Fantasy & Betting

12/4/24

4 min read

Fantasy Football 2024: Week 14 Rankings For Every Position

By C.H. Herrmann

Fantasy Writer

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One more week.

That’s all that separates most fantasy managers from the regular season and the playoffs. The effort, research, and scouring the waivers will soon pay off. Congratulations to those who’ve already clinched a spot in the big dance.

For those who haven’t, best of luck in Week 14. You’ll need it if you roster any key member of the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots, or Washington Commanders.

Why the NFL chose to save its final bye week tornado for now is beyond me and not the least bit appealing, but this is the game we signed up for. That’s the big negative of the week.

But rest assured, the energy behind these rankings still burns hot this deep into the game. Join me in breaking down positional rankings for Week 14 of the NFL season:

NFL Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 14 Quarterback Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• By now, many have already seen the horrifying late hit that caused Trevor Lawrence to exit Sunday’s Week 13 contest vs. the Houston Texans with a concussion. The former No. 1 pick had to be carted off the field and will likely be handled delicately down the stretch, as the Jags have essentially nothing left to play for in 2024. It’s best to operate under the assumption that backup Mac Jones will be under center for the remainder of this season. The ex-New England Patriot has been serviceable if we’re being generous, but Jones isn’t likely to be super impactful for fantasy, nor will any pass-catcher in this Jacksonville offense from here on out.

Trending Up

• Although he’s had a couple of substandard performances sprinkled in, Russell Wilson has been an excellent addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers offense since becoming the starter in Week 7. Through this six-game span, the former Super Bowl winner stands third among quarterbacks in passing yards per game (271.0), seventh in passer rating (104.3), and 14th in fantasy points per game (17.4) in four-point per passing touchdown scoring, according to Fantasy Data. Wilson has recorded a weekly finish of at least QB9 in three of these games. The Steelers’ schedule down the stretch isn’t a cakewalk, but this veteran will still likely be worthy of streaming consideration from now until the end of the year.
• Credit where it’s due: Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins’ offense have found new life in the past three weeks. After a somewhat rocky start to the season and missing several games due to concussion issues, the Alabama alum stands second only behind Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow in passing yards per game (323.3) and fantasy points per game (25.7). In fact, Tagvailoa has been so effective that he ranks third in EPA per dropback (0.36) at a clip of 8.36 adjusted yards per pass attempt that sits fourth-highest among quarterbacks in that time frame, per TruMedia. The hope of a high-flying Dolphins offense, while delayed in nature, is finally coming to fruition.
• This isn’t anything new but now feels like a good time to reiterate that Sam Darnold has been outstanding this season. The three-interception meltdown vs. the league-worst Jaguars secondary gave many a fantasy manager the ick, but in the trio of contests since, Darnold is tied for seventh at the position in passing yards per game (270.3) with Kyler Murray. Fantasy managers looking for a prime spike spot can look to Darnold to keep his thunder rolling in Week 14 against an Atlanta Falcons secondary that ranks 23rd in pass defense DVOA this season, according to FTN.

Trending Down

• The Philadelphia Eagles’ passing attack has recently taken a substantial backseat to RB Saquon Barkley. The Eagles rank third in the league in EPA per offensive play (0.19) during the past three weeks, but when you focus squarely on their aerial contributions, it becomes evident that the ground game is doing the heavy lifting. The Eagles rank 23rd in Offensive Throw EPA (9.33) in this same span, and Hurts has accumulated greater than 200 passing yards in just one contest. 
• Couple that information with the fact the mobile threat hasn’t thrown for multiple passing scores since Week 10 vs. the Dallas Cowboys, and it all translates into a three-game skid of fewer than 20 fantasy points per game as well. Is this time to be alarmed? Not necessarily, but when comparing Hurts against himself (23.0 points per game through the first nine weeks of 2024), it’s definitely a bit of a bummer. Luckily, the Eagles are set to face the Carolina Panthers (29th in pass defense DVOA) in Week 14; Hurts will probably turn it around and is still an elite fantasy option, but the research was interesting enough to share regardless.

Week 14 Running Back Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• Apologies to those who may have felt duped by this week’s waiver wire article. At the time of its writing, the information about San Francisco 49ers RB Jordan Mason’s move to IR due to an ankle was unknown.
• The good news is that multiple fantasy football articles come out on this site weekly, and most managers should’ve been able to infer that now that Mason and Christian McCaffrey (PCL) are out, rookie Isaac Guerendo is the 49ers' new RB1. Hopefully, you didn’t need me to tell you that picking him up is a good idea, as waivers have passed by the time this piece is released. But for the sake of posterity, that information has been addressed. Moving on…
• The Kansas City Chiefs backfield was a split effort in Week 13 vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. In his first game back from injury, Isiah Pacheco participated on 32.8 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. He split the 14 running back carries evenly with teammate Kareem Hunt, per Fantasy Points Data. What’s more interesting is that Pacheco ran nearly the same number of routes (11) as veteran Samaje Perine (12). The pseudo-three-headed attack is something we’ve seen from the Chiefs in the past (remember the Jerick McKinnon days?). Still, it’s reasonably safe to assume this distribution of responsibility has more to do with easing Pacheco back. None of the Chiefs' backs are ranked exceptionally high this week because of the possibility of a repeat, but worrying about this long-term for fantasy feels like an overreaction. Don’t panic on Pacheco.

Trending Up

• Bucky Irving registered a season-high 28 touches in Week 13 vs. the Carolina Panthers, accumulating 185 scrimmage yards and 27.5 fantasy points in point-per-reception (PPR) scoring. During the past three weeks, the Oregon product ranks tied for eighth in carries per game (16.7) and also stands second among all running backs in receiving yards per game (48.5). While teammate Rachaad White is still heavily involved in a relatively 50/50 split of the Buccaneers’ backfield snap share, Irving is literally and figuratively running away with being the highest-ranked member of the duo. 
• There was some thought from folks, including myself, that the Cincinnati Bengals would integrate Khalil Herbert into the offense after acquiring the former Chicago Bear via trade in advance of Week 10. After losing Zack Moss to a neck injury, it stood to reason that Chase Brown would share the backfield at least a little bit. But as it turns out, that was dead wrong, as Brown has occupied an 84.8 percent snap share and an 83.9 percent share of the Bengals’ carries in those four weeks. For context, Brown’s carries share ranks highest among running backs in this period, just a tick ahead of ex-teammate Joe Mixon (83.2). Only one other running back (Chuba Hubbard) has a share of more than 75 percent.
• Speaking of runners with monster workshares, let’s briefly highlight Rico Dowdle. He’s undoubtedly faced obstacles this season, as the team’s rushing attack ranks third-worst in offensive rushing DVOA in 2024, but during the past two weeks, Dowdle has seen the fourth-highest number of carries (41) of any running back in the league while playing on at least 63.9 percent of the team’s snaps in that span. Why is this relevant? Because Dowdle had only three other games with participation on more than 50 percent of the offensive snaps. The Cowboys finally seem committed to just letting the former UDFA lose, and it’s paying dividends for fantasy managers (16.1 PPR points per game average), too.

Trending Down

• The Los Angeles Chargers backfield sans J.K. Dobbins is a jumble. Granted, this information is based on a one-week sample, but it’s worth breaking down for the sake of the fantasy playoffs. One of Gus Edwards or rookie Kimani Vidal could emerge in Dobbins’ place while he recovers from a knee sprain, but Week 13 gave us little to go on. Edwards led the backfield with a 52.2 percent snap share and earned only two greater carries (6) than Vidal (4) in the contest against the Atlanta Falcons. Despite the narrow edge to Edwards, neither back tallied greater than 35 scrimmage yards, and even third-stringer Hassan Haskins made his way into action on 15.6 percent of the plays. 
• This feels like a lot of effort to dedicate to such a subject, but the fact is that Haskins fumbled on his only carry in this past Sunday’s game after leading the Chargers in work after Dobbins left Week 12 with injury. We can eliminate the ex-Michigan plodder from the equation in all likelihood, and it’s also worth pointing out that Edwards is averaging just 29.8 rushing yards per game on 8.6 carries per game in 2024. He stinks.
• You’ll have to roll with me on vibes for this one, but I implore managers to stash Vidal. The sixth-rounder from Troy has by far the most juice, and the conventional football mind knows head coach Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman care about being able to pound the rock on the ground. I’m not saying a true fantasy star will emerge from this backfield, but at this stage in the game, Vidal is about as much of a high-upside flyer as we can ask for.

Week 14 Wide Receiver Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• In keeping up with the Chargers, Ladd McConkey left Week 13 in the fourth quarter due to a knee. The Georgia product has been outstanding of late, averaging 7 catches and 107.7 receiving yards per game in the past three weeks,. His status will be worth monitoring during the next week. If healthy, he’s a bonafide starter.
• Calvin Austin III sustained a concussion in Week 13’s divisional bout against the Cincinnati Bengals and did not play in the second half. Though his role is somewhat limited, he’s effectively been the WR2 in the offense and is known to sometimes pop off a long touchdown. Austin III’s relevance in 14- or 16-team leagues is enough to warrant tracking his participation in practice this week.
• A far more impactful fantasy receiver, Noah Brown of the Washington Commanders, was knocked out of the third quarter of Week 13 due to a shot to the ribs. The veteran has been averaging 6.2 targets per game during the past six weeks and primarily operates as the 2B option for TE Zach Ertz in the Commanders’ passing game. Hopefully, the bye week will enable Brown to heal quickly for the fantasy playoffs.

Trending Up

• Honestly, I might be too low on Jerry Jeudy. He is thriving with Jameis Winston under center, and his numbers since Week 8 are incredible. Among all qualified wide receivers, Jeudy ranks 12th in EPA per target (0.63) and 20th in Explosive Reception Rate (occurrence of 16+ yard receptions) at 39.4 percent. From a fantasy perspective, his contributions have amounted to 5.7 receptions, 105.3 receiving yards, and 18.5 PPR points per game (tied for fifth-best with Houston Texans WR Nico Collins). The errant nature of Winston’s decision-making and a tough Week 14 matchup against the Steelers makes me hesitant to rank Jeudy higher than WR17, but perhaps my gut will warm up to the idea of elevating him by the time I update these rankings on Friday evening.
• Calling back to the Minnesota Vikings’ passing success discussed earlier, Jordan Addison stands out as a beneficiary of Sam Darnold’s recent efficiency consistency. In the past three weeks, the second-year receiver has out-targeted teammate Justin Jefferson on a per-game basis (7.7), leading the Vikings in receiving yards per game (92.3). This increased usage should make managers feel confident about starting the ex-USC star in Week 14 against an Atlanta Falcons secondary that’s allowed the eighth-most half-PPR points per game to opposing wide receiving corps (30.2) this season.

Trending Down

• Rome Odunze’s lack of effectiveness is a fascinating topic. Despite occupying a 21.2 percent target share and a team-leading 33.6 percent air yards share in three games under new offensive coordinator Thomas Brown (who is now the head coach), the rookie only converts 43 receiving yards and 8.6 PPR points per game. A positive takeaway is Odunze’s 22.6 first-read target share in this span, but a 52.0 percent catchable target rate from Caleb Williams is awful. 
• I have some thoughts regarding the on-field “film” reasons the two can’t get on the same page, but my role here is more based on data analysis. The ultimate takeaway is that season-long managers will just have to sit Odunze for now. Conversely, dynasty managers should remain optimistic about the rookie’s future and even consider making a buy-low offer. This level of involvement bodes well for the prospect of maintaining a significant role in the future, especially with the aging Keenan Allen only being around on a one-year contract.
• The plan was to close by making note of Darnell Mooney’s recent struggles. However, we’ve done a pretty good job of covering Kirk Cousins’ issues here at The 33rd Team, and that’s most of what’s been going on regarding the wideout’s struggles. Check out this article by my colleague Tyler Brooks for more details on the situation.

Week 14 Tight End Rankings

Quick Takeaways

• Taysom Hill suffered a season-ending torn ACL against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13. That’s a total of 12.8 PPR points per game leaving lineups, and no one on the Saints roster even comes close to having Hill's skill set. Perhaps Juwan Johnson could see an opportunity bump, but there’s no need for immediate action in fantasy leagues.
• Dallas Goedert is considered "week-to-week" with a knee injury suffered on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Teammate Grant Calcaterra did record three games with at least 8.0 PPR points this season when Goedert previously missed time due to a hamstring ailment, but he should only be picked up by managers in 14-team leagues or greater in all likelihood. Shallower league managers could also take a look if they’re desperate, but we already discussed why buying into the Eagles’ passing offense might not be the strongest bet to make.

Trending Down

• Despite seeing solid volume, Cade Otton is disappointing in the box score lately. Through the past three weeks, the second-year pass-catcher has only managed to haul in 55.6 percent of his 18 targets for an average of 28.3 receiving yards and 6.2 PPR points per game. Otton’s catchable target rate in this span also cracks at 80 percent, so the blame can primarily be assigned to him for not converting more. Managers in playoff contention may want to consider sitting Otton until he demonstrates better hands.

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C.H. Herrmann

Fantasy Writer

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C.H. 'Herms' Herrmann is a fantasy writer for The 33rd Team, leveraging his extensive experience from previous roles as a fantasy analyst and NFL writer at Draft Sharks, FantasyPros, ClutchPoints, and SB Nation. A respected voice in the fantasy football community, Herms' insights and accuracy have earned them the distinction of being the No. 1 most accurate DST ranker in FantasyPros’ ECR Draft Rankings in the 2023 season. Herms has worked in media since 2020.