Week 14 Monday Night Start Decisions and Rankings: Should You Be Starting Cincinnati's Mike Gesicki, Dallas' Jake Ferguson, Rico Dowdle and More?

The 14th week of the NFL regular season wraps up with a game between the Dallas Cowboys and Cincinnati Bengals.

Let’s look at the top fantasy football players from the game. We’ll also provide rankings before we break.

Looking for start/sit help? Be sure to check out the FantasySP Who Should I Start tool.

Quarterbacks

Joe Burrow leads the Bengals, while Cooper Rush is the starter for the Cowboys.

Burrow has 3,337 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and five interceptions on 67.7% passing. He’s also got 160 rushing yards and a score this season. Burrow scored 19 fantasy points last week, his lowest mark in the past four games.

Rush has completed 60.5% of his passes for 1,008 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions across eight games and four starts. He also has 10 rushing yards. Rush scored 12 fantasy points last week, his lowest mark over the past three contests.

The Bengals’ defense allows a whopping 21 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks. Dallas isn’t much better, giving up 20 points per week. In the weekly projections, Burrow is allowing 19 fantasy points a week, while Rush is at 14.

I obviously like Burrow more in this contest, but both quarterbacks could be in store for monster fantasy showings.

Running Backs

Chase Brown powers the Cincinnati backfield, while Khalil Herbert backs him up. Rico Dowdle is the lead back in Dallas, while Ezekiel Elliott is the backup.

Brown has 677 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 152 carries, along with 237 yards and two scores on 38 catches and 47 targets. He scored 19 fantasy points last week, and has hit that mark in at least four straight weeks.

Herbert has just one rush in his time with the Bengals, a 14-yard run last week. He’s only a fantasy asset if Brown were to get injured.

Dowdle is up to 600 rushing yards and a score on 134 attempts. He has 195 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 32 catches and 40 targets. Dowdle had 21 fantasy points last week to follow up an 11-point outing the week prior.

Elliott has 189 rushing yards and two scores on 49 carries and 56 receiving yards on 10 grabs and 13 targets. He has scored just six fantasy points over the past five games combined. 

Dallas allows opposing running backs to score 25 fantasy points per game, while Cincy gives up 22 points. In the weekly projections, Brown is projected for 18 fantasy points, while Dowdle is at 15 points. Elliott is the last back in the rankings, but at just three points.

I also like Brown the most in this contest, and think he’s a must-start fantasy player. Dowdle is another player I wouldn’t mind starting this week. Elliott and Herbert should be avoided in just about every league.

Wide Receivers

CeeDee Lamb is the top Dallas wideout. Jalen Tolbert, Brandin Cooks, Jonathan Mingo, KaVontae Turpin and Jalen Brooks also played last week.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins lead the Bengals’ wideouts. Andrei Iosivas also plays a lot of snaps, while Isaiah Williams and Jermaine Burton also played a bit last week.

Lamb has 880 yards and four touchdowns on 79 receptions and 124 targets. He only scored six fantasy points last week, his second time in single digits over the past four weeks.

Tolbert has 451 yards and four scores on 39 catches and 61 targets. He scored six points last week and had 10 the week prior.

Turpin is at 328 yards and two touchdowns on 25 grabs and 37 targets. He scored 10 points last week, a good bounceback from a two-point showing in week 12.

Brooks has 148 yards and no scores on 10 receptions and 28 targets. He’s only scored six fantasy points over the past four weeks combined.

Cooks returned to the field last week - in five games this season, Cooks has 107 yards and two touchdowns on 12 catches and 26 targets. He scored 11 fantasy points last week, although that was heavily aided by a touchdown grab.

Mingo hasn’t done much since joining the Cowboys, but he does have 10 targets over the past three games. He’s scored three fantasy points over that span.

Chase has 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns on 79 grabs and 109 targets. He scored 21 fantasy points last week, his lowest mark over the past three contests.

Higgins has 558 yards and five scores on 43 receptions and 68 targets. He scored 18 fantasy points last week and had 30 in the game before that.

Iosivas has 309 yards and five touchdowns on 23 catches and 42 targets. He scored once last week and finished with 13 fantasy points - he has eight or more points in three of the past four games.

Williams only has played three snaps this season, all in week 13. Burton has 107 yards on four grabs and 14 targets. He hasn’t scored over six fantasy points in a single game.

Cincinnati allows opposing fantasy wideouts to score 34 points per game, while Dallas gives up 33 points. In the weekly projections, Chase is projected for 22 PPR points. Lamb is at 17 points, while Higgins is at 16. Tolbert is projected for seven points, while Cooks is at only six. 

I also believe Chase is the best fantasy wideout in this game. I like Lamb next, and then Higgins. Any of those three could finish as the top fantasy wideout in this game.

All the other wideouts are only deep league options to me. I’d rank them as follows: Tolbert, Iosivas, Cooks, Mingo, Brooks, Turpin, Williams, Burton.

Tight Ends

Luke Schoonmaker has been the Dallas tight end of late, but Jake Ferguson will be active again this week. Mike Gesicki has been the best Cincy tight end, but Tanner Hudson and Drew Sample also have gotten some targets of late.

Schoonmaker has scored at least eight fantasy points in the three games Ferguson either missed or got hurt in. He got 20 targets and has over 130 yards in those contests.

Ferguson has 369 yards on 43 receptions and 58 targets this season. He has four double-digit fantasy outings this season.

Gesicki is up to 436 yards and two scores on 39 catches and 52 targets. He scored 10 fantasy points last week after zero the week before that.

Hudson scored seven fantasy points last week and had three the week prior. Sample scored three points last week and two the week before that.

Cincinnati allows a league-high 17 fantasy points per week, while Dallas gives up 11. In the weekly projections, Ferguson is set for 10 PPR points, while Gesicki is at six and Schoonmaker two.

I like Ferguson the most in this contest too, and would want to start him in the favorable matchup despite him just coming back from injury. Gesicki is my second choice, but not one I’d love to start outside a deeper league. Schoonmaker could also be a sneaky good option, but I’d only really want to try him in a deeper league.

Hudson and Sample are just deep, deep league options, but not ones I’d want to play this week. I’d take Hudson over Sample.

Kickers

Brandon Aubrey kicks for the Cowboys. He is 27-of-32 on his field goals and has made all 21 of his extra points.

Evan McPherson was the Cincy kicker, but is on injured reserve. Cade York will take his place.

Aubrey is projected for eight fantasy points, while York is at six points. I also trust Aubrey more as a fantasy option, but York could score a ton of points if this turns into a shootout.

Defenses/Special Teams

Cincinnati’s defense is allowing 369.2 yards and 28.3 points a game. The Bengals have 12 takeaways and 13 giveaways.

Dallas is giving up 359.7 yards and 28.3 points. The Cowboys have 14 takeaways and 21 giveaways.

Both D/STs are projected for six fantasy points. I wouldn’t want to play either of them, but I’d give Cincy the slight edge because I think they win this game.

Offensive Overall Rankings (OP or Flex Spots)

1. Joe Burrow 

2. Ja’Marr Chase

3. CeeDee Lamb

4. Chase Brown

5. Tee Higgins

6. Cooper Rush

7. Rico Dowdle

8. Jake Ferguson

9. Jalen Tolbert

10. Andre Iosivas

11. Brandin Cooks

12. Mike Gesicki 

13. Luke Schoonmaker

14. Jonathan Mingo

15. Jalen Brooks

16. Tanner Hudson

17. KaVontae Turpin

18. Ezekiel Elliott 

19. Drew Sample

20. Khalil Herbert

21. Isaiah Williams

22. Jermaine Burton