Fantasy Football Start/Sit: Zay Flowers, Ladd McConkey, Darren Waller

Week 14 is here, which means fantasy football managers everywhere are doing the same delicate dance: Pretending they’re calm while frantically refreshing injury reports and wondering why their most reliable starter suddenly turned into a decorative bench piece. With the fantasy playoffs looming, every lineup decision feels like it should come with its own dramatic score and slow-motion montage.

Fortunately, you don’t have to navigate the chaos alone. Our Featured Pros have once again sorted through the matchup quirks, usage trends, and late-season weirdness to highlight the Sleepers who can save your week… and the Duds who might quietly derail it. Let’s dive into who deserves a spot in your lineup and who’s better left on the fantasy equivalent of airplane mode.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Start/Sit Advice

Sleepers

Which player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is a good sleeper start, and why do you think he has upside this week?

Darren Waller (TE – MIA)

“The player outside of the top 100 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings that is a good sleeper start for Week 14 is Darren Waller. He returned last week from an extended injury with two receptions and 47 receiving yards. He should be ramping up and has a great matchup this week against the New York Jets. Back in Week 4, Waller had two receiving touchdowns against the Jets. He also has favorable matchups in the first two rounds of your fantasy football playoffs in Weeks 15 and 16.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

“Darren Waller. The Dolphins tight end led the team in receiving yards (47) on two catches and three targets (one red-zone target and 23% of the air yards). He ran a route on 63% of the dropbacks, which is typical of a player coming off injured reserve (IR). He should ramp up similar to how we saw him start the season. In the first matchup versus the Jets earlier this season, Waller scored twice (TE2 overall on the week). The Jets rank 31st in DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average) versus tight ends this season (Bengals are 32nd). Coach Mike McDaniel also said they were conservative with him in his first game back.”
– Andrew Erickson (FantasyPros)

Duds

Which player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week?

Zay Flowers (WR – BAL)

“The player inside the top 40 in the FantasyPros Flex rankings that is likely to disappoint fantasy managers this week is Zay Flowers. Flowers has only received 8% of his team’s red-zone opportunities this season, and his red-zone conversion rate is poor. Zay Flowers has not finished as a top-20 wide receiver since Week 1 of this season. Lamar Jackson has not thrown a touchdown pass in any of his past three games. He has a tough matchup this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
– Jeff Boggis (Fantasy Football Empire)

Ladd McConkey (WR – LAC)

“The matchup for Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey is doing him no favors in Week 14, when L.A. will host the Philadelphia Eagles. Only two receivers have scored double-digits in half-PPR against Philadelphia since Week 8 (Jameson Williams and George Pickens). McConkey has failed to eclipse 40 receiving yards in each of his last two games and hasn’t earned more than six targets in a game since October.”
– Matt De Lima (Athlon Sports)

“Ladd McConkey is tough to bench, but the Philly matchup certainly doesn’t look favorable. The Eagles have allowed only six touchdowns to wide receivers, with just three going to primary slot targets. The Chargers might also look to lean run in this one, with Justin Herbert either playing hurt or riding the bench in favor of Trey Lance.”
– Kevin English (Draft Sharks)