With only one week until the fantasy playoffs begin, it becomes more crucial now than ever to set the best lineup. Having so many players to choose from, it can become confusing for an owner to know who is the right play. While most are thinking about who is the best start, you also have to remember who to avoid. If you’re one of those owners who need help in deciding who to stay away from, here are two players that everyone needs to leave on the bench in week 14.
One player current fantasy owners should strongly consider benching is Kareem Hunt. Having possibly the toughest matchup of the season against the Houston Texans, who have the league’s best defense, the outcome doesn’t look promising.
The Texans have put on a show for fans, having an absolutely dominant year defensively. Against the rush this season, they have held opponents to an average of 91.7 yards per game, and against the pass, they have allowed only 174 yards per game. The defense holds opponents on average to a total score of 16.5 points, controls the scoreboard, and sets the team up to win.
If you’re the owner who thinks the Texans have faced poor talent, resulting in lopsided statistics, and that Hunt will be the outlier, recheck the gamelog. Out of all 12 games they have played this year, they have only allowed over 100 rushing yards four times. In the eight weeks, they have kept teams under 100 yards; they have faced top running backs like Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, and Derrick Henry.
Kareem Hunt may have been a dominant running back years ago, but this season, he has only broken 100 rushing yards in one game. In the six games when he didn’t reach the endzone, he was held to under 10 fantasy points, becoming a non-factor. In a game against the Texans, where finding the endzone will be more challenging than ever, Hunt is better left on the bench.
The number one player to sit this week is A.J. Brown in a tough matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. Brown, fresh off his best game of the season with 10 receptions for 132 yards and two touchdowns, makes most owners confident to continue riding his hot streak. This is where they are mistaken.
The most glaring reason why any current Brown fantasy owner should keep him on the bench is how dominant the Chargers’ pass defense has been. They are currently ranked second-best in the league, with 11 interceptions and an opponent completion percentage of only 61.3%. They lock up receivers and have only allowed 24 completions of 20 yards or more and five completions of 40 yards or more, tied for the league best when combined.
If the Chargers’ incredible statistics aren’t enough to convince current Brown fantasy owners to leave him on the bench, maybe his history against top defenses this year will. He is on a hot streak, having scored 35.2, 25, and 11.9 points in his past three fantasy games, but they came against opponents ranked in the bottom half of passing defenses. The last game against a good passing defense was week 10, facing the number 10-ranked Green Bay Packers, when he had two catches for 13 yards.
Some fantasy managers will argue Brown had a great fantasy game against the Minnesota Vikings, who currently have a top-five passing defense. This may be true. He also, though, had a poor game against the number nine-ranked Denver Broncos pass defense and the number 12-ranked Kansas City Chiefs pass defense. In total, Brown has only had one impressive performance against a top 15 or better passing defense the entire season.
Don’t be the owner who leaves Brown in the starting lineup knowing he will struggle against the Chargers. He may be one of the best receivers current owners have on the roster, but with his history in challenging games this season, he is a player to bench in week 14.
If you are one of the owners who have no other choice but to start Hunt or Brown, hopefully, you don’t need a win this week. With both players having what may be the toughest matchups to date this season, there is no chance either player scores above their projections. Make the smart move and leave both players on the bench.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
