Fantasy Football 2014: Updated Top-50 Player Rankings and Mock Draft Trends

Week 4 of the preseason is set to commence in short order, and for fantasy football enthusiasts, that means impending drafts are just days away. Despite the benefit of heavy amounts of research over the offseason, a lack of understanding regarding current fantasy draft trends could doom even the best of owners.

No, this doesn't simply mean that you must keep up on the latest NFL news—we all know Josh Gordon has been suspended for the year—it means extra attention must be paid to average draft positions and other telling trends in recent fantasy drafts.

Taking the most current player and positional trends into consideration, here's a look at the updated top-50 player rankings for the 2014 fantasy football season, followed by an overview of a few recent mock draft trends to keep an eye on.

Rank	Player	Team	Pos.	ADP*
1	LeSean McCoy	Eagles	RB	1.02
2	Jamaal Charles	Chiefs	RB	1.03
3	Adrian Peterson	Vikings	RB	1.04
4	Eddie Lacy	Packers	RB	1.05
5	Matt Forte	Bears	RB	1.06
6	Calvin Johnson	Lions	WR	1.06
7	Jimmy Graham	Saints	TE	1.08
8	Demaryius Thomas	Broncos	WR	1.08
9	Peyton Manning	Broncos	QB	1.07
10	Dez Bryant	Cowboys	WR	1.11
11	Marshawn Lynch	Seahawks	RB	1.12
12	A.J. Green	Bengals	WR	2.01
13	Montee Ball	Broncos	RB	1.12
14	DeMarco Murray	Cowboys	RB	2.02
15	Drew Brees	Saints	QB	2.04
16	Brandon Marshall	Bears	WR	2.05
17	Giovani Bernard	Bengals	RB	2.06
18	Aaron Rodgers	Packers	QB	2.06
19	Julio Jones	Falcons	WR	2.03
20	Jordy Nelson	Packers	WR	2.08
21	Antonio Brown	Steelers	WR	2.10
22	Doug Martin	Buccaneers	RB	2.09
23	Alfred Morris	Redskins	RB	2.12
24	Arian Foster	Texans	RB	2.08
25	Alshon Jeffery	Bears	WR	2.12
26	Andre Ellington	Cardinals	RB	3.02
27	Julius Thomas	Broncos	TE	3.04
28	Zac Stacy	Rams	RB	3.05
29	Rob Gronkowski	Patriots	TE	3.06
30	Le'Veon Bell	Steelers	RB	3.06
31	Keenan Allen	Chargers	WR	3.07
32	Reggie Bush	Lions	RB	3.08
33	Vincent Jackson	Buccaneers	WR	3.10
34	Randall Cobb	Packers	WR	3.04
35	Larry Fitzgerald	Cardinals	WR	4.04
36	Roddy White	Falcons	WR	4.02
37	Victor Cruz	Giants	WR	4.04
38	Cordarrelle Patterson	Vikings	WR	4.04
39	Rashad Jennings	Giants	RB	3.11
40	Toby Gerhart	Jaguars	RB	4.02
41	Shane Vereen	Patriots	RB	4.05
42	Ryan Mathews	Chargers	RB	4.05
43	Matthew Stafford	Lions	QB	4.06
44	Andre Johnson	Texans	WR	4.08
45	Frank Gore	49ers	RB	4.08
46	Pierre Garcon	Redskins	WR	4.09
47	Michael Crabtree	49ers	WR	4.12
48	Michael Floyd	Cardinals	WR	5.01
49	Percy Harvin	Seahawks	WR	5.01
50	C.J. Spiller	Bills	RB	4.01

*Average draft position (ADP) based on 12-team leagues with standard scoring, via FantasyFootballCalculator.com, and up to date as of Aug. 28.

Trends

Risers and Fallers

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

One bit of trouble some fantasy owners run into this time of year is working off a rankings system that isn't exactly up to date. While rankings that were written in July were most certainly accurate at one point in time, they aren't anymore.

This is due to players quickly jumping up the fantasy football ranks—and others severely plummeting—for a multitude of reasons.

Let's take Arizona Cardinals running back Andre Ellington for example.

Ellington's role was small in 2013; however, he averaged 5.5 yards per carry and proved to be a threat in the passing game as well. With the second-year back now atop Arizona's depth chart, fantasy owners were excited about a potential breakout season.

The hype surrounding Ellington was real earlier in the offseason, as Rotoworld's Adam Levitan tweeted about the running back's ADP in late May:

Now, Ellington's ADP has almost a full round differential at 3.02. If this running back is one of your coveted targets, don't hesitate too long.

Running Back/Wide Receiver Strategy

USA TODAY Sports

Many fantasy owners want to know exactly when to draft their running backs and wide receivers. Well, the best possible advice here is to stick to your big board and select the highest-ranked player when you're on the clock.

Although, if we are going to put some sort of chronological order on this process, here's a strategy to follow.

If you're selecting early in the first round, you have the option of drafting one of the league's best ball-carriers. Don't hesitate to do so. In snake-draft formats, there will be plenty of RB2 options remaining at the end of the second round to complete a dynamic duo of ball-carriers.

Wide receivers can be had throughout the draft. Players like Keenan Allen, Roddy White, Victor Cruz, Larry Fitzgerald and Vincent Jackson are heralded as fourth-round selections this season.

JJ Zachariason of LateRoundQB.com employed this strategy in a recent draft. Here's his haul:

If you're selecting late in the first round, you could opt for an elite wide receiver first. However, coupling a second-round running back is necessary in this situation. Grabbing DeMarco Murray or Giovani Bernard as your RB1 is crucial, as running back depth will begin to deteriorate quickly.

Beware of Injuries

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This is a trend that's easy to follow. Be sure you're completely up to date on all injuries before the draft, as a recent incident could send a player into a free-fall down draft boards. Don't be the owner who takes this player early due to a lack of vital information.

History is also very helpful in these situations. Knowing which players are currently injured is a big part of the process, but also paying attention to a player's injury history should weigh heavily on your draft decisions as well.

Note the rankings of Arian Foster and Rob Gronkowski. Both of these players have proved to be among the most dangerous in the league; however, due to their inability to stay healthy, their ranking don't come close to reflecting on their talent.

Chad Parsons of Footballguys.com tweeted his thoughts on drafting Foster:

Selecting a player with a checkered injury history is always a risk. Fantasy owners must decide if that risk is worth the potential reward. Will Doug Martin have a big comeback year? Will Adrian Peterson remain healthy through all 16 games?

Ask yourself similar questions before gambling with an early-round pick.