Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions

In the history of mankind, we've valued different traits at different points in our evolution. But there's little question that in modern society, intelligence has replaced strength as the ideal trait to continue our evolution as a species. 

Smarts cures diseases. Smarts lands probes on planets. Smarts can change the world. It's all about being smart, folks. 

Setting your fantasy lineup shouldn't be any different. Don't try to predict how many points a player will score in a given week, folks. Try to determine just how smart it is to start that player based on several factors. Curious what those factors should be?

Read on, as I reveal my Week 14 startability rankings. 

Notes: For a full explanation of the rankings, see here. Abridged version: Startability measures how smart it is to start a given player in a week rather than attempting to project how many points he will score. "Ability" measures a player's overall talent, proficiency at his position and ability to produce fantasy numbers. "Offense" measures how much that team's offense improves his fantasy stock. The overall "startability" grade is weighted. All point totals and points-against statistics via ESPN standard scoring leagues. 

Schedule

Thursday, December 4	Time (ET)	TV
Sunday, December 7	Time (ET)	TV
Dallas at Chicago	8:25 p.m.	NFL
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati	1 p.m.	CBS
St. Louis at Washington	1 p.m.	FOX
NY Giants at Tennessee	1 p.m.	FOX
Carolina at New Orleans	1 p.m.	FOX
NY Jets at Minnesota	1 p.m.	CBS
Baltimore at Miami	1 p.m.	CBS
Indianapolis at Cleveland	1 p.m.	CBS
Tampa Bay at Detroit	1 p.m.	FOX
Houston at Jacksonville	1 p.m.	CBS
Buffalo at Denver	4:05 p.m.	CBS
Kansas City at Arizona	4:05 p.m.	CBS
Seattle at Philadelphia	4:25 p.m.	FOX
San Francisco at Oakland	4:25 p.m.	FOX
New England at San Diego	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Monday, December 8	Time (ET)	TV
Atlanta at Green Bay	8:30 p.m.	ESPN

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Aaron Rodgers	50	14	15	10	A+ (89)
2	Drew Brees	49	16	14	9	A+ (88)
3	Russell Wilson	45	20	10	8	A (83)
4	Peyton Manning	50	5	15	10	A- (80)
5	Tom Brady	48	12	13	7	A- (80)
6	Andrew Luck	49	5	14	10	B+ (78)
7	Tony Romo	40	22	10	5	B+ (77)
8	Ryan Tannehill	40	20	9	5	B (74)
9	Jay Cutler	41	13	12	7	B (73)
10	Philip Rivers	43	11	12	6	B- (72)
11	Cam Newton	43	18	6	4	B- (71)
12	Matt Stafford	43	12	11	4	C+ (70)
13	Eli Manning	40	15	10	5	C+ (70)
14	Andy Dalton	39	16	9	4	C (68)
15	Ben Roethlisberger	42	7	11	6	C- (66)
16	Colin Kaepernick	40	15	7	4	C- (66)
17	Matt Ryan	42	9	9	5	C- (65)
18	Joe Flacco	40	4	11	6	D+ (61)
19	Mark Sanchez	38	3	14	5	D+ (60)
20	Alex Smth	38	11	5	4	D (58)

There aren't too many surprises at quarterback this week, as by this time in the year we have a pretty good idea of whom you can trust and whom you can't. Two interesting cases are Tony Romo and Ryan Tannehill, however. 

Last week, both players had amazing matchups against the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Jets, respectively, two of the worst pass defenses in the NFL. And both players disappointed. Romo only managed a measly three fantasy points and was hassled by Philly's pass rush all game long, while Tannehill could only squeak out eight points against Rex Ryan's hapless Jets.

So I wouldn't blame you for being gun-shy about either player this week. But I would also be remiss if I didn't point out that Romo was facing a Chicago defense that is giving up 20.3 fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks per week, 31st in the NFL, while Tannehill faces a Baltimore defense that has given up a total of 803 passing yards and six passing scores in the past two games.

If you are streaming quarterbacks, either player is an enticing option given the matchup. No, these aren't the most trustworthy of choices, but both have very nice upsides given the opponents. 

Tom Brady has slowed down a bit. After five straight starts with 20 or more points, he's failed to reach that threshold in three straight contests. Joe Flacco just threw for 225 yards and two touchdowns—he also rushed for another score—and finished with 23 fantasy points against the San Diego Chargers, however, so perhaps Brady can get back on track in a meeting against the Bolts.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Arian Foster	48	19	14	9	A+ (90)
2	Matt Forte	48	16	14	9	A+ (87)
3	Le'Veon Bell	47	16	13	10	A+ (86)
4	Marshawn Lynch	49	14	14	8	A (85)
5	DeMarco Murray	48	11	15	10	A (84)
6	Eddie Lacy	44	18	13	8	A (83)
7	Rashad Jennings	40	23	11	7	A (81)
8	Jamaal Charles	49	4	14	10	A- (77)
9	Mark Ingram	42	14	11	8	A- (75)
10	LeSean McCoy	47	9	11	7	A- (74)
11	Justin Forsett	40	13	12	8	B+ (73)
12	Ryan Mathews	40	14	10	6	B+ (70)
13	Alfred Morris	44	7	10	8	B (69)
14	Frank Gore	38	22	6	3	B (69)
15	Joique Bell	40	15	7	6	B (68)
16	C.J. Anderson	40	3	15	8	B- (66)
17	Andre Ellington*	42	10	8	6	B- (66)
18	Giovani Bernard	42	11	7	6	B- (66)
19	Jeremy Hill	41	11	8	6	B- (66)
20	Isaiah Crowell	36	19	7	4	B- (66)
21	Trent Richardson	37	14	10	4	C+ (65)
22	Dan Herron	37	14	10	4	C+ (65)
23	Jonathan Stewart	35	21	6	3	C+ (65)
24	Lamar Miller	43	3	11	7	C (64)
25	Fred Jackson	40	6	10	7	C (63)
26	Chris Ivory	37	17	6	3	C (63)
27	Chris Johnson	37	17	6	3	C (63)
28	Denard Robinson	38	12	7	5	C (62)
29	Steven Jackson	36	12	7	5	C- (60)
30	Bishop Sankey	35	18	5	2	C- (60)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
31	Tre Mason	39	5	10	6	C- (60)
32	Terrance West	35	19	4	2	C- (60)
33	Jerick McKinnon*	38	8	8	3	D+ (57)
34	Darren Sproles	39	9	5	3	D+ (56)
35	Shane Vereen	35	10	6	4	D (55)
36	LeGarrette Blount	35	10	6	4	D (55)
37	Latavius Murray*	37	9	5	3	D (540
38	Doug Martin	36	5	6	3	D- (50)

LeSean McCoy is back, folks.

With a mostly healthy offensive line once again and a renewed focus on the ground game, McCoy has rushed for a total of 289 yards and two scores in the past two weeks. It's been a long and bumpy road for Shady's owners this season, but the electrifying back is hitting his stride just in time for the fantasy playoffs.

Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Even in a really, really tough matchup, it's tough not to trust C.J. Anderson. While the Buffalo Bills are allowing just 11.3 fantasy points to opposing running backs per week, second in the NFL, Anderson has a whopping 79 fantasy points in his last four games. 

More importantly, the Denver Broncos have had a running back notch at least 10 fantasy points in eight straight games now (Ronnie Hillman for the first four, Anderson the last four). Don't be surprised if Anderson has success this week, even against Buffalo's stout front seven.

Rashad Jennings should have a huge week against a Tennessee Titans defense that has given up 147 total fantasy points to opposing running backs in their last five games, an average of 29.4 per week. Start him with confidence.

Wide Receivers

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Jordy Nelson	48	20	15	9	A+ (92)
2	Randall Cobb	46	20	15	9	A+ (90)
3	Calvin Johnson	49	20	8	7	A+ (89)
4	Dez Bryant	49	16	13	9	A (87)
5	A.J. Green	49	15	11	9	A (84)
6	Demaryius Thomas	48	10	15	9	A (82)
7	Julio Jones	49	13	12	6	A- (80)
8	Mike Wallace	42	23	9	6	A- (80)
9	Kelvin Benjamin	42	20	10	7	A- (79)
10	Emmanuel Sanders	44	10	15	9	A- (78)
11	T.Y. Hilton	44	11	14	8	B+ (77)
12	Antonio Brown	49	4	13	10	B+ (76)
13	Odell Beckham Jr.	43	14	10	9	B+ (76)
14	Golden Tate	41	20	7	7	B (75)
15	Alshon Jeffery	45	9	12	7	B (73)
16	Brandon Marshall	47	9	11	6	B (73)
17	DeAndre Hopkins	41	15	9	7	B- (72)
18	Jarvis Landry	37	23	8	4	B- (72)
19	DeSean Jackson*	44	17	5	4	B- (70)
20	Josh Gordon	46	8	8	7	B- (69)
21	Mike Evans	43	5	12	7	C+ (67)
22	Brandon LaFell	39	12	11	5	C+ (67)
23	Roddy White*	39	13	9	6	C+ (67)
24	Kenny Stills	37	16	10	4	C+ (67)
25	Jeremy Maclin	44	2	13	7	C (66)
26	Torrey Smith	40	10	9	7	C (66)
27	Sammy Watkins	42	10	8	5	C (65)
28	Julian Edelman	38	12	10	5	C (65)
29	Anquan Boldin	40	10	9	6	C (65)
30	Mohamed Sanu	38	15	6	5	C- (64)
31	Steve Smith	40	10	8	5	C- (63)
32	Marques Colston	38	16	5	4	C- (63)
33	Andre Johnson	40	15	5	3	C- (63)
34	Jordan Matthews	40	2	11	7	D+ (60)
35	Keenan Allen	40	5	10	5	D+ (60)
36	Terrance Williams	36	16	5	3	D+ (60)
37	Reggie Wayne	38	11	6	4	D (59)
38	Kendall Wright	38	12	5	4	D (59)
39	Martavis Bryant	38	4	9	4	D- (55)
40	Larry Fitzgerald*	40	8	3	3	D- (54)

Each week we are surprised by some of the players that explode at various positions. But generally speaking, one of the positions that has remained predictable this year is wide receiver. For the most part, you can trust your studs to perform.

Just look at Week 13. DeAndre Hopkins exploded for 35 points, sure, but he's been pretty darn good all year. Calvin Johnson scoring 26 points, Julio Jones scoring 24, Antonio Brown scoring 23 or Alshon Jeffery scoring 19 were hardly huge surprises.

A total of 25 wide receivers registered double-digit points last week, and 14 of those players are ranked in the top 26 in fantasy points this season (A.J. Green comes in at No. 26, though of course he'd be far higher on the list if he hadn't dealt with so many injury issues this season).

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Thus, in many ways these rankings are much more about which fringe players are viable starters this week and which matchups might push a player down the rankings (in this case, you might want to consider benching Jeremy Maclin and Jordan Matthews against the Seattle Seahawks, a team that just so happens to possess the best secondary in the NFL). 

At this point in the season, you know who your studs are at wide receiver. Start them. You can't afford to get cute and, quite frankly, the top receivers this season have been steady enough that you shouldn't be worrying about them at all in the first place.

Tight Ends

Rank	Player	Ability (0/50)	Matchup (0/25)	Offense (0/15)	Consistency (0/10)	OVERALL GRADE (0/100)
1	Rob Gronkowski	49	8	15	9	81
2	Jimmy Graham	49	10	13	8	80
3	Julius Thomas*	48	7	14	7	76
4	Martellus Bennett	41	18	12	5	76
5	Antonio Gates	41	17	11	6	75
6	Jason Witten	40	20	7	5	72
7	Travis Kelce	40	18	8	4	70
8	Dwayne Allen	41	10	10	8	69
9	Greg Olsen	45	5	12	7	69
10	Delanie Walker	39	15	8	5	67
11	Larry Donnell	37	13	9	4	63
12	Heath Miller	37	13	7	5	62
13	Coby Fleener	38	10	7	5	60
14	Jordan Reed	40	5	9	5	59

If you are like me, you are desperately hoping Julius Thomas can return this week. One of the biggest advantages in fantasy football this season has been owning either Rob Gronkowski, Jimmy Graham or Thomas, so missing Orange Julius has likely sent your team into a slump in recent weeks.

Gronkowski has scored 27 more points than anyone else at the position, while Graham and Thomas come in at Nos. 2 and 3 despite each battling through injuries this season. Heck, only two other players (Antonio Gates and Greg Olsen) have even exceeded 100 fantasy points in standard-scoring leagues.

Still, if Thomas ends up missing even more time, there are alternatives out there. Heath Miller has 15 total fantasy points total in the past two weeks, while Jordan Reed is coming off of a nice performance, catching nine passes for 123 yards. 

No, neither player has the upside of a Thomas. But if you are without Orange Julius, at least each offers a pretty good chance to get seven or more points out of a truly inconsistent position this season.

Defense/Special Teams

Rank	Defense
1	Detroit Lions
2	San Francisco 49ers
3	Houston Texans
4	Minnesota Vikings
5	St. Louis Rams
6	Denver Broncos
7	Arizona Cardinals
8	Kansas City Chiefs
9	Green Bay Packers
10	Miami Dolphins

Kickers

Rank	Player	Team
1	Stephen Gostkowski	New England Patriots
2	Justin Tucker	Baltimore Ravens
3	Mason Crosby	Green Bay Packers
4	Adam Vinatieri	Indianapolis Colts
5	Randy Bullock	Houston Texans
6	Caleb Sturgis	Miami Dolphins
7	Dan Bailey	Dallas Cowboys
8	Dan Carpenter	Buffalo Bills
9	Cody Parkey	Philadelphia Eagles
10	Steven Hauschka	Seattle Seahawks

Hit me up on Twitter—I'll answer your fantasy questions and make some corny jokes, too. It's more fun than being Richard Sherman when the San Francisco 49ers come to town.