Fantasy Focus Football: Week 14 Start/Sit Advice – Must-Start Players & Risky Sits

Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp (Mike Clay and Stephania Bell absent)

Episode Overview

This episode zeros in on critical Week 14 Start/Sit decisions as fantasy football playoffs approach. Field Yates and Daniel Dopp provide a rapid-fire breakdown of must-starts, players trending down, rookie risers, lineup dilemmas, and injury pivots. The conversation mixes deep-dive stats, personal anecdotes, and practical advice for playoff-bound and bubble fantasy managers. Injury updates and late-breaking news get integrated, with a focus on actionable takeaways for redraft and dynasty leagues.

Key Topics and Insights

1. Playoff Push and Fantasy Philosophy

• Both hosts note the intensity of Week 14 as a “virtual playoff” week for most leagues, where everything is on the line.
• Field shares personal league scenarios, stressing the slim margins between “top seed and barely hanging on” [02:00].

2. Mark Andrews Extension & Dynasty Fallout

• Andrews’ three-year, $39.3M extension (“a little heavy handed,” per Field [05:15]) shifts Isaiah Likely’s dynasty outlook:
  • Likely now expected to hit free agency instead of inheriting the Ravens’ TE1 role.
  • “If you have Isaiah Likely in dynasty, he's going to be catching passes from someone besides Lamar Jackson next year.” – Field [05:24]

3. Justin Herbert’s Hand Injury & Chargers Pass Catchers

• Herbert expected to play through a plate/protection on his finger; Field treats all Chargers as if Herbert is starting [06:52].
  • “He still has his right arm, right?” – Field [06:57]
  • Daniel prompts Herbert’s toughness, memories of Field as Patriots’ practice QB, and the physical challenge of under-center snaps [07:20–09:19].

4. Week 14 Must-Start and Risky Sit Players

a. Joe Burrow: Solid Play, Tempered Upside

• Field’s Start Confidence: 7.5/10 [11:51]
  • “I'm starting Joe Burrow... but also preparing for the possibility of maybe 215 passing yards as opposed to 315.”
  • Buffalo’s D is stingy, only one QB over 15 points in last 11 (Burrow still ranked as a top-6 QB by both hosts [14:02]).

b. Emeka Egbuka: Volume Without Payoff?

• Six of seven games under 10 fantasy points, but top-4 in WR targets since Week 7 [15:17]:
  • Daniel: “How do I quit that player in fantasy football?” [16:17]
  • Field: Labels him a “pretty confident” start, low-end WR2 – value slipping, but targets hard to bench [16:24].

c. Quinshon Judkins: Sneaky Ceiling in Low-Scoring Browns Game

• Game script vs. Titans favors Judkins, Titans allow 128 rush yards/game.
  • Field: “If ever there was a Sunday where you might get two touchdowns, this might be it.” [19:53]

d. Khalil Shakir: Is the Floor Enough?

• Daniel details wild, up-and-down target/production swings since Week 8 [21:17].
  • “If you need to score a lot of points… look for more upside than Shakir. If you just need 12, maybe play the safe and steady guy.” – Field [23:13]

e. Bears RBs vs. Packers: Swift vs. Manangai

• Both playable but risky. Swift has a slight snap/target edge, Manangai more goal-line upside but needs a TD to hit [25:41].
  • “At some point, the clock will strike midnight… these guys are really close.” – Field

f. RJ Harvey: Trending Up at the Right Time

• 14 and 16 touches the last two weeks as Broncos’ RB1, solid passing floor. Top-15RB for Field [28:56].
• Faces Raiders, who allow 9th-most points to RBs since Week 8.

g. Steelers Offense – Trust Anyone?

• Jalen Warren: A “lowest-end RB2” despite early-season expectations (“Over his last six games: 11.9 fantasy points per game, not terrible, hasn't won you any weeks.” – Field [31:14])
• DK Metcalf: Starts strong, seven-game slump (“Wide receiver 45 since Week 7… it’s gross.” – Field [35:08])
  • Daniel: “With how deep wide receiver is, I can find someone better than DK this week if I need to.” [36:31]

h. Kyren Williams: Touchdown-Dependent Trap?

• Carries/targets reduced, Blake Corum getting work:
  • “Kyren Williams, no two ways about it, 8 touchdowns in 8 weeks. But if he was not getting in the end zone with no passing game work, we would see a very different fantasy running back.” – Daniel [41:04]

5. Thursday Night Football Preview: Cowboys vs. Lions

[41:32 – 51:44]

• Dallas Lineup Locks: Dak Prescott, Javonte (Williams), CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson [41:47]
• Detroit Questions:
  • Amon-Ra St. Brown: Start if he’s active, unless clear decoy reports [44:40]
  • Jameson Williams: Top-10 potential if Amon-Ra is out
  • Jared Goff: “Start him... Cowboys have given every QB but one a season-average-boosting performance” [46:19]
  • David Montgomery: Complete TD-dependency, “just not startable” if he doesn’t get in; Cowboys haven’t allowed a RB TD since Week 8 [48:19]
  • Cowboys WRs: Both expected to go over 15 points [48:30]

6. Deep League Longshots: Raheem Sanders Monopoly Fund

[51:54 – 57:06]

• Game where panel picks sub-0.1% rostered players to score touchdowns; nine hits in 12 weeks.
  • Picks this week: Adam Trautman, Ross Dwelly, Mason Tipton, and Treylon Burks.

7. Listener Mailbag: Start/Sit Rapidfire

[57:27 – 62:06]

• AD Mitchell vs. Jaden Higgins: “I’ll go back to the AD Mitchell well… way riskier but more upside” – Field [57:57]
• Daniel Jones vs. Lamar Jackson: Both pick Lamar, citing rushing upside and Jones’ lack of recent production [59:11]
• Stafford vs. Goff: Field leans Goff for matchup; Daniel barely prefers Stafford – both are solid [60:37]
• Devin Neal vs. David Montgomery: “Devin Neal, especially if Kamara sits” [61:29]
• Jacoby Brissett vs. Trevor Lawrence: Both prefer Lawrence by a slim margin.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the playoff stakes:
  “For some people, this is just like the playoffs because it’s either you win or you go home.” – Daniel Dopp [02:36]

• On the Mark Andrews deal:
  “It probably means if you have Isaiah Likely in dynasty, he’s going to be catching passes from someone besides Lamar Jackson next year.” – Field Yates [05:24]

• On Emeka Egbuka’s target drought:
  “Wide receiver 4 in targets, but wide receiver 37 in points per game… how do I quit that player?” – Daniel Dopp [15:47]

• On Khalil Shakir's fantasy prospects:
  “It’s one of those weeks where you have to know your needs based off of your matchup… there’s not a lot of indicators one way or the other.” – Field Yates [23:35]

• On DK Metcalf and Steelers’ misfit offense:
  “DK Metcalf being utilized like Khalil Shakir. Are you kidding me?” – Field Yates [35:56]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:43 – Show begins, playoff stakes
• 03:28 – Mark Andrews contract news; dynasty fallout
• 06:20 – Justin Herbert injury update; Chargers’ fantasy impact
• 11:05 – Week 14 preview: Joe Burrow, start/sit tiers
• 15:06 – Emeka Egbuka: lineup lock or liability?
• 18:08 – Quinton Judkins: favorable matchup analysis
• 21:02 – Khalil Shakir’s inconsistent usage
• 24:52 – Bears vs. Packers RB breakdown
• 28:40 – RJ Harvey rising
• 30:08 – Are any Steelers (Warren, Metcalf) playable?
• 37:29 – Kyren Williams: volume/trend concern
• 41:32 – TNF Lions vs. Cowboys lineup locks, injury impacts
• 51:54 – Raheem Sanders Monopoly Fund (deep league longshots)
• 57:27 – Listener mailbag: rapid lineup advice (Mitchell vs. Higgins, Jones vs. Lamar, etc.)

Episode Takeaways

• Most playoff-bound teams need to ride their studs, but secondary players like Emeka Egbuka, Khalil Shakir, and even rookie RBs warrant matchup-dependent, risk-smart decisions.
• Monitor late-breaking injury news (esp. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alvin Kamara, Jaden Daniels).
• Cowboys-Lions offers fireworks and several startable options, but watch for defensive injuries and Detroit’s shuffled WR/TE depth.
• Trust the process, but not the Steelers.

The Hosts’ Tone

Candid and pragmatic, Field and Daniel blend useful stats with locker-room banter and personal experience, keeping the advice nuanced and lively while never losing sight of fantasy playoff stakes. Their critical thinking (matched with plenty of "just tell me what to do!" rapid-fire takes) makes this episode a go-to for Week 14 nerves.

Next episode: Mike Clay returns. Deeper Thursday Night Football preview, injury updates, more starts/sits.