O'Connell, Tagovailoa among 5 must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 14

MIAMI, Dec. 6 (UPI) -- Aidan O'Connell and Tua Tagovailoa are among my five must-start fantasy football quarterbacks for Week 14.

Josh Allen leads my Top-20 quarterback rankings, which are below. Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Jalen Hurts and Sam Darnold are among my other Top-5 plays. Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, Patrick Mahomes, Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray round out my Top 10.

My Week 14 running back and wide receiver rankings remain available for your preparation. My free-agent targets article is available here. My positional rankings will continue to be updated for developments, including injuries.

Will Levis joins Herbert, Darnold, Tagovailoa and O'Connell among my must-start options. Several streaming options also can be found within my rankings.

Players from the Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Washington Commanders should be benched, as those teams have Week 14 byes. Jordan Love and Jared Goff, who played in Thursday's Green Bay Packers-Detroit Lions game, were removed from my rankings.

Each of my must-start options land inside the Top 14 of my quarterback rankings.

Sam Darnold

Darnold was a Top-10 quarterback, in terms of fantasy points per game, through the first 13 weeks of the season. He threw multiple touchdown passes in five of his last six starts. He also eclipsed 230 passing yards in each of his last seven appearances.

This week, Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings will face an Atlanta Falcons defense that allowed the eighth-most fantasy points and tied for allowing the third-most passing touchdowns (1.8) per game to quarterbacks so far this season.

The Falcons also surrendered multiple touchdown passes to quarterbacks in seven of their last 11 games. Darnold should easily produce mid-range QB1 statistics in what I expect to be a shootout Sunday in Minneapolis. He is my No. 5 play.

Tua Tagovailoa

Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are set to face what has again been a stingy New York Jets pass defense in Week 14, but that secondary could be without injured star cornerback Sauce Gardner, who is dealing with a hamstring injury and carries a doubtful designation into the game.

If Gardner sits out -- or is limited by his injury -- I expect Tagovailoa to provide fantasy football QB1 value Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

The Dolphins quarterback threw for a season-high 365 yards in Week 13. He also threw multiple touchdown passes in four of his last five starts, including in each of his last three appearances. Look for Tagovailoa to total at least 250 passing yards and two scores. He is my No. 6 play.

Justin Herbert

Herbert sits directly under Tagovailoa, at No. 7 in my Week 14 quarterback rankings. The Los Angeles Chargers star failed to throw a touchdown pass in each of his last two starts, but I expect a rebound this week in what should be another high-scoring matchup.

The Chargers are set to take on the Kansas City Chiefs, who just allowed 340 yards and two scores to Aidan O'Connell in Week 13. They also allowed Bryce Young to throw for 263 yards in Week 12.

Look for Herbert to find the end zone several times in what could be an AFC West division thriller Sunday night in Kansas City, Mo.

Will Levis

Levis was among my waiver-wire targets for Week 14. The Tennessee Titans passer, who sits at No. 11 in my rankings, can be plugged in as a low-end QB1 streamer because of his recent production and a good matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Levis threw multiple touchdown passes in three of his last four starts. He also has established a connection with wide receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, who found the end zone eight times over his last eight appearances.

Levis, who eclipsed 275 passing yards in two of his last three starts, should find space for spirals again against a Jaguars secondary that allowed the most fantasy points and passing yards (284.2) and tied for allowing the most passing touchdowns (2.0) per game to opposing quarterbacks through 13 weeks.

Aidan O'Connell

O'Connell, who threw for the most yards of his career in Week 13, likely won't reach that mark again in Week 14, but is another player worth a look as a streaming candidate.

The Las Vegas Raiders passer provided the 12th-most fantasy points among quarterbacks in the Raiders' narrow loss Sunday to the Chiefs.

This week, O'Connell and the Raiders will face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense that allowed the second-most fantasy points and third-most passing yards (275.7) and tied for allowing the third-most passing scores (1.8) per game to quarterbacks through 13 weeks.

The Buccaneers' stretch of generosity included allowing 298 yards to Bryce Young in Week 13 and 353 yards and two scores to Brock Purdy in Week 10. They also allowed multiple passing scores to quarterbacks in five of their last eight appearances.

O'Connell should easily eclipse 250 passing yards and could breach Top 10 production if he finds the end zone multiple times. He is my No. 12 play.

Week 14 fantasy football quarterback rankings

1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills at LAR

2. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals at DAL

3. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. LV

4. Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles vs. CAR

5. Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings vs. ATL

6. Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins vs. NYJ

7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers at KC

8. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs vs. LAC

9. Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears at SF

10. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals vs. SEA

11. Will Levis, Tennessee Titans vs. JAX

12. Aidan O'Connell, Las Vegas Raiders at TB

13. Jameis Winston Cleveland Browns at PIT

14. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers vs. CHI

15. Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons at MIN

16. Aaron Rodgers, New York Jets at MIA

17. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams vs. BUF

18. Russell Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers vs. CLE

19. Cooper Rush, Dallas Cowboys vs. CIN

20. Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks at ARI