Zay Flowers or DeVonta Smith: Who should I start in Week 14 Fantasy Football?

Zay Flowers and DeVonta Smith have been fantasy football lineup staples during the 2023 NFL season as high-volume wide receivers in dominant offenses. They both profile as WR2's on most rosters in the majority of weeks, including in their upcoming Week 14 games. They have also turned in particularly strong performances in recent games, so they trending in the right direction.

With the 2023 fantasy football playoffs beginning next week in most leagues, getting a win this week may be an absolute necessity for many managers. Making the right lineup decisions will be the key to victory, including the potential choice between Flowers or Smith this week.

The folloiwng breakdown can help them make their decision.

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Is Zay Flowers a good fantasy pick in Week 14?

Zay Flowers

The Baltimore Ravens selected Zay Flowers in the 2023 NFL Draft to hopefully provide a much-needed boost to their lackluster wide receivers. The rookie hasn't disappointed as he leads the team in most receiving categories this season. Lamar Jackson has targeted Flowers more than any of his wide receivers by a significant margin, helping the latter's outlook in fantasy football.

The rookie wide receiver has recorded at least five receptions in seven of his 12 games this season with double-digit targets in three of them. He has finished better than WR36 eight times this season, making him a solid weekly lineup option. Flowers also recorded the first multi-touchdown performance of his career in his most recent game on his way to a season-best WR6 finish in PPR leagues.

Up next for him is a Week 14 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. While they have been a mediocre overall defense this year, they excel against wide receivers in fantasy football. They are currently allowing the tenth-fewest fantasy points per game to the position.

Regardless, Flowers should still be expected to be busy and could potentially see a boost in his usage in the Ravens' first game since their bye week.

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Is DeVonta Smith a good fantasy pick in Week 14?

DeVonta Smith

Despite serving as the WR2 behind AJ Brown for the Philadelphia Eagles, DeVonta Smith has still been extremely productive in fantasy football. With the exception of a relatively slow five-week stretch in the middle of the season, Smith has finished among the top 20 wide receivers in each of other seven games. This has resulted in him being ranked as the overall WR16 in PPR formats.

In those same seven games, Smith scored a touchdown in six of them. He is on his best hot streak of the season right now. Smith has finished among the top 10 wide receivers in PPR leagues in three of his past five games, including in each of the past two weeks. He also set season-highs with nine receptions and 11 targets in his most recent game, so he is clearly trending in the right direction.

The return of Dallas Goedert could potentially affect Smith's fantasy football value this week as the tight end may cut into his target share. The Dallas Cowboys defense presents another obstacle for Smith in Week 14. They have been one of the best overall defensive units this season, including allowing the ninth-fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers.

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Zay Flowers vs. DeVonta Smith: Who should I start in Week 14 fantasy football?

Smith vs Flowers

According to the Start/Sit Optimizer, DeVonta Smith makes for a better wide receiver option than Zay Flowers in Week 14 fantasy football lineups. This valuable tool weighs every possible variable for any player in a given week to generate fantasy projections and lineup suggestions. In this particular scenario, it favors Smith for a higher projected output.

Flowers is expected to receive more volume than Smith, which is understandable considering their roles within their NFL teams. This isn't enough to earn a higher Week 14 projection as Smith is likely to do more with his touches, as he has all season long. He has been much more efficient, turning less volume into more production.

The game script also plays a major role in their fantasy projections this week. The Ravens are big favorites against the Rams, so they can be expected to run the ball often, especially as the game gets later.

The Eagles, meanwhile, are slight underdogs in a projected high-scoring matchup against the Cowboys. This situation could lead to Smith receiving more opportunities, as well as increasing his likelihood of scoring a touchdown.