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Week 14 MNF: Cowboys-Bengals Preview, Prop and Prediction

Mon Dec 9 11:46am ET
Field Level Media

A Week 14 matchup between the Bengals and Cowboys looked intriguing when the league released the schedule.

Not many expected these teams to be near the bottom of the pecking order in the playoff picture.

Cincinnati (4-8) and Dallas (5-7) have a 2% chance of reaching the postseason according to NFL.com's playoff predictor.

With such a grim outlook, these defenses could be particularly vulnerable.

As a result, this is a matchup where offenses are in line for big numbers, so it's no surprise that we have a total of 49.5.

The Bengals have the more fluid offense and would be in a better spot in the standings if not for quite a few bad breaks. We'll explain why bettors should expect the Bengals to jump out to a fast start on Monday night.

--Joe Burrow has been elite

Per TeamRankings, the Jets (-2.7) are the only team with a worse luck factor than the Bengals (-2.4).

That metric suggests that, with a little better luck, the Bengals could have had an additional 2.4 wins on the year.

They've gotten excellent play at the quarterback position from Joe Burrow, who leads the league with 30 touchdowns while only throwing five interceptions.

Burrow's play has been so good that he even ranks second in Total QBR with a 74.2 value. Given the importance of the position, it's rare that you see a quarterback with such a high Total QBR on a team that's four games under .500.

It's worth noting that Burrow still managed to put up these prodigious numbers despite not having one of his best wide receivers, Tee Higgins, for five games.

Higgins is now back with the team, which should help Cincinnati's all-gas and no-brakes offense.

-Prop Play

It's a night for the receivers in Dallas, a duel that spotlights No. 1 targets CeeDee Lamb and Ja'Marr Chase.

Lamb was slow to return to the practice field midweek but is ready to go and will be active against a Bengals' defense with no true No. 1 cornerback. He'll be targeted early and is a bargain for two-plus catches on the opening drive (+350).

We are resisting that early wager based on the number of variables at play and Cooper Rush's wild inconsistency working from the pocket.

But both offenses will get plenty of yards and air it out, making the two-player prop for these wide receivers an easy decision.

Prop pick: CeeDee Lamb alternate receiving yards, 70-plus; Ja'Marr Chase alternate receiving yards, 90-plus (+285, FanDuel)

--Bengals' offense is their best defense

Given Burrow's performances, the Bengals have no choice but to lean on him to get the offense going. Cincinnati has the fourth-highest pass-play rate (64.3%) in the league, mainly because its defense can barely stop a nosebleed at this point.

Moreover, the Bengals have the fourth-worst defense by DVOA standards. They particularly struggle against the pass, which the Cowboys offense will look to take advantage of after posting back-to-back wins to snap a five-game losing streak.

Considering that Dallas also has the third-highest pass-play rate (64.9%), it's no secret what these offenses will try to do once they get on the field.

While Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush has looked better in his last few games, there's no comparison between him and Burrow.

The Bengals are in a position where they can't relax on offense because of their leaky defense. They should have plenty of success against a Dallas team that struggles to get stops inside the red zone, allowing opponents to score touchdowns on a league-worst 76.9% of their trips.

When you combine that with Cincinnati having the second-best red zone offense (71%), it could be a long night for the Cowboys' defense.

However, the number that stands out the most is that the Cowboys' defense gives up an average of 20.7 first-half points per game to visiting teams.

That stat is simply too good to pass up, making the Bengals' first-half team total of 13.5 points a play worth targeting on Monday night.

Best Bet: Bengals 1H team total over 13.5 (-118 at DraftKings)

--Michael Nwaneri, Field Level Media

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 14

Player Notes
Bryce Hall Dec 9 11:50am CT
Bryce Hall

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that star safety Antoine Winfield (ankle) suffered a sprained ankle in the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and will miss "a couple" of games. Winfield will almost certainly not play in the Week 15 contest against the Los Angeles Chargers and could also be held out in Week 16 versus the Dallas Cowboys. In addition to the 26-year-old's injury, Tampa's secondary is hurting down the stretch, as Mike Edwards (hamstring), Jordan Whitehead (pectoral), Josh Hayes (hamstring) and Bryce Hall (ankle) are also all injured. With Winfield set to miss time moving forward, expect Kaevon Merriweather to be in a starting role for at least Week 15. Fantasy managers in IDP leagues that made the playoffs will be forced to go in another direction at defensive back with Winfield injured.

From RotoBaller

Jalen Hurts Dec 9 11:40am CT
Jalen Hurts

The Philadelphia Eagles' struggles in the passing game continued in their narrow 22-16 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Week 14. The Eagles have won nine straight games to improve to 11-2 on the season, and while their running game and defense has been electric, their passing attack continues to leave a lot to be desired. Quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for only 108 yards on 21 pass attempts against Carolina, and Philly entered the week with an NFL-low 307 pass attempts on the year. The Eagles have stars at receiver in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but they just have not been able to get in a rhythm through the air this year with Philly committing to the run so much. Things won't get any easier for Hurts and the Eagles' passing attack in a Week 15 showdown next Sunday against a stingy Pittsburgh Steelers defense.

From RotoBaller

Bucky Irving Dec 9 11:40am CT
Bucky Irving

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said on Monday that rookie running back Bucky Irving (back) had his back tighten up on him in the Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday. Irving's availability for Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers will depend on whether his back loosens up during the week. ESPN's Jenna Laine suggested that the 22-year-old's exit on Sunday was more for precautionary reasons, but it doesn't sound as though Irving is a sure thing to be available next weekend against the Bolts. In addition to a back injury, Irving was listed as questionable for Week 14 with a hip injury. He finished with only four carries for three yards and caught one pass for 15 yards on Sunday before leaving and never returning. If Irving is limited or out against LA in Week 15, Rachaad White figures to lead Tampa's backfield after nearly rushing for 100 yards and scoring twice against Vegas.

From RotoBaller

Evan Engram Dec 9 11:30am CT
Evan Engram

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Evan Engram had a quiet day against the Tennessee Titans in Week 14. He finished with four catches on six targets for 33 yards. It was always possible for Engram to have a quiet day with backup quarterback Mac Jones under center. 7.3 PPR fantasy points isn't the worst for a tight end but falls well below expectations for a player of Engram's caliber. Jones spread the ball around for most of the game, but in the fourth quarter, homed in on rookie receiver Brian Thomas Jr., who led the team with eight receptions and 86 receiving yards. As long as Jones is under center, it will be hard for multiple receivers to thrive, especially if he has more zero touchdown games. Engram will look to improve on a solid but underwhelming outing in Week 15 against the New York Jets.

From RotoBaller

Parker Washington Dec 9 11:30am CT
Parker Washington

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Parker Washington did not do much in Week 14 against the Tennessee Titans. He finished with two catches for 15 yards on just two targets. Washington had a breakout game last week against the Houston Texans, catching six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. However, he earned 10 fewer targets in a full game with backup Mac Jones, indicating that maybe Week 13 was more a fluke than the new normal. That is unfortunate given Christian Kirk and Gabe Davis are out for the rest of the season. Instead of Washington earning more targets each week, it seems Brian Thomas Jr., Evan Engram, and Travis Etienne Jr. will be more consistent receiving options going forward. Washington will look to get back on track in Week 15 against the New York Jets.

From RotoBaller

Kirk Cousins Dec 9 11:20am CT
Kirk Cousins

Despite their fourth straight loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 that has dropped them out of the division lead in the NFC South, Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris doesn't plan to replace struggling quarterback Kirk Cousins with rookie Michael Penix Jr. "Everything is always discussed, but Kirk Cousins is our quarterback," Morris said. Cousins has thrown eight interceptions and no touchdown passes in his last four games. Up until 2024, he had never gone more than two straight games without a TD pass. In a homecoming game in Minnesota for Cousins, he threw for 344 yards on 23-for-37 passing but threw another two picks. He leads the NFL in interceptions with 15, the most he's thrown in a single season in his career. Although it's fair to expect fantasy managers to avoid Cousins with how bad he's been, he does have a get-right matchup in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders.

From RotoBaller

Tank Bigsby Dec 9 11:20am CT
Tank Bigsby

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Tank Bigsby was the lead back in a 10-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The former Auburn back finished with 18 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown, as well as one catch for seven yards. Bigsby out-touched fellow back Travis Etienne Jr. 19 to eight but was less efficient with his touches. That didn't matter from a fantasy perspective, as a rushing touchdown salvaged what would have otherwise been a mediocre fantasy output. With Mac Jones under center instead of Trevor Lawrence, Bigsby's yards per carry fell to 3.1, well below his 4.3 average for the season, but the volume was enough to still produce fantasy points. Bigsby will look to maintain this level of volume with better efficiency against the New York Jets in Week 15.

From RotoBaller

Aidan O'Connell Dec 9 11:20am CT
Aidan O'Connell

The Las Vegas Raiders aren't optimistic on quarterback Aidan O'Connell's knee injury that he suffered late in the Week 14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the team's ninth straight loss to drop them to 2-11 on the season. "It doesn't look good," head coach Antonio Pierce said after the game. O'Connell was knocked out of the game late in the third quarter and was carted off the field with his leg in an air cast. Gardner Minshew II (collarbone) is already out for the rest of the season, so if O'Connell is, too, the Raiders would be down to third-stringer Desmond Ridder for the final four games of the year. Ridder should at least make the start in Week 15 against his old team, the Atlanta Falcons, on Monday Night Football. Between bad QB play and star receiver Davante Adams' departure via trade, the Raiders offense hasn't had much of a chance in 2024.

From RotoBaller

Isaac Guerendo Dec 9 11:10am CT
Isaac Guerendo

San Francisco 49ers rookie running back Isaac Guerendo (foot) exited the Week 14 blowout win over the Chicago Bears early on Sunday with a foot injury, but he said the move to remove him from the contest was for precautionary reasons and that he feels great. It's good news, but Guerendo could be dealing with a foot sprain and he'll go for additional testing on Monday. It may not be a very serious injury, but the Niners have a short turnaround in Week 15 with a pivotal divisional matchup this Thursday night against the Los Angeles Rams upcoming. The 24-year-old contributed right away for fantasy managers that picked Guerendo up with Christian McCaffrey (knee) done for the year and Jordan Mason (ankle) expected to land on Injured Reserve, racking up 128 scrimmage yards and two TDs on Sunday. If he cannot get cleared for Thursday night, Patrick Taylor Jr. figures to be San Fran's lead back.

From RotoBaller

Jake Moody Dec 9 10:50am CT
Jake Moody

San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody went 5-for-5 on extra points and also made his lone field-goal attempt during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Chicago Bears. His successful field goal came from 23 yards out in the waning minutes of the first half. The 25-year-old is averaging 8.6 fantasy points per game, but he ranks 22nd among kickers in fantasy points over his last four contests. Moody can be left on waivers heading into Week 15 against the Los Angeles Rams.

From RotoBaller

Jason Myers Dec 9 10:50am CT
Jason Myers

Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers went 3-for-3 on extra points and 3-for-3 on field goals during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Arizona Cardinals. His field goals came from 20, 35, and 36 yards out. The 33-year-old has missed six kicks in 2024 three of each kind. He ranks as the overall K14 in 2024, but that ranking jumps to K7 when you single out his last four games. Myers should continue to be treated as a fringe fantasy starter heading into next week's battle with the Green Bay Packers.

From RotoBaller

Tyler Bass Dec 9 10:40am CT
Tyler Bass

Buffalo Bills kicker Tyler Bass went 6-for-6 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal during Sunday's Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Six extra points aren't ideal for fantasy scoring, but fantasy managers should still be satisfied with Bass achieving perfection on the road. The 27-year-old is now 44-for-48 on extra points and 19-for-23 on field goals in 2024, ranking 12th in fantasy points among kickers. He should continue to be deployed as a fringe top-12 kicking option ahead of Week 15 against the Detroit Lions.

From RotoBaller

Will Reichard Dec 9 10:40am CT
Will Reichard

Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard went 6-for-6 on extra points but missed his lone field-goal attempt during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie returned from injured reserve this week, but his accuracy issues persisted; he is now 0-for-3 on field goals over his last two games. On a more positive note, he has been perfect on 29 extra-point attempts so far. Reichard ranked as the overall K12 from Weeks 1 to 9. Despite Sunday's miss from 47 yards out, the 23-year-old still has significant fantasy upside given Minnesota's strong offense. He remains just inside the top 12 kicking options for Week 15 against Chicago.

From RotoBaller

Chase McLaughlin Dec 9 10:30am CT
Chase McLaughlin

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin went 4-for-4 on extra points and did not attempt a field goal during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Four extra points don't exactly move the needle in terms of fantasy scoring, but managers can still be satisfied with the fact that he didn't miss a kick against Las Vegas. McLaughlin has now gone 38-for-40 on extra points and 21-for-23 on field goals in 2024, ranking eighth among kickers in terms of fantasy points this year. He should continue to be deployed as a top-12 kicking option heading into Week 15 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

From RotoBaller

Jahan Dotson Dec 9 10:20am CT
Jahan Dotson

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson caught one of two targets for just five receiving yards during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Carolina Panthers. Dotson's lone reception came two minutes into the first quarter, and he would not catch another pass for the remainder of the contest. With DeVonta Smith (hamstring) back in the mix, the 24-year-old saw his role get scaled back. He played just 41 percent of the offensive snaps, which represents his lowest mark sinceWeek 6. All in all, Dotson remains a low-volume receiver who has just a dozen catches this season. Fantasy managers can leave him on waivers in all redraft leagues.

From RotoBaller

Travis Etienne Dec 9 10:20am CT
Travis Etienne

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. served as the pass-catching back and complement to Tank Bigsby in a 10-6 win over the Tennessee Titans. The former first-round back out of Clemson finished with an efficient 20 yards on four carries and 50 yards on four receptions. While it's not ideal for Etienne Jr. fantasy managers that Bigsby out-carried him 18 to four, his fantasy day was salvaged in the passing game. With Mac Jones being much less of a downfield passing threat than Trevor Lawrence, the running backs are expected to be more involved in the passing game. That came to fruition with Etienne Jr., who was second on the team in receptions and receiving yards. Etienne Jr. will look to continue producing in the passing game in a Week 15 clash with the New York Jets.

From RotoBaller

Odell Beckham Jr. Dec 9 10:20am CT
Odell Beckham Jr.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had one target, one catch, and one receiving yard during Sunday's Week 14 win over the New York Jets. The veteran has been a minimal contributor ever since making his Dolphins debut in Week 5, amassing just nine catches for 55 yards along the way. He also played a season-low 14 percent of the snaps on Sunday, emphasizing that he has lost the No. 3 receiver role to Malik Washington and is now fourth on the depth chart. Beckham should be avoided in all fantasy leagues.

From RotoBaller

Colby Parkinson Dec 9 10:20am CT
Colby Parkinson

Los Angeles Rams tight end Colby Parkinson converted his lone target into an 11-yard reception during Sunday's Week 14 win over the Buffalo Bills. The 25-year-old played 48 percent of the offensive snaps, which was his highest mark since Week 8. However, his role has remained quite modest as he has caught just one singular pass in each of his last four contests. Parkinson remains behind Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and Demarcus Robinson in the Rams' pecking order, and as a result, he belongs on waivers in most fantasy formats.

From RotoBaller

Mac Jones Dec 9 10:10am CT
Mac Jones

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mac Jones led the team to a 10-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans despite a mediocre performance. The former Patriot finished with 23 completions on 31 attempts for 220 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Jaguars were able to move the ball decently well, but struggled to get in the end zone, producing just 10 points. All of their points came in the fourth quarter. Jones's top target was standout rookie Brian Thomas Jr., who had eight catches for 86 yards on 12 targets, 9 coming in the fourth quarter alone. After BTJ, the next best receiver was Travis Etienne Jr. with four catches for 50 yards. The Jaguars face the New York Jets in Week 15, where Jones will look to put the ball in the end zone instead of the defense's hands.

From RotoBaller

Brian Thomas Jr. Dec 9 10:10am CT
Brian Thomas Jr.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. started slow but finished strong in a 10-6 victory over the Tennessee Titans. The rookie receiver finished with eight receptions and 86 yards on 12 targets, nine of which came in the fourth quarter. BTJ has been boom-or-bust for a lot of the season, so it was looking like a bust game for him early on. However, he got hot late to become Mac Jones's top receiver, doubling the next most receptions on the team. Usually, BTJ has a low amount of catches but high yards per catch. However, he produced a highly productive PPR outing with a backup QB, making this performance possibly his most impressive of the season. BTJ will look to continue producing with Jones under center in Week 15 against the New York Jets.

From RotoBaller