Fantasy Football Takeaways: Week 14

Week 14 of the NFL season is complete outside a matchup between the Patriots and Cardinals. For most people, the regular fantasy season is finished. 

Some are on to the fantasy playoffs, and others are hitting the links. Either way, let’s take a look at some takeaways as we head into the playoffs. 

J.K. Dobbins is back 

After missing six weeks due to a clean-up procedure on his knee, J.K. Dobbins returned in a significant fashion. Dobbins was the most productive Ravens player by a significant amount, producing 120 yards of offense. The next-closest player was Tyler Huntley, who produced 119 scrimmage yards. Dobbins carried 15 times and averaged eight yards per carry – buoyed by a huge 44-yard gallup. He was the only offensive player to score a touchdown for the Ravens and finished with 18 PPR points (RB9 pending MNF). Dobbins isn’t yet back to his old self, but he looked much more explosive than Gus Edwards and Kenyan Drake.

Edwards did still see 13 carries, but it’s clear that Dobbins is in line for at least a 50/50 split down the stretch and a large share of the red-zone work. With a friendly strength of schedule in the coming weeks, Dobbins is set up for a great fantasy playoff run.

Jerry Jeudy explodes 

It has been a terrible season for the Broncos and any fantasy manager who rostered any of their playmakers, but this week we saw a huge breath of fresh air when Jerry Jeudy exploded for a  huge day. With Courtland Sutton out, Jeudy stepped in as the lead wide receiver and saw a team-leading nine targets – catching eight of them for 74 yards and an incredible three touchdowns. This impressive performance resulted in 33.3 PPR points, which is tied for the top finish at wide receiver this week.

This offense is still hard to trust going forward, especially with the injury to Russell Wilson, who left the game with a concussion and did not return. However, their fantasy playoff schedule is WR-friendly, as they face the Cardinals, Rams and Chiefs over the next three weeks. It’s likely we won’t see Jeudy repeat a performance like this, but even if Sutton returns, we could see Jeudy become a quality flex player down the stretch.

Zay Jones has another strong week 

For the second time in three weeks, Zay Jones finished the week with over 20 PPR points and a top-12 option. Jones saw the second-most targets for the Jaguars this week with 12, behind only Evan Engram who saw 15 in a career performance. With this 28% target share, we saw Jones catch eight passes for 77 yards and a score (21.7 PPR  points) – good enough for WR6 this week. This was the fifth time this year that Jones has seen over 10 targets, and each time he has posted double-digit PPR weeks – three of which were over 20 points. He has been hot lately, as three of these double-digit performances have come in the last four weeks. 

With Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense starting to fire on all cylinders, Jones may be one of the best pieces to roster. Jones is one of the top targets in this offense and faces a decent playoff schedule in the Cowboys, Jets and Texans. He can be a quality flex play weekly with top-12 upside. 

Zonovan Knight a league-winner? 

After the Jets lost Breece Hall and Michael Carter to injury, UDFA Zonovan Knight stepped into a significant role and has excelled. In a tough matchup this week, Knight produced his third straight game of at least 65 yards rushing, 14 or more carries and scored his first NFL touchdown. This was somewhat of a surprise, as many expected Carter to see a significant role in his return from injury. But that didn’t happen, as he only saw four carries and six targets. Over the past three weeks, Knight has also shown some dual-threat ability, adding a modest 10 receptions for 68 yards along with his 46 carries for 230 yards and a TD. This significant role has allowed him to finish with double-digit PPR fantasy points in every start of his career thus far. 

As we head into the fantasy playoffs and have a clearer picture of his role, you should be excited to roster him. The Jets face one of the easiest playoff schedules when it comes to running backs. They face the Lions and Jaguars while finishing with the league’s worst run defense – the Seahawks. Coming off back-to-back top-12 finishes, there is a good chance we see him continue this torrid pace through the playoffs – can someone say league winner? 

Isaiah Hodgins quietly becoming a flex play

Isaiah Hodgins joined the Giants before Week 10, and since then he has slowly become more involved in the offense. This week he saw six targets for the second week in a row. This was a 19% target share and was second to only Richie James (28%, nine targets). Hodgins caught four of them for 38 yards and a score (15.8 PPR points) and a WR22 finish (pending MNF). This will be his second straight double-digit PPR point finish and his second top-24 finish in a row. 

With the fantasy playoffs here, Hodgins appears to be near the top of the pecking order when it comes to targets in the Giants offense. He faces a friendly schedule in Washington, Minnesota and Indianapolis in the coming weeks, making him an intriguing option as a deeper flex play. However, I don’t see a huge upside in Hodgins, and it will require a touchdown for him to be a top-24 option in a given week. But if you’re headed to the playoffs and need help in your flex position and have a bleak waiver wire, look no further than Hodgins.