Week 14 Fantasy Football Projections: Stat Predictions for Top 100 Players

Congratulations if you are still alive in your fantasy football playoff race heading into Week 14 because this season has been the equivalent of rolling the dice and hoping for the best.

Thanks to factors such as injuries and inconsistent production, every fantasy football week seems to bring more chaos. A team consisting of Marcus Mariota, Javorius Allen, Doug Baldwin, Richard Rodgers and the Philadelphia Eagles typically atrocious defense would have smashed one with Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, Julio Jones, Greg Olsen and the Carolina Panthers defense in Week 13.

The key takeaway from this entire season is essentially this: Best of luck trying to figure out your lineup combination in the stretch run.

While there have been a number of frustrating results all year, the following list of rankings and rounded predictions will ideally help minimize the difficulty level of your decisions regarding the flex spot and the rest of your lineup.

Quarterback

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	26
2	Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	25
3	Tom Brady, New England Patriots	Houston Texans	24
4	Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks	Baltimore Ravens	22
5	Carson Palmer, Arizona Cardinals	Minnesota Vikings	21
6	Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cincinnati Bengals	20
7	Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	20
8	Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	19
9	Ryan Fitzpatrick, New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	18
10	Marcus Mariota, Tennessee Titans	New York Jets	17

Cam Newton is on his way to a potential MVP award, and now he gets to face an Atlanta Falcons team that is in free fall after five straight losses. Atlanta is on the outside looking in at the playoffs despite a 5-0 start, and it has to face Newton and the Panthers two times down the stretch.

In two of his last three games, Newton threw for five touchdowns. This is a pure momentum play with two teams heading in opposite directions.

Running Back

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers	New Orleans Saints	24
2	Thomas Rawls, Seattle Seahawks	Baltimore Ravens	23
3	Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings	Arizona Cardinals	23
4	LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills	Philadelphia Eagles	22
5	Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	21
6	T.J. Yeldon, Jacksonville Jaguars	Indianapolis Colts	21
7	Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams	Detroit Lions	21
8	Matt Forte, Chicago Bears	Washington	19
9	DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cincinnati Bengals	19
10	Javorius Allen, Baltimore Ravens	Seattle Seahawks	18
11	Devonta Freeman, Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	17
12	Charcandrick West, Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	17
13	Chris Ivory, New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	16
14	David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals	Minnesota Vikings	15
15	Jeremy Hill, Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	14
16	Mark Ingram, New Orleans Saints	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	13
17	Latavius Murray, Oakland Raiders	Denver Broncos	13
18	Ameer Abdullah, Detroit Lions	St. Louis Rams	13
19	Jeremy Langford, Chicago Bears	Washington	12
20	Antonio Andews, Tennessee Titans	New York Jets	11
21	Shaun Draughn, San Francisco 49ers	Cleveland Browns	10
22	DeMarco Murray, Philadelphia Eagles	Buffalo Bills	10
23	Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	9
24	Ronnie Hillman, Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	9
25	Frank Gore, Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville Jaguars	9
26	C.J. Anderson, Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	8
27	Lamar Miller, Miami Dolphins	New York Giants	7
28	Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	7
29	James White, New England Patriots	Houston Texans	7
30	Theo Riddick, Detroit Lions	St. Louis Rams	6

The Philadelphia Eagles are an abysmal 26th in the league in rushing yards allowed per game even with Sunday's impressive win against the New England Patriots.

On the other side, LeSean McCoy ran for exactly 112 yards in three of his last five games, and he tallied a combined 152 in the other two contests during that span. He also has 249 receiving yards on the season and is a weapon in the passing attack.

McCoy is playing some of the best football of his career, and the Eagles defense is ill-equipped to stop him.

Wide Receiver

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cincinnati Bengals	24
2	A.J. Green, Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	23
3	Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	22
4	DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Texans	New England Patriots	22
5	Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons	Carolina Panthers	22
6	Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants	Miami Dolphins	22
7	Dez Bryant, Dallas Cowboys	Green Bay Packers	21
8	Alshon Jeffery, Chicago Bears	Washington	20
9	Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh Steelers	Cincinnati Bengals	20
10	Allen Robinson, Jacksonville Jaguars	Indianapolis Colts	20
11	Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions	St. Louis Rams	19
12	Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks	Baltimore Ravens	19
13	Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers	New Orelans Saints	19
14	Brandon Marshall, New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	18
15	Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	17
16	Jeremy Maclin, Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	15
17	Eric Decker, New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	14
18	Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals	Minnesota Vikings	14
19	Amari Cooper, Oakland Raiders	Denver Broncos	13
20	Sammy Watkins, Buffalo Bills	Philadelphia Eagles	13
21	T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts	Jacksonville Jaguars	12
22	Randall Cobb, Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	11
23	Danny Amendola, New England Patriots	Houston Texans	9
24	Allen Hurns, Jacksonville Jaguars	Indianapolis Colts	9
25	DeSean Jackson, Washington	Chicago Bears	8
26	Vincent Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers	New Orleans Saints	8
27	Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings	Arizona Cardinals	7
28	Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins	New York Giants	6
29	Anquan Boldin, San Francisco 49ers	Cleveland Browns	6
30	Travis Benjamin, Cleveland Browns	San Francisco 49ers	6

One of the most fascinating matchups of Week 14 features Antonio Brown—who is second in the NFL with 1,310 receiving yards—and a Cincinnati Bengals defense that is first in the league in points allowed per game.

The thought here is talent wins out as Brown tallies another monster game after he notched 118 receiving yards and two touchdown catches Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts. The receiver has seven games this season in which he's reached the century mark in yardage, including his 284-yard effort against the Oakland Raiders.

Colleen Wolfe of NFL.com had unfortunate news for the Bengals and any other future Pittsburgh opponent:

Brown will continue his All-Pro season in Week 14.

Tight End

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	13
2	Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans	New York Jets	11
3	Greg Olsen, Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	11
4	Richard Rodgers, Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	10
5	Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	9
6	Gary Barnidge, Cleveland Browns	San Francisco 49ers	9
7	Scott Chandler, New England Patriots	Houston Texans	8
8	Benjamin Watson, New Orleans Saints	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	8
9	Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers	Kansas City Chiefs	7
10	Martellus Bennett, Chicago Bears	Washington	6

According to ESPN.com, the Pittsburgh Steelers allow the seventh-most fantasy points per game to opposing tight ends. That is a problem considering they face arguably the best tight end in the league right now in Tyler Eifert (assuming Eifert is healthy after he missed his team's Week 13 victory over the Cleveland Browns with a pinched nerve).

The Cincinnati playmaker has 12 touchdown catches on the season, which is tops in the NFL. Pittsburgh has struggled with tight ends all season, and that will not change against this touchdown machine.

Kicker

Rank	Player	Opponent	Projection
1	Stephen Gostkowski, New England Patriots	Houston Texans	16
2	Graham Gano, Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	14
3	Chandler Catanzaro, Arizona Cardinals	Minnesota Vikings	14
4	Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens	Seattle Seahawks	13
5	Steven Hauschka, Seattle Seahawks	Baltimore Ravens	13
6	Brandon McManus, Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	12
7	Cairo Santos, Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	12
8	Mason Crosby, Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	11
9	Blair Walsh, Minnesota Vikings	Arizona Cardinals	10
10	Robbie Gould, Chicago Bears	Washington	10

According to ESPN.com, the Oakland Raiders allow the second-most fantasy points per game to opposing kickers. The defense struggles to prevent offenses from moving into field-goal range, and the kickers typically convert.

Brandon McManus will do just that, especially since he is 22-of-25 on the season and has only missed twice all year inside 50 yards. The Denver Broncos offense will rack up the points, and McManus will be a major part of it.

Defense

Rank	Defense	Opponent	Projection
1	Seattle Seahawks	Baltimore Ravens	17
2	Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	14
3	Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	13
4	New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	12
5	New England Patriots	Houston Texans	11
6	Green Bay Packers	Dallas Cowboys	11
7	Arizona Cardinals	Minnesota Vikings	10
8	Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	10
9	Cincinnati Bengals	Pittsburgh Steelers	9
10	San Francisco 49ers	Cleveland Browns	9

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Matt Schaub has thrown a pick-six in each of his last three games and is approaching his own NFL record of four straight games with such a feat. Talk about a dubious place in league history.

It wouldn't be a surprise if the current streak continues, especially against the resurgent Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has won three in a row and five of six, and the Seahawks completely shut down the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday to the tune of seven points.

The Legion of Boom may very well be back, and linebacker Bruce Irvin suggested Teddy Bridgewater was more than intimidated in that last game, per Michael Silver of NFL.com: "He was so scared. Teddy's a really good quarterback, and he's going to do some big things in this league. But we had him (rattled)."

Just imagine how Schaub will feel in Week 14.