Week 14 Fantasy Football Projections: Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

Prepare yourself for the most important fantasy football week of the season.

Week 14 is usually either the first week of the playoffs or the last week of the regular season. In either case, you most likely need to put your best lineup out there to help your team win a championship.

With all 32 teams in action and limited injuries, you will likely have a lot of options available to you. The challenge will be figuring out which players will get the most points and help you earn that win. Hopefully, these rankings will be enough to help overcome your opponent when it matters most.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Drew Brees	Saints	at TB	22
2	Tom Brady	Patriots	BAL	21
3	Matt Ryan	Falcons	at LA	21
3	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	SEA	20
4	Ben Roethlisberger	Steelers	at BUF	20
5	Andrew Luck	Colts	HOU	19
6	Matthew Stafford	Lions	CHI	19
7	Derek Carr	Raiders	KC	19
8	Cam Newton	Panthers	SD	19
9	Philip Rivers	Chargers	at CAR	18
10	Kirk Cousins	Redskins	at PHI	18

Sunday's games showed why it is so difficult to make predictions in fantasy football, especially at quarterback.

Joe Flacco racked up 381 passing yards and four touchdowns while Andy Dalton and Brock Osweiler also put together strong showings. On the other hand, Colin Kaepernick provided a huge dud, despite high expectations, with just four passing yards.

Drew Brees also killed a lot of dreams with his quiet day, failing to throw a touchdown pass. Per ESPN Stats and Info, this breaks a streak of 60 straight games with a touchdown at home.

Tom Brady, Cam Newton and other notable quarterbacks also struggled to put up the huge numbers we have come to expect.

Despite these results, you have to stick with the players who have been the best to this point in the season. Brees can throw three or more touchdown passes as easily as anyone in the NFL (he's done it seven times this year), and his upside keeps him at No. 1 in the rankings.

There are some other tough matchups for the elite quarterbacks, like Brady against the Baltimore Ravens and Aaron Rodgers against the Seattle Seahawks, but there is no reason to bench the stars that got you to this point.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	David Johnson	Cardinals	at MIA	18
2	Ezekiel Elliott	Cowboys	at NYG	16
3	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	at BUF	15
4	DeMarco Murray	Titans	DEN	14
5	Melvin Gordon	Chargers	at CAR	14
6	Le'Sean McCoy	Bills	PIT	14
7	Devonta Freeman	Falcons	at LA	13
8	Jordan Howard	Bears	at DET	13
9	Thomas Rawls	Seahawks	at GB	13
10	Latavius Murray	Raiders	at KC	13
11	Matt Forte	Jets	at SF	12
12	Doug Martin	Buccaneers	NO	12
13	Spencer Ware	Chiefs	OAK	12
14	LeGarrette Blount	Patriots	BAL	12
15	Jeremy Hill	Bengals	at CLE	12
16	Mark Ingram	Saints	at TB	11
17	Jay Ajayi	Dolphins	ARI	11
18	Carlos Hyde	49ers	NYJ	11
19	Devontae Booker	Broncos	at TEN	11
20	Frank Gore	Colts	HOU	10
21	Terrance West	Ravens	at NE	10
22	Lamar Miller	Texans	at IND	10
23	Jonathan Stewart	Panthers	SD	10
24	Todd Gurley	Rams	ATL	9
25	Theo Riddick	Lions	CHI	9
26	Jerick McKinnon	Vikings	at JAX	8
27	Rashad Jennings	Giants	DAL	8
28	Rob Kelley	Redskins	at PHI	8
29	Darren Sproles	Eagles	WAS	8
30	Dion Lewis	Patriots	BAL	7

The top running backs in the NFL are matchup-proof when it comes to fantasy football.

David Johnson has been on fire lately, scoring in double-digits in four straight games...if you only count his receiving totals. He is a pretty good runner as well, totaling 1,005 rushing yards to go with his 704 receiving yards.

Considering he is good for a touchdown or two in almost every game, it's tough to argue against him being the top name on the list.

"I think he is the best player in the NFL, point-blank," teammate Carson Palmer said, per Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. "I think he has proven that. Our wins and losses have affected some of the hype that he has not gotten and other guys have gotten because they are on winning teams. He is the best player in the NFL."

Ezekiel Elliott has had an incredible rookie season while Le'Veon Bell continues to rack up yards at a high rate, but neither are as consistently dominant as Johnson.

Thomas Rawls is someone who shoots up the list thanks to his impressive showing against the Carolina Panthers, totaling 106 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Seahawks love to run the ball regardless of who is in the backfield. Now that Rawls is healthy, he can do a lot of damage for the rest of the fantasy season.

Latavius Murray is now a weekly must-start after earning 39 rushing attempts and six catches in the last two weeks combined.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Antonio Brown	Steelers	at BUF	14
2	Mike Evans	Buccaneers	NO	13
3	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	DAL	12
4	Julio Jones	Falcons	at LA	12
5	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	at MIA	11
6	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	at NYG	11
7	Amari Cooper	Raiders	at KC	11
8	Jordy Nelson	Packers	SEA	11
9	T.Y. Hilton	Colts	HOU	11
10	Michael Crabtree	Raiders	at KC	11
11	Julian Edelman	Patriots	BAL	10
12	Brandon Marshall	Jets	at SF	10
13	Brandin Cooks	Saints	at TB	10
14	Golden Tate	Lions	CHI	10
15	Michael Thomas	Saints	at TB	10
16	Davante Adams	Packers	SEA	10
17	Doug Baldwin	Seahawks	at GB	10
18	Stefon Diggs	Vikings	at JAX	10
19	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	at TEN	10
20	Emmanuel Sanders	Broncos	at TEN	10
21	DeAndre Hopkins	Texans	at IND	9
22	Tyrell Williams	Chargers	at CAR	9
23	Donte Moncrief	Colts	HOU	9
24	Jamison Crowder	Redskins	at PHI	9
25	Jarvis Landry	Dolphins	ARI	9
26	Kelvin Benjamin	Panthers	SD	9
27	Terrelle Pryor	Browns	CIN	9
28	Allen Robinson	Jaguars	MIN	8
29	Brandon LaFell	Bengals	at CLE	8
30	Tyler Lockett	Seahawks	at GB	8

Mike Evans had a disappointing effort in Week 13, but all of the top receivers seem to have bad days every now and then. His upside still remains as high as almost anyone in the league thanks mostly to his role within the offense.

Although no one is as consistent as Antonio Brown, which keeps him at No. 1, Evans isn't too far behind.

One riser to keep an eye on is Michael Crabtree, who continues to have huge days for the Oakland Raiders. Matt Harmon of NFL.com broke down his role compared to teammate Amari Cooper:

Cooper still sits above him in the rankings thanks to his ability to break out with a huge game, but both receivers are top options in Week 14. The Kansas City Chiefs have one good cornerback in Marcus Peters, but he can only cover one player at a time.

Look for the Raiders to move their receivers around to get favorable matchups Thursday in a key divisional game.

Golden Tate also moves up after tearing up the New Orleans Saints with 145 yards and a touchdown.

He has become the clear go-to option for a high-powered Detroit Lions offense, and he could put up solid numbers once again in Week 14 against the Chicago Bears.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Jimmy Graham	Seahawks	at GB	12
2	Travis Kelce	Chiefs	OAK	11
3	Jordan Reed	Redskins	at PHI	9
4	Delanie Walker	Titans	DEN	9
5	Tyler Eifert	Bengals	at CLE	9
6	Greg Olsen	Panthers	SD	8
7	Cameron Brate	Buccaneers	NO	8
8	Ladarius Green	Steelers	at BUF	7
9	Kyle Rudolph	Vikings	at JAX	7
10	Antonio Gates	Chargers	at CAR	7

There were a few surprise performances from tight ends over the past week, including from Dwayne Allen, Dennis Pitta and Zach Ertz. These players could be ready to build off their efforts with strong showings in the coming weeks.

However, the most likely player to follow up his breakthrough Week 13 with more big numbers is Ladarius Green. After teasing potential for years with the Chargers, he finally got his chance to shine with the Pittsburgh Steelers with six catches for 110 yards and a touchdown Sunday.

Matthew Berry of ESPN summed up the thought process from those who have followed his career:

The fact he got 11 targets is also a big deal, putting him in a big role in one of the top passing attacks in the NFL. With talent and now an opportunity, he could be a useful addition going forward.

There are just as many question marks at the top of the list, including the health of Jordan Reed. Jimmy Graham remains the highest upside option, but not by too much.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Minnesota Vikings	at JAX	13
2	Denver Broncos	at TEN	11
3	Arizona Cardinals	at MIA	9
4	Detroit Lions	CHI	8
5	Cincinnati Bengals	at CLE	8
6	Atlanta Falcons	at LA	8
7	Seattle Seahawks	at GB	7
8	San Diego Chargers	at CAR	7
9	New England Patriots	BAL	7
10	Tennessee Titans	DEN	7

There are a lot of tough calls in Week 14, featuring good defenses with tough matchups and great matchups going to terrible units.

The New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers face off in Week 14, providing plenty of opportunities for turnovers and defensive touchdowns. Both teams have plenty of upside, but neither have proven enough to trust them in such an important week.

On the other hand, the Seahawks could struggle to contain the Green Bay Packers, the Kansas City Chiefs could have a hard time with the Raiders and the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers are tough to start against the Saints.

They might provide some stability at that spot in your lineup, but it's hard to imagine too many points coming against those offenses.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Justin Tucker	Ravens	at NE	9
2	Dan Bailey	Cowboys	at NYG	9
3	Matt Prater	Lions	CHI	8
4	Stephen Gostkowski	Patriots	LA	8
5	Sebastian Janikowski	Raiders	at KC	8
6	Matt Bryant	Falcons	at LA	8
7	Cairo Santos	Chiefs	OAK	7
8	Brandon McManus	Broncos	at TEN	7
9	Wil Lutz	Saints	at TB	7
10	Steven Hauschka	Seahawks	at GB	7

Matt Prater was the big man this week with five field goals for the Lions, continuing his trend as one of the top fantasy kickers in the league this season.

Of course, he still has room to go in order to catch Justin Tucker as the best kicker in the NFL. He is too consistent of an option for the Ravens and can help the team score from almost midfield, making him an elite weapon both on the field and in fantasy.

The rest of the list is field with the players you can trust the most at the position.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.