Hopefully you have a bye in the first round of your fantasy football playoffs because this doesn't figure to be a high-scoring week for several regular starting quarterbacks. Normally, QB is the easiest position to fill when setting your lineup, but even just a quick glance at our Week 14 fantasy QB rankings lets you know this isn't a great week for studs or sleepers.
The reason is simple: Matchups. Several studs, including Patrick Mahomes (@ Dolphins), Deshaun Watson (@ Bears), and Josh Allen (vs. Steelers), have tough matchups on paper, while most of the favorable matchups that normally cause sleeper QBs to rise into the top 12 are ticketed for guys like Mitchell Trubisky (vs. Texans), Brandon Allen (vs. Cowboys), Sam Darnold (@ Seahawks), Mike Glennon (vs. Titans), and Daniel Jones (vs. Cardinals) -- in other words, QBs you don't want to trust in must-win situations.
WEEK 14 STANDARD RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
Of course, you're still going to start Mahomes, Watson and Allen, but what about borderline guys Taysom Hill/Drew Brees (@ Eagles), Kirk Cousins (@ Buccaneers), Jared Goff (vs. Patriots), Matthew Stafford (vs. Packers), Derek Carr (vs. Colts), or Jalen Hurts (vs. Saints)? Outside of whoever starts for the Saints, none of those options look too appealing this week.
WEEK 14 PPR RANKINGS:
Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker
There are a few legitimate risers this week, including Ryan Tannehill (@ Jaguars), Matt Ryan (@ Chargers), and Philip Rivers (@ Raiders). All are borderline starters most games, and they should do well in favorable matchups this week. Trubisky is probably the best bet of the risky QBs mentioned above, but, again -- do you really trust Trubisky with your season on the line?
WEEK 14 DFS TOURNAMENT LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Ultimately, there are enough reliable quarterbacks that you shouldn't have to start a boom-or-bust player. Mahomes, Watson, and Allen have shown that they can put up big stats against anyone, so even though you'd prefer a softer opponent if you own any of them, you shouldn't be worried about starting them. There are a few mid-tier guys worth a shot, but this isn't the type of week where you want to take too many chances.
WEEK 14 DFS CASH LINEUPS: DraftKings | FanDuel
Note: Check back throughout the week, as we'll continue to update our QB rankings up until kickoff based on the latest news and injury updates.
MORE WEEK 14 DFS: Best stacks | Best values | Lineup Builder
Week 14 Fantasy QB Rankings
These rankings are for four-point passing TD leagues.
WEEK 14 FANTASY: Sleepers | Busts | Start 'em, sit 'em
| Rank | Player |
| 1 | Aaron Rodgers, GB @ DET |
| 2 | Justin Herbert, LAC vs. ATL |
| 3 | Russell Wilson, SEA vs. NYJ |
| 4 | Lamar Jackson, BAL @ CLE |
| 5 | Tom Brady, TB vs. MIN |
| 6 | Deshaun Watson, HOU @ CHI |
| 7 | Kyler Murray, ARI @ NYG |
| 8 | Patrick Mahomes, KC @ MIA |
| 9 | Ryan Tannehill, TEN @ JAX. Tannehill took advantage of garbage time to post a season-high 389 yards last week, and with three TDs, he's now posted multiple scores in all but two games this year. Jacksonville entered Week 13 allowing the third-most fantasy points per game (FPPG) to QBs and then gave up 305 yards and three TDs to Kirk Cousins, so Tannehill has major upside here. You can make a case for him to be ranked higher, but it's tough to trust him over the QBs listed above and there's always the chance Derrick Henry does most of the heavy lifting for the Titans. |
| 10 | Ben Roethlisberger, PIT @ BUF. In four of the five games leading up to Week 13, Roethlisberger attempted at least 42 passes and has multiple touchdowns. Given his stable of talented pass-catchers, Big Ben always has a solid floor, and a favorable matchup against a Bills defense allowing the sixth-most FPPG to QBs gives him the potential for a high ceiling this week, too. |
| 11 | Josh Allen, BUF vs. PIT. It doesn't get much tougher for quarterbacks than facing Pittsburgh, who allowed one or fewer QB touchdowns in Weeks 9-12. Allen has accounted for multiple touchdowns in all but two games and averaged 35 rushing yards per game in Weeks 6-12, so his floor is high against anyone. |
| 12 | Matt Ryan, ATL @ LAC. Ryan has been inconsistent this year, but when Julio Jones has been in the lineup, he's played at a borderline-QB1 level. The Chargers entered Week 13 allowing the eighth-most FPPG to quarterbacks and proceeded to give up three touchdowns to Cam Newton last Sunday. While Newton did most of his damage on the ground, it still shows that L.A. has a vulnerable defense that Ryan should be able to exploit with Jones and Calvin Ridley. |
| 13 | Taysom Hill, NO @ PHI. Hill continues to post solid numbers as the Saints starter, rushing for at least 44 rushing yards and two total TDs in each of his three starts. It's worth noting that two of those outings have come against Atlanta's 31st-ranked pass defense, and in the other start against Denver, Hill struggled as a passer (nine-for-16, 78 yards, INT). Philadelphia has been tough against QBs most of the year (eighth-fewest FPPG allowed entering Week 13), but Hill's rushing ability makes him a potential fantasy starter regardless of opponent. The added wrinkle this week is that Drew Brees (ribs) is eligible to come off the IR, and if he does, Hill will go back to being a gadget with limited fantasy value. We expect New Orleans to give Brees one more week of rest, but this situation bears watching. |
| 14 | Philip Rivers, IND @ LV. Rivers has thrown for at least 285 yards in four straight games, and over his past seven contests, he's averaged 290.9 yards and two TDs per game. He's taken advantage of a lot of favorable matchups in that span, but this week's tilt in Vegas is another one he can exploit. The Raiders have allowed multiple QB touchdowns in four of their past five games, including a three-TD outing last week to Sam Darnold. Now in sync with T.Y. Hilton, Rivers has a lot of upside in matchups like this. |
| 15 | Kirk Cousins, MIN @ TB. After starting the year as one of the best pass defenses in the NFL, things have gone south in a hurry for Tampa. The Bucs have allowed multiple passing TDs in each of the past six games, and in their past two contests, they've given up 838 passing yards and six TDs. To be fair, they were facing Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes, but clearly this isn't a passing defense that should be feared. Facing the top run defense in the NFL might force Minnesota to pass more, which will happen Cousins hit the high floor he's shown over the past five games (287.6 yards, 2.8 TDs). |
| 16 | Teddy Bridgewater, CAR vs. DEN. Denver's pass defense has been all over the place this year, but it's had trouble containing mobile quarterbacks. Bridgewater has quietly had a nice season with his legs, averaging 19 rushing yards per game and totaling three TDs on the ground. No, he's not going to pay off as a fantasy starter because of his rushing ability, but it's a nice bonus that raises his already solid floor. D.J. Moore (COVID) is expected to miss this game, but Bridgewater will still have Robby Anderson, Curtis Samuel, and likely Christian McCaffrey to throw to, making him a solid, if unspectacular, paly. |
| 17 | Matthew Stafford, DET vs. GB. Stafford had his best game of the season against a stout Bears pass defense, so it's entirely possible he produces against a similar Packers defense. In fact, Stafford only seems to produce in statistically difficult matchups, having his best games against the Bears, Washington, Colts, and Saints while putting up pedestrian numbers against the Vikings, Falcons, and Jaguars, among others. When these teams met in Week 2, Stafford had 244 yards and two scores, so a decent floor is reachable, but given his inconsistencies, Stafford is a risk this week. |
| 18 | Mitchell Trubisky, CHI vs. HOU. Trubisky has averaged 254.5 yards and two TDs in his past two starts, and Houston, who's allowed at least 283 passing yards in seven of its past eight games, is the type of favorable matchup he can exploit for decent numbers. |
| 19 | Andy Dalton, DAL @ CIN |
| 20 | Jared Goff, LAR vs. NE. Goff is similar to Stafford in that he can have a big game against anyone and flop against anyone. He's coming off one of his big games, so it almost seems as if he's due to struggle this week. The Patriots completely shut down rookie sensation Justin Herbert last week and derailing Kyler Murray's MVP campaign the week before, so this is a tall order for Goff, who represents a total boom-or-bust play. |
| 21 | Tua Tagovailoa, MIA vs. KC |
| 22 | Sam Darnold, NYJ @ SEA |
| 23 | Mike Glennon, JAX vs. TEN |
| 24 | Brandon Allen, CIN vs. DAL |
| 25 | Baker Mayfield, CLE vs. BAL. Last week's monster game was nice, but Mayfield has been far too inconsistent this year to trust against a good defense in the fantasy playoffs. Sure, weather undoubtedly depressed some of his numbers earlier in the year, but Cleveland is a run-first team, and Baltimore limited Philip Rivers, Cam Newton, and Ben Roethlisberger to a combined 611 passing yards and three total TDs in Weeks 9, 10, and 12. |
| 26 | Derek Carr, LV vs. IND. Indianapolis has allowed two 300-yard passers in its past three games, but this defense is getting healthier and still does a good job limiting TDs. Like Mayfield, Carr has been all-or-nothing (zero combined TDs in Weeks 10 and 12, seven in Weeks 11 and 13), which makes him tough to trust with your season on the line. |
| 27 | Jalen Hurts, PHI vs. NO. Hurts has some boom-or-bust upside because of his rushing ability, but this isn't a great matchup for his first career NFL start. |
| 28 | Cam Newton, NE @ LAR |
| 29 | Daniel Jones, NYG vs. ARI |
| 30 | Drew Lock, DEN @ CAR |
| 31 | Alex Smith, WAS @ SF |
| 32 | Nick Mullens, SF vs. WAS |
