Fantasy Football Week 14: Top Matchup Plays at Each Skill Position

It's Week 14 of the 2014 NFL season, a do-or-die week in many fantasy leagues. For some, the playoffs have already started, while smaller leagues are no more than a week away.

As the season has progressed, some of the guesswork inherent to fantasy football has been cleared away. We know the defenses to exploit, which teams are bona fide contenders and which players put up big numbers at home and on the road. 

It's all about finding an edge in the matchups at this point in the season if one is to find fantasy success and claim the all-important bragging rights over their peers.

Here is a rundown of three players at each skill position that are primed to put up better-than-usual numbers in Week 14, thanks to some favorable matchups, along with a closer look at one player in each position group.

Quarterback 

Player	Opponent
Ryan Tannehill, Miami Dolphins	vs. Baltimore Ravens
Russell WIlson, Seattle Seahawks	at Philadelphia Eagles
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers	at New Orleans Saints

Ryan Tannehill has emerged into a fantasy stud this season, so expect the good times to continue against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14.

Sure the Ravens have a tough defense that's allowed just 20.2 points per game, but quarterbacks have actually been able to put up robust fantasy numbers against Terrell Suggs and company.

According to Yahoo Sports, the Ravens have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to opposing signal-callers. In Week 13, San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers managed to put up 383 passing yards and three touchdowns in Baltimore. FantasyGuru.com's John Hansen notes the Ravens' recent struggles extend beyond the latest week of football:

Not only that, but the Ravens will also be without one of the most disruptive players in the league in defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. The mammoth lineman will miss the Ravens' next four games after violating the league's performance-enhancing substances policy, per NFL.com's Marc Sessler.

The Dolphins' wide-receiver corps has been quite robust as of late. Look for Jarvis Landry to have a big game. He has 20 catches on 27 targets and three touchdowns in his last three games, per ESPN.com.

Running Back

Player	Opponent
Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers	at Oakland Raiders
Isaiah Crowell, Cleveland Browns	vs. Indianapolis Colts
Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers	vs. Atlanta Falcons

The San Francisco 49ers need a win in Week 14 if they are to keep pace with the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in a highly competitive NFC West. Lucky for them, a matchup against the putrid Oakland Raiders looms in Week 14. In this game, look for Frank Gore to take charge and put up one of his best performances of the season.

The Raiders have given up 24.05 fantasy points per game to running backs this season, per Yahoo Sports. They're coming off a 52-0 drubbing at the hands of the St. Louis Rams, a game in which rookie running back Tre Mason put up 117 yards and two touchdowns. 

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Gore is coming off a desultory 28-yard performance against the Seattle Seahawks, but the entire offense had major issues in that contest, and Seattle's defense was able to collapse the run game early on. Gore insists that despite the lack of production, he still has what it takes to make an impact.

"If people just look at stats, they'll think I'm through," he said, via Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News. "But if you watch the film—and know the game—you'll see. When we play other teams, guys come after the game and say, 'Man, how do you do this? You still got it.'"

The 49ers can't afford to waste time tinkering around with the passing attack considering Colin Kaepernick's recent struggles. As 49ers.com's Taylor Price notes, the team is at it's best when Gore gets the rock often:

A renewed commitment to the run would serve the 49ers well. Considering San Francisco should be able to take a comfortable lead early in this one, Gore should get a steady amount of carries throughout the contest as the team works to protect any advantage.

This could also be a strong matchup for rookie Carlos Hyde, who might be worth a flex play in larger leagues.

Wide Receiver

Player	Opponent
Jordy Nelson, Green Bay Packers	vs. Atlanta Falcons
Kelvin Benjamin, Carolina Panthers	at New Orleans Saints
Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins	vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Carolina Panthers passing attack has struggled as a whole this season. Cam Newton is in a deep funk, and the skill players around him have struggled with injuries throughout the season, especially at running back. With little balance to be found, the Panthers are putting up just 243.5 passing yards per game.

However, the friendly conditions inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome bodes well for a big day for rookie wideout Kelvin Benjamin. Hopefully, the controlled atmosphere inside the stadium will prevent Benjamin from dropping any simple passes.

Grant Halverson/Getty Images

The Saints are giving up 268.4 passing yards per game and 12.9 yards per reception, per ESPN.com. New Orleans features two good-sized corners in Keenan Lewis and Corey White, but Benjamin towers over everyone and shouldn't have an issue on fade and go routes this week.

The Florida State product excels on the intermediate and deep routes, so look for him to snag his fair share of jump balls this week and put up a score against the Saints' shoddy secondary.

Tight End

Player	Opponent
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs	at Arizona Cardinals
Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans	vs. New York Giants
Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings	vs. New York Jets

Walker's finally come into his own since moving over to the Tennessee Titans in 2013. In San Francisco, he was merely a bright understudy to Vernon Davis, flashing his skills in an H-back role that earned him favorable matchups and made him a sneaky-good big-play threat.

The Titans haven't had much in the way of great quarterback play this season, but that hasn't stopped Walker from producing. Walker has 44 catches for 673 yards and four touchdowns this season. He's coming off his worst output of the year, a game against the Houston Texans in which he had just one catch for six yards, but don't expect a repeat of that down performance. 

Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images

He should have another strong game against the New York Giants this week, who have given up 9.28 fantasy points per game this season to tight ends, per Yahoo Sports.

The Giants should be competitive against the Titans this week, so don't expect a second-half reliance on the run from Tennessee. In Week 12, Walker put up 155 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles. Look for him to come much closer to that performance than the numbers he put up against the Texans.