Fantasy Football WR rankings and picks for Week 14 feat. A.J. Brown, Mike Evans, and more
We're one week away from the fantasy playoffs in most leagues, and Sportskeeda is here to preview the wide receiver landscape for Week 14. We rank the top 36 options for half-PPR leagues into three categories and highlight the best matchups for your playoff push and DFS decisions.
Fantasy Football WR Rankings for Week 14
Fantasy Football Best WR Matchups for Week 14
1] A.J. Brown vs. Carolina Panthers
I'm still rolling with A.J. Brown. The Eagles are currently on an eight-game winning streak — five of those wins resulting in multiple score victories. Unsurprisingly, Philadelphia owns the fourth-highest percentage of run plays (49.7%) and shoots up to 57.6% in the second half in all games this season. A team built on a solid defense, disciplined ball control, and an MVP candidate in Saquon Barkley is a recipe for success in real-life football.
But this is fantasy football, and we don't like consequences for the other fantasy stars on the field. Brown was our top play last week coming off a top-5 finish in half-ppr leagues in Week 12 and facing one of the best matchups for wideouts in the Baltimore secondary. The play looked promising — especially with WR2 DeVonta Smith sidelined with a hamstring injury. Brown accounted for 66 of Jalen Hurts' 104 passing yards in the first half and looked to have another significant fantasy day. However, the game script came back to bite Brown as Hurts only threw for 14 passing yards for the rest of the game, leaving fantasy managers wanting more.
We're returning to the well in Week 14 with a Carolina defense that has allowed the fourth-most touchdowns to wideouts (22). The Panthers secondary owns the fourth-highest yards per target (7.1), the fourth-highest catch rate (65.2%), and allows 237.3 receiving yards per game this year (10th). Despite the perception of an up-and-down season, Brown is still an elite option with his 88.1 yards per game (3rd), four 100-plus receiving yards games (2nd), and his league-leading 12.8 yards per target. Please get this man the ball!
2] Mike Evans vs Las Vegas Raiders
Oh yeah about those Panthers. Carolina just got lit up by Mike Evans for eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in Week 13. Is there a better fantasy performer down the stretch than Evans in previous years? His legacy grows with every season as he has amassed six touchdowns in the previous two season during Week 15-17. We'll never forget his 10 catches for 207 yards and three touchdowns in championship week in 2022.
Evans will face a Raiders secondary that has allowed the fifth-most receiving yards per game (289), the second-most receptions per game (26.3), and the sixth-most receiving touchdowns (6) since Week 10. Interestingly, the Raiders lead the league in zero coverage (10.3%), sixth in blitz rate (34.5%) but only recorded quarterback hits on 12.4% of its defensive snaps (25th) and owns a 26.5% pressure rate (22nd).
Las Vegas is not a secondary that travels as Jack Jones plays the right cornerback at 87.3% while lining up Decamerion Richardson on the right side at 82.3%. Evans plays the majority of his snaps on the left side (44%) where he will face Richardson, who owns a 19.0 air yards per target rate in his 164 snaps this season.
Evans is tied in fifth with seven touchdown receptions this year despite only playing in nine games due to a hamstring injury. I'm making this call before Friday's practice reports so Evans' status could change before Sunday's tilt. Don't be shocked if the Buccaneers are just giving the veteran some extra late-season rest during a pivotal week ahead for its playoff chances.
3] George Pickens vs Cleveland Browns
George Pickens continues to be a mainstay in this section for a reason. Since Russell Wilson was named starter for the Steelers in Week 7, Pickens is 10th in the league with 81.2 receiving yards per game while garnering a 22% target share and tied for sixth with three receiving touchdowns. Pickens only had three touches in Week 13. However, two were explosive gains of 19 and 36 yards as he finished with a team-high 74 yards and a touchdown.
Pickens will face a Cleveland pass defense that has allowed the 8th-most receiving yards per game (276.7) in the previous four games. The Browns secondary has allowed the fourth-most yards per reception (13.6) and the third-most yards per target (8.5) during that span. Pickens will also get a predictable matchup with Martin Emerson Jr. this weekend. Emerson Jr. lines up 88.1% of his snaps as the right cornerback, while Pickens plays 50.4% as the left wideout in Pittsburgh's offense. Emerson Jr. has allowed 13.9 air yards per target and 1.21 yards per route run.