Fantasy Football 2014: Top 200 Fantasy Player Rankings

Winning your fantasy football league begins first and foremost with finding the greatest values in your draft. The following rankings examine my personal top 200 players in the game for the 2014 season with that exact goal in mind: finding value.

Learning when to wait and when to reach for the best draft steals is the most surefire way to construct a roster that can take you to the fantasy promised land. At times, it can be a winning strategy to employ patience and let the best values fall in your lap. Other times, you must be proactive and grab the highest-upside guys before your fellow owners get the opportunity.

The following rankings exhibit where the top values lie at this point in the offseason, in my opinion. I will later use this list to highlight the best deals at each position, analyzing the most significant differences between my rankings of certain players and their current average draft position.

To better conceptualize where I would select each player, the following list is divided up to represent a 16-round, 12-team draft (defense/special teams units and kickers not included), plus a few honorable mentions at the end.

So, without further ado, go ahead and dig in to the top 200.

Nos. 1-50

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Round 1

1. LeSean McCoy (RB1)

In prime of his prime; on dream offense for his dynamic skill set

2. Adrian Peterson (RB2)

Offensive coordinator Norv Turner brings out best in RBs; another monster year likely

3. Jamaal Charles (RB3)

Made up 40 percent of Chiefs’ O in 2013, nothing has changed

4. Matt Forte (RB4)

Head coach Marc Trestman trusts him to do it all, and do it all he does.

5. Calvin Johnson (WR1)

O loaded with weapons, Megatron could see less coverage

6. Marshawn Lynch (RB5)

Not buying running back by committee talk just yet, but worth keeping an eye on

7. Jimmy Graham (TE1)

Stands alone atop TEs; tremendous positional value advantage

8. Eddie Lacy (RB6)

Best combo of talent and opportunity among young-gun RBs

9. DeMarco Murray (RB7)

Broke out last year, should be focal point in OC Scott Linehan's offense

10. Demaryius Thomas (WR2)

Potential for 20 TDs with Eric Decker gone and Wes Welker fading

11. Arian Foster (RB8)

Fully healthy, HC Bill O’Brien wants him to be bell-cow back again

12. A.J. Green (WR3)

Underrated, consistently elite production; still improving

Round 2

13. Peyton Manning (QB1)

May not reach 50-plus TDs again, but still best bet in the biz

14. Drew Brees (QB2)

Top-two in overall fantasy points three years running—enough said.

15. Jordy Nelson (WR4)

Was on pace to be top fantasy WR in 2013 before Rodgers’ injury

16. Alshon Jeffery (WR5)

A total of 1,526 yards last year may be just the tip of the iceberg.

17. Brandon Marshall (WR6)

Consistent, elite, reliable—one of the safest No. 1 WRs

18. Dez Bryant (WR7)

Up-and-down production lowers rank, but capable of being top WR

19. Julius Thomas (TE2)

Likely Manning’s No. 2 target; Graham-like upside in Denver O

20. Montee Ball (RB9)

In line to be premier back in league’s highest-scoring O

21. Zac Stacy (RB10)

Earned HC Jeff Fisher’s trust last year; should be centerpiece of O

22. C.J. Spiller (RB11)

Still possesses top-RB ability; could win leagues in 2014

23. Doug Martin (RB12)

May not average 20-plus touches per game, but is a top talent

24. Aaron Rodgers (QB3)

Never exceeded 4,700 passing yards but ceiling is seemingly endless

Round 3

25. Andre Ellington (RB13)

Playmaker ready to break out; feature back in HC Bruce Arians’ O.

26. Le’Veon Bell (RB14)

No huge performances as a rookie, but workhorse with upside

27. Alfred Morris (RB15)

Could see fewer touches in pass-happy HC Jay Gruden’s O

28. Julio Jones (WR8)

Too much risk to put higher, but can explode any given week

29. Randall Cobb (WR9)

Special talent who has yet to reach potential as a true stud WR

30. Antonio Brown (WR10)

Points-per-reception beast entering his prime; reliable but lacks huge TD total

31. Vincent Jackson (WR11)

Boom or bust in 2013; should have success with QB Josh McCown

32. Roddy White (WR12)

Six elite fantasy seasons not erased after one year with injuries

33. Keenan Allen (WR13)

Tremendous rookie season; best receiver in elite offense

34. Matthew Stafford (QB4)

Lions added more receiving toys, and Stafford will play

35. Giovani Bernard (RB16)

Should not see much red-zone work, but has big-play ability

36. Victor Cruz (WR14)

Giants’ O should rebound enough to restore starter value

Round 4

37. Pierre Garcon (WR15)

Added weapons should open things up for RGIII’s No. 1 target

38. Andre Johnson (WR16)

Caught TDs in two games in 2013, still finished as No. 12 WR

39. Michael Floyd (WR17)

Led team in receiving yards last year; big-play guy ready to break

40. Larry Fitzgerald (WR18)

On decline, but still an elite possession receiver and red-zone target

41. Joique Bell (RB17)

Nearly top-15 fantasy RB in 2013; role and production to grow in 2014

42. Ryan Mathews (RB18)

First sign of injury could quickly turn backfield into a platoon

42. Frank Gore (RB19)

Crowded 49ers depth chart, but Gore, 31, continues to produce

43. Toby Gerhart (RB20)

Could see 300-plus touches, but Jags’ O limits TD opportunities

44. Reggie Bush (RB21)

PPR beast; could cede early-down work due to durability issues

46. Andrew Luck (QB5)

Loaded with receiving weapons; still maturing; enormous upside

47. Matt Ryan (QB6)

Safe QB1; pass-first O should rebound with Julio Jones and Roddy White healthy

48. Vernon Davis (TE3)

Disappears at times, can erupt any week; most team TDs in 2013

Round 5

49. Percy Harvin (WR19)

High-risk, high-caliber playmaker; low floor, sky-high ceiling

50. Michael Crabtree (WR20)

Could be top-10 WR in full season as team’s No. 1 target

Nos. 51-100

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

Round 5 (continued)

51. DeSean Jackson (WR21)

No longer his team’s top option, but still elite home run threat

52. Cordarrelle Patterson (WR22)

Flashed brilliance as a rookie; good match for OC Turner

53. Torrey Smith (WR23)

Still waiting on monster year, but finished top-20 in 2013

54. Shane Vereen (RB22)

Value boost in PPR; upside as one of Brady’s favorite targets

55. Darren Sproles (RB23)

HC Chip Kelly should maximize his skill set; high-end flex with upside

56. Bishop Sankey (RB24)

Good all-around back, but mediocre O and stiff goal-line competition

57. Stevan Ridley (RB25)

Huge range between his ceiling and floor; top-15 RB or on bench

58. Chris Johnson (RB26)

Past his prime, but Jets will run often, and Chris Ivory is not the answer

59. T.Y. Hilton (WR24)

Top-20 WR in 2013; far and away team’s best playmaker

60. Anquan Boldin (WR25)

No. 15 WR last year; return of Michael Crabtree actually improved his production

Round 6

61. Marques Colston (WR26)

His big games are fewer and farther between each season.

62. Julian Edelman (WR27)

Assumed valuable role as Brady’s most trusted receiver

63. Emmanuel Sanders (WR28)

Manning bump; deep threat; double-digit TD potential

64. Wes Welker (WR29)

Health concerns could reduce touches and decrease volume.

65. Dwayne Bowe (WR30)

Didn’t top 70 receiving yards in 2013, but still team’s top receiver

66. Robert Griffin III (QB7)

Finally fully healthy; undervalued with top overall QB upside

67. Tom Brady (QB8)

Far less turnover in receiving corps than last year, but needs Gronk back

68. Tony Romo (QB9)

Bad defense should lead to shootouts; high-volume Scott Linehan passing O

69. Colin Kaepernick (QB10)

Still room to grow; possesses tools for fantasy greatness

70. Cam Newton (QB11)

Poor receiver corps could cut drives short, but increase QB runs

71. Nick Foles (QB12)

Mind-blowing 27-2 touchdown-interception ratio last year, but small sample to trust

72. Rob Gronkowski (TE4)

Nearly unstoppable when on the field, but plays fewer games each year

Round 7

73. Ray Rice (RB27)

Ugly regular season and offseason to match; concerning 2013 falloff

74. Fred Jackson (RB28)

Top-10 last year and still a goal-line back, but when will Father Time show up?

75. Pierre Thomas (RB29)

Already 29 years old, but still most productive Saints RB

76. Trent Richardson (RB30)

Is he the next Marshawn Lynch or did he peak as a rookie?

77. Ben Tate (RB31)

Ideally a flex due to injuries and team drafting two talented backups

78. Steven Jackson (RB32)

Nearly 3,000 career touches; steady decline in average yards per carry

79. Rashad Jennings (RB33)

Giants’ presumed lead RB, but backfield situation is one to watch

80. Knowshon Moreno (RB34)

Huge offensive downgrade; RBBC likely; major bust potential

81. Jay Cutler (QB13)

Has league’s best trio of pass-catchers, including Forte

82. Philip Rivers (QB14)

Bounced back in 2013; only one 20-plus point game after Week 4

83. Mike Wallace (WR31)

New OC Bill Lazor will provide every opportunity to succeed.

84. Kendall Wright (WR32)

Seventh among WRs in receptions in 2013, only two TDs to show for it

Round 8

85. Reggie Wayne (WR33)

Already 35 years old; coming off of scary injury but can’t count him out

86. Cecil Shorts (WR34)

Good value as team’s likely lead WR, but QB play questionable

87. Riley Cooper (WR35)

Production rose with QB Nick Foles; will contend for No. 1 WR role

88. Golden Tate (WR36)

Will enjoy limited coverage opposite Calvin; big-play potential

89. Marvin Jones (WR37)

OC Hue Jackson believes in his talent, per Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com; should start next to Green

90. Terrance Williams (WR38)

Another breakout candidate; will get chance in Linehan's O

91. Jeremy Maclin (WR39)

Played full season once; never surpassed 1,000 total yards

92. Greg Olsen (TE5)

May lead team in yards and TDs in corps of rookies and older vets

93. Jason Witten (TE6)

Lower ceiling than guys ranked higher, but safe top-10 TE lock

94. Jordan Cameron (TE7)

Started hot in 2013; could be No. 1 target if Josh Gordon is out

95. Dennis Pitta (TE8)

Big new contract bodes well for heavy usage in OC Gary Kubiak O

96. Kyle Rudolph (TE9)

Another likely beneficiary of OC Turner; high-TD potential

Round 9

97. Jordan Reed (TE10)

Four concussions in four years, would be top-five TE otherwise

98. Ben Roethlisberger (QB15)

Great latter half of 2013 season; still low-end QB1 value

99. David Wilson (RB35)

If cleared, too much talent to sit on bench; should share RBBC

100. Donald Brown (RB36)

Impressed in 2013; must-own handcuff for Ryan Mathews owners

Nos. 101-150

Mark Duncan/Associated Press

Round 9 (continued)

101. Maurice Jones-Drew (RB37)

Safer than Darren McFadden, but bad team and skills waning

102. DeAndre Hopkins (WR40)

Poor QB play could repress breakout ability

103. Eric Decker (WR41)

How valuable is the Jets No. 1 WR role anyway?

104. Hakeem Nicks (WR42)

Steady decline a bad sign; too much other talent in Indy

105. Mike Evans (WR43)

Evans could have value as a rookie as QB McCown’s No. 2 WR

106. Sammy Watkins (WR44)

Buffalo ran most in NFL in 2013; QB E.J. Manuel limits upside

107. Josh Gordon (WR45)

Once punishment is finalized, stock could change dramatically

108. Danny Woodhead (RB38)

Perennially undervalued; makes most of limited touches.

Round 10

109. DeAngelo Williams (RB39)

Finished just outside top 20 RBs in 2013, but Jonathan Stewart is back

110. Chris Ivory (RB40)

At best, will play minority role in RBBC with Johnson; three TDs in ’13

111. Lamar Miller (RB41)

Seeing first-team work in OTAs; can’t count him out just yet

112. Terrance West (RB42)

Could steal lead role from injury-prone Ben Tate if he misses time

113. LeGarrette Blount (RB43)

Finished strong with Pats in ‘13; value as handcuff to Le'Veon Bell

114. Andy Dalton (QB16)

Rank seems unfair for No. 5 fantasy QB in 2013; could be a steal

115. Rueben Randle (WR46)

With Hakeem Nicks gone, there's a chance to seize downfield opportunities.

116. Doug Baldwin (WR47)

Like Randle, departure of Golden Tate moves him to starter role

117. Danny Amendola (WR48)

Disappointing year with Pats; pressure to perform in 2014

118. Tavon Austin (WR49)

Too early to deem a bust, but didn’t show enough to invest

119. James Jones (WR50)

Massive downgrade at QB and O; plenty of WR competition

120. Heath Miller (TE11)

New contract signals team trust; still a top target of Big Ben

Round 11

121. Ladarius Green (TE12)

In next class of freak athlete TEs in mold of Gronk/Jimmy Graham

122. Zach Ertz (TE13)

See above

123. Eli Manning (QB17)

Cannot only blame Eli for Giants’ horrible 201314 season, but clearly a QB2

124. Russell Wilson (QB18)

Offense simply not designed for consistently big fantasy production

125. Carson Palmer (QB19)

Improved OL; three superb pass-catchers; same talent

126. Steve Smith (WR51)

Finished outside top-40 WRs in 2013 as team’s No. 1 option

127. Brandin Cooks (WR52)

Hard to trust Saints’ WRs outside of Marques Colston, but worth flier

128. Robert Woods (WR53)

Exit Stevie Johnson, enter Sammy Watkins; No. 2 WR; bad pass O

129. Aaron Dobson (WR54)

Will he emerge as Pats’ ever-elusive, post-Randy Moss deep threat?

130. Greg Jennings (WR55)

Still some value as veteran slot WR in OC Turner's O

131. Martellus Bennett (TE14)

TD volume could soar if Brandon Marshall or Alshon Jeffery miss time

132. Charles Clay (TE15)

Pleasant surprise in 2013; safer to bet on regression than repeat

Round 12

134. Antonio Gates (TE16)

Topped 60 yards once after Week 5 in ’13; Ladarius Green looming

135. Dwayne Allen (TE17)

Too many mouths to feed in Indy to expect TE1 numbers

136. Coby Fleener (TE18)

Value takes a hit with Dwyane Allen back and Hakeem Nicks in the mix

133. Delanie Walker (TE19)

Had some nice games in ’13 but can’t trust Titans’ O

137. Eric Ebron (TE20)

Exciting raw player who may take a year to develop

138. Josh McCown (QB20)

Vincent Jackson/Mike Evans duo should be poor man’s Brandon Marshall/Alshon Jeffery

139. Alex Smith (QB21)

Consistent QB2 with less upside than those ranked ahead of him

140. Vick Ballard (RB44)

Had mid-round average draft position before offseason injury in 2013; still a factor

141. Khiry Robinson (RB45)

Unless declared surefire starter, not worth a mid-round flier

142. Andre Brown (RB46)

Should see some early-down work; important Arian Foster handcuff

143. Roy Helu (RB47)

Skills mesh better with Jay Gruden O, but Alfred Morris is the superior talent

144. Christine Michael (RB48)

Great chance to lead backfield in 2014-15 season; valuable handcuff

Round 13

145. Shonn Greene (RB49)

Could share starting work with Bishop Sankey; likely goal-line back

146. Bernard Pierce (RB50)

Lackluster 2013, but will move up if Ray Rice receives suspension

147. Jeremy Hill (RB51)

Good chance to win out over BenJarvus Green-Ellis role during season

148. Justin Hunter (WR56)

Speed and athleticism for days, but lacking opportunity

149. Kelvin Benjamin (WR57)

Raw and error-prone, but great chance to start Week 1

150. Brian Hartline (WR58)

Low ceiling; expect moderate production with a big game or two

Top 200 (Complete List)

Jason Miller/Getty Images

Round 1

1. LeSean McCoy (RB1)

2. Adrian Peterson (RB2)

3. Jamaal Charles (RB3)

4. Matt Forte (RB4)

5. Calvin Johnson (WR1)

6. Marshawn Lynch (RB5)

7. Jimmy Graham (TE1)

8. Eddie Lacy (RB6)

9. DeMarco Murray (RB7)

10. Demaryius Thomas (WR2)

11. Arian Foster (RB8)

12. A.J. Green (WR3)

Round 2

13. Peyton Manning (QB1)

14. Drew Brees (QB2)

15. Jordy Nelson (WR4)

16. Alshon Jeffery (WR5)

17. Brandon Marshall (WR6)

18. Dez Bryant (WR7)

19. Julius Thomas (TE2)

20. Montee Ball (RB9)

21. Zac Stacy (RB10)

22. C.J. Spiller (RB11)

23. Doug Martin (RB12)

24. Aaron Rodgers (QB3)

Round 3

25. Andre Ellington (RB13)

26. Le’Veon Bell (RB14)

27. Alfred Morris (RB15)

28. Julio Jones (WR8)

29. Randall Cobb (WR9)

30. Antonio Brown (WR10)

31. Vincent Jackson (WR11)

32. Roddy White (WR12)

33. Keenan Allen (WR13)

34. Matthew Stafford (QB4)

35. Giovani Bernard (RB16)

36. Victor Cruz (WR14)

Round 4

37. Pierre Garcon (WR15)

38. Andre Johnson (WR16)

39. Michael Floyd (WR17)

40. Larry Fitzgerald (WR18)

41. Joique Bell (RB17)

42. Ryan Mathews (RB18)

42. Frank Gore (RB19)

43. Toby Gerhart (RB20)

44. Reggie Bush (RB21)

46. Andrew Luck (QB5)

47. Matt Ryan (QB6)

48. Vernon Davis (TE3)

Round 5

49. Percy Harvin (WR19)

50. Michael Crabtree (WR20)

51. DeSean Jackson (WR21)

52. Cordarrelle Patterson (WR22)

53. Torrey Smith (WR23)

54. Shane Vereen (RB22)

55. Darren Sproles (RB23)

56. Bishop Sankey (RB24)

57. Stevan Ridley (RB25)

58. Chris Johnson (RB26)

59. T.Y. Hilton (WR24)

60. Anquan Boldin (WR25)

Round 6

61. Marques Colston (WR26)

62. Julian Edelman (WR27)

63. Emmanuel Sanders (WR28)

64. Wes Welker (WR29)

65. Dwayne Bowe (WR30)

66. Robert Griffin III (QB7)

67. Tom Brady (QB8)

68. Tony Romo (QB9)

69. Colin Kaepernick (QB10)

70. Cam Newton (QB11)

71. Nick Foles (QB12)

72. Rob Gronkowski (TE4)

Round 7

73. Ray Rice (RB27)

74. Fred Jackson (RB28)

75. Pierre Thomas (RB29)

76. Trent Richardson (RB30)

77. Ben Tate (RB31)

78. Steven Jackson (RB32)

79. Rashad Jennings (RB33)

80. Knowshon Moreno (RB34)

81. Jay Cutler (QB13)

82. Philip Rivers (QB14)

83. Mike Wallace (WR31)

84. Kendall Wright (WR32)

Round 8

85. Reggie Wayne (WR33)

86. Cecil Shorts (WR34)

87. Riley Cooper (WR35)

88. Golden Tate (WR36)

89. Marvin Jones (WR37)

90. Terrance Williams (WR38)

91. Jeremy Maclin (WR39)

92. Greg Olsen (TE5)

93. Jason Witten (TE6)

94. Jordan Cameron (TE7)

95. Dennis Pitta (TE8)

96. Kyle Rudolph (TE9)

Round 9

97. Jordan Reed (TE10)

98. Ben Roethlisberger (QB15)

99. David Wilson (RB35)

100. Donald Brown (RB36)

101. Maurice Jones-Drew (RB37)

102. DeAndre Hopkins (WR40)

103. Eric Decker (WR41)

104. Hakeem Nicks (WR42)

105. Mike Evans (WR43)

106. Sammy Watkins (WR44)

107. Josh Gordon (WR45)

108. Danny Woodhead (RB38)

Round 10

109. DeAngelo Williams (RB39)

110. Chris Ivory (RB40)

111. Lamar Miller (RB41)

112. Terrance West (RB42)

113. LeGarrette Blount (RB43)

114. Andy Dalton (QB16)

115. Rueben Randle (WR46)

116. Doug Baldwin (WR47)

117. Danny Amendola (WR48)

118. Tavon Austin (WR49)

119. James Jones (WR50)

120. Heath Miller (TE11)

Round 11

121. Ladarius Green (TE12)

122. Zach Ertz (TE13)

123. Eli Manning (QB17)

124. Russell Wilson (QB18)

125. Carson Palmer (QB19)

126. Steve Smith (WR51)

127. Brandin Cooks (WR52)

128. Robert Woods (WR53)

129. Aaron Dobson (WR54)

130. Greg Jennings (WR55)

131. Martellus Bennett (TE14)

132. Charles Clay (TE15)

Round 12

134. Antonio Gates (TE16)

135. Dwayne Allen (TE17)

136. Coby Fleener (TE18)

133. Delanie Walker (TE19)

137. Eric Ebron (TE20)

138. Josh McCown (QB20)

139. Alex Smith (QB21)

140. Vick Ballard (RB44)

141. Khiry Robinson (RB45)

142. Andre Brown (RB46)

143. Roy Helu (RB47)

144. Christine Michael (RB48)

Round 13

145. Shonn Greene (RB49)

146. Bernard Pierce (RB50)

147. Jeremy Hill (RB51)

148. Justin Hunter (WR56)

149. Kelvin Benjamin (WR57)

150. Brian Hartline (WR58)

151. Kenny Stills (WR59)

152. Jarrett Boykin (WR60)

153. Markus Wheaton (WR61)

154. Andrew Hawkins (WR62)

155. Ahmad Bradshaw (RB52)

156. Devonta Freeman (RB53)

Round 14

157. Tre Mason (RB54)

158. C.J. Anderson (RB55)

159. Carlos Hyde (RB56)

160. Knile Davis (RB57)

161. Lance Dunbar (RB58)

162. Charles Sims (RB59)

163. Tyler Eifert (TE21)

164. Jake Locker (QB22)

165. Sam Bradford (QB23)

166. Johnny Manziel (QB24) 

167. Mike Williams (WR63)

168. Jeremy Kerley (WR64)

Round 15

169. Owen Daniels (TE22)

170. Jermichael Finley (TE23)

171. Jared Cook (TE24)

172. Garrett Graham (TE25)

173. Jace Amaro (TE26)

174. Latavius Murray (RB60)

175. Bryce Brown (RB61)

176. Jonathan Stewart (RB62)

177. Darren McFadden (RB63)

178. Chris Polk (RB64)

179. Mark Ingram (RB65)

180. BenJarvus Green-Ellis (RB66)

Round 16

181. Stevie Johnson (WR65)

182. Cody Latimer (WR66)

183. Odell Beckham Jr. (WR67)

184. Marqise Lee (WR68)

185. Jordan Matthews (WR69)

186. Marcus Lattimore (RB68)

187. Mike Tolbert (RB69)

188. Jordan Todman (RB70)

189. Isaiah Crowell (RB71)

190. Ryan Tannehill (QB25)

191. Teddy Bridgewater (QB26)

192. Matt Schaub (QB27)

Honorable Mentions

193. Andre Williams (RB71)

194. Harry Douglas (WR70)

195. Denarius Moore (WR71)

196. Justin Blackmon (WR72)

197. Miles Austin (WR73)

198. Ka'Deem Carey (RB72)

199. Bobby Rainey (RB73)

200. James Starks (RB74)

All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.

James Paradis is a fantasy football featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Be sure to check out his entire archive on fantasy strategy and analysis.

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