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- Bets Dressed - Week 14 - Thursday Night Football Uniform Matchup and Fantasy Plays
Bets Dressed - Week 14 - Thursday Night Football Uniform Matchup and Fantasy Plays
Week 14. The last week of the fantasy football regular season (if your league planned wisely). If your league didn't plan wisely, enjoy setting your lineup for that must-have matchup with six teams on bye. As for the NFL regular season, we're getting dangerously close to its ending as well. The playoff picture is coming into focus. If you're a team on the fringe (like the Raiders), now is the time to make your move. If you're a team that's out of it (like the Rams), now is the time to take stock of who you want to draft in the first round. Oh wait...
Ladies and gentlemen, the Life Comes At You Fast Bowl!
A quick note on methodology.
As always, I’m analyzing every NFL uniform matchup and picking a winner against the spread based on who dresses best. And just because a team’s wardrobe is ranked higher in the Power Rankings doesn’t mean that it will automatically win the uniform matchup. It’s what you wear in the instant matchup that counts.
And don’t forget the Triple Mismatch Club wrinkle. I’m making three unit plays whenever the best dressed team in the matchup is a member of the Club (different colored helmet, jersey, and pants). And nine unit plays if both members of the week’s best matchup are members.
Week 13 Recap.
Before we dive into Thursday Night Football and Week 14 Fantasy Plays, let’s revisit Week 13:
5-10. Which makes us 11-20 in the last two weeks. If there is an aesthetic edge at the end of this journey, weeks like those aren't going to cut it. But there's no time to dwell in the past. Bury the tape. We're on to Week 14.
Thursday Night Football Uniform Matchup.
Raiders at Rams was supposed to be one of the marquee primetime games of the season. The football gods had other ideas. But while the game itself leaves a lot to be desired, the uniform matchup is quite nice. The Rams have their flaws, but the colors explode off the screen. And it's hard to find a more complementary partner than the silver and black of the Raiders. Plus it's the moment we've all been waiting for: the Raiders silver numbers are (hopefully) BACK. For that reason alone, Las Vegas gets the nod.
We've said it before in recent weeks, but it cannot be overstated how bad this season has gone for the Rams. Injuries aplenty. Impending cap hell. And no high draft pick talent to the rescue.* With that being said, it was all worth it for a Super Bowl ring. Meanwhile, the Raiders are in the process of salvaging their season from a dreadful 2-7 start. Coming off three wins in a row, Las Vegas hopes to keep the mojo going as healthy favorites on the road in Los Angeles. To be fair, the SoFi Stadium crowd is likely to have more silver and black than royal and sol.
*I should clarify that no high draft pick talent is coming in this year's draft. Former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield is now in town. I've always been a Baker guy, and I'm rooting for him to succeed. There's not enough time to turn around this Rams season, but let's see what Mayfield can do with Sean McVay in his ear.
The Pick: Raiders -6.5 (-110)
NOTE - The Raiders have yet to unveil their choice of jersey. But I'm seeing a lot of silver number buzz.
Club SDR - Week 14 Fantasy Plays.
Thanks to Ja'Marr Chase and Jalen Hurts, we had ourselves a nice little 2-1 week to get us back to .500 on the year (20-20). With six teams on bye, Club SDR is operating at about 81% capacity. But fear not. We're breaking out the big guns this week: the Single Digit Revolution season leaders in passing, rushing, and receiving yards.
Joe Burrow - Over 279.5 Passing Yards (-110)
Everything's coming up Burrow and the Bengals lately. And for good reason. Winners of four straight and 8-2 since starting the season 0-2. The defending AFC champs may just be the best team in the AFC. Go figure. Burrow has been the obvious MVP for the Bengals this season, and only Patrick Mahomes has a better claim for NFL MVP at the moment.* He's averaging 287 yards per game this year and taking on a bottom half defense in the Browns. Sure, the Browns held Burrow to 232 yards in their last meeting - an ugly 32-13 loss. But something tells me that Burrow will be out for revenge. And he has his main man Ja'Marr Chase with him this time.
*All due respect to Jalen Hurts, but the Eagles are the most complete team in the league. Burrow is doing more with less.
Dalvin Cook - Over 75.5 Rushing Yards (-110)
Cook has very quietly amassed the fifth most rushing yards in the NFL this season. Justin Jefferson has rightfully earned most of the headlines among Vikings skill players. But Cook has been steadfast. He's only 73 yards away from his fourth straight 1,000 yard season. So if he can get that and a little extra, we'll be sitting pretty.
Amari Cooper - Over 67.5 Receiving Yards (-110)
Cooper has been the clear WR1 in Cleveland all season. Deshaun Watson looked rough in his return to action, and Cooper managed only 40 yards. But he erupted for 131 yards in his earlier meeting with the Bengals back in Week 8. And I expect more of the same in the rematch, which has all the makings of a surprise shootout.
The Gridiron Uniform Database.
The uniform graphics you see here are courtesy of The Gridiron Uniform Database. If you’ve never paid their site a visit, stop what you’re doing right now and check it out. It is my favorite site on the Internet and an invaluable resource to uniform nerds and casual fans alike.
Drop me a line.
You can always find me on Twitter at NFL Fashion Advice (@fashion_nfl) or via email at [email protected]. Come talk uniforms and all things football, and let me know what you think of the newsletter.
Coming Attractions.
Bets Dressed Week 14 coverage continues this Sunday with a breakdown of the full slate (plus Monday Night Football).
Look for the Sunday issue to hit your inbox prior to the early window kickoff. As I’ve noted previously, we live in a world without a uniform scheduling czar, so it’s sometimes a chore finding out a team’s wardrobe ahead of time. In instances where it’s not 100% clear, I’ll make a best guess and update the issue later.
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And always remember: Look Good. Feel Good. Pay Good.