Fantasy Football Flashback: Week 14 offers season’s biggest scoring leader surprise

Welcome to the latest edition of the Fantasy Football Flashback, where we celebrate the accomplishments of the week's most reliable players. Week 14 was a balanced one, with zero players reaching the 35-point plateau but more than 10 at least 25 points. And like most weeks, the Top-10 list contains some surprising names. Let’s take a look:

No. 1: Evan Engram, TE, Jacksonville Jaguars, 33.70 points

Engram is by far the most surprising player to earn the top spot on this weekly list in 2022. After all, the 28-year-old entered Week 14 rostered in just 56 percent of Yahoo leagues after accumulating 386 yards and two scores in his initial 12 games. But he enjoyed a career day in an upset win over the Titans, catching 11 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Engram entered the game with just 73.6 fantasy points through 13 weeks, but his monster effort moved him from TE15 to TE4 on the season, which also speaks the position's lack of depth. I still can’t confidently recommend Engram for Week 15, but he is worth a shot for those who are struggling to find a useful tight end.

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No. 2: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars, 33.42

With two massive fantasy games in the past three weeks, Lawrence has entered the QB1 discussion. The former No. 1 overall pick torched the Titans for 368 passing yards and four scores (one on the ground) on Sunday afternoon, which vaulted him to eighth place among QBs in total points scored this year. Lawrence will have a tough time repeating this success when he faces tough defenses (Cowboys, Jets) in the next two weeks, but he could be a Championship Week savior for his Week 17 matchup with the Texans.

No. 3: Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles, 30.38

After dazzling the opposition with his arm in Week 13 (380 passing yards), Hurts went back to being a dual threat QB on Sunday. The third-year pro threw for 217 yards and two scores against an overwhelmed Giants defense, while also racking up 77 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Hurts leads all players in total points scored this season and could widen his lead when he faces an awful Chicago defense in Week 15.

No. 4: Jerry Jeudy, WR, Denver Broncos, 29.30

Jeudy set a career-high with eight catches on Sunday, and by finding the end zone three times, he doubled his 2022 touchdown total. This performance didn’t totally come out of nowhere, as the Alabama alum has always been regarded as a talented wide receiver. But given the impotent state of the Broncos offense to this point in the season, it was hard to envision any of their players earning a spot on this list. Denver has a manageable schedule (Cardinals, Rams) in the coming weeks, which makes Jeudy a flex option. But I need to see more than one good week from this offense before I count on him.

No. 5: Jerick McKinnon, RB, Kansas City Chiefs, 28.90

Rostered in just 62 percent of leagues, McKinnon was as unlikely as Engram to find his name on this list. And the running back earned his ranking in an unusual way, rushing for just 22 yards but flourishing in the passing game with seven grabs for 112 yards and two touchdowns. McKinnon has emerged as the Chiefs top RB in the passing game, and Patrick Mahomes has that area of the team in fine form right now. Still, I hesitate to rank the 30-year-old as more than a low-end RB2 or flex play for his favorable Week 15 matchup against the Texans.

No. 6: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers, 28.30

I said in this column last week that McCaffrey has shown over the years in Carolina that he is QB-proof, and he proved me right by producing 153 total yards and two touchdowns despite working with Brock Purdy under center. Purdy proved against a solid Bucs defense that he is capable of keeping Kyle Shanahan’s QB-friendly offense moving in the right direction, which makes McCaffrey as desirable as any RB for the upcoming fantasy playoffs.

No. 7: Miles Sanders, RB, Philadelphia Eagles, 28.00

Sanders keyed an Eagles ground attack that ran all over the Giants to the tune of 253 rushing yards in Week 14. The 25-year-old gained 144 yards himself and also found the end zone twice in the lopsided 48-22 win. Sanders is now over the 10-touchdown plateau for the first time in his four-year career, and this was the third time in 2022 that he has amassed more than 150 total yards. He ranks eighth among running backs in total points scored.

No. 8: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings, 27.80

Jefferson set a franchise record for receiving yards in a game (223) on Sunday by making the most of his 11 grabs. The LSU alum now leads the NFL with 1,500 receiving yards and ranks first among wide receivers in total fantasy points scored. Jefferson has found the end zone on just six occasions this season, but he has the talent to boost that total in a hurry during the fantasy playoffs. He should post game-changing totals in home games against the Colts and Giants in the next two weeks.

No. 9: Russell Wilson, QB, Denver Broncos, 26.58

As one of the NFL’s biggest 2022 disappointments, Wilson entered Week 14 as an incredibly unlikely candidate to earn a spot in this article. Still, the 34-year-old needs to be given credit for finally having success as a member of the Broncos, as he threw for 247 yards and three touchdowns while also scampering for 57 yards. The news was not all good for Wilson on Sunday, as he suffered a concussion in the second half, which will leave his Week 15 status up in the air during the coming days.

No. 10: Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions, 26.10

Goff stayed hot on Sunday when he threw for 330 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Vikings. The 28-year-old has thrown for 300 yards in each of his past two games, and he has gone without an interception in each of his past five contests. Goff ranks 12th among QBs in total points scored, which paints an accurate picture of someone who can be streamed for favorable matchups but shouldn’t be an every-week starter. He could struggle on the road against the Jets next week and will be a borderline play when he visits Carolina in Week 16. But those who have bench space could win their league on the strength of Goff’s Week 17 home matchup with the Bears.