Fantasy Football Week 14: Sleeper Picks for Each Position

Last week my sleeper picks did fairly well. A highlight was that the Denver Broncos D/ST tied for seventh among all defenses in Week 13 with eight points.

Carson Palmer (16 points) and A.J. Green (15 points) had good weeks as well.

The Bucs’ Mike Williams had the yards I projected but no touchdown (nine points) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis had the touchdown but not the yards (seven points).

Greg Olsen and Sebastian Janikowski were the poor performers I picked last week.

Here are my thoughts on Week 14 sleepers. These players are ranked out of the top tier for this week by most projections. But, they are good options if you’re dealing with injuries to your fantasy studs or struggling to decide between two inconsistent fantasy producers.

Alex Smith, QB

Alex Smith had two TD passes last week in a win over St. Louis. He should have had a third. TE Vernon Davis had a ball bounce off his hands and chest in the end zone on a well-thrown ball by Smith in the second quarter.

This week Smith goes up against the Cardinals and their 25th-ranked pass defense. A similar performance to last week (274 yards, two TDs) is there for Smith’s taking.

Michael Bush, RB

The Packers have the 29th-ranked rush defense and Michael Bush should be able to take advantage as long as the Raiders can keep this matchup competitive.

But even if the Packers are up a dozen at halftime, Bush will be a target out of the backfield for QB Carson Palmer as WRs Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore are still sidelined.

Darren Sproles, RB

The New Orleans offensive production is notoriously spread out, but the idea of Sproles in open space against a team known to miss tackles is pretty tempting.

Another positive for Sproles is that fellow RB Mark Ingram is listed at questionable for Sunday's matchup against the Titans. Sproles could see more carries in addition to his targets in the passing game.

A second straight week with a TD seems likely.

Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR

It will likely be Darrius Heyward-Bey and Chaz Schillens on the outside for Carson Palmer in Sunday's matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Heyward-Bey has led the team in targets each of the last two weeks and will be on the receiving end of some deep balls from Palmer in the second half when the Raiders are likely to be down.

The Packers have the 31st-ranked pass defense, which is also good news for Heyward-Bey.

A.J. Green, WR

I'd stick with Green again this week even though he's going up against the Texans' third-ranked pass defense.

Green has shown that he can make catches in coverage and has beaten good defenses. He had a touchdown in each of the Bengals' two games against the Steelers' No. 1-ranked pass defense this season.

Dustin Keller, TE

Coming off his best fantasy performance of the year in Week 12 (18 points), Keller had a dud of a game in Week 13 with just three receptions for 12 yards.

Still, Keller is a good candidate for a bounce-back week as he continues to be a red-zone target for Mark Sanchez.  

St. Louis Rams, D/ST

The Rams defense is owned in less than 10 percent of ESPN leagues and is getting a favorable matchup this weekend against the Seattle Seahawks.

Chris Long (12 sacks) and James Lauriniatis (three sacks, two INTs) will lead this defense against a Seattle offense that has allowed an average of 10 fantasy points to opposing defenses.

Ryan Succop, K

Succop is virtually unowned and going up against the New York Jets this week. The Jets defense isn't great and the Chiefs have the 30th-ranked red-zone offense for scoring TDs.

This could mean opportunities for Succop.