FANTASY PLAYOFFS
Week 14 fantasy football rankings: Win or go home
Dec 5, 2019, 5:48 pm
FANTASY PLAYOFFS
These are my very early ranks, so keep in mind I post these on Thursday. Make sure you check the injury report on Sunday for players that have missed practice. If it doesn't look like a player will play this week, I typically won't rank him. Keep in mind, these are PPR rankings, and don't forget to set your lineup for Thursday Night Football.
If you have any questions, feel free to hit me up on Twitter. Be sure to check out my show MoneyLine with Jerry Bo on ESPN 97.5 FM. We're on every Sunday morning from 10-noon, and we'll talk a lot of fantasy football and NFL gambling getting you ready for kickoff every Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers should have a big game this week against Washington. Photo by Getty Images
1 Lamar Jackson
2 Deshaun Watson
3 Aaron Rodgers
4 Russell Wilson
5 Patrick Mahomes
6 Carson Wentz
7 Kirk Cousins
8 Baker Mayfield
9 Dak Prescott
10 Drew Brees
11 Tom Brady
12 Jameis Winston
13 Ryan Tannehill
14 Matt Ryan
15 Jared Goff
Derrick Henry should continue to dominate in the month of December. Photo via: TennesseeTitans.com
1 Christian McCaffrey
2 Derrick Henry
3 Ezekiel Elliott
4 Leonard Fournette
5 Alvin Kamara
6 Melvin Gordon
7 Josh Jacobs
8 Saquon Barkley
9 Nick Chubb
10 Mark Ingram
11 Le'Veon Bell
12 Joe Mixon
13 Dalvin Cook
14 Aaron Jones
15 Devonta Freeman
16 James White
17 Todd Gurley
18 Chris Carson
19 Austin Ekeler
20 Miles Sanders
21 Devin Singletary
22 Kareem Hunt
23 David Montgomery
24 Phillip Lindsay
25 Carlos Hyde
26 Rashaad Penny
27 Marlon Mack
28 Kenyan Drake
29 Derrius Guice
30 Sony Michel
Michael Thomas has been unbelievable this year. Photo by New Orleans Saints/Facebook
1 Michael Thomas
2 Davante Adams
3 DeAndre Hopkins
4 D.J. Moore
5 Julian Edelman
6 Tyreek Hill
7 Chris Godwin
8 Mike Evans
9 Devante Parker
10 Julio Jones
11 Robert Woods
12 Jarvis Landry
13 Stefon Diggs
14 Keenan Allen
15 Allen Robinson
16 Courtland Sutton
17 Cooper Kupp
18 Amari Cooper
19 Odell Beckham Jr
20 Alshon Jeffery
21 Tyler Boyd
22 Calvin Ridley
23 Kenny Golladay
24 Will Fuller
25 Michael Gallup
26 Robby Anderson
27 Jamison Crowder
28 Tyler Lockett
29 D.J. Chark
30 Marvin Jones
31 John Brown
32 D.K. Metcalf
33 Anthony Miller
34 Dede Westbrook
35 James Washington
36 Sterling Shepard
Hunter Henry's matchup is tough this week, but he still makes the Top 5. Photo via:Chargers/Facebook
1 George Kittle
2 Travis Kelce
3 Zach Ertz
4 Darren Waller
5 Hunter Henry
6 Jared Cook
7 Jack Doyle
8 Mark Andrews
9 Evan Engram
10 Kyle Rudolph
11 Ryan Griffin
12 Austin Hooper
1 Vikings
2 Packers
3 Steelers
4 Ravens
5 Texans
6 Eagles
7 Bears
8 Titans
9 Browns
10 Chargers
11 Cowboys
12 Patriots
1 Wil Lutz
2 Greg Zuerlein
3 Jake Elliott
4 Justin Tucker
5 Robbie Gould
6 Ka'imi Fairbairn
7 Matt Gay
8 Harrison Butker
9 Younghoe Koo
10 Jason Myers
11 Austin Seibert
12 Michael Badgley
Good luck this week and when in doubt, start your studs.
Impersonal as it might seem to have their dynamic on-field relationship end with an exchange of phone texts, Bills quarterback Josh Allen made it clear on Thursday how much receiver Stefon Diggs meant to him during their four seasons together in Buffalo.
Allen made no mention of Diggs’ mercurial temperament or the occasional sideline flare-ups by expressing only praise in his first opportunity to discuss his now-former teammate being traded to the Houston Texans earlier this month.
“Just thanking him for everything that he did for me, and (I’ll) always have a spot in my heart for him. I’ll always love that guy like a brother. And I wish him nothing but the best,” Allen said, in disclosing what he texted to Diggs. “My lasting memory of Stef will be the receiver that helped me become the quarterback that I am today.”
Brought together in March 2020, when Buffalo gave up a first-round draft pick to acquire Diggs in a trade with Minnesota, the duo went on to re-write many of Buffalo's single-season passing and scoring records, and lead the team to four straight AFC East titles.
Diggs, now 30, also brought an inescapable sense of drama with him in raising questions about his commitment to the Bills and whether his tight relationship with Allen had soured.
A day before being traded, Diggs posted a message, “You sure?” on the social media platform X in response to someone suggesting he wasn’t essential to Allen’s success.
Whatever hard feelings, if any, lingered as Buffalo opened its voluntary workout sessions this week were not apparent from Allen or coach Sean McDermott, who also addressed reporters for the first time since Diggs was traded.
“Stef’s a great player, really enjoyed our time together. Won a lot of games and he was a huge factor in winning those games. We’ll miss him,” McDermott said. “You never replace a player like Stef Diggs, and we wish him well.”
Allen turned his focus to the future and a Bills team that spent much of the offseason retooling an aging and expensive roster.
Aside from trading Diggs, salary cap restrictions led to Buffalo cutting respected center Mitch Morse, the breakup of a veteran secondary that had been together since 2017, and the team unable to afford re-signing No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis.
“I don’t think it’s a wrong thing or a bad thing to get younger,” said Allen, entering his seventh NFL season. “I think it’s an opportunity for myself to grow as a leader. And to bring along some of these young guys and new guys that we’ve brought in to our team. And that’s an opportunity, frankly, that I’m very excited about."
Despite the departures, the Bills offense is not exactly lacking even though general manager Brandon Beane is expected to target selecting a receiver with his first pick — currently 28th overall — in the draft next week.
Receiver Khalil Shakir enters his third year and tight end Dalton Kincaid enter his second following promising seasons. Buffalo also added veteran experience in signing free agent receiver Curtis Samuel and Mack Hollins.
While Beane acknowledged the Bills lack a true No. 1 receiver, he noted there’s less urgency to fill that spot now than in 2020 because of how much the offense has developed under Allen.
“Now that Josh has ascended to the player he is, is that a requirement? I don’t think so,” Beane said.
Diggs’ role also began diminishing in the second half of last season, which coincided with Joe Brady replacing Ken Dorsey as offensive coordinator. Brady placed an emphasis on adding balance to a pass-heavy attack and getting more receivers involved, which led to an uptick in production for Shakir and Kincaid.
While Diggs’ numbers dropped, Buffalo’s win total increased.
With the Bills at 6-6, Diggs ranked third in the NFL with 83 catches, seventh with 969 yards and tied for third with eight TDs receiving. Buffalo then closed the season with five straight wins in which Diggs combined for 24 catches for 214 yards and no scores.
”(Diggs) meant a lot. You look at the statistics, they don’t lie,” Allen said, in referring to Diggs topping 100 catches and 1,000 yards in each of his four seasons in Buffalo. “I don’t get paid to make changes on the team. I get paid to be the best quarterback that I can be and try to lead the guys on this team.”