Fantasy Football Week 14: Rankings, Projections and Waiver-Wire Tips

We've reached Week 14 in the NFL season, which (almost certainly) means it's the beginning of fantasy playoffs as well. 

As always, there are injuries and unfavorable matchups to deal with, and in those cases, hitting the waiver wire can be the difference between a championship pursuit or the devastating end to a season. Trust us, and put in a waiver request for these three players for the opening round of the playoffs.

Philip Rivers, QB, Indianapolis

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

It wasn't that long ago that Rivers was a must-start fantasy quarterback in nearly every format. He's been a bit of an enigma in recent years, especially this season with the Colts, but he seems to have found his stride down the stretch. 

He's unlikely to blow anyone away with his statistics, but he's notched at least 18.4 points in each of the team's last four outings and six out his last seven games in total. Indianapolis draws the porous Raiders pass defense, which gave up a pair of passing touchdowns to the lowly Jets in a 28-24 win Sunday. Rivers has done a good job exploiting below average pass defenses this season, and this week shouldn't be any different. 

Projection: 295 yards, two touchdowns 

Ty Johnson, RB, New York Jets

Noah K. Murray/Associated Press

If you're wondering who exactly Ty Johnson is, join the party. After recording just seven carries the entire season coming into this week, Johnson toted the rock 22 times for 104 yards and a touchdown in his second career start. Johnson would have played behind Frank Gore, but the veteran back was out due to a concussion, leading to the former's jump in carries. 

If Gore can't go again in Week 14, Johnson could see a similar workload against a Seahawks defense that, while still better than earlier this season, gave up 135 yards on just 16 carries to the Giants' Wayne Gallman Sunday. Anything resembling that workload would be close to the top of streaming running back options you'll find at this point in the season. 

Projection: 107 yards, one touchdown

Keke Coutee, WR, Houston

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

DeShaun Watson couldn't have been happy to lose stud wide receiver Will Fuller IV to a season-ending suspension, but at least this week, it was a huge boon for any fantasy owners who happened to have Keke Coutee rostered.

The ex-Texas Tech speedster caught eight of his nine total targets for 141 yards en route to 22.1 points. It's unlikely that Houston will add any significant wide receiver depth over the final few weeks of the season, so expect Coutee to continue getting targets with Watson under center. Despite lackluster protection, the QB has been on fire recently, and Coutee should be a direct beneficiary of that success. 

Awaiting the Texans in Week 14 is a Chicago defense that has been torched by Green Bay and Detroit in the last two weeks, giving up an average of 34.5 points, 306.5 passing yards and 3.5 touchdowns per contest in the last two games. 

Projection: 96 yards, one touchdown 

Week 14 Waiver-Wire Position Rankings

Bruce Kluckhohn/Associated Press

Quarterback

1. Philip Rivers, Indianapolis

2. Teddy Bridgewater, Carolina

3. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami

Running Back

1. Ty Johnson, New York

2. Benny Snell, Pittsburgh

3. Cam Akers, Los Angeles Rams

Wide Receiver

1. Keke Coutee, Houston

2. T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis

3. Allen Lazard, Green Bay

Tight End

1. Jordan Reed, San Francisco

2. Dalton Schultz, Dallas

3. Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota