Week 15 Fantasy Rankings

My top 25 QBs, RBs, and WRs along with my top 15 TEs and D/ST.
Additional comments or questions can be sent to my twitter account: @brock__morris

*excludes any Bengals or Eagles players

Quarterbacks

1. Drew Brees
2. Cam Newton
3. Peyton Manning
4. Tom Brady
5. Aaron Rodgers
6. Matthew Stafford
7. Josh Freeman
8. Robert Griffin III
9. Eli Manning
10. Matt Ryan
11. Colin Kaepernick
12. Andrew Luck
13. Matt Schaub
14. Tony Romo
15. Russel Wilson
16. Carson Palmer
17. Ben Roethlisberger
18. Brandon Weeden
19. Ryan Tannehill
20. Philip Rivers
21. Joe Flacco
22. Sam Bradford
23. Chad Henne
24. Ryan Fitzpatrick
25. Brady Quinn

Running Backs

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Doug Martin
3. Arian Foster
4. Jamaal Charles
5. Marshawn Lynch
6. Ray Rice
7. Trent Richardson
8. Alfred Morris
9. C.J. Spiller
10. David Wilson
11. Matt Forte
12. Chris Johnson
13. Knowshon Moreno
14. Darren Sproles
15. Frank Gore
16. Darren McFadden
17. Steven Jackson
18. DeMarco Murray
19. Stevan Ridley
20. Shonn Greene
21. Reggie Bush
22. Michael Turner
23. Vick Ballard
24. Jonathan Dwyer
25. Mikel Leshoure

Wide Receivers

1. Calvin Johnson
2. Demaryius Thomas
3. Brandon Marshall
4. Andre Johnson
5. Vincent Jackson
6. Roddy White
7. Julio Jones
8. Victor Cruz
9. Marques Colston
10. Reggie Wayne
11. Hakeem Nicks
12. Wes Welker
13. Danario Alexander
14. Randall Cobb
15. Pierre Garcon
16. Lance Moore
17. Eric Decker
18. Mike Wallace
19. Dez Bryant
20. Steve Smith
21. Cecil Shorts
22. Mike Williams
23. Stevie Johnson
24. Miles Austin
25. Torrey Smith

Tight Ends

1. Jimmy Graham
2. Tony Gonzalez
3. Jason Witten
4. Aaron Hernandez
5. Owen Daniels
6. Brandon Myers
7. Greg Olsen
8. Martellus Bennett
9. Heath Miller
10. Dallas Clark
11. Dennis Pitta
12. Antonio Gates
13. Tony Scheffler
14. Jermichael Finley
15. Vernon Davis

D/ST

1. Seahawks
2. Lions
3. Broncos
4. Rams
5. Patriots
6. Texans
7. Jets
8. Dolphins
9. Steelers
10. Bears
11. Packers
12. 49ers
13. Ravens
14. Chargers
15. Browns

Guidelines to Playoff Success

Don't be this guy

    Week 14 of the football season is officially upon us. What's this mean? It's officially playoff time in most, if not all, fantasy leagues. If you fought your way in, congratulations. But now that you're in, you have to be mindful of what you do with your starting lineup. You want to do everything you can to try to win, so that you don't end up like the guy in the picture on the right. This means following a few guidelines, some that I would even call cardinal rules. Rolling the dice may have worked for you at one point in the regular season, but do you really want to stake your post-season life on a gamble? Usually the safest bet is what works, and more often than not you can be successful as long as you follow these guidelines.



Start your studs
This is a no brainer, but you'd be surprised how many people forget this rule. Always start your studs. Generally, these are guys you drafted in the first few rounds of your draft. Whether it be a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, or tight end - you drafted them that high for a reason. Unless you've traded them away, or they've been injured, there's no reason to bench one of your studs - no matter what the match-up is. For example, Adrian Peterson owners might cringe at his match-up against Chicago this week, but don't get cute. This is a guy you don't sit. Ever. I learned this the hard way myself when he shredded Seattle, on my bench (luckily that was during the regular season, and not the playoffs). That's the one time I've ever benched a stud, and I'll never do it again. Even if one of your stud players is coming off of a bad game, like Drew Brees for example, you need to clear that from your mind. Chances are he won't have two bad games in a row. He's Drew Brees. Start. Your. Studs.



Start players you can trust
Trust is something you have to have in your roster each and every week, especially in the playoffs. If you have doubts about anyone on your roster on a given week, then chances are you shouldn't start them. Trust your gut. Trust the players who have gotten you to where you are. If you're unsure on the amount of touches a player will get, or unsure on the match-up (UNLESS its one of your studs), then your best bet is to leave said player on the bench. Good example this week: Reggie Bush. He isn't a stud, and he's got a terrible match-up this week against the 49ers defense. This is definitely a week when you should bench Bush, unless you have NO other option. Another guy I want to mention here is Larry Fitzgerald. Usually, this guy is a stud, meaning you should follow the 'start your studs' rule. However, this is a rare rare rare example of a stud that you just can't trust. The quarterback situation in Arizona has been so bad that there's literally no way of predicting whether Larry will have a 7 catch game or a 1 catch game. This kind of unpredictability is exactly what you should be avoiding now that its playoff time.



Beware the "questionable" and "game-time decision" tags
This is where fantasy football gets extremely frustrating.  There's nothing worse than starting a questionable player and having him get re-injured before he can score any fantasy points. Just ask Jordy Nelson owners how they feel. The only thing that might be worse than that is waiting for a player who is a game-time decision, and then finding out that they are going to sit out the game, leaving you stuck with a zero in that slot. This is why I say, especially in the playoffs, to AVOID starting players who are questionable or who are a game-time decision. If you want to be stubborn and wait for a game-time decision, make sure you have a back-up plan. Sure, sometimes questionable players have monster games. But there's also always the risk that they will have a bad game, or not even finish the game. That risk, to me, isn't worth the potential upside. You're better off playing it safe.



    That's that folks. Those guidelines might seem like common sense, but you'd be surprised how many people go against them...and then end up cursing themselves for it. Sometimes you can roll the dice and get away with it, but that usually doesn't work in the playoffs. You didn't roll the dice every week in the regular season, did you? I didn't think so. Remember, you want to go with what you can trust. With that said, hopefully you follow these guidelines, and hopefully they work for you. Good luck everyone!

Week 14 Fantasy Rankings

My top 25 QBs, RBs, and WRs along with my top 15 TEs and D/ST.
Additional comments or questions can be sent to my twitter account: @brock__morris

Quarterbacks 

1. Peyton Manning
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Robery Griffin III
4. Cam Newton
5. Andrew Luck
6. Drew Brees
7. Tom Brady
8. Josh Freeman
9. Matthew Stafford
10. Eli Manning
11. Matt Schaub
12. Matt Ryan
13. Colin Kaepernick
14. Andy Dalton
15. Tony Romo
16. Russell Wilson
17. Ben Roethlisberger
18. Carson Palmer
19. Jay Cutler
20. Jake Locker
21. Ryan Fitzpatrick
22. Joe Flacco
23. Philip Rivers
24. Sam Bradford
25. Chad Henne

Running Backs

1. Adrian Peterson
2. Doug Martin
3. Arian Foster
4. Trent Richardson
5. Marshawn Lynch
6. Alfred Morris
7. Ray Rice
8. Ahmad Bradshaw
9. Jamaal Charles
10. C.J. Spiller
11. Chris Johnson
12. Bryce Brown
13. BenJarvis Green-Ellis
14. Matt Forte
15. Steven Jackson
16. DeMarco Murray
17. Stevan Ridley
18. Vick Ballard
19. Frank Gore
20. Mikel Leshoure
21. Jonathan Dwyer
22. Knowshon Moreno
23. Michael Turner
24. Darren Sproles
25. Ryan Matthews

Wide Receivers

1. Calvin Johnson
2. A.J. Green
3. Demaryius Thomas
4. Andre Johnson
5. Vincent Jackson
6. Brandon Marshall
7. Reggie Wayne
8. Victor Cruz
9. Roddy White
10. Wes Welker
11. Dez Bryant
12. Julio Jones
13. Marques Colston
14. Randall Cobb
15. Pierre Garcon
16. Eric Decker
17. Torrey Smith
18. Greg Jennings
19. Lance Moore
20. T.Y. Hilton
21. Stevie Johnson
22. Hakeem Nicks
23. Steve Smith
24. Chris Givens
25. Mike Williams

Tight Ends

1. Jimmy Graham
2. Tony Gonzalez
3. Owen Daniels
4. Jason Witten
5. Kyle Rudolph
6. Aaron Hernandez
7. Heath Miller
8. Brandon Myers
9. Martellus Bennett
10. Jermaine Gresham
11. Brandon Pettigrew
12. Antonio Gates
13. Jacob Tamme
14. Vernon Davis
15. Brent Celek

D/ST

1. Seahawks
2. 49ers
3. Broncos
4. Bears
5. Steelers
6. Buccaneers
7. Browns
8. Jets
9. Bengals
10. Patriots
11. Rams
12. Giants
13. Falcons
14. Chargers
15. Texans


this article can also be found at:
http://www.cappershub.com/week-14-fantasy-rankings/

Studs/Duds Week 14

Sorry everyone, I've dropped the ball recently on this article. But on the bright side, if you're taking the time to read this you're most likely in your fantasy league's playoffs. Good job! If not, then thanks for being so interested in my writing to check it out still. I'm not going to do a recap here since...well, I didn't do a Studs/Duds/Locks last week. The major theme here now that it's playoff time is TRUST. Start the players that you can trust. These are the players that have gotten you where you are, and that are consistent. With that said, let's get down to business.

Week 14 Studs

Peyton looks better than ever this season.

Peyton Manning QB Denver Broncos
It almost goes without saying at this point - you're starting Peyton Manning every single week. He's a stud. I'm just putting him here to reiterate this. Oh, and I guess I could mention that he's going up against the Raiders tonight, who have given up 24 touchdowns through the air along with over 250 passing yards a game.

Andrew Luck QB Indianapolis Colts
This kid is coming off of a huge game against Detroit, and I expect the same type of performance against a weak Titans pass defense. They have given up the eighth most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and have given up the same number of passing touchdowns as the Raiders. Luck also averages over 300 passing yards a game inside of domes. That's a nice little stat nugget seeing as the Colts will be playing at home.

Josh Freeman QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers
In case you haven't been paying attention, the Eagles punched their time cards weeks ago to start their off-season early. The Eagles have given up over 25 fantasy points per week to opposing quarterbacks the last three weeks. Plug him in with confidence.

Ahmad Bradshaw RB New York Giants
With Andre Brown out for the season, Bradshaw has received an even bigger bulk of the backfield workload with the Giants. The Giants will likely run the ball a lot to try and control the clock and keep Drew Brees and the Saints offense off the field. Plus, if you didn't know guys, the Saints are still the 32nd ranked run defense. They give up 150 yards a game, and have surrendered 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Alfred Morris RB Washington Redskins
Man, is this kid good. He is coming off a 124 yard performance against the Giants (yes, I know he fumbled in that game...so what), and has a great match-up against the Ravens this weekend. Ray Lewis still won't be on the field, and T Sizzle might not be either. The Ravens are still giving up huge rushing numbers (125 yards per game), and will get smoked by this rookie. 

Chris Johnson RB Tennessee Titans
As bad and inconsistent as CJ2K has been this season, he did rush for 99 yards the last time he played the Colts, and he averages over 100 yards from scrimmage against them. Also, the Colts have allowed 12 rushing touchdowns this season. Hard to put your trust in him, I know, but it shouldn't backfire on you this time.

Eric Decker WR Denver Broncos
We all know Demaryius Thomas has been a stud, and that Decker's production has dropped off in recent weeks. BUT, I think Decker is due for a bounce back game, and what better time to bounce back than against the Raiders - whom he scored 13 fantasy points against in the previous match-up this season. Also, see: Peyton Manning.

Randall Cobb WR Green Bay Packers
If you haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet, where the hell have you been? With Jordy Nelson looking like he will miss Sunday night's game, and Greg Jennings only in his second game back from injury, Randall Cobb should see an abundance of targets. The Lions pass defense isn't so hot, either.

T.Y. Hilton WR Indianapolis Colts
Hilton has had double digit fantasy points in four of the last five games, and is a big play threat both on offense and on special teams. See: Andrew Luck.

Martellus Bennett TE New York Giants
Nice to see you again, Martellus! The Black Unicorn posted his first double digit fantasy point game since Week 3 last week against the Redskins. He also got in the end zone for the first time in that same span. He's got a good chance to get there again this Sunday, the Saints have allowed a tight end to score a touchdown in each of their last four games.

Kyle Rudolph TE Minnesota Vikings
I hate to do it, since I wrote this dude off a few weeks ago, but I have to put him in here. He's been on a hot streak the last three games, catching a touchdown and posting double digit fantasy points in each game. He has become Christian Ponder's favorite red zone target, and should be getting more targets elsewhere on the field in the absence of Percy Harvin. Don't make me regret putting you in here Kyle.

Buccaneers D/ST
This just in; the Eagles are terrible. Okay, maybe not just in...

Browns D/ST
Cleveland has averaged more than 10 fantasy points per game on their home field. Oh, and [insert defense playing Kansas City here].

Week 14 Duds

Joe Flacco QB Baltimore Ravens
I don't care that Fluke-o is going up against the Redskins secondary. This guy is too inconsistent to trust, and trust is what you must have in your fantasy team in the playoffs.

Philip Rivers QB San Diego Chargers
Here's another guy that has just proven he cannot be trusted this season. Not to mention, he plays the Steelers this week, who have given up the second fewest fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks.

Ryan Matthews RB San Diego Chargers
It almost goes without saying at this point, you shouldn't be starting Matthews. Ever. No matter what the match-up is. I've had him in my Duds section in almost every article I've written this year. Things aren't changing any time soon.

Reggie Bush RB Miami Dolphins
He has scored six or fewer fantasy points three of his past four games, and is still losing carries to Daniel Thomas. I think he has a tough match-up this week, too. Those 49ers guys are kind of good at defending the run.

Larry Fitzgerald WR Arizona Cardinals
I feel so bad for this guy. His infinite talent is going to waste in Arizona. None of the quarterbacks on that roster can get him the ball, hell, none of them can get anyone the ball. John Skelton starting at quarterback and Seattle cornerback Brandon Browner being suspended aren't even enough to help this situation. What's the theme this week? You just can't trust that Fitzgerald can get you the points you need at this point.

Denarius Moore WR Oakland Raiders
Single digit fantasy points in his last three games, and he'll be matched up against Champ Bailey tonight. Don't expect anything crazy here.

Brian Hartline WR Miami Dolphins
Single digit points in his last FOUR games in a row now. Also, the 49ers. Can't trust it.

Vernon Davis owners have been crying much of this season.

Vernon Davis TE San Francisco 49ers
What a disappointment this guy has been. I wrote about him in one of my recent articles, can't remember which one. Anyway, there is absolutely ZERO trust here. He'll be lucky to get two receptions. If you're chasing a championship do not start him.

Texans D/ST
The Texans have proven they can be thrown on in recent weeks, and they're pretty banged up. Going up against Tom Brady and the Patriots offense? No thanks.

Eagles D/ST
You weren't seriously considering starting this defense, were you? I didn't think so. Literally ANY other defense will be a better play.



this article can also be found at:
http://www.cappershub.com/studs-duds-week-14/