Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions

Hello, 2018 fantasy football playoffs.

Goodbye, margin for error.

Provided you're still standing after 13 grueling weeks, this is what you've been playing for all season. Week 14 literally separates the contenders and pretenders, so anything less than your absolute best could prove fatal (in the fantasy realm, that is).

We're here to steer you in the right direction with the top 10 players at each offensive position, along with a must-start and a sleeper—available in at least 50 percent of Yahoo leagues—at every spot.

Quarterbacks

1. Patrick Mahomes, KC (vs. BAL)

2. Drew Brees, NO (at TB)

3. Philip Rivers, LAC (vs. CIN)

4. Aaron Rodgers, GB (vs. ATL)

5. Cam Newton, CAR (at CLE)

6. Jameis Winston, TB (vs. NO)

7. Ben Roethlisberger, PIT (at OAK)

8. Andrew Luck, IND (at HOU)

9. Matt Ryan, ATL (at GB)

10. Jared Goff, LAR (at CHI)

Must-Start: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (vs. Atlanta Falcons)

The Packers are way past the point of relaxation, likely stumbling out of the playoffs with five losses in the last six weeks. But those struggles play a part in this recommendation.

While they cost former coach Mike McCarthy his job, they've also put Rodgers under the microscope. Fair or not, some have said Rodgers is partly to blame for McCarthy's ouster. At the very least, Rodgers might be able to form a better relationship with interim coach Joe Philbin, whom he has publicly praised in the past.

"I owe a lot of my success to working under him," Rodgers said in 2014.

It's impossible to say with any certainty that Rodgers is about to morph back into a fantasy monster. But that's not why he's listed here. Rather, we're most interested in his juicy matchup with the Falcons, who have allowed the second-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Six different quarterbacks have thrown for 300-plus yards against Atlanta, including Jameis Winston, Eli Manning and Alex Smith.

Sleeper: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Jets)

Running Backs

1. Todd Gurley, LAR (at CHI)

2. Christian McCaffrey, CAR (at CLE)

3. Saquon Barkley, NYG (at WAS)

4. Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (vs. PHI)

5. Alvin Kamara, NO (at TB)

6. Nick Chubb, CLE (vs. CAR)

7. Leonard Fournette, JAX (at TEN)

8. Phillip Lindsay, DEN (at SF)

9. Aaron Jones, GB (vs. ATL)

10. David Johnson, ARI (vs. DET)

Must-Start: Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers (at Cleveland Browns)

Any matchup with McCaffrey has the potential to be a bloodbath.

He's been gutting defenses for more than a month now. He has 10 touchdowns in his last six outings. He's had at least 110 scrimmage yards in five of them; he had both a rushing and a receiving score in the other.

"He's Alvin Kamara-plus," ESPN's Bill Polian said.

It takes a special kind of defense to merely contain McCaffrey. That's nothing close to what the Browns possess. They've yielded the sixth-most fantasy points to this position this season and just this weekend watched Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue turn 32 combined carries into 157 yards. This could get ugly.

Sleeper: Jaylen Samuels, Pittsburgh Steelers (at Oakland Raiders)

Wide Receivers

1. Antonio Brown, PIT (at OAK)

2. Julio Jones, ATL (at GB)

3. Michael Thomas, NO (at TB)

4. Odell Beckham Jr., NYG (at WAS)

5. DeAndre Hopkins, HOU (vs. IND)

6. Davante Adams, GB (vs. ATL)

7. Keenan Allen, LAC (vs. CIN)

8. Adam Thielen, MIN (at SEA)

9. Tyreek Hill, KC (vs. BAL)

10. Mike Evans, TB (vs. NO)

Must-Start: Michael Thomas, New Orleans Saints (at Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

When is it a good time to play Thomas? Always. When is it a great time to do so? When Tampa Bay is on the schedule.

The Bucs have problems with most receivers. Just two defenses have yielded more fantasy points to the position, and only the Raiders have allowed more passing touchdowns.

But no one has toyed with Tampa the way Thomas did in the season-opener. The third-year wideout snared 16 of his 17 targets for 180 yards and a score.

"He's fun to throw to," Drew Brees said afterward.

Thomas has been more famine than feast lately, but that should change in a big way this weekend.

Sleeper: Dante Pettis, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Denver Broncos)

Tight Ends

1. Travis Kelce, KC (vs. BAL)

2. Zach Ertz, PHI (at DAL)

3. George Kittle, SF (vs. DEN)

4. Eric Ebron, IND (at HOU)

5. Rob Gronkowski, NE (at MIA)

6. Jordan Reed, WAS (vs. NYG)

7. Jared Cook, OAK (vs. PIT)

8. Austin Hooper, ATL (at GB)

9. Jimmy Graham, GB (vs. ATL)

10. Cameron Brate, TB (vs. NO)

Must-Start: Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles (at Dallas Cowboys)

Dallas has a good passing defense. To be honest, it's borderline great. The Cowboys are seventh in passing yards per game (227) and tied for third in touchdowns surrendered (16).

But that doesn't bother Ertz in the least. He faced this same defense in Week 10 and obliterated it with 14 receptions for 145 yards and two touchdowns.

 He's not the first tight end to give this defense problems. Evan Engram put 67 yards and a score on the Cowboys in Week 2. In Week 12, teammates Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed had a field day against them, totaling eight receptions for 148 yards and a score.

Given the state of this position, you're never taking Ertz out of your lineup. But you should feel extra confident about getting a substantial point total from him Sunday.

Sleeper: Ian Thomas, Carolina Panthers (at Cleveland Browns)

Statistics used courtesy of NFL.com and ESPN.com. Fantasy scoring and ownership information obtained via Yahoo Sports.