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.
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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