The fantasy football playoffs are finally here! That makes it all the more important to make sure you're starting the right players. In a single-elimination format, there is simply no margin for error. But one of the most challenging parts about fantasy football is that each players performance is somewhat unpredictable from week to week.
That means that talent alone is rarely not good enough. Look no further than Justin Jefferson and Emeka Egbuka to see elite players who are having subpar fantasy seasons.
But with the fantasy playoffs starting this week, you can't be taking chances on players anymore. Now is the time to start your best lineup and hope for the best. That means sitting players who are underperforming, even if they are a name brand.
Below we will explore three fantasy football players who underperformed in Week 14.
Travis Kelce was bottled up against the Texans. Is he officially washed?
Nobody on the Chiefs had a good time in Week 14. That includes veteran tight end Travis Kelce.
The 36-year-old tight end was held in check on Sunday, only hauling in one reception for eight yards against the Texans.
Houston's ferocious defense was all over Kansas City, so it is not fair to simply blame Kelce by himself. But it is concerning to hear the wily veteran so down in the dumps about his recent struggles.
Kelce opened up on a recent episode of his New Heights podcast, explaining that he doesn't know what's going on.
“You put in all this f—ing work and hope that it pays off,” Kelce said. “And right now, it's just for whatever f—ing reason, man, it's little things. I feel like I've always had the answers in years past. And this year, I just can't find them.”
Simply putting in the hard work is not working for Kelce anymore.
“I keep thinking if I show up to work and I put in the work and I fix the issues through my practice habits and through perfecting the game plan and my fundamentals and what I'm being taught, and go out there and try and play my ass off for my guys next to me, it's all going to come together like it has in years past. And this year it is just not, man.”
All of that said, Kelce still has 60 receptions for 727 yards and five touchdowns this season.
That suggests he's not entirely washed. But you may still want to stay away from him during the fantasy football playoffs.
Tyler Warren was not productive after Daniel Jones injury
Daniel Jones' Achilles injury is obviously bad news for the Colts. And that applies to every offensive player on the team when it comes to fantasy football.
Warren is a good example of this phenomenon. The rookie sensation only had two receptions for 15 yards against Jacksonville, his worst performance of the season by far.
The entire Colts offense has gone downhill ever since their Berlin game against the Falcons, coinciding with Jones' original leg injury. The situation kept getting worse until last week, where it seemingly bottomed out.
The addition of Philip Rivers further complicates the situation.
Will Rivers be good enough to make this offense hum again? Will he begin to show his age and make the situation worse? Or somewhere in the middle?
It is unfortunate that these unknowns are still swirling heading into the first week of the fantasy football playoffs.
Warren is still a talented player who has the potential to pop off in Week 15. But the matchup against Seattle is bad, and Rivers is a complete unknown.
All of that makes Warren a risky play this week. Personally, I expect his struggles to continue.
Ashton Jeanty was surprisingly inefficient against the Broncos in Week 14
Jeanty has shown some flashes of brilliance during the 2025 season. He has thrived as much as he can despite a terrible situation surrounding him.
But the rookie running back clearly struggled in Week 14 against the Broncos. Even after the Raiders' interim OC promised a big workload for Jeanty.
Denver held Jeanty to just 30 rushing yards on 10 attempts. He also added two receptions for eight yards, but that is nothing to write home about either.
It is important to note that Denver has one of the best defenses in the NFL. That means that any running back could have struggled against them, and that this isn't simply a Jeanty or Raiders issue.
That said, Jeanty is a tough assessment in fantasy football right now.
Jeanty has 191 carries for 665 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the year. He also adds some nice receiving production on top of that, with 45 receptions for 259 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
In a dynasty league, it is easy to understand the appeal for Jeanty. He has all the talent in the world and should be more productive in future seasons.
But for 2025, he has not been incredible. And his Week 15 matchup against the Eagles is not ideal for the fantasy football playoffs.
