Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

The 2014 fantasy football regular season has come to a close for most standard leagues, and it’s time for owners to look forward to the Week 14 rankings before the first crucial postseason matchup.

Most owners who made the playoffs have fought hard to get this far. With waiver-wire moves, trades and educated risks, those who earned a berth in the postseason will do whatever it takes to keep their team alive for Round 2.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 14. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Peyton Manning, DEN	25 Points
2	Aaron Rodgers, GB	24 Points
3	Drew Brees, NO	23 Points
4	Andrew Luck, IND	22 Points
5	Tom Brady, NE	21 Points
6	Matthew Stafford, DET	19 Points
7	Johnny Manziel, CLE	18 Points
8	Russell Wilson, SEA	17 Points
9	Jay Cutler, CHI	16 Points
10	Tony Romo, DAL	15 Points
11	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	14 Points
12	Philip Rivers, SD	14 Points
13	Ryan Tannehill, MIA	13 Points
14	Cam Newton, CAR	12 Points
15	Matt Ryan, ATL	12 Points

Fantasy football owners were expecting big numbers when they drafted Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford early this season, but he has only been able to rack up 15 passing touchdowns all year.

Owners who have been patient with Stafford and still made the postseason will be rewarded with a huge performance against the lackluster secondary of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After he threw for 390 yards and two touchdowns last week, he should put up similar numbers in Week 14.

When asked about his success on Thanksgiving, Stafford told Kyle Meinke of MLive.com:

"

I knew in warmups, the way we were going about the game, that we were going to have a good game on offense. I could feel it, but it just didn't happen the first couple minutes. I felt confident in our guys. We just made our minds up, and obviously our defense played fantastic again shutting them down the rest of the game.

"

With wide receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate ready for another big game, Detroit fans and fantasy owners should expect Stafford to take advantage of Tampa Bay’s 22nd-ranked pass defense (allowing 245.3 yards per game).

Start Stafford in all standard-scoring fantasy leagues with confidence.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	DeMarco Murray, DAL	22 Points
2	LeSean McCoy, PHI	22 Points
3	Arian Foster, HOU	20 Points
4	Jamaal Charles, KC	18 Points
5	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	18 Points
6	Matt Forte, CHI	17 Points
7	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	16 Points
8	Eddie Lacy, GB	16 Points
9	Alfred Morris, WAS	15 Points
10	C.J. Anderson, DEN	15 Points
11	Ryan Mathews, SD	15 Points
12	Justin Forsett, BAL	14 Points
13	Lamar Miller, MIA	13 Points
14	Rashad Jennings, NYG	13 Points
15	Andre Ellington, ARI	12 Points
16	Jeremy Hill, CIN	11 Points
17	Tre Mason, StL	11 Points
18	Joique Bell, DET	11 Points
19	Isaiah Crowell, CLE	10 Points
20	Giovani Bernard, CIN	10 Points
21	Denard Robinson, JAX	9 Points
22	Mark Ingram, NO	9 Points
23	Frank Gore, SF	8 Points
24	Shane Vereen, NE	8 Points
25	LeGarrette Blount, NE	7 Points

Week 14 is pivotal for fantasy owners, and finding the right running back is crucial. Two players who should help lead you to a first-round victory will be Jeremy Hill of the Cincinnati Bengal and Ryan Mathews of the San Diego Chargers.

Owners with Hill were worried about the return of Giovani Bernard, but Hill is earning the majority of the carries. In Week 13, Hill carried the ball 13 times for 40 yards and had four receptions for 12 yards. On the other hand, Bernard had 10 carries for 49 yards and one reception for four yards.

While both players will get their share of the workload, Hill started the game and is still the team’s go-to back when the Bengals hit the red zone. Against a beatable Pittsburgh Steelers defense, start Hill as an RB2 in standard-scoring leagues and Bernard as a flex.

Another running back to consider is Mathews. His numbers weren’t overly impressive in Week 13, amassing 13 carries for 38 yards and a touchdown and a reception for another six yards. The touchdown was the second he has scored in the last two games though, and he has become the team’s unquestioned No. 1 back.

Whether it’s on passing downs, in the red zone or in any other situation, Mathews has returned to favor as San Diego’s all-purpose threat. The Chargers play the New England Patriots in Week 14, and Mathews should be able to find holes against a run defense that allows an average of 110 yards per game.

Mathews is a borderline RB2/flex, but deserves to be in your lineup this weekend.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Calvin Johnson, DET	22 Points
2	Demaryius Thomas, DEN	22 Points
3	Jordy Nelson, GB	20 Points
4	Antonio Brown, PIT	20 Points
5	Dez Bryant, DAL	19 Points
6	A.J. Green, CIN	18 Points
7	Julio Jones, ATL	18 Points
8	T.Y. Hilton, IND	17 Points
9	Brandon Marshall, CHI	17 Points
10	Jeremy Maclin, PHI	16 Points
11	Randall Cobb, GB	16 Points
12	Mike Evans, TB	15 Points
13	Odell Beckham, NYG	15 Points
14	Kelvin Benjamin, CAR	14 Points
15	Emmanuel Sanders, DEN	14 Points
16	DeAndre Hopkins, HOU	14 Points
17	Roddy White, ATL	13 Points
18	Alshon Jeffery, CHI	12 Points
19	Keenan Allen, SD	12 Points
20	Josh Gordon, CLE	11 Points
21	Sammy Watkins, BUF	10 Points
22	Andre Johnson, HOU	10 Points
23	Julian Edelman, NE	9 Points
24	Mike Wallace, MIA	8 Points
25	Martavis Bryant, PIT	8 Points
26	Marques Colston, NO	8 Points
27	Eric Decker, NYJ	7 Points
28	Brandon LaFell, NE	6 Points
29	Reggie Wayne, IND	6 Points
30	Golden Tate, DET	5 Points
31	Steve Smith, BAL	5 Points
32	Michael Crabtree, SF	5 Points
33	Vincent Jackson, TB	5 Points
34	Percy Harvin, NYJ	5 Points
35	Kenny Stills, NO	5 Points

The wide receiver everyone is talking about after Week 13 is DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans. After racking up an impressive nine catches for 238 yards and two touchdowns last Sunday, fantasy owners are riding Hopkins into the playoffs.

Over the last three games with Ryan Fitzpatrick as the team’s starting quarterback, Hopkins has totaled 448 yards and three touchdowns. Add in Houston’s favorable matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Hopkins is a WR2 that must be started in all fantasy leagues.

Another option for fantasy owners looking for a Week 14 flex play would be New Orleans Saints wide receiver Marques Colston. While Kenny Stills will get more love due to a strong Week 13 performance, Colston is the more reliable red-zone threat.

With touchdowns in back-to-back games and Drew Brees clearly targeting Colston in the end zone, fantasy owners should expect a touchdown this week from the receiver against a lackluster Carolina Panthers defense.

Colston is a high-upside flex play.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Rob Gronkowski, NE	18 Points
2	Jimmy Graham, NO	18 Points
3	Jason Witten, DAL	14 Points
4	Antonio Gates, SD	14 Points
5	Julius Thomas, DEN	13 Points
6	Martellus Bennett, CHI	12 Points
7	Travis Kelce, KC	12 Points
8	Delanie Walker, TEN	11 Points
9	Greg Olsen, CAR	10 Points
10	Charles Clay, MIA	10 Points
11	Owen Daniels, BAL	9 Points
12	Mychal Rivera, OAK	8 Points

One of the most intriguing tight end options for Week 14 is Chicago Bears star Martellus Bennett. It's been four weeks since Bennett has found the end zone, but he is coming off a game in which he caught eight passes for 109 yards.

Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler is clearly looking for a safety valve when the offensive line breaks down, and Bennett has been exactly what the team needs. Against a Dallas Cowboys defense on Thursday Night Football, fantasy owners should expect more of the same.

The Philadelphia Eagles exposed how to beat Dallas with tight ends, and Chicago will be taking note and trying to get Bennett involved early and often. The biggest beneficiary will be owners who start him this week.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	San Francisco 49ers	Oakland	16 Points
2	Houston Texans	Jacksonville	16 Points
3	Detroit Lions	Tampa Bay	14 Points
4	Minnesota Vikings	New York Jets	14 Points
5	Denver Broncos	Buffalo	14 Points
6	Green Bay Packers	Atlanta	12 Points
7	St. Louis Rams	Washington	12 Points
8	Arizona Cardinals	Kansas City	12 Points
9	Seattle Seahawks	Philadelphia	10 Points
10	Baltimore Ravens	Miami	10 Points
11	Miami Dolphins	Baltimore	10 Points
12	New York Giants	Tennessee Titans	8 Points

The Houston Texans have been inconsistent on the defensive side of the ball this season, but fantasy owners have been pleasantly surprised by the steady stream of points thanks to the elite performance of defensive end J.J. Watt.

Watt is an absolute monster off the end and he makes the entire defense better. Not only is he a pass-rush nightmare, but he is also able to stop the run or drop into coverage.

Add in his ability to create turnovers and Houston’s ability to score defensive touchdowns, and starting the Texans defense against Jacksonville is a dream matchup. Now if you could only get points for Watt’s offensive touchdowns.

Kickers

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	14 Points
2	Justin Tucker, BAL	14 Points
3	Phil Dawson, SF	13 Points
4	Cody Parkey, PHI	12 Points
5	Steven Hauschka, SEA	12 Points
6	Dan Bailey, DAL	11 Points
7	Shaun Suisham, PIT	10 Points
8	Shayne Graham, NO	9 Points
9	Nick Novak, SD	8 Points
10	Adam Vinatieri, IND	7 Points
11	Mason Crosby, GB	6 Points
12	Dan Carpenter, BUF	6 Points

The Philadelphia Eagles found a gem when they acquired Cody Parkey, and the result has been one of the best kickers in the league this season. With the high-powered Philadelphia offense behind him, the Eagles should give Parkey ample chances in Week 14.

A tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks may result in more drives stalling within field-goal range, and that’s good news for owners starting Parkey. He is worth a start in all standard-scoring leagues.

*Stats via NFL.com.