Fantasy Football Week 14 Rankings: Expert Tiers for QBs, RBs, WRs, TEs, Kickers & Defenses

My initial fantasy football rankings for NFL Week 14 are out, but as always, things will change between now and when things lock on Sunday.

These projections will change throughout the week as I dive deeper into injury reports, data, and other news from last week. With that said, make sure to check my updated Week 14 rankings and projections before you lock in your final lineup decisions.

I’ve organized my initial Week 14 fantasy football rankings into tiers to assist you with your start-sit choices. This tiered structure allows you to easily see the expected performance gaps between players at each position. Additionally, I’ve provided important notes on crucial players at the end of each positional section to further aid your decision-making process.

Let’s dive into the initial version of my Week 14 fantasy football tiers below!

Week 14 Fantasy Football Rankings, Expert Tiers

Editor’s note: Our weekly fantasy football rankings, tiers, and expert projections are part of our 2024 fantasy football kit. Click here to get access!

Quarterback Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Jalen Hurts (vs. CAR)

Josh Allen (@ LAR)

Tier 2

Joe Burrow (@ DAL)

Tier 3

Sam Darnold (vs. ATL)

Kyler Murray (vs. SEA)

Baker Mayfield (vs. LV)

Tier 4

Brock Purdy (vs. CHI)

Patrick Mahomes (vs. LAC)

Tua Tagovailoa (vs. NYJ)

Geno Smith (@ ARI)

Tier 5

Jordan Love (@ DET)

Russell Wilson (vs. CLE)

Caleb Williams (@ SF)

Jared Goff (vs. GB)

Justin Herbert (@ KC)

Tier 6

Matthew Stafford (vs. BUF)

Will Levis (vs. JAX)

Tier 7

Jameis Winston (@ PIT)

Tier 8

Derek Carr (@ NYG)

Cooper Rush (vs. CIN)

Kirk Cousins (@ MIN)

Aaron Rodgers (@ MIA)

Aidan O’Connell (@ TB)

Tier 9

Mac Jones (@ TEN)

Drew Lock (vs. NO)

Tier 10

Bryce Young (@ PHI)

Sam Darnold has proven me right after I speculated on our League Winners episode of the Fantasy Flex pod that he could have a late-career breakout, similar to Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield in recent years. Darnold, a former top-3 pick, has always had the talent but is now thriving in a strong offensive system surrounded by high-end weapons. With some sneaky rushing upside, he’s emerged as a consistent every-week QB1 option.

Caleb Williams is catching fire, averaging just under 300 passing yards and five total TDs over his last two games—both against top-tier pass defenses in the Vikings and Lions. He’s also leaning into his rushing upside, clearing 30+ yards on the ground in three straight games. He’s trending upward in a big way.

Russell Wilson exploded for over 400 yards and three TDs against the Bengals last week, with eight different pass-catchers recording a 20+ yard reception. While that performance came against a weak defense, the Browns’ defense has also been susceptible to explosive plays this season. Wilson opens the week as a top-12 option.

Jordan Love is tough to project this week. While a potential shootout against the Lions might lead to volume, his struggles against man coverage—used at the highest rate by Detroit—are concerning. The Lions rank 1st in pass defense DVOA, and Love is 38th in QB rating and 39th in success rate against man coverage out of 41 qualified QBs. He’s more of a low-end QB1 option this week.

Jared Goff lacks rushing upside and often doesn’t need to air it out, thanks to Detroit’s dominant rushing attack. His value depends on passing TDs, which he’s typically good for in this high-scoring offense. Still, his floor is lower than most top-15 QBs if he doesn’t hit pay dirt through the air.

Jameis Winston continues to entertain as the league’s most unpredictable QB. Coming off a 400-yard game with two pick-sixes on Monday Night Football, he joked, “I’m just praying to the Lord to deliver me from pick-sixes.” Same, Jameis. Same. His high-risk, high-reward style always keeps things interesting—and occasionally disastrous—but you just can’t look away. He faces the Steelers this week in what will undoubtedly be must-watch chaos.

Kirk Cousins is coming off a brutal Week 13, throwing three interceptions in a 17-13 loss to the Chargers. He’ll have a chance to redeem himself in a #RevengeGame as he returns to Minnesota to face one of the league’s toughest defenses.

Bryce Young is beginning to heat up, showing flashes of the franchise QB the Panthers envisioned when drafting him 1st overall last year. However, he faces a stiff test this week against one of the league’s best secondaries in the Eagles. If he can perform well, it’ll be another step in proving he’s the long-term answer for Carolina.

Running Back Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Saquon Barkley (vs. CAR)

Alvin Kamara (@ NYG)

Tier 2

Chase Brown (@ DAL)

Tier 3

De’Von Achane (vs. NYJ)

Bijan Robinson (@ MIN)

Tier 4

Tony Pollard (vs. JAX)

Josh Jacobs (@ DET)

Rico Dowdle (vs. CIN)

Bucky Irving (vs. LV)

James Conner (vs. SEA)

Zach Charbonnet (@ ARI)

Jahmyr Gibbs (vs. GB)

Tier 5

Aaron Jones (vs. ATL)

Isaac Guerendo (vs. CHI)

James Cook (@ LAR)

David Montgomery (vs. GB)

D’Andre Swift (@ SF)

Kyren Williams (vs. BUF)

Najee Harris (vs. CLE)

Tier 6

Braelon Allen (@ MIA)

Chuba Hubbard (@ PHI)

Tyrone Tracy Jr. (vs. NO)

Tier 7

Rachaad White (vs. LV)

Isiah Pacheco (vs. LAC)

Tier 8

Travis Etienne (@ TEN)

Jaylen Warren (vs. CLE)

Tier 9

Tank Bigsby (@ TEN)

Kareem Hunt (vs. LAC)

Nick Chubb (@ PIT)

Gus Edwards (@ KC)

Tier 10

Jerome Ford (@ PIT)

Alexander Mattison (@ TB)

Ameer Abdullah (@ TB)

Devin Singletary (vs. NO)

Isaiah Davis (@ MIA)

Cam Akers (vs. ATL)

Tier 11

Raheem Mostert (vs. NYJ)

Sincere McCormick (@ TB)

Tyjae Spears (vs. JAX)

Kendre Miller (@ NYG)

Jonathon Brooks (@ PHI)

Ray Davis (@ LAR)

Kenneth Gainwell (vs. CAR)

Tyler Allgeier (@ MIN)

Kimani Vidal (@ KC)

Cordarrelle Patterson (vs. CLE)

Blake Corum (vs. BUF)

Chris Brooks (@ DET)

Trey Benson (vs. SEA)

Ty Johnson (@ LAR)

Isaac Guerendo is a must-add in every league and warranted a max FAAB bid this week. We haven’t seen many starting RBs go down this year, let alone their backup also being widely available. That changed with Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason both suffering long-term injuries that landed them on IR. Guerendo, a fourth-round rookie and athletic freak, is a perfect fit for Shanahan’s scheme and should thrive as the lead back. Shanahan historically doesn’t rotate RBs much, so Guerendo has legitimate RB1 upside for the rest of the season. The 49ers also picked up Israel Abanikanda, who may now be Guerendo’s primary handcuff instead of Patrick Taylor. Abanikanda is an underrated second-year back and a sneaky bench stash for leagues with deeper rosters, as he could become a league winner if Guerendo goes down.

Blake Corum saw a significant uptick in usage in Week 13, logging 8 carries for 42 yards and looking fantastic. It’s unclear if this shift was due to Kyren Williams’ recent fumbling issues or if McVay simply wanted to reward Corum’s play. Either way, trying to predict McVay’s rotations is a fool’s errand. For now, I expect usage to return closer to season averages, keeping Williams as the lead back and Corum as a high-upside stash. Corum remains a league-winning handcuff, capable of stepping into an RB1 role if Williams misses time, but he’s unlikely to carve out standalone value without an injury.

Aaron Jones was benched after fumbling twice early in Week 13. Cam Akers handled most of the workload until Jones was reinserted late, scoring the game-winning TD. While Jones redeemed himself, his usage going forward is murky. There’s a legitimate concern he could see reduced snaps—or even get benched again—if his ball security issues persist, as he’s now fumbled in three straight games.

Chuba Hubbard has also dealt with recent fumbling issues, coughing it up in two of the last three games. This comes at a time when Jonathan Brooks is starting to get healthy and flash his upside with a big catch-and-run last week. Brooks remains my favorite RB prospect from this year’s draft, as his film popped, and he reminds me of prime Todd Gurley. While Hubbard’s extension secures his role, this backfield could turn into a Dollar Store version of David Montgomery/Jahmyr Gibbs or the 2021 Ezekiel Elliott/Tony Pollard Cowboys backfield next year.

Isiah Pacheco returned to action and looked solid, breaking off a long run. He was eased back into the lineup but should see his workload ramp up over the next few weeks. By the time the fantasy playoffs roll around, he should be back in the RB2 mix.

Jerome Ford saw extended work this week at the expense of Nick Chubb, who hasn’t been as efficient this season—unsurprising given his devastating knee injury last year. Chubb wasn’t expected to be 100% this year, and there’s concern he may never fully regain his pre-injury form. With Jameis Winston under center, the Browns could also trend more pass-heavy, which would further limit Chubb’s rest-of-season value.

Wide Receiver Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Ja’Marr Chase (@ DAL)

Tier 2

Justin Jefferson (vs. ATL)

Puka Nacua (vs. BUF)

Amon-Ra St. Brown (vs. GB)

A.J. Brown (vs. CAR)

Mike Evans (vs. LV)

Tee Higgins (@ DAL)

Drake London (@ MIN)

Cooper Kupp (vs. BUF)

CeeDee Lamb (vs. CIN)

Malik Nabers (vs. NO)

Tier 3

George Pickens (vs. CLE)

Tier 4

Jakobi Meyers (@ TB)

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (@ ARI)

Davante Adams (@ MIA)

D.K. Metcalf (@ ARI)

Ladd McConkey (@ KC)

Jerry Jeudy (@ PIT)

Tyreek Hill (vs. NYJ)

Garrett Wilson (@ MIA)

Brian Thomas Jr. (@ TEN)

D.J. Moore (@ SF)

Calvin Ridley (vs. JAX)

Jayden Reed (@ DET)

Jauan Jennings (vs. CHI)

Khalil Shakir (@ LAR)

Deebo Samuel (vs. CHI)

Marvin Harrison Jr. (vs. SEA)

Tier 5

Keenan Allen (@ SF)

Jameson Williams (vs. GB)

Christian Watson (@ DET)

Darnell Mooney (@ MIN)

Jordan Addison (vs. ATL)

Elijah Moore (@ PIT)

Jaylen Waddle (vs. NYJ)

DeAndre Hopkins (vs. LAC)

DeVonta Smith (vs. CAR)

Tier 6

Xavier Legette (@ PHI)

Dontayvion Wicks (@ DET)

Rome Odunze (@ SF)

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (vs. JAX)

Tier 7

Amari Cooper (@ LAR)

Adam Thielen (@ PHI)

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (@ NYG)

Michael Wilson (vs. SEA)

Quentin Johnston (@ KC)

Wan’Dale Robinson (vs. NO)

Tre Tucker (@ TB)

Xavier Worthy (vs. LAC)

David Moore (@ PHI)

Ray-Ray McCloud (@ MIN)

Tier 8

Sterling Shepard (vs. LV)

Tyler Lockett (@ ARI)

Demarcus Robinson (vs. BUF)

Parker Washington (@ TEN)

Josh Palmer (@ KC)

Jalen McMillan (vs. LV)

Jalen Tolbert (vs. CIN)

Tyler Boyd (vs. JAX)

Brandin Cooks (vs. CIN)

Ricky Pearsall (vs. CHI)

Tier 9

Tim Patrick (vs. GB)

Calvin Austin (vs. CLE)

Kevin Austin (@ NYG)

Van Jefferson (vs. CLE)

Darius Slayton (vs. NO)

Andrei Iosivas (@ DAL)

Michael Woods (@ PIT)

JuJu Smith-Schuster (vs. LAC)

Jalen Nailor (vs. ATL)

Deebo Samuel has seen his production nosedive over the past three weeks. It’s fair to question if he’s still dealing with lingering effects from the pneumonia that landed him in the hospital. With Christian McCaffrey now on IR, there’s hope that Samuel’s usage could spike, particularly in designed run plays. Given the heavy BYE week with six teams out, he’s a WR2/3 option, but another dud performance this week would raise major red flags heading into the fantasy playoffs.

Brian Thomas Jr. put up a solid 4/76/1 receiving line while adding an 11-yard rush. However, it could have been a monster day as he was overthrown on a wide-open 70-yard TD and narrowly missed another 20+-yard TD. Thomas also had an uncharacteristic drop on a play that would’ve gone for big yardage. Despite the near misses, the rookie continues to impress and should deliver 1-2 massive games before the season ends.

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has become a touchdown machine since the Titans’ Week 5 BYE. While it’s unlikely he can maintain this pace, he’s cemented himself as the clear #2 WR in the offense and warrants WR3 consideration this week.

Christian Watson thrives against man coverage, ranking 17th in yards per route run among 109 qualified WRs, which is notable as the Lions use man coverage more than any other team in the league. If Romeo Doubs is held out again, Watson’s boom-or-bust potential leans more toward “boom,” especially on TNF. He’s an excellent option if you’re a big underdog, as his ceiling game could swing your matchup. Think of him as the fantasy equivalent of going for a 2-point conversion early—it could guide your strategy for the rest of the week based on the outcome.

Amari Cooper faces a tough road to consistency in Buffalo’s offense, particularly if Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid return this week. While he has the potential for 1-2 big games down the stretch, predicting when those will happen is a challenge. He’s a desperation high-upside WR4/Flex option in this heavy BYE week.

Ricky Pearsall has now gone three straight games without a catch, but his underlying usage remains encouraging. Last week’s zero can likely be attributed to brutal weather conditions. He’s not a trustworthy option this week, but he could emerge as a sneaky WR4/Flex play in deeper leagues or in DFS/player props this week.

Tight End Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Brock Bowers (@ TB)

Tier 2

Trey McBride (vs. SEA)

Tier 3

Travis Kelce (vs. LAC)

George Kittle (vs. CHI)

Tier 4

David Njoku (@ PIT)

Jonnu Smith (vs. NYJ)

Cade Otton (vs. LV)

Evan Engram (@ TEN)

Tier 5

Sam LaPorta (vs. GB)

T.J. Hockenson (vs. ATL)

Tier 6

Tucker Kraft (@ DET)

Juwan Johnson (@ NYG)

Kyle Pitts (@ MIN)

Will Dissly (@ KC)

Jake Ferguson (vs. CIN)

Dalton Kincaid (@ LAR)

Cole Kmet (@ SF)

Tier 7

Pat Freiermuth (vs. CLE)

Mike Gesicki (@ DAL)

Noah Fant (@ ARI)

Grant Calcaterra (vs. CAR)

Noah Gray (vs. LAC)

Foster Moreau (@ NYG)

Tyler Conklin (@ MIA)

Chigoziem Okonkwo (vs. JAX)

Tier 8

Ja’Tavion Sanders (@ PHI)

Josh Oliver (vs. ATL)

Dawson Knox (@ LAR)

Darnell Washington (vs. CLE)

Tommy Tremble (@ PHI)

Tanner Hudson (@ DAL)

Tier 9

Jordan Akins (@ PIT)

Michael Mayer (@ TB)

Colby Parkinson (vs. BUF)

AJ Barner (@ ARI)

T.J. Hockenson saw his usage drop to a 69% routes run rate last week, and no, it wasn’t “nice.” Despite backup Josh Oliver being out, the Vikings seem content to limit Hockenson to certain packages—mostly in pass-heavy situations—as they ease him back from his 2023 ACL tear and keep him fresh for a potential playoff run. With Oliver returning this week, Hockenson’s snap count could take another hit. While he can absolutely deliver top 10 numbers with this workload, we need to see him consistently above 80% to confidently slot him back into that weekly top 5 conversation.

Will Dissly delivered a goose egg last week, much to the disappointment of his fan club (founded by yours truly). The groin injury that landed him on the injury report may have played a role in his dud performance. Dropping or benching a TE after one bad week this season would leave us with no one (for non-Brock Bowers owners), so I’m not overly concerned. Dissly has a bounce-back opportunity this week against the Chiefs, especially if Ladd McConkey is limited or sits out.

Juwan Johnson looks like the biggest winner in the wake of Taysom Hill’s season-ending injury. Johnson ran a route on 79% of Derek Carr’s dropbacks last week and could see even more usage with the Saints’ WR room running thin. A former WR, Johnson essentially acts as the Saints’ top TE and one of their top three receiving options. He’s on the fringe of TE1 territory this week with a favorable matchup against the Giants.

Grant Calcaterra steps in as a near one-for-one replacement for Dallas Goedert this week and faces the Panthers, who are one of the most TE-friendly defenses in fantasy. Calcaterra is a sneaky streaming option, especially for Goedert managers looking for a plug-and-play replacement.

Kicker Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Chase McLaughlin (vs. LV)

Will Reichard (vs. ATL)

Cade York (@ DAL)

Chris Boswell (vs. CLE)

Brandon Aubrey (vs. CIN)

Jake Elliott (vs. CAR)

Tier 2

Tyler Bass (@ LAR)

Jake Bates (vs. GB)

Brandon McManus (@ DET)

Younghoe Koo (@ MIN)

Daniel Carlson (@ TB)

Jason Sanders (vs. NYJ)

Matthew Wright (vs. LAC)

Blake Grupe (@ NYG)

Jake Moody (vs. CHI)

Tier 3

Cairo Santos (@ SF)

Jason Myers (@ ARI)

Chad Ryland (vs. SEA)

Joshua Karty (vs. BUF)

Nick Folk (vs. JAX)

Anders Carlson (@ MIA)

Graham Gano (vs. NO)

Cameron Dicker (@ KC)

Dustin Hopkins (@ PIT)

Eddy Pineiro (@ PHI)

Tier 4

Cam Little (@ TEN)

Defensive Tiers

Last updated 6:00 PM ET Saturday, Dec. 7

Tier 1

Philadelphia Eagles (vs. CAR)

Tier 2

Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. CLE)

New Orleans Saints (@ NYG)

Minnesota Vikings (vs. ATL)

Tennessee Titans (vs. JAX)

Tier 3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. LV)

San Francisco 49ers (vs. CHI)

Miami Dolphins (vs. NYJ)

Cincinnati Bengals (@ DAL)

Jacksonville Jaguars (@ TEN)

Tier 4

Kansas City Chiefs (vs. LAC)

Detroit Lions (vs. GB)

Buffalo Bills (@ LAR)

Arizona Cardinals (vs. SEA)

Los Angeles Chargers (@ KC)

New York Giants (vs. NO)

Seattle Seahawks (@ ARI)

Tier 5

New York Jets (@ MIA)

Cleveland Browns (@ PIT)

Chicago Bears (@ SF)

Las Vegas Raiders (@ TB)

Dallas Cowboys (vs. CIN)

Los Angeles Rams (vs. BUF)

Atlanta Falcons (@ MIN)

Green Bay Packers (@ DET)

Tier 6

Carolina Panthers (@ PHI)