Fantasy

12/10/22

20 min read

Josh Larky's NFL Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings

week 14 fantasy rankings

Below you’ll find my Week 14 fantasy rankings for PPR/Half-PPR leagues. Included are my top-26 QB Rankings, top-46 RB Rankings, top-54 WR Rankings, and top-22 TE Rankings.

For each player, you can view their ranking, matchup, and implied team total, according to Vegas. For example, the Los Angeles Chargers and Miami Dolphins have a Vegas game total of 52.5, with the Dolphins favored by 3.5 points (27.75 points implied for the Dolphins, 24.25 points implied for the Chargers). Seeing the implied point totals can help you understand which games are projected to be the highest scoring.

xPPR (expected PPR points) is a new stat added in Week 4. Think of this as each player’s average expected fantasy points per game based on their underlying usage.

Teams coming off a Week 13 bye: Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers

Teams on Week 14 bye: Washington Commanders, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears

Detailed player write-ups will be added through Wednesday night, and will appear below each set of positional rankings.

Top 26 Quarterbacks

Rank Name Pos Team Opp Team Total xPPR
1 Jalen Hurts QB PHI NYG 26.25 23
2 Josh Allen QB BUF NYJ 26.25 22.6
3 Justin Herbert QB LAC MIA 24.25 18.2
4 Joe Burrow QB CIN CLE 26.75 20.5
5 Patrick Mahomes QB KC DEN 26 20.9
6 Tua Tagovailoa QB MIA LAC 27.75 16.3
7 Kyler Murray QB ARI NE 21.25 19.1
8 Dak Prescott QB DAL HOU 30.75 15.5
9 Geno Smith QB SEA CAR 23.75 17.6
10 Jared Goff QB DET MIN 28 15.2
11 Kirk Cousins QB MIN DET 25.5 16.6
12 Tyler Huntley QB BAL PIT 17.25 18.9
13 Derek Carr QB LV LA 24.75 15.1
14 Trevor Lawrence QB JAX TEN 18.75 17.2
15 Mike White QB NYJ BUF 17.25 18.3
16 Deshaun Watson QB CLE CIN 20.75 12.5
17 Mac Jones QB NE ARI 22.75 12.2
18 Russell Wilson QB DEN KC 17 14.6
19 Ryan Tannehill QB TEN JAX 22.75 13.6
20 Tom Brady QB TB SF 16.75 16.4
21 Brock Purdy QB SF TB 20.25 8.4
22 Sam Darnold QB CAR SEA 19.75 16.8
23 Daniel Jones QB NYG PHI 19.25 16.8
24 Kenny Pickett QB PIT BAL 19.75 14
25 Davis Mills QB HOU DAL 13.75 13.2
26 LAR QB QB LA LV 18.75 -
  • Jalen Hurts has endured four straight difficult matchups for fantasy QBs (WAS, IND, GB, TEN), yet has at least 22.8 fantasy points in each contest. He has usurped Josh Allen for the rest of season QB1 spot, as Josh Allen’s elbow injury appears to be holding back his passing ceiling.
  • Geno Smith has at least 275 passing yards and 21 fantasy points in four straight games, and now he gets Carolina in Week 14. While the Panthers have been stingy against QB fantasy points this year, they've faced an extremely easy schedule - Russell Wilson, Jacoby Brissett, Daniel Jones, Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston, Jimmy Garoppolo, Marcus Mariota (twice), Tom Brady. Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson are the only QBs they've faced who are averaging 20+ points per game. Geno Smith falls somewhere below those three, but well above the eight other QBs faced by CAR.
  • Tyler Huntley completed 84% of his passes for 187 yards, and ran ten times for 41 yards and a TD. Huntley should be treated as only a slight downgrade from Lamar Jackson for fantasy purposes. The Steelers are a tough matchup, but so are the Broncos - Huntley put up 16.6 fantasy points against them after coming in for Lamar Jackson during the first quarter. The Steelers have been an improved defense the past month with TJ Watt's return, but I refuse to bet against a QB who will run eight to 12 times per game. Huntley averaged 208 passing yards, 8.8 rush attempts, and 57 rushing yards per game in five starts last year, which totaled 16.8 fantasy points per game - despite a 1.7% pass TD rate, more than 50% lower than league average.
  • Deshaun Watson completed just 12 of 22 passes (55%) for 131 yards (6.0 yards per attempt). He ran seven times for 21 yards. He did not record a TD pass, but he did record his first interception of 2022. His 6.3 fantasy points demonstrated that his 2022 floor will be quite low after not seeing NFL game action for 700 days. I still believe Watson will be a better overall QB than Jacoby Brissett, but it likely takes at least one more week until we see an elite fantasy/real life performance from Watson. I would not be comfortable starting him in fantasy, as the Bengals most recently kept Patrick Mahomes in check for only 223 passing yards and 19.8 fantasy points. Overall, QBs average just 13.9 fantasy points per game against CIN, as their defense pressures QBs on 36.2% of dropbacks - seventh highest in the NFL, per The Edge.

Deshaun Watson vs CIN

Top 46 Running Backs

Rank Name Pos Team Opp Team Total xPPR
1 Derrick Henry RB TEN JAX 22.75 17.1
2 Austin Ekeler RB LAC MIA 24.25 19.4
3 Christian McCaffrey RB SF TB 20.25 17.7
4 Rhamondre Stevenson RB NE ARI 22.75 16.1
5 Joe Mixon RB CIN CLE 26.75 17.4
6 Dalvin Cook RB MIN DET 25.50 14.8
7 D'Andre Swift RB DET MIN 28.00 11.7
8 Josh Jacobs RB LV LA 24.75 18.9
9 Saquon Barkley RB NYG PHI 19.25 18.7
10 James Conner RB ARI NE 21.25 14.7
11 Nick Chubb RB CLE CIN 20.75 14.5
12 Travis Etienne RB JAX TEN 18.75 12.3
13 Tony Pollard RB DAL HOU 30.75 12
14 Miles Sanders RB PHI NYG 26.25 12.8
15 Ezekiel Elliott RB DAL HOU 30.75 10.6
16 Rachaad White RB TB SF 16.75 8.2
17 Raheem Mostert RB MIA LAC 27.75 9.6
18 Zonovan Knight RB NYJ BUF 17.25 15
19 Isiah Pacheco RB KC DEN 26.00 6.5
20 D'Onta Foreman RB CAR SEA 19.75 7.5
21 Latavius Murray RB DEN KC 17.00 9.9
22 Jamaal Williams RB DET MIN 28.00 13.2
23 James Cook RB BUF NYJ 26.25 5.5
24 Najee Harris RB PIT BAL 19.75 12.8
25 Dameon Pierce RB HOU DAL 13.75 13.3
26 Jeff Wilson RB MIA LAC 27.75 9.6
27 Leonard Fournette RB TB SF 16.75 15.4
28 Devin Singletary RB BUF NYJ 26.25 12.5
29 Cam Akers RB LA LV 18.75 6.8
30 Jerick McKinnon RB KC DEN 26.00 8
31 Michael Carter RB NYJ BUF 17.25 10.2
32 Travis Homer RB SEA CAR 23.75 3.3
33 J.K. Dobbins RB BAL PIT 17.25 8.9
34 Chuba Hubbard RB CAR SEA 19.75 3.6
35 Kenyan Drake RB BAL PIT 17.25 8.3
36 Samaje Perine RB CIN CLE 26.75 8.4
37 Kareem Hunt RB CLE CIN 20.75 8.7
38 Gus Edwards RB BAL PIT 17.25 8.2
39 Kenneth Gainwell RB PHI NYG 26.25 5
40 Jordan Mason RB SF TB 20.25 2
41 Dontrell Hilliard RB TEN JAX 22.75 4.6
42 Kyren Williams RB LA LV 18.75 5.2
43 Jaylen Warren RB PIT BAL 19.75 4
44 Ameer Abdullah RB LV LA 24.75 3.8
45 Alexander Mattison RB MIN DET 25.50 4.6
46 Mike Boone RB DEN KC 17.00 4.1
  • The bad: Derrick Henry has averaged no more than 3.1 yards per carry in each of his past four games. He has 68 total rushing yards over his past two games. The good: Henry is fresh, with only 28 combined carries over his past two games. He should get 25-30 carries against JAX this week, and has averaged 145 rushing yards per game against them over their past six contests. The Titans need to keep winning to make the playoffs, and with Treylon Burks likely OUT with a concussion, TEN will lean on the Big Dog.
  • QB Brock Purdy was a revelation for Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey led the team in targets (ten), receptions (eight), and receiving yards (80). He had two of the team’s four red zone targets, too. Jordan Mason handled eight of 25 RB carries in this game, and appears to be the one slotting into the Elijah Mitchell role, which was borderline fantasy viable.
  • Rhamondre Stevenson disappointed fantasy managers with only 13.8 PPR points against Buffalo, in a game where Damien Harris was OUT due to injury. However, the usage was truly elite. Stevenson handled 91% of the RB carries, ran a route on a whopping 87% of Mac Jones’ dropbacks, and led the team with eight targets (next closest were Jakobi Meyers and Hunter Henry with five). Rhamondre remains a high-end RB1 each week based on his usage. Put another way, how many RBs disappoint you when they total 13.8 fantasy points – not many. Rhamondre faces a Cardinals team allowing the ninth most receiving yards per game to RBs (43), per The Edge.
  • Joe Mixon is in a smash spot, facing a CLE run defense ranked 31st in rush DVOA. Per The Edge, the Browns allow the third most fantasy points per game to RBs (28.1). Mixon should reprise a workhorse role in Week 14 despite Samaje Perine admirably filling in for him the past 2.5 weeks. Perine can be flexed on the off-chance he carved out a larger role in this backfield, but the floor will be incredibly low for him this week.
  • D’Andre Swift was finally off the injury report in Week 13. He out-snapped (38 vs. 23), out-carried (14 vs. 11), out-targeted (six vs. zero), out-gained (111 yards vs. 35 yards), and out-produced Jamaal Williams in fantasy (21.1 vs. 9.5). Swift is an RB1 moving forward, and has a friendly schedule rest of season for fantasy. He is my RB7 this week, as he has one of the highest floors and ceilings in fantasy football anytime he gets 15+ touches.

  • Travis Etienne didn’t succeed in fantasy in Week 13, but he was a total bell cow despite some concern about his foot. Etienne handled 13 of 14 RB carries, and ran 26 of 29 RB routes against Detroit. He ran a route on 72% of Trevor Lawrence’s dropbacks this past Sunday, a truly elite number. Better fantasy days are ahead for Etienne. Even though the Titans have been a strong run defense all season, Etienne is on the field for passing downs, and should be more than fine in PPR leagues, as the Titans have allowed nine targets per game to RBs, highest in the NFL, via The Edge.
  • After a few weeks where it looked like Tony Pollard may have taken over the Cowboys lead back duties, Ezekiel Elliott reclaimed that role against Indianapolis in Week 13. Zeke out-snapped (35 vs. 28) and out-carried (17 vs. 12) Pollard. Both back were targeted three times on 14 routes, but Pollard had the better fantasy day, scoring twice. However, Zeke handled three of four red zone carries and two of the three goal line attempts. While Pollard will usually total more yards than Zeke each week, Elliott is still the more likely to find the box every week based on usage. Both are highly fantasy viable in a Week 14 tilt against a Texans teams allowing the most fantasy points to opposing RBs.
  • The Miami backfield is now an absolute mess for fantasy football. It appeared that Jeff Wilson was the clear lead back, until Raheem Mostert had seven times as many touches as Wilson against San Francisco in Week 13. I'm proceeding as if Mostert is the lead back against the Chargers, a team allowing 5.6 yards per carry to opposing backs, most in the NFL, per The Edge. Overall, the Chargers allow 27.4 PPR points per game to RBs, fourth most in the NFL - there is room for both Mostert and Wilson to get there in fantasy if they end up splitting carries down the middle.
  • Undrafted rookie RB Zonovan Knight totaled 103 total yards in his NFL debut in Week 12. He followed that up with 118 total yards in Week 13. Knight is here to stay, and should be the lead back even with Michael Carter returning from injury this week. Knight has at least 14 carries and three catches in both games. Carter is a flex play, as Mike White peppered Ty Johnson with seven targets against the Vikings last week. With the Jets expected to trail against Buffalo, Knight and Carter each have potential for double digit fantasy points.
  • Latavius Murray continues to lead the Broncos backfield, with back-to-back double digit fantasy performances despite not scoring in either contest. He should flirt with 20 touches every week on arguably the NFL’s most disappointing offense. The Chiefs are not a particularly tough fantasy matchup for RBs this year, allowing 48 receiving yards per game, fourth most per The Edge. Murray has run 75% of all the team's RB routes the past two games without Melvin Gordon, so he should be able to salvage his fantasy day with a few receptions.
  • Dameon Pierce had a nice bounce back game against the Browns. After totaling 16 yards on 15 carries in Weeks 11 and 12 combined, Pierce carried 18 times for 73 yards, and he caught all three targets for 22 yards. He remains a high-end RB2 in easy matchups, and a fringe RB2/RB3 in difficult ones, as the Texans’ offense remains near the bottom of the NFL in every category. This week against a ferocious Dallas defense allowing the fifth fewest fantasy points per game to RBs is most certainly a difficult matchup. Pierce's ranking this week is more telling of their being six teams on bye, than him being a strong start in Week 14.
  • James Cook may have taken over the 1A role in the Bills’ backfield, as he had more total carries, more red zone carries, ran more routes, and had more targets than Devin Singletary. Cook reached 105 total yards in Week 13 against the Patriots, and Singletary’s Week 6 performance was the only other time a Bills RB reached 100 yards this season. The Jets have a strong run defense, but have been fairly generous to RBs through the air. I'd rank Cook higher if I *knew* he was the guy for Week 14. However, I'd say I'm only 60% confident he's the lead back ahead of Singletary moving forward. The duo's Week 13 usage is shown below.
Player Snaps Carries (RZ) Routes Targets Total Yards PPR
Devin Singletary 32 13 (1) 13 2 51 11.1
James Cook 32 14 (4) 15 6 105 16.5
  • Isiah Pacheco lost his stranglehold on the KC backfield in Week 13. Jerick McKinnon took eight of the 22 carries, and ran 14 routes to Pacheco’s 11. Pacheco remains a weekly RB3 with RB2 upside in the right matchup, while McKinnon is a weekly flex play and premium handcuff. Pacheco needs to score to pay off, as 15 weekly carries and one target isn't enough usage on its own to be fantasy relevant.
  • Cam Akers was the most surprising bell cow of Week 13, as he handled 17 of 20 RB carries, and ran 19 of 30 RB routes. Akers totaled 60 yards and scored twice. Kyren Williams carried just three times for nine yards and failed to corral his only target (11 routes). Akers is nearly impossible to trust on Thursday night against the Raiders, as he has only led this backfield in two of the past three weeks, averaging 9.6 PPR per game in that span. I'd wager 65% confidence he's the lead back on Thursday night over Kyren Williams.

Top 54 Wide Receivers

Rank Name Pos Team Opp Team Total xPPR
1 Davante Adams WR LV LA 24.75 18.2
2 Amon-Ra St. Brown WR DET MIN 28.00 16.1
3 Stefon Diggs WR BUF NYJ 26.25 18.9
4 Tyreek Hill WR MIA LAC 27.75 17.3
5 A.J. Brown WR PHI NYG 26.25 14.5
6 Ja'Marr Chase WR CIN CLE 26.75 16.7
7 Justin Jefferson WR MIN DET 25.50 18.8
8 Jaylen Waddle WR MIA LAC 27.75 12.4
9 DeAndre Hopkins WR ARI NE 21.25 16.5
10 Keenan Allen WR LAC MIA 24.25 12.1
11 Tee Higgins WR CIN CLE 26.75 11.8
12 CeeDee Lamb WR DAL HOU 30.75 15.5
13 Christian Kirk WR JAX TEN 18.75 13.9
14 DK Metcalf WR SEA CAR 23.75 14.6
15 Garrett Wilson WR NYJ BUF 17.25 13
16 Adam Thielen WR MIN DET 25.50 12
17 Tyler Lockett WR SEA CAR 23.75 12.4
18 Chris Godwin WR TB SF 16.75 14.2
19 Marquise Brown WR ARI NE 21.25 15.7
20 D.J. Moore WR CAR SEA 19.75 12.9
21 Mike Evans WR TB SF 16.75 13.6
22 Amari Cooper WR CLE CIN 20.75 14.3
23 DeVonta Smith WR PHI NYG 26.25 11.1
24 Jerry Jeudy WR DEN KC 17.00 10.2
25 Gabe Davis WR BUF NYJ 26.25 11.1
26 Josh Palmer WR LAC MIA 24.25 12.4
27 Deebo Samuel WR SF TB 20.25 13.6
28 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR KC DEN 26.00 10
29 Mike Williams WR LAC MIA 24.25 12.8
30 Zay Jones WR JAX TEN 18.75 13.2
31 Brandon Aiyuk WR SF TB 20.25 11.8
32 Darius Slayton WR NYG PHI 19.25 8.2
33 Tyler Boyd WR CIN CLE 26.75 8.8
34 Diontae Johnson WR PIT BAL 19.75 14.2
35 Elijah Moore WR NYJ BUF 17.25 6.8
36 DeVante Parker WR NE ARI 22.75 6.2
37 D.J. Chark WR DET MIN 28.00 9.8
38 Donovan Peoples-Jones WR CLE CIN 20.75 10
39 Robert Woods WR TEN JAX 22.75 8.4
40 Corey Davis WR NYJ BUF 17.25 9.8
41 Mack Hollins WR LV LA 24.75 10.1
42 Michael Gallup WR DAL HOU 30.75 9.7
43 George Pickens WR PIT BAL 19.75 9.6
44 K.J. Osborn WR MIN DET 25.50 6.8
45 Greg Dortch WR ARI NE 21.25 5.6
46 Chris Moore WR HOU DAL 13.75 5.9
47 Terrace Marshall WR CAR SEA 19.75 6.8
48 Jameson Williams WR DET MIN 28.00 2.1
49 Marquez Valdes-Scantling WR KC DEN 26.00 8.8
50 Julio Jones WR TB SF 16.75 8.5
51 Devin Duvernay WR BAL PIT 17.25 7.8
52 Quez Watkins WR PHI NYG 26.25 4.1
53 Van Jefferson WR LA LV 18.75 6.8
54 Demarcus Robinson WR BAL PIT 17.25 7.2
  • In his first game back from injury, Ja’Marr Chase ran a route on 35 of Joe Burrow’s 36 dropbacks, catching seven of eight targets for 97 yards against KC. The Browns shut down the Bengals in their first matchup, but that was Burrow's first game without Chase (hip), so we should throw that game away. I'm betting on a premier talent, in a must-win divisional game for the Bengals. The Ravens may have lost Lamar Jackson for the rest of the season, and the AFC North is now the Bengals' division to lose.
  • Mike White and Joe Flacco have been a revelation for Garrett Wilson, and White will start Week 14 against Buffalo.
  • Even though Gabe Davis was held to just 15 yards, his usage continues to tick up. His 21% target share (seven targets) in Week 13 marked the fourth time in the past six games that he has seen at least 21% of Allen’s targets. He remains a WR2 type, even though he has only 53 total yards in his past two games.
  • Josh Palmer is a borderline top-24 fantasy WR until Mike Williams returns from injury. Palmer has been quite productive from Week 6 onward (six games), averaging 9.7 targets, 6.7 receptions, 72 receiving yards, and 15.8 fantasy points per game. He faces a Miami defense ranked 23rd in pass DVOA, in a game where the Chargers are decent underdogs. Expect a lot of passing from Justin Herbert and company, with Palmer cemented as the clear WR2.
  • Treylon Burks caught a 25 yard TD pass in the first quarter of Week 13, but was concussed in the process. His practice status will be monitored all week. If he cannot go in Week 14, no TEN WRs should be started in fantasy in his absence.
  • Darius Slayton is averaging six targets, four catches, 69 yards, 81 air yards, and 12.4 PPR points per game since Week 5. The Eagles are a difficult matchup on paper, butSlayton has at least three receptions and 58 yards in seven of his past eight games, displaying remarkable consistency.
  • In Week 13, Diontae Johnson brought in five of 11 targets (41% share) for 60 yards, totaling 11.0 PPR points. That was his highest fantasy output since Week 5, when he also totaled 11.0 PPR points. Diontae has not been start-able in fantasy all season, but the underlying metrics point to a potential turnaround. Diontae has not scored a TD this season, but has eight red zone (nine end zone) targets, and Week 13’s 125 air yards were his fifth game of the season with at least 107 air yards. I’m not confidently starting him in fantasy due to the overall offense, but Diontae should at least improve his fantasy numbers moving forward. He's a floor play in moderately deep leagues against a Ravens defense allowing the fifth most receiving yards per game to WRs, via The Edge.
  • With Brandin Cooks missing Week 13 due to a calf injury, Nico Collins displayed elite usage. He had ten targets (27% share) and 173 air yards (50% share), but only brought in three catches for 35 yards and a TD. Should Cooks miss Week 14, Collins would be a top-30 option, now that we know the Texans are willing to funnel their passing offense through him. Assuming Cooks returns, I still expect him to be the target leader, especially with the return of Davis Mills for Week 14.
  • George Pickens has cooled off since his 102 and 83 yard performances in Weeks 4 and 5. Since Week 6, Pickens is averaging 4.7 targets and 37 yards per game, averaging only 9.5 fantasy points during this stretch. He should remain on fantasy benches.
  • Rookie WR Jameson Williams ran two routes in Week 13, getting targeted once. He needs at least one more week before we can consider starting him in fantasy football. He's a premier bench stash, but should stay on your bench in Week 14.

Top 22 Tight Ends

Rank Name Pos Team Opp Team Total xPPR
1 Travis Kelce TE KC DEN 26.00 17.2
2 Mark Andrews TE BAL PIT 17.25 13.7
3 T.J. Hockenson TE MIN DET 25.50 11.6
4 Dalton Schultz TE DAL HOU 30.75 9.4
5 Gerald Everett TE LAC MIA 24.25 9.4
6 Pat Freiermuth TE PIT BAL 19.75 11.4
7 David Njoku TE CLE CIN 20.75 9.8
8 George Kittle TE SF TB 20.25 9.4
9 Greg Dulcich TE DEN KC 17.00 8.9
10 Foster Moreau TE LV LA 24.75 7.3
11 Evan Engram TE JAX TEN 18.75 8
12 Daniel Bellinger TE NYG PHI 19.25 4.8
13 Cade Otton TE TB SF 16.75 6.6
14 Dawson Knox TE BUF NYJ 26.25 6.7
15 Tyler Conklin TE NYJ BUF 17.25 8.2
16 Hunter Henry TE NE ARI 22.75 5.8
17 Noah Fant TE SEA CAR 23.75 6.2
18 Trey McBride TE ARI NE 21.25 1.6
19 Chigoziem Okonkwo TE TEN JAX 22.75 3.7
20 Austin Hooper TE TEN JAX 22.75 5.6
21 Tyler Higbee TE LA LV 18.75 9.1
22 Mike Gesicki TE MIA LAC 27.75 6.1
  • Courtland Sutton and Jerry Jeudy were both dealing with injuries in Week 13, and each ran only ten routes. TE Greg Dulcich led the team with 21 routes run, bringing in six of eight targets (38% target share) for 85 yards. After a string of bad games, Dulcich is once again interesting, as the TE landscape is a wasteland aside from five to seven guys each week. Dulcich has averaged 5.3 targets, 3.6 receptions, 46 yards, 64 air yards, and nine PPR points per game through seven games as a rookie.
  • Foster Moreau now has nine straight games with at least 28 yards receiving. He’s a floor play at the TE position, who can be started in 12-team leagues each week.

These Week 14 fantasy rankings will be updated throughout the week. Make sure to check this post each day throughout the week as the news hits.

WATCH: NFL Week 14 Waiver Wire Show

 


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