Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Updated Overview for All Positions
Are you ready for some playoff football? The NFL isn't there just yet, but the postseason has arrived in many season-long fantasy leagues.
Week 14 is a critical time for managers, and there will be a lot of tough decisions to make in the coming days.
Six teams—the Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Washington Commanders—are on bye weeks and there are several injuries of note.
The biggest injury to watch is that of Baltimore Ravens quarterback and fantasy superstar Lamar Jackson. He's dealing with a knee issue and is considered "week to week."
Here, we'll dive into some of the latest injury buzz, player trends, matchups and, of course, rankings. All rankings and analysis are based on points-per-reception (PPR) scoring.
Quarterback
1. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
3. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles
4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
5. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
6. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
7. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks
9. Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings
10. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
It's hard not to go with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the top QB, given his consistency and fantasy ceiling.
However, the 27-year-old will be facing a quality Denver Broncos defense, one that has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, meanwhile, will face a Cleveland Browns team that is a bit more friendly to fantasy QBs (10th-fewest points allowed) and will look to beat them for the first time in his career.
That's right, the LSU product has never notched a victory over Cleveland.
"They've had our number the last couple of years," Burrow said after October's loss in Cleveland, per ESPN's Ben Baby.
With a healthy Ja'Marr Chase at receiver and plenty of motivation, expect Burrow to end his unwanted streak and put up big fantasy numbers.
Managers looking for a fill-in for Jackson should target Detroit Lions signal-caller Jared Goff. He's thrown two touchdowns in back-to-back games and has a favorable matchup with the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.
Running Back
1. Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers
2. Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
3. Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders
4. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
5. Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns
6. Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans
7. Rhamondre Stevenson, New England Patriots
8. Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys
9. Dalvin Cook, Minnesota Vikings
10. Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
11. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
12. Dameon Pierce, Houston Texans
13. Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs
14. Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles
15. Jeff Wilson Jr., Miami Dolphins
16. Leonard Fournette, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
17. Najee Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
18. D'Andre Swift, Detroit Lions
19. Samaje Perine, Cincinnati Bengals
20. Devin Singletary, Buffalo Bills
Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler gets the top spot in our rankings thanks in large part to his PPR upside and a manageable matchup with the Miami Dolphins, which has surrendered the 14th-most (tied) fantasy points to opposing running backs this season.
Even in a down week—he had only 35 rushing yards on Sunday but caught five passes for 67 yards—Ekeler is usually dependable. That gives him an edge over backs like Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb, who have tougher matchups in Week 14.
Managers with Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard or both Dallas Cowboys backs should be thrilled this week with the Houston Texans matchup. No team has allowed more fantasy points to the position in 2022.
And yes, if you have Pollard and Elliott rostered, both warrant a start.
On the injury front, managers should keep an eye on Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III. The rookie standout is dealing with an ankle strain and may not suit up against the Carolina Panthers.
Fellow rookie and Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is a prime waiver target for Week 14. He got his first taste of significant action in Week 13, when he finished with over 100 scrimmage yards.
The 23-year-old is rostered in only 24 percent of Yahoo leagues and 25 percent of ESPN leagues.
Wide Receiver
1. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
2. Davante Adams, Green Bay Packers
3. Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
4. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
5. Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
6. A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles
7. Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills
8. Tee Higgins, Cincinnati Bengals
9. Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins
10. Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
11. DK Metcalf, Seattle Seahawks
12. Garrett Wilson, New York Jets
13. Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
14. CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
15. Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks
16. Christian Kirk, Jacksonville Jaguars
17. Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
18. DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia Eagles
19. Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots
20. Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns
Choosing between Las Vegas Raiders receiver Davante Adams and Vikings wideout Justin Jefferson for the No. 1 spot wasn't easy. Both pass-catchers are weekly must-starts, and both have fairly favorable matchups this week.
Adams will face the Los Angeles Rams, which have allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing receivers. Jefferson will battle the Lions, which have allowed the fourth-most fantasy points.
The big difference is that Detroit has the offensive potency needed to engage in a shootout with Minnesota. The Rams are without Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and may fold early with their season essentially over.
It won't be a shock to see Derek Carr attempt only a handful of passes in the second half.
Managers could see a similar situation play out in Dallas. The Texans aren't likely to keep things close with the Cowboys, and the second half could be heavily run-oriented.
Just as managers should elevate the fantasy stock of Pollard and Elliott, they should downgrade that of Cowboys receivers such as CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.
On the waiver wire, Lions rookie Jameson Williams should be a top target. He made his NFL debut last week, and while he didn't catch a pass, fantasy production should be on the immediate horizon.
The 21-year-old is rostered in only 46 percent of Yahoo leagues and 30 percent of ESPN leagues.
Tight End
1. Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
2. T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings
3. Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens
5. Gerald Everett, Los Angeles Chargers
6. Dalton Schultz, Dallas Cowboys
7. George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
8. Hayden Hurst, Cincinnati Bengals
9. Foster Moreau, Las Vegas Raiders
10. Tyler Conklin, New York Jets
Chiefs star Travis Kelce remains the top tight end in fantasy, both because of his upside and his consistency. He had his worst game of the season against the Bengals and still caught four passes for 56 yards.
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews is usually on a similar level as Kelce, but with Jackson likely out, we had to downgrade him just a bit. This does not mean managers should bench him.
The 27-year-old had some huge games with Tyler Huntley at quarterback last season, including two double-digit catch, 100-yard outings.
Managers will want to keep an eye on Browns tight end David Njoku, who missed Week 13 with a knee injury. If he's healthy enough to play, he'll crack the top-10 rankings. In Week 12, he caught five passes for 29 yards and a touchdown.
On the waiver wire, Denver's Greg Dulcich is a quality player to target. He exploded in Week 13 with six catches and 85 yards. The Chiefs have been middle-of-the-road (14th-fewest points allowed) against TEs in fantasy, and we can expect to see the Broncos playing catch-up.
With tight ends like Darren Waller, Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert injured, Dulcich should be a popular waiver claim. He's rostered in 37 percent of Yahoo leagues and 39 percent of ESPN leagues.
*Fantasy scoring and roster information via FantasyPros.