With six teams on the bye in Week 14, fantasy managers who previously had the luxury of sitting struggling veterans — or at least starting them with the knowledge you’d have to make up the points at other positions — were forced to rely on big performance of them.
Boy, they came through!
With the playoffs on the line, veteran receivers entered the fantasy playoffs at the last minute. Who took off in Week 14 and what can we expect at the most critical moment of our fantasy seasons?
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, WRs, Miami Dolphins
It feels appropriate to start this recap with Hill and Waddle’s big games. Few duos have experienced a rougher season than this one usual electric pair. When Tua Tagovailoa went down in Week 2, the Dolphins entered a dark period without a viable backup quarterback who could produce even remotely salvageable fantasy numbers. The entire offense suffered, though fantasy managers remained optimistic knowing the offense could come back to life if Tagovailoa returned.
Unfortunately, the immediate resurgence only benefited De’Von Achane, while Hill and Waddle continued to deliver disappointing performances. Despite Waddle’s pop in Week 12 and Hill’s three touchdowns in the past four games, we hadn’t seen a dominant performance from either until this point.
Week 14 finally saw the long-awaited offensive explosion. Hill caught 10 of his 14 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown, while Waddle hauled in nine of 12 targets for 99 yards and a 2-point conversion. Although Jonnu Smith came through in overtime, Hill and Waddle formed the core of the Dolphins offense, making fantasy managers nostalgic for their past top performances.
Pulse check: Can we really trust Hill and Waddle to be? both back to a weekly must-start?
I covered the prospects for the remainder of the Dolphins’ season in the Pulse Check article two weeks ago, and so far things are going as expected. Their remaining schedule includes Houston, San Francisco and Cleveland. Next week’s game against Houston should favor the passing game, as the Texans defense has struggled without Azeez Al-Shaair. San Francisco’s defense presents a tougher challenge, but is still manageable. Week 17’s game bee Cleveland game is the only potential issue due to weather. Nevertheless, Hill and Waddle offer significant upside through week 16.
Davante Adams and Garrett Wilson, WRs, New York Jets
The Dolphins receivers weren’t the only ones who delivered in the Dolphins-Jets matchup. Adams and Wilson also came through with big games after weeks of disappointing performances.
Adams has shown at least some ceiling, but has had major volatility over the past month with multiple WR4 appearances. However, this week’s performance was his best of the year as a Jet, with nine receptions on 11 targets for 109 yards and a touchdown.
Wilson, on the other hand, has been in a slump, failing to reach double-digit fantasy points since Week 9. I discussed Wilson on today’s episode of “Fantasy football live” and emphasized that we were in a ‘don’t panic’ phase with Wilson. Despite frustrating performances, his volume has remained steady, with at least eight goals in all but two games this season. My take was that Wilson’s guaranteed volume and a pass-friendly upcoming schedule meant better days were ahead, and he lived up to that prediction with seven receptions on 10 targets for 114 yards.
Pulse check: So we did that zero panic ahead, right?
Looking ahead, the Jets face one of the most pass-friendly matchups in the league against Jacksonville next week, followed by another favorable matchup against the Rams. A tougher test against the Bills looms in Week 17, but as the Rams proved today, strong veteran quarterback play can still take advantage and push a high volume to match that of Josh Allen. The Jets’ receivers are both top-20 options and the sheer volume makes them a comfortable play.
Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
Before I dive into Jeudy’s performance, I want to take a moment to thank Jameis Winston for finally unlocking a level of play in Jeudy that none of us really expected, making him a true WR1. Jeudy has now finished as a top-24 receiver for four straight weeks and delivered again this week with five receptions on six targets for 64 yards and a touchdown against a typically stout Pittsburgh secondary.
While Cedric Tillman is expected to return at some point, Jeudy could still operate as the Browns’ WR1. The two receivers haven’t had much overlap this season, but in Week 11 against New Orleans, both Tillman and Jeudy played full games and Jeudy finished as the overall WR4. Regardless of Tillman’s presence, Jeudy has flourished since Amari Cooper’s departure.
Pulse check: Can we really trust Winston?
Winston, for all his shortcomings, brings a certain level of fantasy consistency that the Browns lacked with Deshaun Watson. Under Watson, the offense rarely attempted more than 40 passes and failed to surpass 200 passing yards in any game. By contrast, Winston has exceeded 200 yards in every start this season, nearly or even over 400 yards several times, while regularly attempting more than 40 passes.
Looking ahead, the Browns have pass-friendly games against Kansas City, Cincinnati and an inconsistent Miami defense to close out the season. Jeudy is a locked-down, easy WR2 with strong WR1 upside and a must-start for the remainder of the season.
Adam Thielen, WR, Carolina Panthers
No list of notable veterans in Week 14 would be complete without the oldest of them all: 34-year-old Adam Thielen.
After winning one more game after returning from IR, Thielen has been on fire over the past two weeks, posting 17 receptions on 21 targets for 201 yards and a touchdown. The connection does not come as a shock. In 2023, Thielen was Bryce Young’s top target and finished as a top-five receiver three times before retiring deeper into the season. Thielen has once again become Young’s favorite and most reliable target, and Young has looked like a very different quarterback since returning from his midseason benching.
Pulse check: Can Thielen actually maintain this level of production?
Thielen’s prospects for the remainder of Thielen’s season depend largely on his ability to stay healthy, but the schedule is favorable. At his age – and I say this fondly as someone of a similar age – it’s difficult to sustain long-term success, but three more games isn’t much to ask and he should finish the offseason strong. Carolina faces the bland, beatable defenses of Dallas and Arizona, with a dream matchup in Week 17 against a Tampa Bay defense that Thielen tore apart earlier this season. Many fantasy managers may feel like they have younger or bigger players to replace Thielen, but he remains a strong flex option with WR1 upside for the rest of the season.
Quick pulse control – What about Justin Jefferson?!
Let’s wrap things up with a quick note about Justin Jefferson. I’ve discussed Jefferson in previous Pulse Checks, emphasizing that there was no reason to panic about his disappointing performance. His talent was never in question, it was simply a matter of defense focusing on shutting him down and opting to let Jordan Addison and TJ Hockenson do the damage.
Despite this, Jefferson’s goals remained consistent outside of one game against Chicago. This week he made a statement, catching all seven targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Jefferson reminded us why he is one of the best in the game.
