Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Projections for Players with Matchups We Love

Week 14 is already off to an odd start for fantasy football owners.

During a Thursday Night Football encounter between the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, Latavius Murray and Tyreek Hill climbed to the top of scoring leaderboards, not bigger names such as Travis Kelce and Spencer Ware. 

Alas, projections hinted at big games for Kelce and Ware in the AFC West clash. These same projections roll over to a bye-less slate while owners deal with playoff situations.

Here's a look at projections for each position.

Week 14 Schedule

Sunday, December 11	Time (ET)
Monday, December 12
Pittsburgh at Buffalo	1 p.m.
Houston at Indianapolis	1 p.m.
Washington at Philadelphia	1 p.m.
Denver at Tennessee	1 p.m.
Arizona at Miami	1 p.m.
Minnesota at Jacksonville	1 p.m.
San Diego at Carolina	1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Cleveland	1 p.m.
Chicago at Detroit	1 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at San Francisco	4:05 p.m.
Seattle at Green Bay	4:25 p.m
New Orleans at Tampa Bay	4:25 p.m
Atlanta at L.A. Rams	4:25 p.m
Dallas at N.Y. Giants	8:30 pm
Baltimore at New England	8:30 pm

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Matthew Stafford	25
2	Drew Brees	24
3	Jameis Winston	21
4	Cam Newton	19
5	Philip Rivers	18
6	Aaron Rodgers	18
7	Matt Ryan	17
8	Russell Wilson	17
9	Tom Brady	16
10	Kirk Cousins	14
11	Ben Roethlisberger	14
12	Colin Kaepernick	12
13	Dak Prescott	12
14	Tyrod Taylor	12
15	Eli Manning	12

Owners might find it surprising to see Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston listed so far up the board.

It might be time to get used to it, though. Winston has scored 15 or more fantasy points in seven consecutive games (with two of 20-plus), which is a reliable floor for owners during the playoffs.

The ceiling? Winston has hit 25 points this year, and his doing so against the New Orleans Saints wouldn't shock much—the Saints still struggle against quarterbacks, giving up three passing scores to Los Angeles Rams rookie Jared Goff in Week 12.

As odd as it sounds, one could argue Winston is more reliable than Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. He has a high of just 12 points in two of his last three outings, though owners have to bank on his turning it around against the San Diego Chargers.

After all, the Chargers have allowed multiple passing touchdowns six times this year and two rushing scores by quarterbacks over their past five outings.

Given Newton's dual-threat nature and this game coming at home, he should return to form when owners need him most.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	David Johnson	23
2	Le'Veon Bell	21
3	Matt Forte	20
4	Ezekiel Elliott	18
5	Jeremy Hill	17
6	DeMarco Murray	16
7	Melvin Gordon	15
8	LeSean McCoy	14
9	Jordan Howard	13
10	Devonta Freeman	12
11	Frank Gore	12
12	Robert Kelley	12
13	Carlos Hyde	12
14	Todd Gurley	11
15	Jonathan Stewart	11
16	Jay Ajayi	11
17	Lamar Miller*	10
18	Thomas Rawls	10
19	Theo Riddick	10
20	Isaiah Crowell	10
21	Doug Martin	9
22	Mark Ingram	9
23	Devontae Booker	8
24	LeGarrette Blount	8
25	Darren Sproles	8
26	Jerick McKinnon	7
27	Tevin Coleman	7
28	Ryan Mathews	7
29	Duke Johnson Jr.	6
30	Dion Lewi	6

Other than some of the biggest fantasy names overall having big days, owners can lean on guys such as Matt Forte and Jeremy Hill in Week 14.

Forte's New York Jets get to beat up on the San Francisco 49ers, who allow the most points to running backs on average.

Owners burned by Forte in each of the past two weeks because he hasn't scored more than seven points have plenty of justification for angst. But with the team moving to Bryce Petty under center, Forte should see more usage than usual in a superb matchup.

Meanwhile, Hill's Cincinnati Bengals get the Cleveland Browns, whom the starting back already torched for 24 points back in Week 7.

Those Browns rank right behind the 49ers against running backs. Hill hasn't had the greatest track record as of late, but he has hit 10 or more points in two of his past four games and has a touchdown in four of his last six.

Given the consistent production and the fact he's bullied the Browns once before, Hill is one of the week's top starts.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Mike Evans	18
2	Antonio Brown	18
3	Julio Jones*	16
4	Odell Beckham Jr.	16
5	Tyrell Williams	15
6	Emmanuel Sanders	14
7	T.Y. Hilton	14
8	Terrelle Pryor Sr.	14
9	Jordy Nelson	13
10	Dez Bryant	13
11	Demaryius Thomas	12
12	Julian Edelman	12
13	DeAndre Hopkins	11
14	Larry Fitzgerald	11
15	Stefon Diggs	11
16	Jordan Matthews	11
17	Brandin Cooks	10
18	Doug Baldwin	10
19	Kenny Britt	10
20	Willie Snead	10
21	Michael Thomas	9
22	DeSean Jackson	9
23	Golden Tate	8
24	Kelvin Benjamin	8
25	Donte Moncrief	8
26	Brandon Marshall	8
27	Mike Wallace	8
28	Marvin Jones	8
29	Steve Smith Sr.	7
30	Allen Robinson	7
31	Jamison Crowder	7
32	Malcolm Mitchell	7
33	Davante Adams	6
34	Pierre Garcon	6
35	Sterling Shepard	6

It's going to be a huge week for big-time wide receivers alongside a few guys who are still making names for themselves.

One huge name sure to produce? Emmanuel Sanders of the Denver Broncos, who gets to beat up on a Tennessee Titans defense that allows the third-most points to wideouts on average.

Granted, Sanders has been erratic over the past two weeks, scoring 22 points in Week 12 before following with two points. But these Titans should ease any concerns for Sanders after coughing up five total receiving touchdowns over the past two weeks.

Tyrell Williams of the San Diego Chargers would be the name on the come up. He now has touchdowns in four consecutive games, having earned the trust of Philip Rivers as well as owners.

Next for Williams is a game against the Panthers, who allow the seventh-most points to wideouts. After letting Josh Norman walk last offseason, the unit has become a hotbed for wideout production, allowing 20 or more points to six sets of opposing wideouts with highs of 42 and 52.

Williams, now a No. 1 wideout, should feast.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projected Points
1	Jimmy Graham	13
2	Antonio Gates	12
3	Tyler Eifert	11
4	Jordan Reed*	10
5	Cameron Brate	10
6	Delanie Walker	8
7	C.J. Fiedorowicz	8
8	Greg Olsen	8
9	Zach Ertz	7
10	Ladarius Green	7
11	Eric Ebron*	6
12	Jason Witten	6

At a position of inconsistency, owners have to lean on the big names during the playoffs no matter what.

The first to know in Week 14 is Jimmy Graham of the Seattle Seahawks. His team hasn't traveled well this year, but he'll be a main target as the offense tries to move the ball against the Green Bay Packers.

The Packers cough up the sixth-most points to opposing tight ends on average, having allowed three touchdowns over the past four games. Graham has scored twice over his past three, so he should reward his owners.

Speaking of consistency, Cincinnati's Tyler Eifert has now scored in two consecutive games and has eight or more fantasy points in three of his last four outings.

With A.J. Green out again, Eifert will be the No. 1 target against the Browns, who permit the second-most points to tight ends on average.

Eifert was just making his way back from injury in the prior Week 7 meeting between the two sides, but there is no time like the present for him to have one of his best games of the year.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Unit	Projected Points
1	Falcons	12
2	Bengals	10
3	Falcons	9
4	Jets	9
5	Vikings	8
6	Colts	7
7	Panthers	7
8	Lions	6
9	Titans	6
10	Patriots	6

Owners don't think about an offensive-minded team such as the Atlanta Falcons when on the hunt for this spot during the playoffs.

They should this week. The Falcons are a great rental against the Rams, a rookie-led offense surrendering the third-most points to opposing D/ST units on average.

Atlanta hasn't blown anyone away in scoring over the past few weeks, but the unit does have 25 sacks and seven picks on the year. More importantly, the Rams have coughed up eight or more points in six consecutive games, with the highs coming in at 14 and 20.

That's an incredible floor for the Falcons at a time when owners need guaranteed production.

Kickers

Rank	Unit	Projected Points
1	Dustin Hopkins	12
2	Matt Prater	10
3	Roberto Aguayo	9
4	Matt Bryant	9
5	Adam Vinatieri	8
6	Caleb Sturgis	7
7	Graham Gano	7
8	Josh Lambo	6
9	Steven Hauschka	6
10	Dan Bailey	6

Tampa Bay kicker Roberto Aguayo is a matchup-based play, which isn't such a bad thing at the position.

Aguayo is in the middle of his best stretch of the season with seven or more points in three of his last four outings. Go figure, the exception came during a trip to Seattle.

No worries in Week 14—Aguayo gets the Saints, who have the honor of permitting the second-most points to opposing kickers. It's almost funny, as the Saints have allowed seven opposing kickers to hit double digits this year, including four of the last five.

Aguayo is the next great option for owners in need.

All scoring info courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues as are points-against info and ownership stats.

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.