Welcome to Week 14! Last week proved that at no point are we safe from the 2024 injury train while the season rolls on. Hopefully, you got your fill of food, friends, and family this past weekend. We feasted well with the Cowboys and Seahawks coming through with heaping helpings of double-digit fantasy points. However, it would appear I underestimated the power of an angry Adam Thielen as the Buccaneers faltered in fantasy, leaving us empty there. This week is the final week of byes, and what a time for it to come as teams are fighting to make the cut for playoffs. This could lead to an advantageous situation on waivers, but I will touch on that at the end of the column. But for now, we need to look at some Week 14 defenses that can get us that crucial victory for the win-and-you’re-in teams currently sitting on the cusp. So if it ain’t broke, we’re not fixing it: once again, we’re looking for the two teams playing against the teams from New York City that are rostered in around 50 percent of leagues or fewer.
Please note: there’s a decent chance that better teams above this 50 percent threshold are available in your league, but we can’t assume they’re out there for everyone. We have to draw the proverbial line somewhere, so stay active and monitor the league home page; someone might drop a desirable defense after waivers clear.
New Orleans Saints
Opponent: @ New York Giants
ESPN % Rostered: 29%
Yahoo % Rostered: 29%
You already know why New Orleans is on the list for this week, so let’s get into the details! I’m not going to pretend to sell you on a Saints defense that has been on a turnover drought for the past five or so games, barely sustaining itself on a couple of sacks trickling in each week. I am here to sell you on their opponent, the rudder-less Giants of New York. They have given up 10 sacks and 3 turnovers since asking Jones to get paid just to sit on the couch. They have failed to accumulate over 250 total yards of offense in either of their two games since that bye-week quarterback change, which includes falling shy of 150 total passing yards last week against Dallas. That’s a Cowboys defense that is in the bottom ten in total offensive yards allowed, including the second-worst rushing defense in the league.
Arizona Cardinals
Opponent: vs Seattle Seahawks
ESPN % Rostered: 15%
Yahoo % Rostered: 15%
Arizona has been on a tear the past few games, delivering a double-digit average of fantasy points each week for the past four games. They have become a machine that generates sacks, tallying 19 total over that stretch. They now host the Seahawks, a divisional opponent they just played two weeks ago to the tune of 5 sacks, an interception, and only 10 points allowed. Seattle has allowed 19 sacks over their past four games, in addition to turning the ball over 7 times in that span. In their previous matchup, the Cardinals held them to under 300 total yards of offense, including just 65 yards on the ground, and the Seahawks failed to produce a 50-yard rusher in that game. Their 16 points scored in that game was the lowest they have been held to in the aforementioned four-game period. Arizona is allowing an average of less than 15 points during that same period.
Miami Dolphins
Opponent: vs New York Jets
ESPN % Rostered: 43%
Yahoo % Rostered: 44%
Phew, the Jets are an unmitigated disaster at this point. That’s two home games in a row now that they dropped the ball (figuratively and literally) in games they were favored to win. They have given up an average of 10 fantasy points to opposing defenses over their last three games and now travel south to face a division opponent. Miami was on a little run of their own, averaging 9 fantasy points per game on defense lately before straying too deep into the frozen tundra of Wisconsin last week. The last time they won a cold-weather game was Christmas Eve in Buffalo ten years ago. Fortunately, they come back home where the game-time temperature should be in the high 70s. Before that cold weather collapse, they had racked up 11 sacks and 5 turnovers in three games and will now look to get back on that track against New York. The Jets have been held to under 200 yards passing and under 100 yards rushing for three games straight currently.
Honorable Mentions
Philadelphia Eagles (E:60% Y!:73%) – The Panthers had a fun home stretch of wins and almost wins, but that comes to an end this weekend. Eagles are solid hold candidates for the playoffs as well.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (E:53% Y!:53%) – After being stretched to the limit in Charlotte last week, they now travel home to host the Raiders heading across the country for the early game.
San Francisco 49ers (E:71% Y!:75%) – 49ers go back home to snap a 3-game losing streak against your current 2024 sack leader Caleb Williams and the Bears
Jaguars (E:11% Y!:4%) vs. Titans (E:13% Y!:6%) – AFC South divisional games have been wild this season, and it’s worth highlighting that both offenses here have been generous to opposing fantasy defenses.
Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos – These two teams are on bye and have fantastic games for Week 15! Keep an eye out and see if they get dropped this week onto waivers.
If you see something I don’t, leave a comment or hit me up with feedback @MikeoftheFF on Twitter or find me on Reddit!
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on Twitter) / Photography by David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire