Fantasy football: Finding potential Week 14 difference-makers with playoff spots on the line

As we enter the final week of the regular season in most fantasy football leagues, we have one more shot at greatness.

We can either head into the playoffs with our heads held high, or we can play spoiler and crush the dreams of our opponents. Either way, it’s a win.

But to do that we need to escape another week of ill-timed byes, and dig deep for some wide receiver and Flex help.

The pickings are pretty slim this time of year, but some bottom-feeding NFL teams just might have the key to unlocking victory this week.

While Jets fans lament another lost season, fantasy managers can still find wide receiver value in both John Metchie III and Adonai Mitchell.

Neither receiver is considered elite, nor do the Jets have the most prolific passing attack, but if you need help with your third wide receiver or at your Flex position, both can be helpful in their own right.

Scoring system matters, so pay attention to that.

If you play in a full-point PPR scoring system, Metchie is who you want most.

With Tyrod Taylor under center, the short, high-percentage throws are a major staple of this offense, and Metchie working from the slot has been an integral component.

He has played no fewer than 82 percent of the snaps over the past three games and has averaged six targets over that span. He played a quiet game against the Falcons this past Sunday, but had scored a touchdown in each of the two games prior.

Coming the next three weeks, he faces bottom-10 pass defenses in the Dolphins, Jaguars and Saints.

If you use standard scoring or half-point PPR, then Mitchell might be better suited for your team, especially if you’re looking for that boom-or-bust potential.

Mitchell has played at least 85 percent of the snaps over the past two weeks. After a 12-target game this past week, he is averaging close to eight per game over the past three.

Though we have seen some intermediate work from him, he is primarily used as a deep threat. He just produced his first 100-yard game and obviously also will enjoy the same soft upcoming schedule.

If neither Jets wideout is available, you can give the Saints’ Devaughn Vele a look.

With the trade of Rashid Shaheed and the dismissal of Brandin Cooks, Vele has found his way into the No. 2 receiver job for New Orleans.

No, it’s not a prolific passing attack either, but opportunity is everything and with a near-90 percent snap share, Vele is seeing more opportunities as of late.

Two weeks ago, he saw a season-high seven targets, then this past week he turned his eight targets into eight catches for 93 yards and a touchdown.

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Betting on the NFL?

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With the Saints likely to be playing from behind, his opportunities are going to grow, and with matchups against the Buccaneers, Panthers and Jets coming up, he should be reasonably productive.

Don’t dismiss players on bad teams.

Teams that play from behind throw more, and that opens up a stronger number of targets. With just one week to go in the fantasy regular season, every target, every catch and every point matters.

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Howard Bender is the head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on X @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the award-winning “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 6-8 p.m. Go to FantasyAlarm.com for all your fantasy football news and advice.