Fantasy Football Week 14: Preview and Predictions

With Week 14 of the 2015 fantasy football season now upon us, it means the fantasy playoffs have arrived. 

At quarterback, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Jameis Winston has a favorable matchup. Odds are he’s been a backup quarterback for your fantasy squad all season long, but if you’re in need of a Week 14 starter, look no further than Winston.

At running back, Shaun Draughn of the San Francisco 49ers is an intriguing RB2 play heading into the fantasy playoffs. Can you trust him?

Atlanta Falcons stud wideout Julio Jones has been a dominant fantasy force all season long, but a tough matchup against Josh Norman and the Carolina Panthers should have fantasy owners tempering expectations.

This is just a taste of the previews. This slideshow will check in on every position entering Week 14 and will provide several bold predictions.

QBs: Jameis Winston a QB1 in Week 14

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Jameis Winston

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton has earned the top spot in fantasy rankings, and all of the other names in the top five look familiar. Behind these five, the names continue to shuffle.

Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers has re-established himself as a QB1, but Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks didn’t get hot until just recently. And it still seems weird to see names such as Blake Bortles and Tyrod Taylor in the top 10—but they have earned the distinction.

Week 14’s Top 10 QBs 

1. Cam Newton (vs. ATL)
2. Aaron Rodgers (vs. DAL)
3. Tom Brady (at HOU)
4. Andy Dalton (vs. PIT)
5. Carson Palmer (vs. MIN)
6. Drew Brees (at TB)
7. Ben Roethlisberger (at CIN)
8. Russell Wilson (at BAL)
9. Blake Bortles (vs. IND)
10. Tyrod Taylor (at PHI)

Breakout QB of the Week: Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Winston will square off against the New Orleans Saints in Week 14, and there’s no simple way of articulating how bad the Saints are at defending the pass this season. They attempted to find a scapegoat in former defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, but that wasn’t the problem.

The Saints have given up multiple touchdowns to quarterbacks in all but two games this season—and one of those contests came against Winston and the Bucs. But that was in Week 2—Winston’s second game ever. Since then, the Saints have gotten significantly worse and Winston has played significantly better.

Over the past six games, the Saints have given up a depressing 24 passing touchdowns. And while Winston doesn’t blow the lid off defenses every week (he has only one game this season with more than two passing scores), the matchup against the Saints suggests a three-touchdown game is in order.

QB Bust of the Week: Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders

Carr has been a fantasy revelation this season, but he’ll be hard to trust in Week 14 against the stingy Denver Broncos.

The Broncos remain the toughest team a fantasy quarterback can face this season, according to ESPN.com, with quarterbacks throwing as many interceptions as they have touchdowns against them (11). In fact, only New England's Tom Brady has had a truly good game against the Broncos in 2015.

Carr could flirt with 300 yards again, but there’s a good chance he throws only one touchdown—or no touchdowns—to go along with a couple of interceptions.

If you have an alternative route, you should take it this week.

RBs: Trust Shaun Draughn This Week

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

Shaun Draughn

Arizona Cardinals rookie running back David Johnson impressed in his Week 13 outing, racking up over 100 total yards and scoring a touchdown. He has earned tail-end RB1 status moving forward, assuming he remains the starter.

We’ve also seen the Pittsburgh Steelers feed DeAngelo Williams the rock far more than anyone expected. The 32-year-old running back had 31 total touches in Week 13. That kind of volume warrants a spot in the top five.

Week 14’s Top 10 RBs

1. Adrian Peterson (at ARI)
2. LeSean McCoy (at PHI)
3. Doug Martin (vs. NO)
4. Devonta Freeman (at CAR)
5. DeAngelo Williams (at CIN)
6. Mark Ingram (at TB)
7. Todd Gurley (vs. DEN)
8. Jonathan Stewart (vs. ATL)
9. David Johnson (vs. MIN)
10. Charcandrick West (vs. SD)

Breakout RB of the Week: Shaun Draughn, San Francisco 49ers 

Are you willing to trust Draughn in the first round of the 2015 fantasy playoffs? Only you can make that choice, but Draughn is appealing as an RB2—particularly in PPR leagues.

Over the past four games, Draughn has quietly recorded at least 12 rushes in each contest and at least 18 total touches per game. He’s worth a fantasy start based on volume alone.

He hasn’t put up particularly impressive numbers on the ground, however. He didn’t score his first rushing touchdown of the year until last week, and he has yet to top 60 rushing yards in a game. So if he’s able to notch 100 rushing yards and a score—to go along with his usual five receptions—that would constitute a breakout effort.

And that’s entirely possible this week. Draughn will face the Cleveland Browns, who are among the 10 worst teams at stopping running backs from scoring fantasy points, according to ESPN.com.

RB Bust of the Week: Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals

Hill now has a respectable eight rushing touchdowns on the season, but he still has a few things working against him.

For starters, those eight touchdowns have come in only four games. In other words, he has been a sporadic scorer. Additionally, Hill is still battling Giovani Bernard for touches, and there’s no reason to think that’s going to change this season.

Now Hill faces a tough matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have given up the second-fewest fantasy points to running backs in 2015. Running backs have only scored three rushing touchdowns against the Steelers this season.

WRs: Julio Jones Faces Toughest Matchup Yet in Week 14

Associated Press

Carolina's Josh Norman

Atlanta Falcons wideout Julio Jones has been one of the best players in all of fantasy this season—not just among wide receivers—but he’ll face his stiffest competition yet in Week 14. We have more on him below.

Allen Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars has vaulted into the top five. He won’t catch 10 passes and score three touchdowns this week, though. ESPN.com writer Mike DiRocco reported Allen Hurns cleared the NFL’s concussion protocol this week and is expected to suit up, meaning the Jags won't ask Robinson to do quite as much.

But Robinson was a deadly fantasy option even with Hurns by his side. He has at least four receptions and at least 50 yards in every game this season, save for Week 1.

Week 14’s Top 10 WRs

1. Odell Beckham Jr. (at MIA)
2. DeAndre Hopkins (vs. NE)
3. Antonio Brown (at CIN)
4. Allen Robinson (vs. IND)
5. Calvin Johnson (at STL)
6. Brandon Marshall (vs. TEN)
7. A.J. Green (vs. PIT)
8. Alshon Jeffery (vs. WAS)
9. Mike Evans (vs. NO)
10. Julio Jones (at CAR)

Breakout WR of the Week: Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

We mentioned Jameis Winston—Evans’ quarterback—as the breakout signal-caller of the week, so it’s only fitting that we pair Winston with his top pass-catcher.

Evans finally came through for the Bucs in Week 13 by catching a crucial pass late (he had been dropping such passes all season long) to help secure a win. He now has two touchdowns over the past three weeks and has been remarkably consistent in that span, notching 63 yards, 64 yards and 61 yards, respectively.

Prior to this little streak, Evans had put up 125-plus receiving yards in three of four games but only scored once in that span.

In other words, Evans had a streak in which he racked up the yardage but not the touchdowns, and now he’s on a streak in which he’s scoring touchdowns and gaining moderate yardage.

Look for the two streaks to merge in Week 14, which means Evans should put up big yardage numbers and find the end zone—at least once. That’s because he’ll play against the New Orleans Saints, who are fresh off making Carolina Panthers speedster Ted Ginn Jr. the fourth-highest-scoring wideout of the week, according to ESPN.com.

WR Bust of the Week: Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons

You are obviously still going to start Jones—as you should—but he’s unlikely to single-handedly win you your first playoff game.

A matchup against Carolina’s star cornerback Josh Norman is impossible to overlook. According to Pro Football Focus, signal-callers have a QB rating of just 39.9 when throwing Norman’s way this season. For comparison, all other qualifying cornerbacks have allowed a QB rating of at least 50.

Here’s a nugget from fantasy football writer Rich Hribar: Jones was the 34th- and 37th-highest-scoring wideout in his two games against the Carolina Panthers last season, which means he was really just a WR3 or flex option those weeks.

Jones is still No. 10 on the rankings for the week—so this isn’t a “bust” in the traditional sense—but he is typically ranked No. 1 or No. 2, so this is quite the fall for him.

TEs: Delanie Walker Will Continue to Roll

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

Delanie Walker

Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Julius Thomas continues to climb the rankings. A beneficiary of being in a high-volume passing attack, Thomas has now scored a touchdown in three straight games.

Question marks do remain, however: His ceiling is impressive (we saw it in Week 12 when he caught nine passes for 116 yards and scored), but his floor is terrifyingly low (he had just one catch for four yards in a late-October tilt against the Buffalo Bills). It’s a bit risky to put him in the top five given this fact, but we’re leaning in on Thomas and his red-zone potential.

You can also fire up New England Patriots tight end Scott Chandler as a tail-end TE1 this week. As predicted, he was significantly more important to New England’s offense in Week 13 due to Rob Gronkowski’s injury. Chandler caught four passes for a season-high 61 yards and scored for the third time in his past four games.

Week 14’s Top 10 TEs

1. Greg Olsen (vs. ATL)
2. Tyler Eifert (vs. PIT)
3. Delanie Walker (at NYJ)
4. Jordan Reed (at CHI)
5. Julius Thomas (vs. IND)
6. Travis Kelce (vs. SD)
7. Gary Barnidge (vs. SF)
8. Scott Chandler (at HOU)
9. Martellus Bennett (vs. WAS)
10. Antonio Gates (at KC)

Breakout TE of the Week: Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

Walker has become one of the most dependable tight ends in fantasy football. He has at least 90 receiving yards in four of his past five games, and he has at least three receptions in every contest he’s played in this season.

His receptions have been rising, too. Over his past three games, he has hauled in eight, six and eight receptions, respectively.

Look for Walker to continue rolling in Week 14 against the New York Jets, who have been strong against tight ends so far this season but have been suspect against passing attacks in general in recent weeks.

TE Bust of the Week: Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers

Gates will square off against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 14. The Chiefs did give up a short touchdown to an Oakland Raiders tight end in Week 13, but they mostly held the Oakland tight ends in check. The Chiefs have still given up the fewest fantasy points to opposing tight ends, according to ESPN.com.

Gates, meanwhile, has been an unreliable asset. He does have four touchdowns in eight games since returning from suspension, but all four of those touchdowns came in just two contests. He scored twice in Week 5 and twice in Week 12.

Kickers: Be Wary of Blair Walsh This Week

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Blair Walsh

The kicker rankings don’t change much from week to week, but it is worth noting that Cairo Santos of the Kansas City Chiefs has established himself as one of the better options out there.

Yes, we’re writing that sentence just days after Santos didn’t even attempt a field goal, but he attempted 12 field goals in the three previous games and has six games this season with at least three field-goal attempts, including two contests with at least six attempts.

He (usually) has a high floor, and his ceiling is perhaps higher than anyone's. That's why he’s the No. 3 option heading into Week 14.

Week 14’s Top 10 Ks 

1. Stephen Gostkowski (vs. HOU)
2. Steven Hauschka (at BAL)
3. Cairo Santos (vs. SD)
4. Brandon McManus (vs. OAK)
5. Justin Tucker (vs. SEA)
6. Chandler Catanzaro (vs. MIN)
7. Graham Gano (vs. ATL)
8. Mason Crosby (vs. DAL)
9. Matt Prater (at STL)
10. Josh Brown (at MIA)

Breakout K of the Week: Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers

Crosby would be higher on the list, but Wisconsin weather in the middle of December is always tricky to bet against. Crosby gets to play the Dallas Cowboys, who have given up the most fantasy points to kickers this season, per ESPN.com.

K Bust of the Week: Blair Walsh, Minnesota Vikings 

Walsh has been mediocre in recent weeks, missing three field goals over the past four games. He has two games with zero field goals made in that span.

And he's playing the Arizona Cardinals in Week 14, who have seen kickers attempt one or fewer field goals against them in seven games this season. Shy away from Walsh if you can.

Defense and Special Teams: San Francisco D/ST a Week 14 Stream Option

Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press

The dominant defenses should feast in Week 14. The Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos all have plus matchups this week, although it wouldn’t be a total shock to see Denver with its hands full against Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders.

And while the D/ST units at the top of this week’s rankings are familiar, there are some interesting teams toward the bottom. The San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns all find themselves in the top 10 this week and present viable streaming D/ST options.

Week 14’s Top 10 D/STs

1. Seattle Seahawks (at BAL)
2. Arizona Cardinals (vs. MIN)
3. Denver Broncos (vs. OAK)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (vs. SD)
5. Green Bay Packers (vs. DAL)
6. Carolina Panthers (vs. ATL)
7. New England Patriots (at HOU)
8. San Francisco 49ers (at CLE)
9. Detroit Lions (at STL)
10. Cleveland Browns (vs. SF)

Breakout D/ST of the Week: San Francisco 49ers

According to Browns head coach Mike Pettine, Johnny Manziel will be the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns in Week 14, which means you should be racing to the waiver wire to add the San Francisco 49ers D/ST.

The Browns are already the best team your D/ST could hope to play this season, according to ESPN.com. When you add turnover-prone Johnny Football to the mix, it becomes a no-brainer. He has fumbled five times in six games and has thrown two interceptions.

D/ST Bust of the Week: Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have the unenviable task of facing Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Martavis Bryant, DeAngelo Williams and the hot Pittsburgh Steelers offense. Fantasy D/STs have scored the third-fewest points this season when playing against the Steelers, according to ESPN.com.

Over the past three games combined, opposing D/STs have scored a total of minus-three points when facing Pittsburgh.

Bold Predictions: Buffalo’s McCoy, Watkins Set for Monster Games

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

LeSean McCoy

Below are five bold predictions for Week 14:

• Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller Blake Bortles throws for 350-plus yards and three touchdowns. Bortles plays the Indianapolis Colts in Week 14, a team that was just torched by Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts have now given up eight passing touchdowns in their three games post-bye week. Look for Bortles to make it 11 in four.

• Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy has over 200 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns. McCoy will square off against his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles. “Revenge game” narratives aside, McCoy has been on a roll recently, and the Eagles defense has shown serious weaknesses against dual-threat running backs in recent weeks. Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin rumbled for over 200 yards in Week 11, and the Detroit Lions’ spate of running backs carved up the Eagles through the air and on the ground on Thanksgiving. McCoy will rack up the yardage—and the touchdowns.

• Buffalo Bills wideout Sammy Watkins has 150-plus yards and a touchdown. McCoy isn’t going to be the only Bills player to have a big game against the Eagles. According to ESPN.com, Philadelphia remains the worst team at slowing receivers from a fantasy perspective. Quarterbacks have tossed 13 touchdowns against the Eagles over the past three games, and 17 touchdowns over the past five. With Watkins facing that type of “coverage,” it’s easy to predict a breakout game for him.

• Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten scores a touchdown. This counts as a “bold prediction” because Witten hasn’t scored a touchdown since Week 1. He’ll break his touchdown-less streak against the Green Bay Packers, a team that has given up at least one score to a tight end in five straight games.

• Alshon Jeffery has 125 receiving yards and two scores. He’ll be playing against the Washington Redskins, who were surprisingly good against Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football in Week 13 (until the final drive). But that game represented the anomaly, not the norm. The Redskins have given up two passing touchdowns to opposing wideout units seven times this season and rank in the bottom 10 in terms of points allowed to receivers, according to ESPN.com.

The rankings provided throughout this article are the author's own preliminary Week 14 rankings. His rankings are updated throughout the week at FantasyPros.com.