Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Latest Position-by-Position Rundown

Well, we're off to a not-so-great start in the first week of the fantasy football playoffs.

The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons game was a battle featuring two terrible quarterback performances and injuries.

The most notable injury was to rookie Saints running back Alvin Kamara, who left the game early with a suspected concussion, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network:

At this point in the season, if you own him—especially in a PPR league—he was a big part of why you got into the postseason in the first place.

However, if you own Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas, it was a great week for you: 10 receptions, more than 110 yards and a score.

The matchup between New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Atlanta wide receiver Julio Jones was good, so that will be entertaining to watch twice per season for years to come.

Below we have a look back at the latest rankings after Thursday Night Football and get set for what is a make-or-break week for your fantasy teams.

Let's go to work, people.

Quarterbacks

Rich Barnes/Associated Press

1. Tom Brady (NE) at MIA

2. Philip Rivers (LAC) vs. WAS

3. Carson Wentz (PHI) at LAR

4. Matthew Stafford (DET) at TB

5. Alex Smith (KC) vs. OAK

6. Josh McCown (NYJ) at DEN

7. Dak Prescott (DAL) at NYG

8. Jared Goff (LAR) vs. PHI

9. Kirk Cousins (WAS) at LAC

10. Cam Newton (CAR) vs. MIN

There's no surprise seeing Brady atop the rankings here. The New England Patriots have been on fire, scoring 33 or more points in three of their past four games.

Week 13 was tough for Brady, who didn't throw a touchdown pass for the first time since Week 1 against the Kansas City Chiefs. However, Week 14 presents the same opponents he faced in Week 12: the Miami Dolphins.

In that game, Brady threw for four touchdowns and 227 yards. Sure, they are in Miami this time, but multiple touchdowns are bound to happen here, even without tight end Rob Gronkowski. This is looking like a nice gameweek for some of the older quarterbacks in the league.

Enter Josh McCown. Another oldie but a goodie.

McCown will be on the road against the Denver Broncos Sunday. In years past, that was almost a death sentence for opposing quarterbacks.

Thankfully, McCown's No. 1 receiver, Robby Anderson, returned to practice in full Friday after a scare earlier in the week, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News:

Believe it or not, the Broncos have given up the most total passing touchdowns this season with 26. The next closest? The Jets with 24.

Not only that, but the Broncos rank 18th in DVOA against the pass. McCown is a great play Sunday and has a chance to finish inside the top five at the position in Week 14.

Running Backs

Gary Landers/Associated Press

1. Le'Veon Bell (PIT) vs. BAL

2. LeSean McCoy (BUF) vs. IND

3. Todd Gurley (LAR) vs. PHI

4. Melvin Gordon (LAC) vs. WAS

5. Carlos Hyde (SF) at HOU

6. Leonard Fournette (JAC) vs. SEA

7. Kenyan Drake (MIA) vs. NE

8. Kareem Hunt (KC) vs. OAK

9. Christian McCaffrey (CAR) vs. MIN

10. Jordan Howard (CHI) at CIN

11. Dion Lewis (NE) at MIA

12. Lamar Miller (HOU) vs. SF

13. Jerick McKinnon (MIN) at CAR

14. Joe Mixon (CIN) vs. CHI

15. Jamaal Williams (GB) at CLE

16. Marshawn Lynch (OAK) at KC

17. Rex Burkhead (NE) at MIA

18. Duke Johnson (CLE) vs. GB

19. Jay Ajayi (PHI) at LAR

20. Samaje Perine (WAS) at LAC

Kareem Hunt has been one of the most aggravating running backs this season. The Kansas City Chiefs rookie came out of the gate as one of the most prolific running backs on the season, but since Week 3, the guy hasn't found the end zone.

Against the Oakland Raiders, Hunt will go up against a squad that ranks 19th and 28th against the run and pass-catching running backs, respectively.

So this is as good as any week in recent memory for Hunt, but we'll see. Either way, he should get enough carries and action in the passing game to warrant a top-10 running back performance post TNF.

Speaking of running backs being involved in the passing game, Duke Johnson of the Cleveland Browns should get a fair amount of action.

Outside of wide receiver Josh Gordon's return, Johnson is only competing with wide receiver Corey Coleman and tight end David Njoku.

Although Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Hundley isn't exactly someone who lights up the scoreboard, this is a game his team should win. Johnson is averaging nearly six targets per game this season, so he should be a solid back-end RB2 in PPR leagues in Week 14. The Packers rank 20th in DVOA against pass-catching running backs, so there's that to hang your hat on too.

Wide Receivers

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1. Antonio Brown (PIT) vs. BAL

2. DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) vs. SF

3. Brandin Cooks (NE) at MIA

4. Keenan Allen (LAC) vs. WAS

5. Marvin Jones (DET) at TB

6. A.J. Green (CIN) vs. CHI

7. Mike Evans (TB) vs. DET

8. Michael Crabtree (OAK) at KC

9. Tyreek Hill (KC) vs. OAK

10. Dez Bryant (DAL) at NYG

11. Adam Thielen (MIN) at CAR

12. Davante Adams (GB) at CLE

13. Jarvis Landry (MIA) vs. NE

14. Sterling Shepard (NYG) vs. DAL

15. Alshon Jeffery (PHI) at LAR

16. Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) vs. TEN

17. Golden Tate (DET) at TB

18. T.Y. Hilton (IND) at BUF

19. Doug Baldwin (SEA) at JAC

20. Josh Gordon (CLE) vs. GB

We went over Brady in the quarterback section. We also went over the fact he will be without Gronk in Week 14 too.

You know what that means, right? Give. Me. All. The. Brandin. Cooks.

With Gronk in the lineup in Week 12, Cooks still went for six receptions for 83 yards and a score.

It's not certain fellow wide receiver Chris Hogan will be in the lineup Sunday. Need anything more be said?

We're going from the top of the rankings to the bottom with Gordon. That's right—a Browns wide receiver!

The WR20 ranking is being conservative here, but he could well do more than that. You don't need to look any further than the 11 targets he got in his first game back in nearly three years, Week 13's 19-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Whether you want to consider Gordon the No. 1 or the No. 2 receiver, the Packers can't defend either, ranking 29th and 26th against them, respectively.

Having DeShone Kizer as his quarterback is less than desirable, but targets are targets, and Gordon is just that good.

Get him in your lineup.

Tight Ends

Abbie Parr/Getty Images

1. Travis Kelce (KC) vs. OAK

2. Zach Ertz (PHI) at LAR

3. Evan Engram (NYG) vs. DAL

4. Hunter Henry (LAC) vs. WAS

5. Jimmy Graham (SEA) at JAC

6. Cameron Brate (TB) vs. DET 

7. Delanie Waker (TEN) at ARI

8. Jack Doyle (IND) at BUF

9. Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ) at DEN

10. Jason Witten (DAL) at NYG

Since Week 6, Evan Engram has seen fewer than seven targets in just one game: Week 11, when he saw six.

With all the issues the New York Giants have had this season, Engram has been a bright spot, catching 51 passes for 569 yards and six touchdowns.

Going up against the Dallas Cowboys, Engram put up a four-reception, 44-yard line against them in Week 1, but that the first game of his career. Now, the Cowboys rank 25th in DVOA against tight ends.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee is going to play Sunday:

Don't let that scare you off, though. Engram will be in for a great game.

"Don't let that scare you off" is a phrase you've probably seen often in the fantasy football world, and that applies to Austin Seferian-Jenkins too.

McCown has a great matchup against the Broncos, but ASJ's may be even better. The Broncos rank 26th in DVOA against tight ends, give up the second-most fantasy points to tight ends and nearly 70 yards receiving to the opposite per game.

ASJ will score in Week 14.

Defenses

Logan Bowles/Getty Images

1. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. SEA

2. New England Patriots at MIA

3. Cincinnati Bengals vs. CHI

4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. BAL

5. Los Angeles Chargers vs. WAS

6. Green Bay Packers at CLE

7. Minnesota Vikings at CAR

8. Seattle Seahawks at JAC

9. Tennessee Titans at ARI

10. Baltimore Ravens at PIT

With virtually zero running game, the Seattle Seahawks might have some issues against this vaunted Jacksonville Jaguars defense. Not only do they allow no more 200 yards per game passing to opposing quarterbacks, but Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson might only be able to do so much against them otherwise.

This goes back to the lack of a running game. It's not ideal to be a one-dimensional team against the Jaguars.

On the flip side, the Seahawks are still a good enough defense to make this a defensive battle.

Let's face it, Jacksonville's quarterback play is just not any good. That's a reference to you, Blake Bortles.

Because of that, expect running back Leonard Fournette to get the ball a ton here, but Seattle could well stack the box.

This game should be relatively close in a defense battle, but if either team is to win by multiple scores, that might be in the Jaguars' favor.

Either defense is fine here.

Statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and Football Outsiders.