The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 14: Last-minute moves

UPDATE: 9:28 a.m. Sunday

Big news this morning in that, according to ESPN, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected to start today in Cleveland. Lucky for him, RB Travis Etienne is also expected to go, giving him a runner who can carry the load for a hobbled QB.

Who will face the Jags as the Browns’ QB? Why old Joe Flacco, of course. He could be worth starting for the desperate.

There’s mixed news out of Seattle. While QB Geno Smith is still a game time decision, both his backs (Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet) have been cleared for action.

Ruled out for Week 14: Saints Swiss Army knife tight end Taysom Hil.

UPDATE: 9:51 p.m. Saturday

Pretty quiet tonight except in Green Bay, where wide receiver Christian Watson has been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the New York Giants. His hamstring injury comes at a bad time for both the Packers and fantasy mavens.

The Packers also confirmed that Aaron Jones will not return this week, making this the third straight game the No. 1 running back will miss because of a knee injury.

There are also a couple of notes out of Cleveland. WR Amari Cooper (concussion) has been cleared to return. And he could be catching passes from QB Joe Flacco, who was elevated to the active roster on Saturday and could get the start over Dorian Thompson-Robinson.

UPDATE: 11:27 a.m. Saturday

We’re not quite buying it, but there are reports out of Duval County this morning that Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence could actually play tomorrow, just six days after spraining his ankle quite painfully against Cincinnati. That puts him at least one step ahead of teammate Christian Kirk. The receiver has been ruled out after pulling his groin.

Seattle’s situation is particularly dicey this morning, as QB Geno Smith and RBs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are all considered game-time decisions. Since the Seahawks are playing the mighty 49ers, you might want replacements for all three.

Players who have been ruled out for Week 14 include Indy RB Jonathan Taylor, Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco, New Orleans wideout Rashid Shaheed and Houston tight end Dalton Schultz.

ORIGINAL POST: 11:59 a.m. Wednesday
While the NFL season still has a full month of merriment to go, Crunch Time for fantasy mavens is now.

For most leagues, Week 14 is the regular season finale, with three weeks of playoff combat to follow. And the NFL schedule those weeks will play a huge factor.

The schedule in Weeks 15 through 17 is shaping up well for a pair of Vikings. Running back Alexander Mattison and tight end T.J. Hockenson may stand out against three not-too-imposing defenses: Cincinnati in Week 15, Detroit in Week 16 and Green Bay in Week 17.

Next week, we’ll take a look at the players who could face tough sledding against prolific defenses during the fantasy playoffs. But for today, here are players who could overperform when you need them most, and the defenses they will face over the next three weeks:

RUNNING BACKS
D’Andre Swift (Eagles RB) – Seahawks, Giants, Cardinals
Austin Ekeler (Chargers RB) – Raiders, Bills, Broncos
Josh Jacobs (Raiders RB) – Chargers, Chiefs, Colts
Bijan Robinson (Falcons RB) – Panthers, Colts, Bears
Jaylen Warren (Steelers RB) – Colts, Bengals, Seahawks

PASS CATCHERS
D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks WR) – Eagles, Titans, Steelers
Chris Olave (Saints WR) – Giants, Rams, Buccaneers
Nico Collins (Texans WR) – Titans, Browns, Titans
Christian Watson (Packers WR) – Buccaneers, Panthers, Vikings
David Njoku (Browns TE) – Bears, Texans, Jets

QUARTERBACKS
Brock Purdy (49ers QB) – Cardinals, Ravens, Commanders
Russell Wilson (Broncos QB) – Lions, Patriots, Chargers
Matthew Stafford (Rams QB) – Commanders, Saints, Giants

Sitting stars

The Jets have apparently decided they’re done blocking for RB Breece Hall. … Dallas’ Tony Pollard won’t post great numbers against the Eagles as the Cowboys focus on their air attack. … Steelers RB Najee Harris will regress vs. the Patriots’ unheralded defense. … As will Cleveland RB Jerome Ford vs. the Jaguars. … Buffalo’s Stefon Diggs is coming off three mediocre games and will add a fourth against the Chiefs. … The Rams’ Cooper Kupp will be covered very tightly by Baltimore. … And two quarterbacks you can expect to underperform are Seattle’s Geno Smith vs. San Francisco and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford vs. Baltimore.

Matchup game

We like Detroit RB David Montgomery facing his old team, even though the Bears statistically rate as one of the league’s best rush defenses. … Giants RB Saquon Barkley is due for a good game against Green Bay. … Cleveland WR Elijah Moore appears to be a favorite of new QB Joe Flacco. … Receivers we like this week include Dallas’ Brandin Cooks vs. Philly, the Chargers’ Keenan Allen vs. the Broncos and Denver’s Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy against the Chargers. … Two backup QBs should have a good game facing each other: the Colts’ Gardner Minshew and the Bengals’ Jake Browning.

Injury watch

Trevor Lawrence’s ankle injury and C.J. Beathard’s elevation likely ended the Jaguars’ hopes of getting the AFC’s top seed. … Tennessee RB Derrick Henry should be good to go Monday night in Miami after leaving early Sunday, so Tyjae Spears will continue to wait for his big chance. … Rhamondre Stevenson’s ankle injury means New England’s rushing attack will consist entirely of Ezekiel Elliott. … Houston WR Tank Dell is done for the year after breaking his leg. … Other QBs who were injured Sunday are Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and New Orleans’ Derek Carr. … Notables listed as questionable include Philly RB D’Andre Swift, Green Bay RB Aaron Jones, Pittsburgh RB Najee Harris, Seattle RBs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, Rams WR Puka Nacua, Packers WR Christian Watson, Cleveland WR Amari Cooper and Philly tight end Dallas Goedert.

Deepest sleeper

We’ll admit we had never really heard about Jacksonville rookie wideout Parker Washington before Monday night. The rookie from Penn State came into the game with exactly zero career receptions. But then Christian Kirk injured his groin, and Washington came on in relief and caught six passes for 61 yards and his first-career touchdown. That score came when he pulled in the ball after it deflected off Cincinnati safety Dax Hill in the back of the end zone. He’ll likely see similar action in the next couple of weeks for the depleted Jaguars.

The Thursday pick

Patriots at Steelers (-5):
Pick: Steelers by 7

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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