Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings
Article by Mitch Lawson
Edited Dec 10, 9:29 AM — Zach Ertz removed due to concussion
The 2017 fantasy playoffs have arrived.
You’ve slogged through 13 weeks of planning, matchup research, player rankings and fantasy analysis, and now you’re battling for a championship.
If you’re reading this article, I have to assume you’re invested in the rest of the fantasy season. So I take it as my duty to help prepare you. Sure, I know you’re going to read plenty of these rankings, but maybe I can point out something that you hadn’t considered.
I’m not going to waste any time, let’s jump right in on the Quarterbacks.
Quarterbacks
Sleeper QB for Week 14: Josh McCown @ DEN — Josh McCown has quietly been a Top 5 QB in back to back weeks. This isn’t a fluke. He did so against the Panthers and the struggling Kansas City Chiefs, so not a tough test but not a walk in the park either. He now gets to face a Denver defense that has fallen from a Top 10 defense in Week 4 to an average defense. And while the Broncos are freefalling, the Jets are building a pretty solid offense. Robby Anderson and Jermaine Kearse have been better than I ever expected and the run game is doing enough to move the chains while staying out of the endzone for McCown. He is worth a start if you’ve got one of the many QBs who have a rough matchup this week.
Bust QB for Week 14: Jared Goff @ PHI — Yeah, I know that the Jared Goff owners are not necessarily in a position to bench him, but the writing is on the wall for a down week this week. Goff has averaged close to 15 fantasy points in standard over the last 3 weeks. These were tough defenses, sure, but so are the Philadelphia Eagles. Russell Wilson did have success against these Eagles in week 13, but he did so because the run game was never a threat to score one of their 3 TDs. The Rams don’t have that luxury. They would be fortunate to get 3 TDs, and I’d be willing to bet that Gurley gets at least one, if not two of those TDs. If you have another option, it’s best to leave Goff out of your lineup this week.
- Tom Brady @ MIA
- Carson Wentz @ LAR
- Russell Wilson @ JAX
- Drew Brees @ ATL
- Phillip Rivers vs WAS
- Alex Smith vs OAK
- Jared Goff vs PHI
- Cam Newton vs MIN
- Josh McCown @ DEN
- Kirk Cousins @ LAC
- Dak Prescott vs NYG — Questionable — Hand
- Matt Ryan vs. NO
- Matt Stafford @ TB — Questionable — Hand
- Case Keenum @ CAR
- Ben Roethlisberger vs BAL
- Jameis Winston vs DET
- Marcus Mariota @ ARI
- Derek Carr @ KC
- Andy Dalton vs CHI
- DeShone Kizer vs GB
- Trevor Siemian vs NYJ
- Brett Hundley @ CLE
- Blake Bortles vs SEA
- Jay Cutler vs NE
Tom Brady is my overall #1 this week. He’s the only one of the Top 5 QBs who has a decent matchup. Carson Wentz slides into the QB2 spot as he tries to bounce back against a relatively sturdy Rams defense. Russell Wilson is getting zero respect right now, some experts have him ranked behind the potentially injured Matt Stafford, Jacksonville has never faced better than the 8th best QB in football, and their stats are inflated. Wilson can be trusted.
Drew Brees is in a divisional matchup against the Falcons and should be trustworthy on Thursday Night Football, he did struggle last week but got 3 TDs vultured by running backs. Kirk Cousins will have a tougher test against the Chargers, but he’s been able to overcome tough defenses multiple times this year. Philip Rivers and Alex Smith will look to build on fantastic Week 13 games as both teams battle for a playoff spot.
My bust of the week Jared Goff has hovered right around 20 points per game over the last 3 weeks and now gets an angry Eagles Defense on Sunday. Whereas my Sleeper of the Week Josh McCown will match his red-hot offense against Denver’s freefalling defense. Cam Newton, Dak Prescott and Matt Ryan are back end QB1 options for me this week. Matt Stafford is ranked 12th for me as of Dec. 5th, but he may jump up if he gets an absolutely clean, full practice in over the next few days.
Case Keenum and Ben Roethlisberger are better left on fantasy benches this week unless you have no other option. For deeper leagues, or 2 QB leagues, I’d also be willing to make a dart throw for Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota and even a prayer play on DeShone Kizer.
Wide Receivers
Sleeper WR for Week 14 — Michael Crabtree (OAK) @ KC: Crabtree has been floating on the outside of the fantasy radar for a little bit. He sat out last week with a suspension and 51 and 40 yards in the weeks before that. But he’s in a great position this week. Amari Cooper is almost certainly going to sit out, which makes Crabtree an awesome start against a Chiefs team that absolutely bleeds points to opposing WRs.
Bust WR for Week 14 — Mike Evans (TB) vs DET: Mike Evans was my bust in week 11, but he went for 92 yards that game. What I should have done was call him a bust in each week since then, as he went for 78 yards and then 33 in the following weeks. He’s been hurting fantasy owners left and right with 5 straight games under 10 fantasy points and also got himself suspended in week 10. He could be at risk to put up a second straight sub-50 yard performance against the Lions defense.
- DeAndre Hopkins (HOU) vs. SF
- Antonio Brown (PIT) vs. BAL
- AJ Green (CIN) vs CHI
- Keenan Allen (LAC) vs WAS
- Julio Jones (ATL) vs NO
- Adam Thielen (MIN) @ CAR
- Tyreek Hill (KC) vs OAK
- Brandin Cooks (NE) @ MIA
- Michael Crabtree (OAK) @ KC
- Michael Thomas (NO) @ ATL
- Marvin Jones Jr (DET) @ TB
- Larry Fitzgerald (ARI) vs TEN
- Alshon Jeffery (PHI) @ LAR
- Dez Bryant (DAL) @ NYG
- Robby Anderson (NYJ) @ DEN
- Mike Evans (TB) vs DET
- Jarvis Landry (MIA) vs NE
- Doug Baldwin (SEA) @ JAX
- Josh Gordon (CLE) vs GB
- Stefon Diggs (MIN) @ CAR
- Devin Funchess (CAR) vs MIN
- Marquise Goodwin (CHI) @ HOU
- Davante Adams (GB) @ CLE
- Golden Tate (DET) @ TB
- Chris Hogan (NE) @ MIA
- Sterling Shepard (NYG) vs DAL
- Jamison Crowder (WAS) @ LAC
- Cooper Kupp (LAR) vs PHI
- T.Y. Hilton (IND) @ BUF
- Demaryius Thomas (DEN) @ BUF
- Marquise Lee (JAX) vs SEA
- Martavis Bryant (PIT) vs BAL
- Sammy Watkins (LAR) vs PHI
- Nelson Agholor (PHI) @ LAR
- DeSean Jackson (TB) vs DET
- Mohamed Sanu (ATL) vs NO
- Corey Coleman (CLE) vs GB
- Dede Westbrook (JAX) vs SEA
- Jermaine Kearse (NYJ) @ DEN
- Ted Ginn Jr. (NO) @ ATL
- Emmanuel Sanders (DEN) vs NYJ
For the first time in 4 weeks, someone other than Antonio Brown is my #1 WR. This time around I’m giving that to DeAndre Hopkins, who has a much better matchup against the lowly 49ers. Brown, however has to face the Ravens defense, so even without JuJu Smith-Schuster his ceiling isn’t quite as high as Hopkins’. A.J. Green slots into #3 this week as he is coming off his best game of the year and gets to face the Bears, whose defense is starting to falter.
Keenan Allen is finally producing big totals for those who trusted him to return to form, while Brandin Cooks fantasy owners are hoping the return of Chirs Hogan doesn’t eat into his value. Julio Jones was absolutely abysmal last week, totalling 26 yards. He faces another tough defense in the Vikings but he’ll be much better. Adam Thielen is also trying to bounce back from a bad game, while Tyreek Hill owners are hoping that he can replicate that amazing performance last week.
My sleeper of the week Michael Crabtree is getting the receiving yards all to himself against a weaker pass defense and divisional rival Chiefs team. Michael Thomas will look to keep rolling on Thursday Night. Marvin Jones Jr. gets a great matchup against the Buccaneers this week, and Larry Fitzgerald will account for over half of the Cardinals catches more than likely.
Dez Bryant and Robby Anderson will both look to build on big games. My Bust of the week Mike Evans will draw heavy coverage from the Lions, and he has been largely disappointing as of late. Doug Baldwin is getting no credit, I think his matchup against the Jaguars isn’t nearly as bad as it looks on paper.
Josh Gordon had a respectable first game, but he needs to get on the same page with Kizer before he’s a Top 15 WR. Look for Stefon Diggs to potentially step into a bigger game with Thielen struggling, I also like Sterling Shepard to produce in a game where Eli Manning is going to be playing ANGRY.
For deeper players, I really like Martavis Bryant with Smith Schuster sitting, I could also consider playing both Marquise Lee and Dede Westbrook, I feel like one of them should find the endzone against the Seahawks. I don’t expect Jermaine Kearse to keep up his hot pace, but if he does you’ve got to consider starting him from here on out.
Running Backs
Sleeper RB for Week 14 — Mike Davis (SEA) @ JAX — Mike Davis looks like the best option the Seahawks have at this point. I can understand the hesitance to start a Seahawk in 2017, but he managed 101 scrimmage yards against a stout Eagles defense last week. Now the clear-cut starting RB, he is going to provide a decent floor with some serious upside if he can find the endzone.
Bust RB for Week 14 — Jordan Howard (CHI) @ CIN — Jordan Howard has been up and down all season, but this could be his rock bottom. He got absolutely stunted by the 49ers’ weak defense as he struggles to find any sort of room in the Bears frail offense. Howard has been the #63 and #57 RB over the past two weeks, and he’s hard to start in a road game against the Bengals.
- Alvin Kamara (NO) @ ATL
- LeVeon Bell (PIT) vs BAL
- LeSean McCoy (BUF) vs IND
- Melvin Gordon (LAC) vs WAS
- Todd Gurley (LAR) vs PHI
- Leonard Fournette (JAX) vs SEA
- Mark Ingram (NO) @ ATL
- Devonta Freeman (ATL) vs NO
- Samaje Perine (WAS) @ LAC
- Kenyan Drake (MIA) vs NE
- Dion Lewis (NE) @ MIA
- Marshawn Lynch (OAK) @ KC
- Rex Burkhead (NE) @ MIA
- Lamar Miller (HOU) vs SF
- Kareem Hunt (KC) vs. OAK
- Jamaal Williams (GB) @ CLE
- Alex Collins (BAL) @ PIT
- Alfred Morris (DAL) @ NYG
- Carlos Hyde (SF) @ HOU
- Latavius Murray (MIN) @ CAR
- Mike Davis (SEA) @ JAX
- Christian McCaffrey (CAR) vs MIN
- Kerwynn Williams (ARI) vs TEN
- Jordan Howard (CHI) @ CIN
- Peyton Barber (TB) vs DET
- Jay Ajayi (PHI) @ LAR
- DeMarco Murray (TEN) @ ARI
- Jerrick McKinnon (MIN) @ CAR
- Orleans Darkwa (NYG) vs DAL
- Giovanni Bernard (CIN) vs CHI
Alvin Kamara has been almost transcendent as of late, whether he can keep up his blistering pace of TDs is the only question. He ends up as my #1 RB for week 14, something he has achieved in 3 of the last 5 weeks. LeVeon Bell falls to number 2 for the first time in a long time, he has a tough matchup but should see around 10 targets with Smith-Schuster suspended. LeSean McCoy is probably the most volatile RB in all of fantasy. He regularly jumps between games of 100+ yards to under 50 yards. This week though he gets the Colts, which spells out a potential monster game for Shady.
Melvin Gordon has only finished in the Top 10 RBs once over the last 4 weeks, but I think he has a great chance to jump up this week. Todd Gurley has been seeing some borderline RB1/RB2 weeks as well recently, but he’s got such prowess in both running and receiving that he’s a perennial Top 10 RB from here on out. Devonta Freeman is my sleeper of the week, he’s gonna see plenty of work against the Saints in a game that Atlanta has to win to keep pace. Freeman has failed to crack the Top 15 RBs since Week 4, but that’s also because he hasn’t found the endzone since then, I like his chances to bounce back.
Kenyan Drake made me look like I actually know what I’m doing, as he finished as the RB5 after I made him my sleeper pick. Now he gets the Patriots leaky rush defense. Speaking of the Patriots, both Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead should be inserted into fantasy lineups as they get to attack a Miami team that is very weak against the run.
Kareem Hunt might be ranked too high on my list but he’s always a candidate for a bounce back, he’s been no higher than the RB27 in the last five weeks. Lamar Miller is lower on my list than most experts, I just don’t trust his volume even against the 9ers. My Bust of the Week is Jordan Howard, who I am recommending as a sit after the Bears seem to have all but abandoned him.
For some lower sleepers, I like the upside of Alfred Morris, Mike Davis, and Peyton Barber. Avoid the likes of Jay Ajayi, DeMarco Murray and Adrian Peterson.
Tight Ends
- Travis Kelce (KC) vs OAK
- Jimmy Graham (SEA) @ JAX
- Evan Engram (NYG) vs DAL
- Delanie Walker (TEN) @ ARI
- Hunter Henry (LAC) vs WAS — Probable — Knee
- Kyle Rudolph (MIN) @ CAR
- Cameron Brate (TB) vs DET
- Jason Witten (DAL) @ NYG
- Stephen Anderson (HOU) vs. SF
- Ricky Seals-Jones (ARI) vs TEN
- Austin Seferian-Jenkins (NYJ) @ DEN
- Jared Cook (OAK) @ KC
- Jack Doyle (IND) @ BUF
- Trey Burton (PHI) @ LA
With Gronkowski out, Travis Kelce slides in as the number one TE in a great matchup against the Raiders. Jimmy Graham will look to catch a TD in a fifth consecutive game, he’s always a great play but if he fails to find the endzone he will provide serious disappointment as his yards per game is way lower than most high end Tight Ends. Evan Engram was finally able to shake that unconfident shell he was in to explode for 99 yards and a TD, he should be a great play in a divisional game where Eli Manning is back under center and probably pretty motivated to succeed.
Delanie Walker and Hunter Henry both represent decent TE plays as they have been very solid over the last few weeks. Kyle Rudolph is riding two straight games with a TD and looks to keep his pace against the Panthers. Cameron Brate was efficient last Sunday, but he’ll need to secure more than 2 passes a game to be relevant. He’s a sleeper this week, but a shaky one.
For deeper plays, I like Ricky Seals-Jones, Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Stephen Anderson. Avoid Charles Clay and Jared Cook.
Defense/Special Teams
- New England Patriots @ MIA
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs BAL
- Cincinatti Bengals vs CHI
- Seattle Seahawks @ JAX
- Los Angeles Chargers vs WAS
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs SEA
- Minnesota Vikings @ CAR
- Green Bay Packers @ CLE
- Buffalo Bills vs IND
- Denver Broncos vs NYJ
- Tennessee Titans @ ARI
- New York Jets @ DEN
- Dallas Cowboys @ NYG
- Houston Texans vs SF
- Arizona Cardinals vs TEN
Kickers
- Stephen Gostkowski (NE) @ MIA
- Greg Zuerlein (LAR) vs PHI
- Wil Lutz (NO) @ ATL
- Harrison Butker (KC) vs OAK
- Matt Bryant (ATL) vs NO
- Dan Bailey (DAL) @ NYG
- Matt Prater (DET) @ TB
- Justin Tucker (BAL) @ PIT
- Jake Elliott (PHI) @ LAR
- Chris Boswell (PIT) vs BAL
Those are my rankings for Week 14! Good luck to everyone who kicks off the playoffs this week. Be sure to check back every week for more solid fantasy football advice.
Take care, football fans!
Mitch Lawson is a Canadian based Fantasy Football enthusiast and lifelong Seahawks fan. If you have questions or comments, send him an email at mitchlawsonff@gmail.com. You can also find him on:
Sleeperbot: @PeteCarolline
reddit: Mitch1516
Twitter: @MitchLawson1
