Week 14 opens with a battle between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots, the two teams that scored impressive victories last week.
In Week 13, the Patriots (6-6) posted one of the strangest box results you’ll ever see. They crush the chargers, 45-0, despite only having 291 yards. Landing from the penalty spot again and a blocked field goal gave the Bates all the “attack” they needed. Midfielder Cam Newton threw under 100 yards in the second game in a row. But he reached out to N’Keal Harry for a score and also ran for two short years. Damian Harris ran 80 yards back on 16 wagons, but neither the other Patriot nor the receiver achieved even 60 yards of melee.
The Rams (8-4) bounced off the clunker of Week 12 to defeat the Cardinals at Arizona 38-28. Midfielder Jared Goff was on guard, completing 37 out of 47 throws at 351 yards and 1 point. That landing went to the tight end of Tyler Hegby. The Rams’ flagship wedges, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, were very serviceable in PPR formats. Kupp caught eight of nine targets at 73 yards. Woods did a little better, securing 10 of 11 goals for 85 yards. The biggest development of the proprietors of the fantasy was the apparent detachment in the rear area of the rams. While Daryl Henderson Jr. and Malcolm Brown captured only three carriers, the rookie Cam Akers handled 21 carriages and ran 72 yards as well as landing.
TV info
DateThursday 10 December
time, 8:20 PM ET
Channel: FOX, NFL Network, Amazon
Broadcast map
Patriots# 21 overall – # 23 offensive, # 23 defense, # 3 special squads
Rams# 6 overall – # 4 attack, # 5 defense, # 30 special team
Patriots: +5, +205
Rams: -5, -240
sum: 45
Patriots
Cam Newton QB $ 5,900
Although Cam has totally blown up as a bystander, week 13 was a clue as to why he needed imaginative thinking. He is fast paced to achieve 15 quick goals, which will break his league record of 14 quick attacks by a midfielder in a single season. Russell Wilson ran 60 yards against the rams’ defense only a few weeks ago, so there’s a possibility here. But unlike Wilson, Newton would have had a potential bankruptcy if he didn’t run across the goal line once or twice. Buy at your own risk.
Damian Harris, RB, $ 5,300
With no such fleeting gameplay, Harris is perhaps the only other Patriot that intrigues fantasy owners. Week 13 provided him with the perfect game scenario as he led New England from the start, allowing him to stay on the field and take the balls. Sony Michel is back in the lineup with 10 campaigns, but most of them came after the first half (aka Garbage Time). If the Patriots can stay on top of the chains and rams, Harris might be worthwhile as an RB2 or resilient to long season formats. But in DraftKings’ PPR formula, Harris is an afterthought with a low floor and low ceiling he’s only had four assists throughout the year. This match is also against Harris; Los Angeles allows the sixth lowest number of Fictional Points for RBs.
Rams
Cooper Cobb, WR, $ 6,500
The Patriots would try to get rid of Cobb or Woods, but it’s hard to guess which one. Kupp is $ 200 cheaper on DraftKings even though he has counted two-digit points on DraftKings in five of his last six games. He hit an average of 10 goals per game and saw a target share of 23.6 percent over that period. Kupp’s ability to move throughout the formation makes him a tough player in the shadows. He should be able to open up often enough against New England.
Cam Akers, RB, $ 5,200
Now this mysterious back field appears to have some order. Akers played the season high with 63 percent of shots against the Cardinals while Henderson and Brown were on the field for 22 and 16 percent of shots, respectively. Brown has not been a factor for nearly a month, and even though Henderson ran 38 yards late in Week 13, he hasn’t top 10 campaigns in a game since Week 7. Once again, the 156-yard dash has gained over 30 trips over the past two weeks. It’s a good play against the Patriots’ defense.
