This is part of the 2014 fantasy football preview. A look at the top quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers and defenses can be found via the links on each position.
It is that time of year where fantasy football rankings come out for the upcoming season. There will be many discussions about where players are on a particular top 100 list. Every expert has their own opinion of how highly thought of someone like Demaryius Thomas or Peyton Manning is. Could Manning be the No. 1 overall pick? He could be in the right scoring scenario. Is there a player that is deeper in the rankings that could jump up and become a top-20 player? There is no doubt that will happen before the 2014 season is up.
This is just this writer’s opinion of the top 100 players going into fantasy drafts this season. There are going to be some surprises for sure along with wondering how this player got so high on the list. It boils down to the right situation and the right set of circumstances. Will these be right when the season is over? They will likely look awful but it is a starting point. Here are this guy’s top 100 rankings heading into the 2014 fantasy football season.
1. Jamaal Charles, RB- Charles leads off this list because of what he can do out of the backfield. He could easily top 2,200 yards rushing and receiving combined. The offense is set up perfectly for him in Kansas City and that makes him the top overall pick.
2. Adrian Peterson, RB- The Minnesota offense is going to be based all around Peterson this season without a true passing game. It means that AP could find a way to get near 1,600 rushing yards if the Vikings can have any sort of positive work from their quarterbacks.
3. LeSean McCoy, RB- While the third overall selection may seem low for McCoy since he is very similar to Charles, the issue boils down to what is going on in Philadelphia. Nick Foles is going to spreading the ball around more this season and that could mean less McCoy plays to work with.
4. Matt Forte, RB- Forte's ability in the Bears offense makes him a perfect top-5 pick. If Jay Cutler stays healthy, Forte could easily end up being the top running back in all of fantasy football this coming year. It all depends on his health along with Cutler though.
5. Calvin Johnson, WR- Megatron will be the first wide receiver off the board with good reason. The Detroit offense has got even better in the offseason which will open it up for Johnson on the outside. This will be a huge year for the Lions and Johnson as a whole.
6. Jimmy Graham, TE- The first tight end to leave the board has had some contract issues but is just too good not to take this high in the draft. The Saints schedule also will allow Graham to put up top-5 numbers this season.
7. Demaryius Thomas, WR- This could seem like an odd pick here but with the Broncos offense and Peyton Manning, Thomas and his value has gone sky high. Eric Decker is gone and there is a new running back in Denver. Thomas could challenge Johnson at the top of the WR rankings.
8. Marshawn Lynch, RB- Lynch has proven what he can do over the past few seasons and is at the level just below the other four running backs. He'll get his chances to move up and could find even more running room if the Seahawks pass the ball more effectively this coming year with Percy Harvin healthy.
9. Eddie Lacy, RB- This pick is all about Aaron Rodgers being healthy and staying that way. Lacy was great during his rookie season but a healthy Rodgers makes him an even better fantasy prospect. Lacy will be leading teams to championships sooner than later and could do it this season.
10. A.J. Green, WR- A third wide receiver in the top ten. Green and Andy Dalton have a special connection which makes me think that Green is on his way to a 100+ catch season in 2014. If it happens, he is worth this pick without any doubt.
11. Le'Veon Bell, RB
12. Montee Ball, RB
13. Peyton Manning, QB
14. Brandon Marshall, WR
15. Giovani Bernard, RB
16. Drew Brees, QB
17. Aaron Rodgers, QB
18. Jordy Nelson, WR
19. Arian Foster, RB
20. Julio Jones, WR
21. Zac Stacy, RB
22. Dez Bryant, WR
23. DeMarco Murray, RB
24. Doug Martin, RB
25. Alshon Jeffery, WR
26. Andre Ellington, RB
27. Vincent Jackson, WR
28. Alfred Morris, RB
29. Antonio Brown, WR
30. Randall Cobb, WR
31. Larry Fitzgerald, WR
32. Julius Thomas, TE
33. Keenan Allen, WR
34. Reggie Bush, RB
35. Wes Welker, WR
36. Percy Harvin, WR
37. C.J. Spiller, RB
38. Pierre Garcon, WR
39. Rashad Jennings, RB
40. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR
41. DeSean Jackson, WR
42. Vernon Davis, TE
43. Andre Johnson, WR
44. Roddy White, WR
45. Matthew Stafford, QB
46. Julian Edelman, WR
47. Rob Gronkowski, TE
48. Robert Griffin III, QB
49. Victor Cruz, WR
50. Toby Gerhart, RB
51. T.Y. Hilton, WR
52. Andrew Luck, QB
53. Matt Ryan, QB
54. Tom Brady, QB
55. Stevan Ridley, RB
56. Chris Johnson, RB
57. Jordan Cameron, TE
58. Cam Newton, QB
59. Ryan Mathews, RB
60. Michael Crabtree, WR
61. Shane Vereen, RB
62. Ben Tate, RB
63. Nick Foles, QB
64. Golden Tate, WR
65. Philip Rivers, QB
66. Greg Olsen, TE
67. Frank Gore, RB
68. Torrey Smith, WR
69. Jeremy Maclin, WR
70. Kendall Wright, WR
71. Jason Witten, TE
72. Russell Wilson, QB
73. Trent Richardson, RB
74. Knowshon Moreno, RB
75. Michael Floyd, WR
76. Bishop Sankey, RB
77. Reggie Wayne, WR
78. Emmanuel Sanders, WR
79. Mike Evans, WR
80. Eric Decker, WR
81. Steven Jackson, RB
82. Joique Bell, RB
83. Mike Wallace, WR
84. Marques Colston, WR
85. Tony Romo, QB
86. Dwayne Bowe, WR
87. Dennis Pitta, TE
88. Jay Cutler, QB
89. Kyle Rudolph, TE
90. Danny Woodhead, RB
91. Hakeem Nicks, WR
92. Jordan Reed, TE
93. Marvin Jones, WR
94. Ray Rice, RB
95. Terrance Williams, WR
96. Pierre Thomas, RB
97. Cecil Shorts III, WR
98. Terrance West, RB
99. Riley Cooper, WR
100. Zach Ertz. TE