Week 14 of the 2024 fantasy football season featured big surprises. Who were the big winners and losers? Which players received A and F grades?
Matt Bowen and Tristan H. Cockcroft offer their analysis, and Seth Walder provides his grades. We also asked NFL Nation reporters to answer questions about what happened in the Thursday and Sunday games.
Jump to a topic:
Ranking winners | Ranking losers
Who got an A | Who got an F
Biggest injuries and what's next
Top questions from Week 14
Ranking fantasy winners of Week 14
1. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
In a historic performance, Allen became the first player to score as many as three passing and rushing touchdowns in a single game, finishing with 51.88 fantasy points. It was the most in a game by any quarterback in history (see the chart to the right). He'd surely trade it for a win, as his Bills ultimately fell short, losing 44-42 to the Los Angeles Rams, but Allen dazzled in both facets of the game, completing five passes of 25-plus yards while continuing what has been a dominant rushing stretch, marking his fourth consecutive game with a rushing score. He's now the No. 2 overall scorer for the season (303.62 points), trailing only Lamar Jackson (321.40), and still has plenty of motivation to put up additional huge scores with AFC seeding still up for grabs. The Detroit Lions, next week, represent the toughest matchup remaining on his 2024 schedule, but hot as he has been, he'll remain a top-three fantasy quarterback for that one. -- Cockcroft
2. Sam Darnold, QB, and Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson, WRs, Minnesota Vikings
Crown them all big winners, as for only the second time all season, a team saw its quarterback as well as two wide receivers exceed 30 PPR fantasy points, as the Vikings' Darnold and Addison set personal bests with their 34.58 and 39.3 points and Jefferson scored 32.2. For Jefferson, it was his 13th career 30-point performance, moving him into a tie with Mike Evans for fourth most among active wide receivers. For Darnold, it was a fourth consecutive game of multiple touchdown passes without an interception, greatly enhancing his fantasy appeal ahead of an up-and-down playoff schedule (CHI, @SEA, GB, @DET). And for Addison, it was his third game of at least eight targets and 15 points in his past four, as his role has expanded in the offense with defenses spending more time keying on Jefferson. Things do get tougher for the Vikings in their next matchup against the Chicago Bears, but Darnold should be a high-end, lower-risk QB2, Jefferson a must-start and Addison a worthwhile fantasy WR3 for that game. -- Cockcroft
3. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua's 41.8 points in the win over the Bills, a season high, ranked second overall in Week 14 to only Josh Allen (51.88). Nacua caught 12 of 14 targets for 162 yards and a touchdown, and he also had 16 yards rushing (on five carries) with another score. Nacua was excellent at the catch point, making big-time plays on the boundary, and he will be schemed up on screens and manufactured touches in Sean McVay's system. With a Thursday night matchup versus the 49ers in Week 15, Nacua will remain a locked-in WR1. -- Bowen
4. Jauan Jennings, WR, San Francisco 49ers
He continues to put up big scores since Brandon Aiyuk was lost to an injury, and Jennings' 28.0 PPR fantasy points in Week 14 represent his second-best total all season. He has averaged 8.4 targets and 17.4 points in the 49ers' five games since the bye and should continue to be a huge part of their passing game. Keeping in mind that the Rams, his next opponent, were the aforementioned Allen's opponent this week, Jennings should make a run at a top-10 positional score in Week 15. -- Cockcroft
5. Zach Charbonnet, RB, Seattle Seahawks
With Kenneth Walker III out with an injury (ankle/calf), Charbonnet got the Week 14 start, and he dropped a career-high 38.3 points on the Arizona defense. Charbonnet displayed his dual-threat ability, rushing for two touchdowns and 134 yards on 22 carries, plus he caught seven targets for 59 yards. Charbonnet got downhill with speed in this one. Find daylight and go. He showed his home run ability on the 51-yard rushing score. If Walker is down again for the Week 15 game versus Green Bay, Charbonnet will be in the RB1 mix. -- Bowen
6. Isaac Guerendo, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Playing in the lead role for the 49ers, Guerendo scored a season-high 26.8 points in the blowout win over the Bears. Guerendo rushed for 78 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, plus he caught both of his targets for 50 yards. Guerendo is an easy fit for Kyle Shanahan's run system, plus he can be schemed in the pass game. Guerendo did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an injury (foot), so that needs to be monitored, especially on a short week with the Rams on tap in the Thursday night game. If Guerendo can't go, managers can pivot to Patrick Taylor (4.1% rostered). In relief of Guerendo, Taylor rushed for 25 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. -- Bowen
7. Rachaad White, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bucky Irving's early departure -- more on that below -- granted White a golden opportunity in a soft matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. He scored 24.9 PPR fantasy points as well as both a rushing and receiving touchdown for the first time in his career. White played a season-high 75% of the offensive snaps and had four explosive runs (10-plus yards), two fewer than he had in his first 10 games. If Irving's injury lingers and White needs to fill in more, he'll have his work cut out for him in Week 15 at the Los Angeles Chargers' stingy defense, but it's the Buccaneers' final three (@DAL, CAR, NO) that are big-time matchup opportunities for whoever is the lead back. -- Cockcroft
8. Davante Adams, WR; Garrett Wilson, WR, New York Jets
With Aaron Rodgers throwing for a season-high 339 yards in the loss to Miami, both Adams and Wilson cashed in here. Adams' 25.9 points on Sunday were his best since joining the Jets, as he caught 9 of 11 targets for 109 yards and a score. Wilson also posted a season-high total in receiving yards (114), catching 7 of 10 targets and finishing with 18.1 points. Looking ahead to Week 15, Adams and Wilson get a solid matchup versus the Jags' defense in the first round of the fantasy playoffs, putting them both in the WR1 discussion for 12-team leagues. -- Bowen
9. Chuba Hubbard, RB, Carolina Panthers
With rookie Jonathon Brooks suffering a knee injury early in the loss to the Eagles, Hubbard took full control of the Panthers' backfield, scoring 20.7 points in a tough matchup. Hubbard logged 30 touches in this one, rushing for 92 yards and a score on 26 carries, while he added four receptions for 15 yards. Hubbard has now posted 20 or more points in three of his past five games, and he should be viewed as a locked-in starter for the fantasy playoffs (DAL, AZ, @TB) with Brown potentially out. -- Bowen
10. Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
Hill had a season-high 28.1 points in the OT win over the Jets, catching 10 of a team-high 14 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown, and he also logged one carry for 6 yards. Hill has now seen 25 targets over his past two games, with 19 or more points in three of his past four. In a Dolphins pass game that is surging, while creating catch-and-run opportunities, Hill has an opportunity to produce fringe WR1 numbers with his matchups in the fantasy playoffs (@HOU, SF, @CLE). -- Bowen
11. Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
He has touchdowns in three of his past four games and has averaged 9.2 targets and 21.0 PPR fantasy points in his past six. That coincides with Jameis Winston's installation as the Browns' quarterback, during which time the two have shown remarkably strong chemistry. Still somehow available in 15.6% of ESPN leagues, Jeudy should be a top-20 fantasy wide receiver for the final four weeks of the season. -- Cockcroft
Ranking fantasy losers of Week 14
1. Brock Bowers, TE, Las Vegas Raiders
After three straight games with double-digit targets, Bowers caught just 3 of 5 in the loss to the Bucs, finishing with 49 yards receiving, while rushing for 3 yards on one carry (8.2 points). And it's fair to question Bowers' lack of usage in the pass game today, especially after he scored 30 or more points in two of his previous three games. However, with a positive matchup slate in the fantasy playoffs (ATL, JAX, @NO), Bowers will stay as a top-three tight end in our rankings. -- Bowen
2. Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints
I was all-in on Kamara this week in a matchup versus a Giants defense that ranked in the bottom 10 versus running backs. However, despite seeing 23 touches, Kamara struggled on the ground, rushing for just 44 yards (2.6 YPC). And while he did catch five passes for 35 yards, which saved his day, Kamara finished with only 12.6 points. With a Week 14 home game versus Washington, Kamara will slide back into the RB2 ranks. -- Bowen
3. D'Andre Swift, RB, Chicago Bears
In a positive run game matchup for Swift, he scored just 5.0 points in the blowout loss to the 49ers, equaling his season low back in Week 1. Sure, the Bears' inability to establish any sense of offensive tempo in the first half limited their run game. I get that. Swift did manage to see 14 carries; however, he averaged just 2.4 YPC and didn't really factor into the pass game, logging only one catch for 2 yards. With a Week 15 road game versus the Minnesota defense, Swift will be down in the Flex range for me. -- Bowen
4. A.J. Brown, WR, Philadelphia Eagles
He couldn't find much open space against the Carolina secondary, particularly cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Michael Jackson, against whom he had three catches on 16 routes in which he was aligned against either. All the more frustrating was that DeVonta Smith had 13.7 PPR fantasy points and tight end Grant Calcaterra had 10.6, whereas all Brown could muster was 8.3, his second-worst number in any of his 10 healthy games in 2024. The matchup doesn't get much better in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, either, but Brown should still be a worthwhile fantasy WR2. -- Cockcroft
5. James Cook, RB, Buffalo Bills
Fantasy managers always groan when they learn their player's team scored 42 points, only to check and see their player with a mediocre score. Such was the case with Cook, whose 4.9 PPR fantasy points were a letdown, though an understandable one if we consider that his Bills played from behind for the near entirety of the game. It's not something that should be expected often, though Week 15 against the Lions isn't a great matchup, meaning he's more of a borderline top-10 positional play for that game. -- Cockcroft
6. Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
He drew a dream matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars -- he was our eighth-best projected quarterback and had a season-high 24.1% start rate in ESPN leagues -- yet managed a mere 7.02 fantasy points. Levis took a nasty hit in the first quarter, aggravating the AC joint sprain that cost him time earlier in the year, which might explain the lackluster outing. Monitor his status throughout the practice week, as any further issues with his shoulder will make him a much less attractive matchups play for what's the position's best remaining schedule for a quarterback (CIN, @IND, @JAX, HOU). -- Cockcroft
7. Jayden Reed, WR, Green Bay Packers
He posted a fantasy doughnut on "Thursday Night Football," failing to catch his one target in the Packers' 34-31 loss to the Detroit Lions. Reed's target share has suddenly become shaky, as he has averaged only three per game since the team's Week 10 bye and has seen three or fewer in four of his past six contests. He's tough to trust as anything more than a WR3/flex for Week 15 at the Seattle Seahawks. -- Cockcroft
Injury impact
Jonathon Brooks, RB, Carolina Panthers
What we know: Brooks was carted off the field with a noncontact knee injury in the first half versus the Eagles, and he did not return to the game. Brooks was playing in just his third pro game after working back from a knee injury he suffered in his final college season at Texas.
What's next: If Brooks is out for an extended period of time, Hubbard should once again be viewed as a locked-in starter. In Sunday's loss to the Eagles, Hubbard scored 20.7 points, logging 107 total yards and a touchdown on 27 touches. -- Bowen
Bucky Irving, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
What we know: Irving left the game in the second quarter versus the Raiders with a back injury, and he did not return. Before suffering the injury, Irving totaled 18 yards on five touches (2.8 points).
What's next: If Irving is down for the Week 15 road game against the Chargers, managers can turn to Sean Tucker, who would elevate to the No. 2 role behind White, as a streaming option. Tucker is rostered in only 1.5% of ESPN leagues. -- Bowen
Who earned an A this weekend?
Denzel Ward, CB, Cleveland Browns
Often when we put a cornerback in this spot it's because his game included an interception. That wasn't possible for Ward Sunday because he wasn't targeted in the game, despite playing 28 coverage snaps. It's only the third game by an outside corner with at least 28 coverage snaps and zero targets this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats. An empty box score for a corner is a good thing, and that's what Ward produced Sunday in Cleveland's loss to Pittsburgh.
Tristan Wirfs, T, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Wirfs posted a 100% pass block win rate in the Bucs' win over the Raiders Sunday. It's the latest strong game in a great season for Wirfs -- he ranks second on the year in pass block win rate at tackle -- and was impressive because he spent a decent part of Sunday blocking against Maxx Crosby, holding the Raiders star in check.
Who earned an F this weekend?
Will Levis, QB, Tennessee Titans
The Jaguars entered Week 14 ranked last in EPA allowed per opponent dropback. In other words: It should have been the easiest possible environment for Levis to be efficient and put up points -- but he could not. Even though Levis didn't throw an interception (he fumbled once, but a teammate recovered), he recorded negative-15 expected points added Sunday, per NFL Next Gen Stats. The Titans quarterback also had a negative-5% completion percentage over expectation.
The Kirk Cousins-Kyle Pitts connection, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts recorded negative-41 receiving yards in Sunday's loss to the Vikings, but I can't pin that all on the tight end. There were missed throws from Cousins in there, too, but Pitts' lack of production was also partially on him. He failed to make multiple contested catches and couldn't haul in a would-be touchdown in the fourth quarter. The result was just 14 yards for the tight end which -- believe it or not -- is his most in a game in the past three contests.
Lingering questions from Week 14's games
Coming soon.