Week 17 Fantasy Football Rankings: Position-by-Position Breakdown

The 2014 NFL regular season is entering Week 17, and fantasy football owners who still care about fantasy football are either in the final week of the fantasy championship or are fighting for the best overall record.

Regardless of why owners still care about fantasy football, finding the studs and avoiding the duds could be the difference between winning a huge prize and losing the championship. Starting the right players is more important than ever.

Here is a position-by-position fantasy breakdown heading into Week 17. When in doubt, start the higher-ranked player on each list.

Quarterbacks

Rank	Player	Projections
1	Drew Brees, NO	25 Points
2	Aaron Rodgers, GB	24 Points
3	Andrew Luck, IND	23 Points
4	Peyton Manning, DEN	22 Points
5	Matthew Stafford, DET	21 Points
6	Tony Romo, DAL	19 Points
7	Tom Brady, NE	18 Points
8	Robert Griffin III, WAS	17 Points
9	Matt Ryan, ATL	16 Points
10	Ben Roethlisberger, PIT	15 Points
11	Eli Manning, NYG	14 Points
12	Cam Newton, CAR	14 Points
13	Jay Cutler, CHI	13 Points
14	Philip Rivers, SD	12 Points
15	Mark Sanchez, PHI	12 Points

One of the quarterbacks drumming up the most controversy this season is Washington Redskins star Robert Griffin III. After showing a lack of development, the franchise benched the former No. 2 overall pick.

Now Griffin is back as the starter and has played well, limiting turnovers and helping to lead Washington to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16.

Griffin has a chance to make his case to be starting quarterback next season, as head coach Jay Gruden acknowledged what the franchise is looking for in a QB, via Mike Jones of The Washington Post:

"

That’s the biggest factor. That is the No. 1 factor and that is it. Obviously you’re looking for production and all that stuff and what he could’ve done. But winning football games is all that matters for a quarterback, and it doesn’t matter if they go, like I said, 12-for-24 for 80 yards and we win or 38-for-45 for 400 and we lose, you’d rather have the 12-for-24. The ability [to] manage the football game, stay away from the turnovers, and get the W is all that counts.

"

While it is stunning to think that Griffin has only three passing touchdowns all season, he still has serious weapons at his disposal and is squaring off against a beatable Dallas Cowboys secondary that is ranked 23rd in the NFL, allowing 248.1 yards a game.

Fantasy owners looking to take an educated risk with a high upside in Week 17 should consider starting Griffin.

Running Backs

Rank	Player	Projection
1	Arian Foster, HOU	22 Points
2	Jamaal Charles, KC	22 Points
3	Le'Veon Bell, PIT	20 Points
4	DeMarco Murray, DAL	18 Points
5	LeSean McCoy, PHI	18 Points
6	Marshawn Lynch, SEA	17 Points
7	Eddie Lacy, GB	16 Points
8	C.J. Anderson, DEN	16 Points
9	Matt Forte, CHI	15 Points
10	Justin Forsett, BAL	15 Points
11	Fred Jackson, BUF	15 Points
12	Jeremy Hill, CIN	14 Points
13	Frank Gore, SF	13 Points
14	Alfred Morris, WAS	13 Points
15	Lamar Miller, MIA	12 Points
16	Mark Ingram, NO	11 Points
17	Jonathan Stewart, CAR	11 Points
18	Joique Bell, DET	11 Points
19	Tre Mason, StL	10 Points
20	Latavius Murray, OAK	10 Points
21	Daniel Herron, IND	9 Points
22	Doug Martin, TB	9 Points
23	Reggie Bush, DET	8 Points
24	Toby Gerhart, JAX	8 Points
25	Giovani Bernard, CIN	7 Points

Fantasy owners looking for a running back flex in Week 17 should look no further than Fred Jackson of the Buffalo Bills and Jonathan Stewart of the Carolina Panthers.

Jackson has continued to show his dominance as the team’s primary back on the ground and through the air. While the veteran was only able to rack up 10 yards on six carries, he caught nine passes for 93 yards against the Oakland Raiders.

Whether it’s on the ground or through the air, Jackson is approaching 100 all-purpose yards on a regular basis. If you started Jackson in Week 16 or if he is on your bench, get him in the starting lineup for Week 17.

Another viable option is Stewart. With DeAngelo Williams still recovering from an injury, Stewart has taken the role as workhorse back and run with it. Last week against Cleveland, Stewart racked up 129 all-purpose yards and a receiving touchdown.

With the NFC South division title on the line against the 18th-ranked run defense of the Atlanta Falcons (allowing 113.3 yards per game), Carolina will stay committed to the run, and the biggest beneficiary will be Stewart and the owners who start him.

Wide Receivers

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

Starting the right wide receiver is even more difficult than finding the right running back, but get both Sammy Watkins of the Buffalo Bills and Greg Jennings of the Minnesota Vikings into your starting lineup.

Watkins found the end zone in Week 16 for the first time in seven weeks, and he continued to prove to be a dynamic threat in the end zone. With Watkins being targeted in the offense consistently and the team likely having to air out the ball against New England, the Buffalo receiver should be a fantasy threat on Sunday.

There is no doubt Watkins will be covered by Darrelle Revis at times on Sunday, but the team must identify when he is matched up on other players and make sure the ball is heading toward the rookie wide receiver in those situations.

Another player who is a viable flex in Week 17 is Jennings. The Vikings veteran has scored touchdowns in back-to-back games and has proven to be one of Teddy Bridgewater’s favorite targets in the red zone.

With plenty of upside in touchdowns, fantasy owners should consider Jennings a risky start with major upside against the Chicago Bears. He will be worth a start in most standard-scoring leagues.

Tight Ends

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

The tight end position has been tough to decipher all season, but one possible player to consider in Week 17 is Kansas City Chiefs' breakout star Travis Kelce.

Kansas City head coach Andy Reid has seriously underused Kelce this season, but quarterback Alex Smith has been targeting him more late in the season. While he only has one touchdown over the last seven games, he continues to be a target in the red zone and is due for another.

Against a tough San Diego Chargers team next week, Kelce will be leaned on heavily in third-down sets. Smith will also be looking to dump the ball off to both running back Jamaal Charles and Kelce when the pressure gets through the offensive line.

The result will be a big day for Kelce and his owners.

Team Defenses

Rank	Team	Opponent	Projection
1	Houston Texans	Jacksonville	16 Points
2	Seattle Seahawks	St. Louis	16 Points
3	San Francisco 49ers	Arizona	14 Points
4	Indianapolis Colts	Tennessee	14 Points
5	Arizona Cardinals	San Francisco	14 Points
6	Denver Broncos	Oakland	12 Points
7	Miami Dolphins	New York Jets	12 Points
8	Dallas Cowboys	Washington	12 Points
9	Baltimore Ravens	Cleveland	10 Points
10	Philadelphia Eagles	New York Giants	10 Points
11	Green Bay Packers	Detroit	10 Points
12	Carolina Panthers	Atlanta	8 Point

The Denver Broncos' defensive unit has been solid this season, but this start is more based on the matchup than anything else. With the Oakland Raiders traveling to Denver, fantasy owners should expect the Broncos to dominate this game and end the season on a high note.

A stellar defensive performance is exactly what owners need.

Kickers

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

The Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers will be locked in a fierce battle in Week 17 with the divisional championship on the line, and one of the biggest beneficiaries will be Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant.

After going 3-of-3 against New Orleans and hitting all 40 of his extra points this season, owners should start Bryant for consistent points.

*Stats via NFL.com.