This article is part of our Weekly Rankings series.
Saturday Update complete
Welcome to the Weekly Value Meter Rankings. This is a guide to help you decide who to start and sit in a given week. It's is not a season-long ranking nor a draft guide for the playoffs (please check out Chris Liss's Playoff Rankings for that).
Here are my operating assumptions for the rankings:
- The RB/WR/TE position rankings are for PPR leagues.
- The Flex rankings are for Standard leagues.
- 1 point per 10 rushing/receiving yards.
- 1 point per 20 passing yards.
- 4 points per passing touchdowns.
These are the rankings I use when I make my start/sit decisions. Please consult the rankings first before asking "Player X vs. Player Y?" without any other mitigating factors. Of course, I welcome debate - if you think I'm wrong, let me know. But please check out the rankings first before asking your start/sit question. This truly reflects my opinion in my leagues.
These are my particular rankings. If you want a second opinion elsewhere on the site, you can see our Weekly Projections.
I will then do a set of updates before kickoff on Saturday, and again before kickoff on Sunday morning. I will post at the top of the article in bold font when ranking updates are in progress and when they're complete.
I welcome debate on the rankings in the comments. Please keep it friendly.
Quarterbacks
| 1. | Josh Allen BUF at KC |
| 2. | *Aaron Rodgers GB vs. SF Note: Rodgers (toe) was |
Saturday Update complete
Welcome to the Weekly Value Meter Rankings. This is a guide to help you decide who to start and sit in a given week. It's is not a season-long ranking nor a draft guide for the playoffs (please check out Chris Liss's Playoff Rankings for that).
Here are my operating assumptions for the rankings:
- The RB/WR/TE position rankings are for PPR leagues.
- The Flex rankings are for Standard leagues.
- 1 point per 10 rushing/receiving yards.
- 1 point per 20 passing yards.
- 4 points per passing touchdowns.
These are the rankings I use when I make my start/sit decisions. Please consult the rankings first before asking "Player X vs. Player Y?" without any other mitigating factors. Of course, I welcome debate - if you think I'm wrong, let me know. But please check out the rankings first before asking your start/sit question. This truly reflects my opinion in my leagues.
These are my particular rankings. If you want a second opinion elsewhere on the site, you can see our Weekly Projections.
I will then do a set of updates before kickoff on Saturday, and again before kickoff on Sunday morning. I will post at the top of the article in bold font when ranking updates are in progress and when they're complete.
I welcome debate on the rankings in the comments. Please keep it friendly.
Quarterbacks
| 1. | Josh Allen BUF at KC |
| 2. | *Aaron Rodgers GB vs. SF Note: Rodgers (toe) was a full practice participant Tuesday. |
| 3. | Joe Burrow CIN at TEN |
| 4. | *Patrick Mahomes KC vs. BUF Note: Mahomes and Allen are hitting peak form just at the right time, leading up to their matchup on Sunday. |
| 5. | Ryan Tannehill TEN vs. CIN |
| 6. | *Tom Brady TB vs. LAR Note: The Bucs will be sweating out the status of RT Tristan Wirfs (ankle) - Brady was frequently hit after the injury last week. |
| 7. | *Matthew Stafford LA at TB Note: Stafford was efficient if not prolific Monday night, going 13-for-17 with 202 yards and two touchdowns in the blowout win over Arizona. Stafford's left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, is day-to-day with ankle/knee issues, and his availability might not be known until Friday. |
| 8. | *Jimmy Garoppolo SF at GB Note: Garoppolo injured his right shoulder in the win over the Cowboys. That shoulder might have contributed to the late interception that kept Dallas in the game last week. Garoppolo was limited on Tuesday, but had full practices Wednesday and Thursday and was cleared from the injury report. |
Running Backs
| 1. | *Derrick Henry TEN vs. CIN Note: Henry was practicing in pads and taking contact Tuesday. He's not officially off the IR yet, but the presumption is that he'll play. Officially official, Henry is active for this game. |
| 2. | *Elijah Mitchell SF at GB Note: More limited practices are likely this week to protect Mitchell's knee. |
| 3. | *Aaron Jones GB vs. SF Note: Jones (knee) practiced fully Tuesday, after sitting out the regular season finale. |
| 4. | *Devin Singletary BUF at KC Note: Singletary continued his late-season lead back role by going 16-81-2 on the ground in the win over the Pats. |
| 5. | *Cam Akers LA at TB Note: Akers was fantastic on Monday night at times, showing burst and quick-twitch abilities you wouldn't expect to see six months after a major Achilles injury. His pass-catching ability against the Bucs will be vital. |
| 6. | *Joe Mixon CIN at TEN Note: Awful matchup for Mixon - the Titans allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to RBs during the regular season. |
| 7. | *Ke'Shawn Vaughn TB vs. LAR Note: Vaughn took over the lead back duties against the Eagles, though Gio Bernard was very active in the game plan. |
| 8. | *Sony Michel LA at TB Note: Michel is now sharing reps equally with Cam Akers, and given that Akers is probably the better pass-catcher of the two, I'm projecting Michel to be the lesser of the two backs this week. |
| 9. | *Jerick McKinnon KC vs. BUF Note: McKinnon took over the lead back duties against the Steelers and turned in a monster game, going 12-61 on the ground, and 6-6-81-1 through the air. Even if CEH returns, McKinnon will at least be part of the passing game. CEH will be back, but McKinnon should still have a significant role in the offense. |
| 10. | AJ Dillon GB vs. SF |
| 11. | *Clyde Edwards-Helaire KC vs. BUF Note: Edwards-Helaire (shoulder) practiced fully Wednesday, which might point to return on Sunday, but the real test will be Thursday's practice. Practiced fully all week and has been cleared from the injury list. I think he'll split the work with McKinnon, who will be in on passing downs. |
| 12. | *Giovani Bernard TB vs. LAR Note: Bernard was used in a way that many envisioned when he signed with the Bucs, catching five of seven targets for 39 yards, along with 13 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. He was limited Wednesday, presumably to limit his workload after his first game back. Bernard had a full practice Friday and was removed from the injury list. Meanwhile, Ronald Jones has been ruled out. |
| 13. | *D'Onta Foreman TEN vs. CIN Note: Derrick Henry will be back on Saturday. |
| 14. | Zack Moss BUF at KC |
| 15. | Dontrell Hilliard TEN vs. CIN |
| 16. | Samaje Perine CIN at TEN |
| 17. | JaMycal Hasty SF at GB |
| 18. | Le'Veon Bell TB vs. LAR |
| 19. | Jeff Wilson SF at GB |
| 20. | *Darrel Williams KC vs. BUF Note: Williams (toe) had just one carry, lost a fumble which was returned for a touchdown, and didn't get another carry. He ended up getting only eight snaps, perhaps because of the toe injury, perhaps also because Jerick McKinnon was playing so well. Williams didn't practice Wednesday, which bodes ill for this week. CEH will be back, and Williams is listed as questionable after only getting in a limited practice on Friday. |
| 21. | Derrick Gore KC vs. BUF |
| 22. | Chris Evans CIN at TEN |
| 23. | *Leonard Fournette TB vs. LAR Note: Fournette (hamstring) was unable to hit full speed without feeling the injury, and thus was not activated from the IR last week. The Bucs are taking a wait-and-see approach for this week, following Thursday's full practice. Fournette has been practicing this week, but will wait until Saturday's deadline before disclosing whether he'll play. |
| 24. | Patrick Taylor GB vs. SF |
| 25. | *Ronald Jones TB vs. LAR Note: Jones (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday. Ruled out again this week. |
Wide Receivers
| 1. | Davante Adams GB vs. SF |
| 2. | Cooper Kupp LA at TB |
| 3. | Deebo Samuel SF at GB |
| 4. | Ja'Marr Chase CIN at TEN |
| 5. | Stefon Diggs BUF at KC |
| 6. | Mike Evans TB vs. LAR |
| 7. | A.J. Brown TEN vs. CIN |
| 8. | Tyreek Hill KC vs. BUF |
| 9. | *Tee Higgins CIN at TEN Note: Higgins had only one catch on four targets in the win over the Raiders, but look for him to be more involved this upcoming week against the Titans. |
| 10. | *Odell Beckham LA at TB Note: The Browns might have been left with little choice, but the Rams did a great job of exploiting that situation and buying low on Beckham. |
| 11. | Brandon Aiyuk SF at GB |
| 12. | Emmanuel Sanders BUF at KC |
| 13. | Gabriel Davis BUF at KC |
| 14. | Julio Jones TEN vs. CIN |
| 15. | Allen Lazard GB vs. SF |
| 16. | *Van Jefferson LA at TB Note: Jefferson played through a back injury on Monday night. He might have a bigger role against the Bucs, after Ben Skowronek hurt his back against the Cardinals. |
| 17. | Tyler Boyd CIN at TEN |
| 18. | Byron Pringle KC vs. BUF |
| 19. | Cole Beasley BUF at KC |
| 20. | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine TEN vs. CIN |
| 21. | Mecole Hardman KC vs. BUF |
| 22. | Jauan Jennings SF at GB |
| 23. | *Randall Cobb GB vs. SF Note: Cobb (groin) will return for Saturday's game after missing the last five weeks of the season. |
| 24. | Tyler Johnson TB vs. LAR |
| 25. | *Ben Skowronek LA at TB Note: Skowronek (back) had a full practice Friday and was cleared from the injury list. |
| 26. | Isaiah McKenzie BUF at KC |
| 27. | Mike Thomas CIN at TEN |
| 28. | *Cyril Grayson TB vs. LAR Note: Grayson (hamstring) was forced to sit out Sunday's win over the Eagles. He didn't practice Wednesday. Grayson is listed as questionable after a limited practice on Friday. |
| 29. | *Marquez Valdes-Scantling GB vs. SF Note: Valdes-Scantling (back) was held out of practice Wednesday after putting in a limited practice Tuesday. |
| 30. | *Breshad Perriman TB vs. LAR Note: Perriman (hip) didn't practice Wednesday, but he also had his reps capped last week. |
Tight Ends
| 1. | Travis Kelce KC vs. BUF |
| 2. | Rob Gronkowski TB vs. LAR |
| 3. | Dawson Knox BUF at KC |
| 4. | *George Kittle SF at GB Note: Kittle has just 15 targets over his last four games, as the Niners have emphasized the running game a lot more. |
| 5. | Tyler Higbee LA at TB |
| 6. | *Anthony Firkser TEN vs. CIN Note: Firkser has scored in his last two games, and the Bengals are the worst remaining playoff team in defending against TE's. |
| 7. | Josiah Deguara GB vs. SF |
| 8. | *C.J. Uzomah CIN at TEN Note: Very nice production as a discount TE last week, but this week's matchup is tougher. I'd prefer Firsker if you're looking for a bargain at the position this week. |
| 9. | Cameron Brate TB vs. LAR |
| 10. | Geoff Swaim TEN vs. CIN |
| 11. | Drew Sample CIN at TEN |
Flex (RB/WR/TE)
| 1. | Davante Adams GB vs. SF |
| 2. | Cooper Kupp LA at TB |
| 3. | Deebo Samuel SF at GB |
| 4. | Ja'Marr Chase CIN at TEN |
| 5. | Stefon Diggs BUF at KC |
| 6. | Mike Evans TB vs. LAR |
| 7. | *Derrick Henry TEN vs. CIN Note: Henry was practicing in pads and taking contact Tuesday. He's not officially off the IR yet, but the presumption is that he'll play. Officially official, Henry is active for this game. |
| 8. | Travis Kelce KC vs. BUF |
| 9. | A.J. Brown TEN vs. CIN |
| 10. | Tyreek Hill KC vs. BUF |
| 11. | *Aaron Jones GB vs. SF Note: Jones (knee) practiced fully Tuesday, after sitting out the regular season finale. |
| 12. | *Devin Singletary BUF at KC Note: Singletary continued his late-season lead back role by going 16-81-2 on the ground in the win over the Pats. |
| 13. | *Tee Higgins CIN at TEN Note: Higgins had only one catch on four targets in the win over the Raiders, but look for him to be more involved this upcoming week against the Titans. |
| 14. | Brandon Aiyuk SF at GB |
| 15. | *Elijah Mitchell SF at GB Note: More limited practices are likely this week to protect Mitchell's knee. |
| 16. | *Cam Akers LA at TB Note: Akers was fantastic on Monday night at times, showing burst and quick-twitch abilities you wouldn't expect to see six months after a major Achilles injury. His pass-catching ability against the Bucs will be vital. |
| 17. | Rob Gronkowski TB vs. LAR |
| 18. | *Joe Mixon CIN at TEN Note: Awful matchup for Mixon - the Titans allowed the fewest fantasy points per game to RBs during the regular season. |
| 19. | Dawson Knox BUF at KC |
| 20. | *George Kittle SF at GB Note: Kittle has just 15 targets over his last four games, as the Niners have emphasized the running game a lot more. |
| 21. | *Ke'Shawn Vaughn TB vs. LAR Note: Vaughn took over the lead back duties against the Eagles, though Gio Bernard was very active in the game plan. |
| 22. | *Sony Michel LA at TB Note: Michel is now sharing reps equally with Cam Akers, and given that Akers is probably the better pass-catcher of the two, I'm projecting Michel to be the lesser of the two backs this week. |
| 23. | Emmanuel Sanders BUF at KC |
| 24. | Gabriel Davis BUF at KC |
| 25. | *Jerick McKinnon KC vs. BUF Note: McKinnon took over the lead back duties against the Steelers and turned in a monster game, going 12-61 on the ground, and 6-6-81-1 through the air. Even if CEH returns, McKinnon will at least be part of the passing game. CEH will be back, but McKinnon should still have a significant role in the offense. |
| 26. | AJ Dillon GB vs. SF |
| 27. | Tyler Higbee LA at TB |
| 28. | *Anthony Firkser TEN vs. CIN Note: Firkser has scored in his last two games, and the Bengals are the worst remaining playoff team in defending against TE's. |
| 29. | *Giovani Bernard TB vs. LAR Note: Bernard was used in a way that many envisioned when he signed with the Bucs, catching five of seven targets for 39 yards, along with 13 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown. He was limited Wednesday, presumably to limit his workload after his first game back. Bernard had a full practice Friday and was removed from the injury list. Meanwhile, Ronald Jones has been ruled out. |
| 30. | *D'Onta Foreman TEN vs. CIN Note: Derrick Henry will be back on Saturday. |
| 31. | Julio Jones TEN vs. CIN |
| 32. | *Van Jefferson LA at TB Note: Jefferson played through a back injury on Monday night. He might have a bigger role against the Bucs, after Ben Skowronek hurt his back against the Cardinals. |
| 33. | Allen Lazard GB vs. SF |
| 34. | Tyler Boyd CIN at TEN |
| 35. | Byron Pringle KC vs. BUF |
| 36. | Cole Beasley BUF at KC |
| 37. | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine TEN vs. CIN |
| 38. | Tyler Johnson TB vs. LAR |
| 39. | Mecole Hardman KC vs. BUF |
| 40. | Jauan Jennings SF at GB |
| 41. | *Randall Cobb GB vs. SF Note: Cobb (groin) will return for Saturday's game after missing the last five weeks of the season. |
| 42. | Isaiah McKenzie BUF at KC |
Kickers
| 1. | Ryan Succop TB vs. LAR |
| 2. | Tyler Bass BUF at KC |
| 3. | *Evan McPherson CIN at TEN Note: The good news: McPherson was 4-for-4 in field goal attempts against the Raiders. The bad news: the Bengals had to settle for four field goal attempts, frequently stalling out in the red zone. |
| 4. | Randy Bullock TEN vs. CIN |
| 5. | Mason Crosby GB vs. SF |
| 6. | Harrison Butker KC vs. BUF |
| 7. | Matt Gay LA at TB |
| 8. | Robbie Gould SF at GB |
Defenses
| 1. | *Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. LAR Note: CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (hamstring) has a chance to play this week after not being able to go last week. Jason Pierre-Paul (personal) didn't practice all week and is listed as questionable. Sean Murphy-Bunting was limited all week and is listed as questionable. |
| 2. | *Los Angeles Rams at TB Note: CB David Long (knee) suffered a minor injury Monday night but is expected to play Sunday. S Taylor Rapp (concussion) is out again this week. |
| 3. | *Green Bay Packers vs. SF Note: Jaire Alexander (shoulder) was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice - he's been out since Week 4. De'Vondre Campbell (elbow) was a full go at practice after sitting out Week 18. Whitney Mercilus (biceps) and Za'Darius Smith (back) were both activated from IR, but it's unclear how much both will play Saturday night. |
| 4. | *Buffalo Bills at KC Note: DE Mario Addison is day-to-day with a shoulder injury. Addison was a full participant Friday and cleared from the injury list. |
| 5. | *Tennessee Titans vs. CIN Note: Janoris (Jackrabbit) Jenkins did not practice Wednesday to deal with a nagging ankle issue, though he did practice Tuesday. Teammate Naquan Jones (knee) returned to a full practice Tuesday after sitting out Week 18. |
| 6. | *San Francisco 49ers at GB Note: Nick Bosa is in the concussion protocol and did not practice Tuesday. LB Fred Warner (ankle) was limited on Tuesday. Bosa was cleared from the concussion protocol and will play on Saturday. |
| 7. | *Kansas City Chiefs vs. BUF Note: Willie Gay will play Sunday despite his arrest earlier in the week. |
| 8. | *Cincinnati Bengals at TEN Note: Trey Hendrickson (concussion) fully practiced on Wednesday. Teammate Larry Ogunjobi (foot) will miss the remainder of the playoffs, and fellow DT Josh Tupou (knee) will be less than 100 percent. Hendrickson was cleared to play on Thursday. |
