Week 14 Rankings

Updated 12/7 at 12:40 PM ET. Dropped Torrey Smith based on this report.

Updated 12/7 at 12:05 PM ET. Removed DeSean Jackson. Moved Rashad Jennings and Julius Thomas down. May remove Julius based on reports in the next hour.

A newly-integral part of the Saints’ offense, Kenny Stills has drawn 15 targets in the two weeks since Brandin Cooks (thumb) was lost for the season. He’s turned them into 13 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown. It’s been easily the best two-game stretch of Stills’ career, as he’s posted his first- and fourth-best yardage totals.

Although he’s known as a deep threat — Stills’ 20.0 yards per catch as a rookie led the NFL — he has a surprisingly polished and varied skill-set. Stills knows when to work back to the ball on short-to-intermediate routes, and doesn’t need a lot of separation to make catches. His ball skills stand out on tape. Even though his 69-yard touchdown in Week 13 came when The Ghost Of Ike Taylor slipped, Stills is comfortable working in tight spaces. He plays bigger than his 6-foot-0, 194-pound frame in 1-on-1 situations. He’s also a smart player, avoiding unnecessary contact, and always aware of his location on the field. Stills can often be spotted extending the ball for extra yards at the end of a catch, as he did on his nine-yard score in Week 11 against the Bengals. Facing Drew Brees, Stills caught a lob at nullthe two-yard line, but spun around seemingly on instinct, jamming the ball into the pylon for a touchdown.

Even with Cooks sidelined, Stills is a WR3 at heart. Realistically, he’s still just a 6-8 target player in the Saints’ spread-the-wealth passing attack. But he has the upside for so much more in strong matchups, and that’s what he has for Week 14 in crumbling Carolina. How bad is the Panthers’ secondary? They just released Antoine Cason, an 11-game starter who played 75-of-75 snaps in Carolina’s second most recent game. The Panthers will be trotting out Josh Norman and Bene Benwikere at cornerback against Brees. Norman is a third-year fifth rounder who’s barely graded out positively in Pro Football Focus’ ratings. Benwikere is a fifth-round rookie who’s played 41 snaps since Week 5. Stills is going to have cushions, and he’s going to exploit them.

You need a few players like Kenny Stills in the fantasy playoffs. He’s probably not someone you’ve owned long, and he’s definitely not someone you envisioned starting over one of your early-round studs. But Stills has upside that can win weeks in matchups like the one he has with the Panthers. Starting Stills for the fantasy quarterfinals isn’t getting cute — it’s being smart.

Week 14 Quarterbacks

QB Notes: We have a potentially dangerous situation in Green Bay this week. The Falcons, who have given up 132 more passing yards than any other team in the league, are tasked with slowing down Aaron Rodgers, a man who boasts a 30:3 TD:INT ratio after carving up the Patriots. Rodgers hasn’t thrown a home pick in over two years (12/2/2012). Thoughts and prayers for Mike Smith. … With 75 percent of the season now in the books, Andrew Luck is still averaging 3.2 more weekly fantasy points than any other quarterback. The Browns and Joe Haden are a tough matchup for Luck, but he’s a much tougher matchup for them. Luck has been held below 300 yards just twice in 12 starts, and is averaging three scores per game if you include his two rushing touchdowns. The Chosen One is The Dominating One. … Peyton Manning has “just” 437 yards passing over his past two starts, but has still posted six total scores. He’ll find a way against the Bills’ tough defense.

Coming off his first five-score effort of the year — in a road game, no less — Drew Brees finds himself in the familiar position of being a top-four fantasy quarterback on the season. Now he gets the collapsing Panthers, who allowed two scores to Teddy Bridgewater in Week 13, and released yet another defensive back on Tuesday (Antoine Cason). Brees is more likely to get Ron Rivera fired on Sunday than he is to slow down. … Tom Brady has thrown for at least two scores in each of his past eight starts. With the Pats spending the week training in SoCal, a cross-country flight isn’t going to be a concern for Sunday’s showdown with the Chargers. … Matthew Stafford at No. 6 is more aggressive than I’d like, but coming off his best start of the season with 10 days to rest up for a home matchup with the Bucs, I can’t rank the man with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate any lower. Making the best of a light quarterback slate since their Week 7 bye, the Bucs are overdue to get ripped through the air.

Russell Wilson has a modest 19 scores on the season, but four of them have come on the ground, helping him to No. 7 overall status amongst fantasy quarterbacks. It’s due in large part to matchups, but Wilson has actually been more effective away from home than in the Seahawks’ intimidating CenturyLink Field. The Eagles cough up scores no matter the quarterback. Wilson has one of Week 14’s highest floors. … Tony Romo was concerningly bad on Thanksgiving, failing to throw a touchdown for the first time in 38 games. Expect the Bears, who have allowed the most fantasy points to enemy quarterbacks this season, to ease the tension. Marc Trestman’s defense is hard-to-believe bad. … Ryan Tannehill failed to impress in a primetime matchup with the Jets’ walkover pass defense, but gets a Week 14 do-over in a Ravens unit allowing the fourth most fantasy points to signal callers. Only the Falcons have surrendered more yards through the air. Tannehill’s ceiling remains frustratingly low, but his floor has proven to be quite high. … Philip Rivers ripped the Ravens on the road in Week 13, but even at home, New England’s Pass D is a horse of a different color. Rivers is always a good bet for two scores, but don’t expect much more.

Sporting a 5.46 YPA over his past two starts, Jay Cutler’s season mark has fallen to 6.93. On the other side of the coin, Cutler is now up to 24 scores, already his most since 2009. He’s just three TDs away from tying his career-best total of 27 from 2009. … Struggling since his back-to-back six-score starts, Ben Roethlisberger now gets a Bengals defense allowing just 6.3 yards per attempt. Cincy is the owner of a stingy 11:12 TD:INT ratio, and is one of only two teams with more picks than touchdowns allowed. Fantasy’s No. 5 quarterback on the season needs volume this week. … As usual, Matt Ryan’s home/road splits are stark. In six games away from the Georgia Dome, he’s the owner of a 6.24 YPA and 81.4 QB rating. That’s compared to 8.68 and 108.0, respectively, at home (including London). Just eight of Ryan’s 21 touchdowns have come on the road. He’ll be hard pressed to match scores with Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau Field. … It’s a good matchup for Cam Newton, but matchups haven’t mattered much for him this season. Newton has been held below 19 fantasy points in four of his past six starts.

Mark Sanchez is averaging 23.3 fantasy points over his four starts. That would rank No. 6 on the season. Translation, he’s been as expected in Chip Kelly’s offense. He’s also committed eight turnovers, however, and has an extremely tough home matchup in the Seahawks. This is the rare week you may want to go back to your pre-Sanchez starter at quarterback. … The matchup is right for Colin Kaepernick, but he’s managed just five total touchdowns over his past six starts. He has one multi-score effort in eight games since September. Stream Kaep at your own peril. … Ryan Fitzpatrick comes off his six-touchdown start into a matchup with a Jaguars pass defense that’s allowed a 20:5 TD:INT ratio against. Chasing last week’s points may not be the worst idea. … Only the Seahawks have allowed fewer fantasy points to quarterbacks than the Dolphins. It’s not a Joe Flacco kind of week in DFS. … Colt McCoy has averaged 346 yards and two touchdowns in his two starts, but has yet to face a test like the Rams. Keep your DFS expectations tempered. … Alex Smith is no longer startable in good matchups, so keep him benched in this bad one. … Brian Hoyer posted a 3:8 TD:INT ratio across five November outings. Sticking with him is the flat-out wrong decision for Cleveland.

Don't forget, for the latest on everything NFL, check out Rotoworld's Player News, or follow @Rotoworld_FB or @RotoPat on Twitter.

Week 14 Running Backs

RB Notes: DeMarco Murray has cleared 100 yards from scrimmage in 11-of-12 games, and 90 in 12-of-12. Expect him to be salty against the Bears after getting held to a season-low 73 yards on the ground on Thanksgiving. … In the eight games Arian Foster has played at something resembling 100 percent health, he’s averaged 137 yards from scrimmage and 5.20 yards per carry. He’s a nightmare matchup for a Jags defense getting posterized for a weekly 155 yards from scrimmage by running backs. … Le'Veon Bell is trying to join Walter Payton as just the second back since 1960 to clear 200 yards from scrimmage in three-straight games. The Bengals’ run defense has stiffened of late, but is still allowing a weekly 155 total yards to running backs. OC Todd Haley is going to funnel his offense through his lead back, as the Bengals are perhaps the toughest team in the league to throw on. … The Bears dialed up all of eight rushes in their Thanksgiving loss to the Lions, the lowest total by any team in four years. They’ll be hitting the ground with Matt Forte far-more often against the Cowboys. Dallas enters Week 14 allowing 4.5 yards per carry, 119.6 yards per game and one rushing score per week.

Eddie Lacy enters Week 14 averaging 4.99 yards per carry since the calendar flipped to October. He has 912 yards from scrimmage over his past eight games, and scored eight touchdowns in the process. A consensus preseason top-five back, Lacy is currently No. 7. He’s going to meet his draft price, after all. … The Broncos aren’t going to keep riding C.J. Anderson to the tune of 30 weekly carries, but he’s erased any doubt as to his depth-chart standing, and given the Broncos’ offense a badly-needed second element. Averaging 2.7 yards after contact and shedding as many tackles as any runner in football, Anderson is a matchup-proof, all-purpose threat for Peyton Manning’s lethal attack. … The Ravens gave Justin Forsett new, broad-ranging powers as the chairman of their committee in Week 10. He’s responded by piling up 400 yards rushing, four touchdowns and 66.5 fantasy points across three games. For the season, Forsett’s YPC stands at 5.6 through 179 rushes. He’s an RB1, one who is going to test a Dolphins defense that’s suddenly looking vulnerable on the ground.

Over the past half season, LeSean McCoy has rushed 172 times for 826 yards (4.80 YPC). 289 of those yards have come in the past two weeks, where McCoy has averaged 6.28 yards per carry. The Seahawks are a forbidding matchup, but Shady has long been back to every week “benefit of the doubt” status. It’s just taken his owners eight games to realize it. … Battling through a bruised knee — and highly questionable usage from his head coach — Jamaal Charles will be a lower-end RB1 against a Cardinals defense allowing just 3.7 yards per carry. … The Eagles have allowed only seven touchdowns on the ground, somewhat limiting Marshawn Lynch’s Week 14 upside. … Khiry Robinson’s return is worth filing away from Mark Ingram’s owners, but with Ingram still running so hard coming into a dream matchup with the Panthers, he can’t be dropped below the ranks of the RB1s. Ingram pasted the Panthers for 30/100/2 in Week 9. … Isaiah Crowell (hip) is one of Week 14’s biggest wildcards. If he can play near full health, he’ll have massive upside against the Colts’ leaky run defense with Terrance West in the doghouse for fumbling. Indy is allowing 4.5 yards per carry, and has coughed up 12 scores on the ground.

If Crowell can’t go, West will be in the RB2 conversation despite his coach’s distaste for his lax ball security. … Jeremy Hill should continue to operate as the hammer of Cincinnati’s committee, but OC Hue Jackson’s Monday scolding is worth keeping in mind. It’s possible Hill’s loose lips may have earned a bigger role for Giovani Bernard. As for Bernard, think of him as a rich man’s Shane Vereen for the time being. A pass-catching back who can’t be relied on for scores on the ground. Unlike Vereen, however, Bernard’s weekly floor is fairly set at 10-12 touches. … Colts coach Chuck Pagano has “no level of concern” with Trent Richardson’s running. That makes … literally one of us. You’ve no doubt seen all the insane stats by now, but the short of them? Dan Herron isn’t going away. Simply better than T-Rich, Herron is a high-floor RB2 with the weekly ceiling for much more. … Averaging just 15 touches over his past three games, it’s the wrong week for Lamar Miller to be facing the Ravens, who allow the fewest fantasy points to enemy runners. He does get a boost from Haloti Ngata’s PED ban.

No team is allowing more fantasy points to rival backs than Oakland, but with Frank Gore averaging just 3.33 yards per carry over his past seven games, he can’t be trusted as more than a low-end RB2. … The matchup is tough for Latavius Murray, but what he showed against the Chiefs in Week 12 is worth rolling the dice on. … With DeAngelo Williams battling a broken finger, Jonathan Stewart could get a Week 14 close up against a Saints defense allowing the fourth most fantasy points to rival running backs. Foolishly stuck in a timeshare with the less-effective D-Will, Stewart is the owner of a 4.3 YPC by virtue of averaging 2.8 yards after contact. His “elusive rating” of 102.2 would lead Pro Football Focus’ metric if he had enough touches to qualify. Deserving of a bigger role, J-Stew will be well worth a FLEX play if Williams sits in New Orleans. … Bishop Sankey has the matchup of a lifetime in the Giants’ collapsing run defense, but has provided exactly zero reasons to believe in him. Sankey has rushed for more than 60 yards only twice all season, and has two total scores. He’s not worth forcing into lineups.

Week 14 Receivers

WR Notes: Peyton Manning is famous for spreading the ball around, but has made absolutely certain that Demaryius Thomas gets his looks this season. Thomas is averaging a whopping 12.2 targets since the Broncos’ Week 4 bye, and turned them into an epic 75/1,114/9 across nine games. … By the time Calvin Johnson takes on the Bucs Sunday, he’ll have played just one football game in 13 days. Well rested and coming off a dominating 11/146/2 effort against the Bears, Megatron is going to be winning weeks during the fantasy playoffs. … Both Jordy Nelson’s 70 catches and 10 touchdowns are already the second most of his career. With 75 percent of the season in the books, he’s on pace for 93/1,492/13. … Forget 5/50. Antonio Brown hasn’t been held below 8/70 in six straight games, and has scored six touchdowns in the process. He’s on pace for a monumental 128/1,677/15. His showdown with the Bengals’ elite pass defense will be appointment viewing for Week 14.

The Steelers don’t have a single corner ranked above No. 54 in Pro Football Focus’ ratings. Life should be good for A.J. Green this weekend. … Antonio Brown Jr., Emmanuel Sanders has been held below 5/50 only twice this season, and cleared 70 yards in 9-of-12 games. … That’s why Julio Jones can never be counted out. Now the owner of Patrick Peterson’s soul, Jones is averaging 11.8 targets over his past four games. DC Dom Capers is sporting perhaps the best unit of his Packers career this season, but still allowing the 13th most fantasy points to opposing receivers. … What to make of Jones’ teammate Roddy White? He’s expected back for Week 14, but his missed practice on Thursday is not a good sign. Take White’s word for it. … Randall Cobb is coming off three-straight games without a touchdown, but managed 21 catches for 272 yards in the process. The end zone will be a distinct possibility against Atlanta.

Odell Beckham is to the point where seven catches for 90 scoreless yards almost feels like an off week. That will be his floor against the Titans, one of the only teams as hapless as the Giants. … No. 11 receiver Josh Gordon will be due to rise a few spots if Colts RCB Vontae Davis (concussion) can’t go for Week 14. Although we’d prefer Johnny Manziel to Brian Hoyer under center for the Browns, it’s hard to complain about the 29 times Hoyer has looked Gordon’s way the past two weeks. If only he could find him more often. … T.Y. Hilton’s outdoor stats could be a small-sample size misnomer, but they’re compelling enough to drop him out of the top 12 as he does battle with shutdown CB Joe Haden. … Kelvin Benjamin has been a best-of-times, worst-of-times WR1 this season, with perhaps his lowest moment coming in Week 9 against the Saints. Benjamin caught just 2-of-10 targets for 18 yards, dropping a touchdown in the end zone. Not a good memory, but owners have to shake it off and trust him against a defense allowing the fourth most fantasy points to enemy wideouts.

DeAndre Hopkins’ 238 yards against the Titans were the most by any pass catcher in a single game this season. Now he gets the Jaguars, a team allowing the 11th most fantasy points to receivers, and surrendering 254 passing yards per game. The only thing holding Hopkins back is his rather modest weekly target total of 7.5. … The Seahawks and the Legion of Boom are a daunting matchup for No. 4 overall receiver Jeremy Maclin, but what are you going to do? Bench him? Smaller receivers of Maclin’s ilk have had the most success against Richard Sherman and company, while Maclin gets a boost from the game being in Philadelphia. Maclin’s typical WR1 numbers are highly unlikely, but owners shouldn’t be surprised by another productive day. … Brandon LaFell and Mike Wallace have had near identical 2014s, but LaFell’s better quarterback and advantage in the yardage department give him the edge for Week 14. … Keenan Allen has finally come on of late, checking in as fantasy’s No. 14 receiver over the past five weeks. He’s averaging 11.5 targets over his past six games. Owners must hope that’s enough to overcome Darrelle Revis and company on Sunday.

Golden Tate has drawn at least 10 targets in 3-of-4 games since Calvin Johnson’s return. His ceiling isn’t quite what it was during Megatron’s absence, but the floor won’t be falling out any time soon. … Jarvis Landry has drawn 37 targets over his past four games, turning them into 27/217/3. That’s not the most robust of ceilings, but it provides quite a nice floor against the Ravens’ leaky secondary. … Slowed by a hip injury and limited to 13 catches for 105 scoreless yards over his past four games, Sammy Watkins is impossible to trust as anything more than a WR3 against the Broncos. Denver is allowing just the 22nd most fantasy points to opposing wideouts. … Kendall Wright has quietly cleared 50 yards in five of his past six games, and appears to be developing some nice chemistry with Zach Mettenberger. He’ll be a low-risk, high-floor WR3 against the dysfunctional Giants. … The honorable Rich Hribar laid out Stedman Bailey’s WR3 case perfectly in this tweet: “Stedman Bailey has 27 percent of the Rams’ targets the past two weeks with a top 10 and top 30 week. (The Redskins have) allowed eight TDs of 25-plus yards over past four games.” … Pierre Garcon will be on the WR3 map if DeSean Jackson (leg) sits.

Week 14 Tight Ends

TE Notes: Rob Gronkowski has failed to score in back-to-back games, but is still fantasy’s No. 1 tight end on the season, and No. 3 over the past five weeks. He’s on pace for 87/1,213/12. All three totals would be the second highest of his career. Gronk hasn’t gone three straight weeks without a touchdown since October 2011. He’s going to score against the Chargers. … Theories abound for Jimmy Graham’s zero-target Week 13, but The Score’s Alen Dumonjić has a pretty convincing answer: They beat the hell out of him, sending waves of defenders and taking advantage of Graham’s aversion to fisticuffs. Graham himself said as much on Monday. Despite the mastery of Pittsburgh’s game plan, it’s not one the Panthers will be able to duplicate in Week 14. Graham will adjust, and you better believe Drew Brees and Sean Payton are itching to re-involve their all-world tight end. Graham stung the Panthers for 7/83/1 on a short week in Week 9. They may be lucky to get off that easy this time around.

Julius Thomas (ankle) believes he’s close to a return. Obviously great news, but will some of the shine be gone? For as dominant as his numbers have been, Thomas is averaging just 5.2 weekly targets, and the Broncos have begun to lean on C.J. Anderson in his absence. Those are the reasons to be cautious. A reason to be excited? Thomas still leads the league with 12 touchdown receptions. He’s probably not someone worth over-thinking. … Fantasy’s No. 1 tight end over the past three weeks? Coby Fleener, with a whopping 41.9 points. That’s even with a two-catch clunker mixed in two Sundays ago, and one of the worst drops you’ll ever see in Week 13. The problem? Dwayne Allen (ankle) is ready to return this weekend. Both players will be in the TE1 mix against the Browns’ hot-and-cold defense, but Allen’s TD prowess gives him the higher floor. Fleener has the higher ceiling. … Antonio Gates is fantasy’s No. 4 tight end on the season, but just something to keep in mind against the Patriots: Bill Belichick always tries to take away his opponent’s No. 1 weapon. It’s quite possible that’s what he’ll deem Gates.

Only the Dolphins have allowed fewer fantasy points to rival tight ends to the Saints. Rob Ryan and company held Olsen to 30 scoreless yards in Week 9. … Delanie Walker is coming off a brutal one-catch Week 13, but with Justin Hunter (spleen) lost for the season, he should be heavily targeted against a Giants team coughing up the ninth most fantasy points to tight ends. … Jason Witten saw his string of four-catch performances snapped at four on Thanksgiving, but no team has allowed more fantasy points to tight ends than the Bears. Witten is a definite top-eight option for Week 13. … Jordan Reed has caught 16 passes for 163 yards on 18 targets in Colt McCoy’s two starts. His matchup is tough in the Rams and Alec Ogletree, but Reed should be a surefire TE1 for as long as he can stay healthy. … Kyle Rudolph has a dream matchup in a Jets team allowing the second most fantasy points to tight ends, but has drawn only total nine targets since his Week 12 return. He’s a low-floor option. … With Josh Gordon stealing defenders away from the middle of the field, Jordan Cameron (concussion) will be a high-ceiling option if he can finally return for Week 14.

Week 14 Kickers

Week 14 Defense/Special Teams