RB RANKINGS 1-16
Auction...............$6
Bye Week.............9
We're still waiting to see the best of Locker. The talented quarterback from the University of Washington has had trouble staying healthy, never playing more than 11 games in a season during his first three years. This is likely going to be his final chance to prove he can be an NFL starting quarterback and he'll have to do it with a new coach and a new offense. He does have an emerging wideout in Kendall Wright, who should provide a quality target. If Locker can't do it this year, it will probably never happen for him. That doesn't mean fantasy owners should take the risk.
Auction...............$6
Bye Week.............11
After Flacco's fantastic playoff run which ended in a Super Bowl victory, there was a bit of hysteria surrounding the Ravens quarterback. Fortunately it subsided before drafts as Flacco came off the board in the 14th round in most leagues. Good thing, too. Baltimore's signal-caller struggled to finish among the top 20 at the position, tossing 22 interceptions to just 19 touchdowns. His prospects improve slightly with Steve Smith added to the receiving corps, but it won't be enough to make Flacco anything more than a low-end QB2.
Auction...............$5
Bye Week.............8
It's a bad sign when a player's NFL team are starting to wonder aloud if it's time to think about other options. But that's the case with Manning, who has thrown more interceptions than anyone over the past three years. At age 33, he'll enter the season coming off ankle surgery and will be learning a new offense under coordinator Ben McAdoo. It's not a combination that should inspire a lot of confidence for fantasy enthusiasts.
Auction...............$5
Bye Week.............9
When Manuel was on the field, he acquitted himself fairly well in his rookie season. The key word in that sentence is "when." Manuel was limited to just 10 games last season due to a litany of injuries. But there are pieces in place to help the quarterback succeed as long as he can stay on the field. A strong running game combined with young talented wideouts could give Manuel some sleeper appeal in 2014. However he'll be best left to the late rounds for all but the boldest fantasy owner.
Auction...............$4
Bye Week.............11
The man who made Mark Sanchez expendable in New York enters the 2014 season locked in a new quarterback battle. Smith will compete with Michael Vick to remain the Jets starting signal-caller. At the end of 2013, Smith seemed to have things figured out and was a top 10 fantasy quarterback over the final month of the season. Now the Jets have help at receiver in Eric Decker and a new addition at running back with Chris Johnson. All of those things could work in Smith's favor ... if he can win the job.
Auction...............$4
Bye Week.............7
McCown took over midway through last season for an injured Jay Cutler and became a waiver wire hero. He then parlayed that into a free agent deal with the Buccaneers. It could be a stretch for McCown to average the 17.0 fantasy points per game he posted in 2013. The journeyman hasn't started more than five games in a season since 2007. He also won't have Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery to throw to. Vincent Jackson isn't quite the same level of target and the WR cupboard isn't well stocked behind him. If you're drafting McCown hoping for a re-do of 2013, don't get your hopes up too high.
Auction...............$3
Bye Week.............5
There aren't too many people who were happy with what they saw from Matt Schaub last season. Unless you were an opposing defensive back who took one of Schaub's passes back for a pick six. Now out of Houston and in Oakland, Schaub hopes to resurrect his career and his fantasy value. He'll have to do it with a receiving corps that has a number of holes. Schaub, however, should be helped by a veteran backfield duo of Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew -- provided those players can remain healthy and productive. This veteran quarterback isn't likely to be more than a waiver wire option in most leagues.
Auction...............$3
Bye Week.............10
After being pushed out of Buffalo by the drafting of EJ Manuel, Fitzpatrick found new life in Tennessee after Jake Locker suffered a season-ending injury. It was an up-and-down season to say the least. Fitzpatrick had four games with 20 or more fantasy points but five games with fewer than ten. In the end, he will try to once again return to prominence in a new stop -- Houston. With a new coach and a new offense, Fitzpatrick hopes to make a splash. But with the Texans likely to draft a quarterback, we'll see if he gets that chance.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
Cassel appears to be the Vikings starter ... for now. The veteran returned to the team after an uneven campaign with Minnesota in 2013. But there are positives. The team hired Norv Turner as its offensive coordinator, a move that has worked well for others in the past. Plus, Adrian Peterson will still be expected to handle the bulk of the load for the offense. The negative for Cassel is that the Vikings could have competition for his job. While he might be the incumbent, there is no guarantee that the USC product will hold the gig at season's end.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............4
After languishing as a journeyman backup, Hoyer finally got his chance as a starter last season. Things were going well until a torn ACL ended his season in his third game. He's currently the Browns starter by default since he's the only one on the roster with any NFL experience. Whether he's the starter in Week 1 remains to be seen since the Browns are expected to select a quarterback in the draft. Look for Hoyer's value to take a further hit.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
Henne was never meant to be Jacksonville's starter, but he took the job after Blaine Gabbert failed to make the most of his opportunity. While Henne wasn't great, he could qualify as adequate, finishing 25th among fantasy QBs last season. It definitely didn't help that the Jaguars were missing top receiver Justin Blackmon for much of the season while Maurice Jones-Drew failed to re-capture his past glories. Still Henne posted numbers that were among the best of his career. There are some nice new additions to the Jacksonville roster -- notably Toby Gerhart -- but not enough to think Henne will land on a multitude of fantasy rosters.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............4
At 34-years-old, Hill will get the start in Week 1 for the Rams. With Sam Bradford out for the year with another ACL tear, coach Jeff Fisher has put his confidence in the veteran. He's spent time with Detroit, San Francisco and Minnesota during his career and hasn't started a regular season game since 2010. Expect the Rams to use running back Zac Stacy heavily again as they did last year with Bradford out.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
A move to Broadway constitutes a third act for Vick. The question is whether this is where the curtain falls on his career. The veteran quarterback is certain to find himself locked in a pitched battle with Geno Smith to be the starter. If Vick wins the competition, he'll certainly have some fantasy value. However, the caveat remains the same as it always has -- can he remain healthy over the course of a 16-game season? This will be worth watching throughout training camp.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............4
If you're looking for a sleeper quarterback in 2014, look no further than Cleveland and Johnny Football. A former Heisman trophy winner, he'll compete with veteran Brian Hoyer for the top spot on the Browns depth chart during training camp. A versatile field general who can make plays with both his arm and his feet, Manziel brings some major upside from a statistical perspective. His biggest fantasy asset, of course, is his skills as a runner. In two years at Texas A&M, he rushed for over 2,100 yards and an impressive 30 touchdowns. If he can secure a starting role, Manziel could push into high-end No. 2 fantasy quarterback and matchup-based starter territory.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
When the Vikings spent the final pick of the first round on Bridgewater, there was little doubt that the former Louisville star would challenge for the starting job in short order. While the general track record for rookie quarterbacks is spotty, Bridgewater has some things going for him. First, he has offensive guru Norv Turner calling the plays and the dynamic Cordarrelle Patterson as an exciting young target. And oh yeah, there's still that Peterson guy in the backfield. Regardless, Bridgewater's best left on the board until the late rounds in most formats.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............11
If you believe the Jaguars, Bortles won't see the field much (if at all) in 2014. Right now, we don't totally believe the Jaguars. Jacksonville did a lot to upgrade its receiving corps by drafting Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson. While it adds insurance for the currently-banished Justin Blackmon, that duo makes for a pair of interesting targets alongside Cecil Shorts. However, this is an offense that is likely to lean on Toby Gerhart and the run. Bortles will have limited appeal in most fantasy leagues.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
Remember those two weeks when Case Keenum was a fantasy star? Certainly Andre Johnson does. Chances are a few fantasy owners remember it as well, although probably for the wrong reasons. Apart from phenomenal starts in Weeks 9-10, Keenum's 2013 season was largely forgettable. He'll enter the 2014 campaign behind Ryan Fitzpatrick on the depth chart and could find himself falling even lower if the Texans indeed pursue a running back in the draft.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............10
There was a point during the season when it looked like Washington would part ways with Cousins. However, the two sides are still committed to each other for the foreseeable future. That means Cousins will remain the backup to Robert Griffin III. Considering Griffin's injury history in his first two seasons in the NFL, it seems like a distinct possibility that the former Michigan State QB could have some meaningful snaps this season. If Cousins does see some time, he'll have a new weapon to throw to with DeSean Jackson now in the fold. Cousins won't be drafted in many (if any) leagues, but he'll be a name worth keeping in mind as the season goes along.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............7
For a seven-week stretch in the midst of the season, Glennon earned some attention as a nice fantasy stopgap. The lanky quarterback averaged 15.5 points per game over that span and wound up on more than a few fantasy rosters. However he struggled to maintain that production, fading down the stretch. Now Glennon will likely find himself back on the bench after the Buccaneers opened the checkbook to add Josh McCown to the roster. Depending on the matchup, Glennon could be worth a look off the waiver wire in the event that the presumptive starter can't fulfill his duties.
Auction...............$1
Bye Week.............7
Sanchez's 2013 season ended before it ever began. A shoulder injury during the preseason kept him off the field and ended his tenure with the Jets. The Eagles took a chance on the former first-round pick where he will likely battle with fellow USC product Matt Barkley to backup Nick Foles. If things go according to plan, Sanchez isn't likely to see many snaps durin the season. However, Philadelphia could offer him new life after a rocky ending in New York. Chip Kelly's high-powered offense with a deeper collection of talent at the skill positions could be exactly what the quarterback needs to get back on track.
RB RANKINGS 1-16
