Fantasy football start/sit advice, Week 14: Wide receivers

It’s crunch time in the fantasy football season. The playoffs are here and the stakes are higher than ever. If you were one of the lucky few to earn a first-round bye, sit back and enjoy Week 14 stress-free. For everyone else, they have work to do.

With the bye weeks over, owners should be rolling with the top starters who got them this far in the first place. However, some people still have tough decisions to make about which players they should trust in their lineup and push them to the next round. With that in mind, here are some recommended starting options at wide receiver, along with some players you should avoid.

Tyrell Williams, San Diego Chargers (@ Carolina Panthers)

Williams is playing through a shoulder injury and didn’t get to do much last week, but he did manage to find the end zone for the fourth straight game. It was an unexpectedly quiet day against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ beatable defense, but Williams draws another friendly matchup with the Carolina Panthers’ defense, which is tied for 30th in passing yards allowed per game.

Taylor Gabriel, Atlanta Falcons (@ Los Angeles Rams)

Julio Jones is a true game time decision with turf toe, while Mohamed Sanu has already been ruled out for the week. That leaves Gabriel as the next man up, and his big-play ability gives him considerable upside if he sees more targets. The Los Angeles Rams’ defense hasn’t played up to its reputation this year and Matt Ryan isn’t afraid to sling the ball around, so Gabriel is an intriguing WR3 play this week.

Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (vs. Dallas Cowboys)

Shepard has scored a touchdown in four of his last five games. Of course, he has just 17 catches in that span, including an inexplicable goose egg in Week 12. That’s just the risk you assume with the Giants’ offense, which hasn’t been in sync for a while. Still, Shepard will be play against the Dallas Cowboys’ middling pass defense, in a game that promises shootout potential. He had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown when these teams last played in Week 1.

Rishard Matthews, Tennessee Titans (vs. Denver Broncos)

Matthews has emerged as one of Marcus Mariota’s more reliable weapons, scoring five touchdowns in his last six games heading into the Titans’ Week 13 bye. He offers big-play potential, but will have a rough matchup with the Denver Broncos’ elite secondary. The Titans’ entire passing game is an easy fade this week as they figure to double down on the run.

DeVante Parker, Miami Dolphins (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

Dealing with a back injury, Parker was fully expected to sit out last week’s game. Instead, he was surprisingly active and even found the end zone against the Baltimore Ravens, though admittedly that came in garbage time of a blowout loss. Parker is still playing hurt and is listed as questionable this week. He’s not a recommended start against Patrick Peterson and company.

Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars (vs. Minnesota Vikings)

Last week I recommended to sit Robinson against the Broncos’ defense and he predictably flopped with just three catches for 31 yards. Now he gets the Vikings’ pair of elite cornerbacks. The Jaguars’ offense is utterly broken and it’s taken Robinson’s fantasy value down the drain. As one of the biggest disappointments of the year, Robinson can’t be trusted during the playoffs.