Fantasy Football Rankings Week 15: Top Studs at Every Position

The fact that we have reached Week 15 of the 2013 NFL regular season indicates that fantasy owners are likely in the midst of the postseason.

The emphasis on the rankings heading into Week 15 is through the roof. If owners are still alive in the playoffs and desperate to find out who the biggest fantasy studs will be in such pivotal matchups, look no further.

Here are my top five rankings at every position and the top studs to watch.

*Based on standard-scoring leagues. Points against stats via ESPN.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. points
1	Peyton Manning	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	28
2	Drew Brees	New Orleans Saints	St. Louis Rams	24
3	Tony Romo	Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	22
4	Philip Rivers	San Diego Chargers	Denver Broncos	21
5	Andrew Luck	Indianapolis Colts	Houston Texans	20

Top Stud: Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos

The leading MVP candidate in the NFL is also the leading fantasy MVP candidate, and Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will prove once again why he has led owners this far in the postseason.

After amassing seven games this year with four or more touchdowns, Manning will try to amass the feat once again in a favorable matchup.

The San Diego Chargers are ranked 28th in the NFL against the pass and have allowed 17.6 fantasy points per game to opposing QBs. After Manning threw for 330 yards and four touchdowns in the previous meeting between these two teams, fantasy owners have no reason to believe he won't do it again.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. Points
1	Jamaal Charles	Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	22
2	LeSean McCoy	Philadelphia Eagles	Minnesota Vikings	20
3	DeMarco Murray	Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	19
4	Marshawn Lynch	Seattle Seahawks	New York Giants	19
5	Knowshon Moreno	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	18

Top Stud: Jamaal Charles, Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles was always considered one of the better players in the league, but head coach Andy Reid has brought the best out of him.

No more pertinent example of that success was his 152 rushing yards and two touchdowns last week against the Washington Redskins.

Charles will follow up his monster performance by going up against the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders deserve credit for playing better defensively over the last month, but the team is still giving up an average of 15.8 points per game to backs.

Owners should expect Charles to exploit the advantage and have a monster day.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. points
1	Calvin Johnson	Detroit Lions	Baltimore Ravens	25
2	Demaryius Thomas	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	21
3	Josh Gordon	Cleveland Browns	Chicago Bears	20
4	A.J. Green	Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	18
5	Dez Bryant	Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	18

Top Stud: Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions

Fantasy owners need Detroit Lions star Calvin Johnson to bounce back after a subpar performance in the snow last week, and the matchup with a Baltimore Ravens defense that has given up 22.1 fantasy points per game to wide receivers is the ideal situation.

If a bouncing back from the three catches and 52 yards he amassed Sunday wasn't important enough, the recent comment from Ravens safety Matt Elam about Johnson being "pretty old," per the AP (via ESPN), has only added fuel to Megatron's fire.

The Lions need a win on Monday and will look to Johnson early and often.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. points
1	Jimmy Graham	New Orleans Saints	St. Louis Rams	20
2	Jason Witten	Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	17
3	Julius Thomas	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	17
4	Vernon Davis	San Francisco 49ers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	16
5	Tony Gonzalez	Atlanta Falcons	Washington Redskins	14

Top Stud: Jimmy Graham, New Orleans Saints

With New England's Rob Gronkowski going down for the season with a torn MCL and ACL, the unquestioned top fantasy tight end is the New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham. He will have a chance to prove his worth this week against the St. Louis Rams.

St. Louis has been tough on opposing tight ends, allowing only 5.7 points per game, but Graham is not the typical check-down weapon. With Drew Brees slinging the ball out of the pocket and Graham having the height and speed to beat any linebacker on the Rams roster, he will continue to find success.

Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Proj. points
1	Seattle Seahawks	New York Giants	20
2	San Francisco 49ers	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	18
3	Kansas City Chiefs	Oakland Raiders	18
4	Arizona Cardinals	Tennessee Titans	16
5	Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	15

Top Stud: Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a tough loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but the defense was not the issue in that game. Not only will the offense be given the chance to shine against the the New York Giants, but the defense will also be playing at a high level against a lackluster offense.

Add in the fact that Seattle is ranked in the top 10 in terms of fewest points allowed to opposing players at every major position, and fantasy owners that drafted the team defense early will be rewarded with another big performance.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team	Opponent	Proj. points
1	Matt Prater	Denver Broncos	San Diego Chargers	15
2	Steven Hauschka	Seattle Seahawks	New York Giants	14
3	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots	Miami Dolphins	13
4	Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens	Detroit Lions	12
5	Blair Walsh	Minnesota Vikings	Philadelphia Eagles	12

Top Stud: Matt Prater, Denver Broncos

After breaking the NFL record with a 64-yard field goal last Sunday, Denver Broncos kicker Matt Prater is Week 15's kicking stud. Prater's overall numbers have been skewed by Denver's effectiveness in the red zone, but he has still hit 18-of-19 field goal attempts this season and 65-of-65 extra points.

The defense of the San Diego Chargers has been playing better lately, but with a range like few others in NFL history, Prater should have ample opportunities to shine Thursday Night.

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