was on the field for 97% of the Raiders’ offensive snaps, his highest performance this season. Now, to be fair, he hasn’t played fewer than 89% of the snaps in a game since Week 6 and has only gone 18-235-1 since then, but we’ve had six bye weeks, remember? He saw a lot more volume in Week 12, going 7 of 8 targets for 82 yards in a game against the Broncos that the Raiders trailed. That will likely be the case in Week 14, where the Raiders are 6.5 point underdogs against the Bucs. Roll with it.

Khalil Shakir, WR, Bills at Rams

Shakir had a poor week, going just 4:30-0 in the snow, making him the WR60 in Week 13. I don’t fear that will be repeated in any form this week in Los Angeles against a Rams defense that is allowing the sixth-most fantasy points per game to receivers. With two strong offenses and an over/under of 49.5 points, I expect the game to be back and forth. Even with the addition of Amari Cooper, Shakir remained Josh Allen’s most trusted and reliable target. He averaged 9.5 goals per game in the four games prior to Week 13. He will be ready to go.

D’Andre Swift, RB, Bears at 49ers

This is perhaps the hardest on the list, but you have to remember the circumstances we are in. When you say and think “Bears at 49ers,” it looks like a terrible matchup, but there is reason for hope with Swift in Week 14. The 49ers’ defense has allowed a single running back 100 or more rushing yards in two straight games . Additionally, they have allowed a running back to score a rushing touchdown in SEVEN straight games. Who would have ever thought that the 49ers would be in the bottom 12 when it comes to allowing fantasy points per game to running backs? Managers may have to worry about Roschon Johnson taking away some carries at the goal line, but he didn’t get a single carry in Week 13. This is a good place for Swift to get back on her feet.

Rico Dowdle, RB, Cowboys vs. Bengals

I talked about Dowdle in my earlier this week Stock up, stock down Article in view of his possibilities and his upcoming schedule. He is the RB7 in fantasy points per game (16.1) over the last two weeks after being the RB31 through the first 11 weeks. Now he gets a Bengals defense that gave up just 129 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown to Najee Harris in Week 13. This performance landed Harris as the RB3 for the week, the best weekly finish for him this season. Even with the Cowboys falling behind, Dowdle is still liked in the receiving game as he has caught three passes in four of his last five games. If anything, the volume will take Dowdle to the promised land.