Fantasy Football: 6 Sleepers for Week 14

The word "sleeper" gets thrown around a lot in the world of fantasy football, to the point where an actual definition may vary from person to person. In general, sleepers are NFL players who may be flying relatively under the radar in a particular field. That could be an under-rostered player in season-long leagues, a player with an exciting matchup in a given week, or even a potential star just ahead of their true breakout.

In any case, we all need to find a sleeper from time to time. Whether you're a fantasy football hipster looking to roster an exciting new player before your league-mates hear about him, a daily fantasy manager looking for a lower-salary player to fill out a lineup loaded with studs, or even just a manager in a pinch due to byes or injuries, we have you covered. We'll be bringing you six fantasy sleepers each and every week throughout the season.

Fantasy Football Week 14 Sleepers

Gardner Minshew, QB, Indianapolis Colts

FanDuel Salary: $6,900

The Indianapolis Colts may have lost their rookie quarterback earlier this season, but they're still fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. Backup QB Gardner Minshew has been doing an impressive job of keeping their offense afloat and is a streaming quarterback worth considering this week.

Unlike many other teams with backup quarterbacks, the Colts have been letting Minshew sling it since he took over the starting gig. He's averaging a whopping 36.6 pass attempts per game over his last seven starts, which would tie him for the third-most attempts per game league-wide. Each attempt is a chance to put fantasy points on the board, and Minshew is getting a ton of chances.

This week, he has a chance to turn in some efficient production, as well. The Colts will face off against the Cincinnati Bengals, whose banged-up defense has been struggling to slow down their opponents. They've allowed opposing passers to average more than 20 fantasy points per game over the last four weeks, an average brought down by Kenny Pickett's 11.62 fantasy points in Week 12 in a game that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers top 400 yards from scrimmage for the first time in years.

Minshew should have little problem padding his stats against Cincy's defense in Week 14.

Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars

FanDuel Salary: $5,200

It doesn't feel great to recommend a player whose quarterback is in danger of missing the upcoming game, but Jacksonville Jaguars wideout Zay Jones is in a good spot to soak up volume in his Week 14 game against the Cleveland Browns. The veteran wideout finally looks like he's back up to full speed and ready to start benefitting from a high-volume role in Jacksonville's offense.

Jones returned to being a full-time player last week, playing on a season-high 93% of Jacksonville's offensive snaps. Finally over the knee injury that plagued him earlier in the year, Jones stepped up to the challenge against the Cincinnati Bengals after teammate Christian Kirk suffered an injury on his first snap of the day. He finished that contest with 5 catches for 78 yards on 8 targets and could be poised for an even larger role in Week 14 -- regardless of whether it's Trevor Lawrence or C.J. Beathard under center.

The Browns have been an avoid-at-all-costs team for sleepers and streamers for most of the year, but their elite defense looked softer than usual in Week 13. Their loss -- during which they coughed up 36 points to the Los Angeles Rams -- coincided with star pass-rusher Myles Garrett's first full game playing with the shoulder injury he suffered in Week 12. Garrett finished without a tackle, sack, or recorded pressure and also missed his second tackle all season, which could signal that he's far from being 100% healthy.

The Browns' defense might not be as terrifying as it once was -- at least while Garrett is banged up -- meaning sleepers like Jones have a chance for better-than-expected outings against them.

Khalil Shakir, WR, Buffalo Bills

FanDuel Salary: $5,500

If you need a deeper sleeper at the wide receiver position, consider Buffalo Bills wideout Khalil Shakir.

The second-year former Boise State Broncos pass-catcher is back up to running a near-full complement of routes in one of the highest-volume passing offenses in the league. Since becoming a regular option in the Bills' receiver rotation in Week 7, Shakir is averaging a solid 1.98 yards per route run (26th in the league). He's maintaining steady production even with an increase in snaps, which is a positive indicator for the young receiver's future.

The Bills will be facing a tough defense in Week 14 as they take on the Kansas City Chiefs, but Buffalo's implied total of 23.5 points still ranks fourth-most on the slate. If this one turns into a high-scoring affair, secondary receiving options like Shakir would stand to benefit.

Joshua Kelley, RB, Los Angeles Chargers

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

It's been pretty clear in recent weeks that Los Angeles Chargers star running back Austin Ekeler isn't all the way back from the ankle sprain he suffered earlier this year. The veteran has averaged more than 4.0 yards per carry in just a single game since returning from his injury and was kept to a mere 18 yards on 14 rushing attempts against the New England Patriots in Week 13.

Heading into Week 14, the team is reportedly planning to shake things up in their backfield -- which could mean more touches for Joshua Kelley.

Kelley was disappointing as the team's lead back when Ekeler was sidelined, but with hindsight, we can now chalk up at least some of that disappointment to the tough slate of rushing defenses he faced in those three games. The Tennessee Titans and the Minnesota Vikings have produced two of the stoutest rushing defenses in the league, so his poor outings against those units are more understandable.

This week, the Chargers will get to face a Denver Broncos defense that is allowing the most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs. Even with the Broncos enjoying a strong second half of the season, they've still allowed opponents to rush for an average of 140.7 yards per game since their bye four weeks ago.

If there was ever a spot for Kelley to look good with an increased workload, it is this week. It's a perfect get-right spot for a Chargers backfield that pretty much hasn't gotten it right all year.

Ty Chandler, RB, Minnesota Vikings

FanDuel Salary: $5,600

At a passing glance, it kind of looked like Ty Chandler was on his way back to the bench during and after the Minnesota Vikings' chaotic loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 12 -- the last time we saw the Vikings before their bye. Chandler had been seeing more work over the previous few weeks but was out-touched by starting running back Alexander Mattison 12 to 5 in Week 12.

Fortunately for anyone considering Chandler's services in fantasy this week, that seems more like a bump in the road and not like it was the result of a significant role reversal.

Despite the disparity in opportunities, it did seem as though Chandler was alternating drives with Mattison during the loss. It just so happened that Chandler's drives were often cut short by quarterback Joshua Dobbs' four interceptions. Chucking that many picks in one game can do some pretty wild things to a running back's snap shares, so it is possible Chandler was just a victim of bad luck in Week 12.

If he still has the role that saw him handling 29 total touches across Weeks 10 and 11, Chandler could be set up for a solid Week 14 outing. The Vikings will take on the Las Vegas Raiders, a team whose defense has already given up the sixth-most fantasy points per game to running backs and is now dealing with a banged-up Maxx Crosby.

As the Vikings get back on track, expect to see Chandler work back into the role that saw him handling double-digit opportunities in back-to-back games before Week 12.

Chigoziem Okonkwo, TE, Tennessee Titans

FanDuel Salary: $5,000

It wasn't too long ago that Tennessee Titans second-year tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo was considered a strong breakout candidate for the 2023 season. As a rookie, the former fourth-round pick posted an elite 2.61 yards per route run, flashing tackle-breaking moves we rarely see at the position.

But forecasts that called for a breakout had to be tossed aside as the Titans struggled with a brutal offensive dry spell at the beginning of the year.

Fortunately for Okonkwo, his future looks a little brighter now than it did earlier in the year. While he struggled to catch the attention of Ryan Tannehill to open the year, Okonkwo has begun to get on the same page as Will Levis. Over their last two games together, the pair has synced up for 7 receptions and 102 receiving yards, with Okonkwo boasting a familiar rate of 2.61 yards per route run in that time.

Their budding chemistry could take a step forward in Week 14 as the Titans take on the Miami Dolphins. Tennessee should be in a pass-friendly game-script for most of the matchup, which should give Okonkwo more opportunities to make an impact in the passing game.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.