Fantasy Football 2014: Positional Rankings and Top Sleepers to Target

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It's almost hard to believe the 2014 NFL season's first meaningful game is only days away. With the preseason finally in the books, fantasy football drafts around the world are set to commence. Last-minute preparations are in order.

We've learned a good deal of information throughout all 65 of this year's exhibition games. We know which offenses are clicking, which running backs are primed to receive the bulk of the workload, and which wide receivers appear to be in line for the bulk of their respective teams' targets.

Taking all of this information into consideration, we can compile our final fantasy football rankings before Week 1 of the regular season rolls around. That said, let's take a look at the top 15 players at each position—sans defense and kickers—followed by some sleepers to target in the late rounds of this year's fantasy drafts.

Quarterbacks

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This year's quarterback rankings are pretty straightforward. Now that Aaron Rodgers is healthy again, the upper echelon of signal-callers has been restored for the coming season. There are a few surprises, though.

Some fantasy owners may think Andy Dalton's No. 10 ranking is a little high. Not so fast. Last season, Dalton ranked fifth in fantasy points among quarterbacks. With a bevy of young, talented weapons at his disposal, he should be poised for a top-10 performance again in 2014.

Scott Bischoff of New Era Scouting tweeted his take on the quarterback's fantasy value:

One quarterback to be wary of this season is Cam Newton. While he has impressive physical tools, he simply doesn't have enough weapons around him to warrant any kind of confidence this season. A couple of aging veterans and a rookie at the wide receiver positions simply won't do it.

Running Backs

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The top three backs are set in stone this season—in one order or another. Chances are, LeSean McCoy, Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson will be the first three ball-carriers selected in your fantasy drafts, as all three reside on offenses that completely revolve around them.

One running back who has been left off the top 15 is Le'Veon Bell. The Pittsburgh Steelers' second-year ball-carrier didn't have an overwhelming rookie season—he averaged just 3.5 yards per carry—and now he's in line to lose touches—including goal-line carries—to LeGarrette Blount.

Wide Receivers

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There are two receivers who specifically have tremendous value on this list.

Keenan Allen burst onto the scene last season, recording 71 receptions for 1,046 yards and eight touchdowns as the focal point of Mike McCoy's offense led by a resurgent Philip Rivers. With a full season under his belt, the sky is the limit for this second-year receiver.

FantasyGuru.com is high on the receiver:

Don't sleep on Larry Fitzgerald this season. He hasn't reached 1,000 receiving yards in the past two seasons, but he was still able to produce 10 touchdowns last season with Carson Palmer at the helm. Expect more of the same from the veteran in 2014.

Tight Ends

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Jimmy Graham remains the one tight end worthy of a first-round selection. However, fantasy owners willing to gamble on Rob Gronkowski in the third round could be heavily rewarded, as he is capable of putting up Graham-like numbers if he can stay healthy.

For those owners who would rather wait on a tight end, there's plenty of talent available in the fifth through eighth rounds. Jordan Cameron figures to be the top target in Cleveland this season, and Greg Olsen figures to see plenty of work in Carolina.

Sleepers

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Each player on this list is certainly worthy of a flier in fantasy drafts; however, New England Patriots running back James White is a great option heading into the regular season. With Stevan Ridley's well-known ball-security issues and Shane Vereen's role as a change-of-pace back, White could potentially see the bulk of the work out of New England's backfield at some point this season.

Mike Clay of Pro Football Focus tweeted his thoughts on White:

Also, watch out for New Orleans Saints wide receiver Kenny Stills. As a rookie in 2013, Stills broke out, showcasing his speed to average 20 yards per reception. He can be expected to see more work this season in a pass-happy offense.

Cincinnati's Marvin Jones makes this list, but he's currently dealing with a foot injury that's likely to keep him out until Week 5. He could be poised for a big season as the team's No. 2 target behind A.J. Green, so snatch him from the waiver wire before he's back in action.

All rankings based on fantasy leagues in standard-scoring format.