NFL Week 14 IDP Start/Sits

Don't set your defensive fantasy lineups for Week 14 of the NFL season without consulting the IDP Guys' Week 14 IDP start/sits article!

Welcome to the NFL Week 14 IDP Start/Sits article!

Table of Contents

It shouldn't be necessary to say this, but these are only suggestions. We don't sit in on team meetings; we simply absorb as much information as possible and then make calls based on that knowledge. If you don't agree with our suggestions, by all means, go in a different direction. Nobody makes these decisions for you.

Article Key

Trust

These players have the best outlook based on their opportunity, past production, talent level, and matchup. They usually have a solid floor and an excellent ceiling. These guys should be the nearest to guaranteed production you can find.

If You Must

These players should earn a reasonable amount of points. Their opportunity, talent, or matchup is typically not on par with a trusted player. Tier two players are usually a good option in deep leagues that start multiple players at each position.

Bust

Sit these players unless you're desperate. You should not start these players for any number of reasons. They aren't necessarily bad players. We just don't predict them to be scoring well this game week. In the case of rookies, for example, they may simply need time to earn more playing time and, therefore, our trust as fantasy starters.

Any player not listed in these three categories should probably be considered a "sit." If they become IDP-relevant on a week-to-week basis, they will likely end up in one of the categories above.

No Cornerbacks?

Johnny writes a separate article for CBs that drops on Fridays, and you can find it here once it is published.

True Position Designations

In some IDP leagues, certain positions are grouped in a suboptimal way, primarily because of outdated interpretations of what players at each position do. Many IDP leagues are turning towards True Position formats to address that problem. To know more about IDP True Position, click here to read the article written by Jase!

Let's get into the NFL Week 14 IDP Start/Sits!

Thursday Night Game

Raiders at Rams - @JaseAbbey

Raiders

Trust

Maxx Crosby, Edge

Crosby pressures the quarterback on 11.4% of his pass rush attempts. That figure is well above the league average but some way behind his league-leading 16.9% rate from 2021. His fantasy managers may not care, as he's amassed more sacks this year, despite generating only half of the total pressures.

The 25-year-old will go up against right tackle Rob Havenstein this weekend. Havenstein has recovered from an uneven season start and allowed only 12 pressures in his last seven games. Crosby will face easier matchups, but he's too good to consider sitting unless you're loaded with elite options at the position.

If You Must

Jayon Brown, LB. Denzel Perryman, LB

Neither of these players is a full-time linebacker. Brown played 67% of the defensive snaps last week, and Perryman had 80%. It was the first time this season that Perryman has had a larger role than Brown in games where both were healthy.

Perryman was the more productive player last week and will likely remain so if he maintains the snap advantage. He sports the third-highest tackle efficiency in the league. However, neither guy is a must-start fantasy option simply because they don't play every down.

Bust

Chandler Jones, Edge

Jones has generated half of his total pressures for 2021 in just the last two games. I doubt he's having a career renaissance; he simply played against two teams who cannot protect the passer.

Duron Harmon, S

Harmon isn't an efficient tackler, so despite ranking 22nd among all safeties in total snaps, he ranks 40th at the position with 55 combined tackles. He's been no stranger to making big plays in coverage throughout his career, but it's not enough to compensate.

Rams

Trust

Bobby Wagner, LB

Wagner has had a couple of big weeks in the last month, and fantasy managers appreciate the timing as we approach the playoffs. He doesn't rate among the best linebackers in tackle efficiency, but the sheer volume of snaps he plays has helped him put up 91 combined tackles, ranking 18th at the position.

He's also delivered plenty of big plays. Wagner has five sacks, an interception, and a pass breakup.

In tackle-heavy scoring formats, Wagner's value takes a hit. In all others, he's a must-start linebacker.

If You Must

Ernest Jones, LB

The IDP community couldn't agree on Jones' fantasy value heading into 2022. Some suggested the Rams would break tradition and start two linebackers in a full-time role to accommodate both Bobby Wagner and Jones. Others assumed the Rams would continue playing only one every-down player in the position, and Jones would have to settle for a smaller share of the snaps.

Unsurprisingly, the Rams didn't buck the league trend. Wagner has missed only a single snap all season, whereas Jones has averaged 71.9% of the snaps. That's still a sizeable role, and Jones has produced above-average tackle efficiency when he has played, but he's not a must-start option simply because he doesn't have the same opportunity that many other linebackers do. He's FantasyPros 48th-ranked linebacker.

Nick Scott, S

You could do worse than turn to Scott if you need a bye or injury replacement. He plays every down, so while his tackle efficiency is below average, he still ranks 27th at the position in total tackles. He's also chipped in with two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.

Scott spends slightly more of his time in a deep role than his teammate Taylor Rapp. I used to try and avoid starting safeties that were used in that way, but I'm much less concerned with that now.

Bust

Aaron Donald, IDL

As I said last week, Donald is arguably still the best player at his position, but the gap between him and others has closed in recent years.

He's clearly a must-start option when healthy, but he missed last week with a high ankle sprain, and the reports suggest he will also miss this week.

Leonard Floyd, Edge

2022 hasn't been Floyd's finest. Barring something special in the next few games, the 30-year-old will fail to produce double-digit sacks for the first time in three seasons. He has been more productive since the midway point of the year, producing five sacks in his last six games, but he's got a tough matchup against the improved Jermaine Eluemunor, who hasn't surrendered any sacks since Week 2.

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Click here to read the Week 14 Fantasy Football Start/Sits article for offensive players.

Thanks for taking the time to read our NFL Week 14 IDP Start/Sits article. We hope you find it useful. You can find more of our work here at IDPguys.org, and you can follow us on Twitter @DynastyDVM and @JaseAbbey. We will do our best to be available for questions or feedback. Our DMs are open.