The 8-4 Miami Dolphins fly to Los Angeles to take on the 6-6 Chargers in a critical Week 14 showdown. Fantasy football managers have tough decisions now that we’re down to the final weeks of the regular season. This could be an explosive offensive performance that helps your matchup tremendously.
Two Dolphins playmakers in the spotlight to produce are running backs Jeff Wilson Jr. and Raheem Mostert. We’re on top of all angles in this matchup for fantasy managers and bettors alike — let’s dive into whether you should start Wilson or Mostert against the Chargers.
Should You Start Jeff Wilson Jr. vs. the Chargers?
It’s never a bad time to face the NFL’s worst run defense, but it’s an especially good time for a Dolphins offense that is coming off their two worst efforts on the ground all season. Miami combined for only 99 rushing yards against the Texans and 49ers.
Being without starting offensive tackles Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson certainly didn’t help the Dolphins’ efforts against the 49ers. This week, Miami signed veteran tackle Eric Fisher to help at right tackle with Jackson done for the season. Fisher was a decent stopgap during his last stint in Indianapolis and was surprisingly available until this week.
Despite Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel having a strong background in creating effective running games, this iteration of his team has been only moderately effective. Acquiring Wilson has helped their effectiveness, as he’s averaged 5.3 yards per carry through four games. He’s been the go-to back since being traded for.
Until Week 13, when Wilson had only one carry and two targets on 17 snaps, Wilson had been a solid upgrade for the Dolphins. His first two games have been his best yet, totaling 170 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards. This is the perfect week to get Wilson back on track in a productive running attack.
MORE: Who Should I Start in Fantasy Football in Week 14? Lineup Advice, Matchups, More
The Chargers have allowed 160 total yards and 1.25 touchdowns on 28 touches for backs per game. Only three other defenses are allowing more fantasy points per game than this defense. They’re putrid, meaning Miami has to take advantage of the opportunity.
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Wilson is currently ranked as the RB11 in our Week 14 PPR fantasy football rankings. He’s a surefire starter with that ranking. With six teams on bye, this ranking is a fair representation of our expectations despite last week’s dud of a performance.
If you have Wilson on your fantasy roster, he has to be in your lineup this week.
Should You Start Raheem Mostert vs. the Chargers?
Despite Wilson largely overtaking the job since his arrival, Mostert has been heavily involved in the rotation over the last month. He out-carried Wilson last week, producing 30 yards on seven carries. It was his smallest workload since Wilson arrived, but he totaled 61% of the offense’s snaps.
Mostert is still a good fantasy option and might be an even better one as the RB2 in Miami. Wilson has helped the offense convert first downs and reaches the red zone more. Then, Mostert has benefited by punching in two rushing scores over the last three weeks.
Not many offenses can offer two fantasy-relevant backs in any given week, but we have Mostert as the RB32 because of his usage and a great matchup against the Chargers. That makes him more of a situational starter for most managers.
If you need a starter, you can feel comfortable with Mostert’s scoring upside, but you don’t have to force his insertion if you have a more consistent option for the Flex or RB2 role.
