Early 2014 Fantasy Football Rankings

Week 16 of the NFL season is upon us, which means that a majority of Fantasy Football leagues will conclude in a matter of days.

That being the case, it’s as good a time as ever to take an early look at what your 2014 draft board will look like.

Down below are early 2014 fantasy football rnakings at each of the primary positions: Quarterback, Running Back, Wide Receiver, and Tight End. Scoring assumes non-PPR with basic scoring otherwise.

I pointed this out when I wrote this article one year ago and I want to do it because it still holds true: check out the insane depth at wide receiver.

Most leagues require three starting wide receivers, which includes the Top 36 wideouts in your normal 12-team format. Notice some of the players who miss that WR3 cut in my initial rankings: Aaron Dobson, Terrance Williams, Justin Blackmon, Dwayne Bowe, Hakeem Nicks, James Jones, Greg Jennings, and Stevie Johnson are a few of the highlights. It’s conceivable that you could enter 2014 without any of my Top 36 wide receivers and still put a competitive group of wideouts on the field.

Fellow commissioners: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Add, at least, one wide receiver slot to your league’s starting lineup requirements next year. The position is way too deep to have only three, or three and a flex. The free agent market won’t be as shallow as you think and adding an extra starter will only reward the more intelligent owners.

Now that my customary plea for larger starting lineups is complete, let’s take a look at some rankings.

Listed are the player's team from 2013, the year his contract expires, and the year/round he was drafted.

Quarterback

Quick reaction: The Top 6 quarterbacks stand out to me. Only Foles is particularly risky considering his short resume, but he seems to be primed for the long-term starting gig in a high-scoring Eagles offense. From there, we see some intriguing names through the top 15 or so, but each has his fair share of question marks. With the exception of a few guys at the top, 2014 will again be a year to wait at quarterback.

Running Back

Quick reaction: With the likes of Knowshon Moreno, Frank Gore, and Chris Johnson in the RB2 discussion, running back may seem deeper than ever. It really isn't. At this point, I'd feel pretty good about the Top 9 backs, but we really start to get into shaky territory after that. Will Gio Bernard be a full-time player next season? Is Le'Veon Bell the next Trent Richardson or will he improve his play in Year 2? Will Moreno lose significant snaps to Montee Ball? Will David Wilson or Lamar Miller finally step up and earn a 15-plus touch role? Same as every year, plan on addressing running back early and often in 2014.

Wide Receiver

Quick Reaction: I mentioned this already, but wide receiver is as deep as ever. There is a significant amount of upside to be had outside the Top-36 wideouts and there are potential starting-caliber receivers as deep as the 60s. It will be hard to pass on a Calvin Johnson or Dez Bryant early, but with Alshon Jeffery and Josh Gordon emerging, and Julio Jones, Michael Crabtree, Randall Cobb, Reggie Wayne, and Percy Harvin returning to full health, it will be beneficial to wait at the position again next year.

Tight End

Quick Reaction: Tight end is looking pretty in 2013. Jimmy Graham is likely to be a borderline first-round pick – as he should – but some of the back-end TE1 talent figures to be available in the mid-to-late rounds. Julius Thomas, Jordan Cameron, and Jordan Reed add a jolt of much-needed high-ceiling youth to the position. The likes of Zach Ertz, Tyler Eifert, Ladarius Green figure to knock on the TE1 door and will be make for sexy late-round fliers. Keep an eye on deeper sleepers for a 2014 breakout in Travis Kelce, Levine Toilolo, and Adrien Robinson.

Follow Mike Clay on Twitter: @MikeClayNFL