Monday Night Fantasy Football Start Decisions and Rankings: DeVonta Smith, Omarion Hampton, Quentin Johnston and More

Week 14 of the NFL regular season wraps up with a Monday night battle between the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. Let's break down the top fantasy football players from the contest.

Check back in a bit for a DFS lineup for tonight's contest.

Use the FantasySP start/sit tool for help with any last-minute lineup decisions.

Quarterbacks

Jalen Hurts will lead the Eagles into battle, while the Chargers hope to have Justin Herbert, who is on the injury report with a left hand injury. Herbert is expected to play, but Trey Lance would get the start if Herbert cannot go.

The injury to Herbert complicates things from a fantasy perspective. If you have both of these quarterbacks, Hurts is definitely the one you want to be starting.

I had Hurts ranked third in my week 14 quarterback fantasy rankings. Herbert was 13th, but would have been higher if not for the injury concern.

It's a slightly below-average matchup for Herbert, while being a very tough test for Hurts. Things would be interesting if Herbert is cleared and you could choose Hurts or Herbert tonight, but I'd still give Hurts the edge.

Herbert is just too much of a risk with the injury concern. He very well could outscore Hurts, but I like the dual-threat Eagles' QB more.

Running Backs

Another notable injury going into the game is LA running back Omarion Hampton. He hasn't played in several weeks because of an ankle injury, but he's expected back tonight.

Saquon Barkley will power the Eagles. Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley are the top RB backups in Philly, while Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson are there for the Chargers.

Barkley was my No. 11 PPR running back going into week 14. Hampton (or Vidal) was at No. 20 - Hampton gets that spot if he is active, while Vidal would if Hampton isn't active.

The matchup for the Chargers' backs is pretty favorable, while the Eagles' backs have a slightly below-average test ahead. 

Barkley is still my favorite fantasy back from this contest, but I'd also want to be starting Hampton or Vidal. With Herbert banged up, and in a good matchup, the lead Chargers' back (or both) could deliver good fantasy results tonight.

If Hampton plays, I'd take him after Barkley for tonight's game. Vidal would be third, followed by Bigsby. It's a coin flip between Patterson and Shipley, but I'd lean toward Patterson.

If Hampton is out, Vidal replaces Hampton as the No. 2 back from tonight's game. Patterson would jump to third, and be followed by Bigsby and Shipley.

Wide Receivers

All of the receivers on each active roster are cleared to play tonight.

Ladd McConkey leads the Chargers, with help from Quentin Johnston and Keenan Allen. Tre' Harris also is worth mentioning. 

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are the top-two wideouts for Philly. Jahan Dotson is WR3, but not super involved.

Brown is my top-ranked wideout from tonight's game - he was No. 12 coming into the week. McConkey checked in 18th, while Smith was 23rd. No other wideouts from tonight's game made my top-30 list.

The matchup for the Chargers' wide receivers is just below average, while the Eagles' wideouts have the toughest matchup possible.

After Brown, McConkey and Smith, I like Johnston next, but more so in deeper leagues. Allen would be a step below Johnston. Harris and Dotson are fairly close, but I'd try Harris before Dotson, even though he's lower on the depth chart.

Tight Ends

Oronde Gadsden is the top Chargers' tight end. Dallas Goedert leads the Eagles. No other tight ends are worth mentioning - if you are considering them, they rank below everyone else mentioned in this article.

Gadsden has a very tough matchup against the Chargers tonight, while Goedert has just a slightly better matchup. Both have lower fantasy outlooks as a result.

They rank back-to-back in my week 14 tight end rankings, sitting 15th (Goedert) and 16th (Gadsden). It's a coin flip between the two, but Goedert gets the edge with less pass catchers to deal with, and a slightly better matchup.

Both tight ends are flex options, but in the tougher tests, I'd do my best to avoid both guys tonight.

Defenses/Special Teams

The Eagles DST is projected for eight fantasy points tonight, while the Chargers DST is set for six. 

Philly is being started in 44% of leagues, while Los Angeles is starting in 27% of leagues. 

Both offenses are capable of going off, so their own percentages make a lot of sense. I too prefer the Eagles DST, but it's very close.

If Herbert doesn't play, Philly should be the easy choice between these DSTs. I see both as just average fantasy options otherwise.

Kickers

Jake Elliott kicks for the Eagles, while Cameron Dicker is the kicker for the Chargers.

Both kickers are projected for seven fantasy points tonight. Elliott is starting in 35% of leagues, while Dicker is at 81%.

Dicker is 26-of-28 on his field goals and he's perfect on his 27 extra point tries. Elliott has made 12 of his 16 field goals and 30 of his 31 extra points.

I prefer Dicker between the two, but also wouldn't be surprised if Elliott scores more fantasy points tonight. 

The over/under tonight is set at 41.5 points, so a lower-scoring game is expected. Both kickers should have chances to score, and it's really a toss up as to who the top guy will be.

Trending Start Decisions

There's a ton of trending decisions on the FantasySP start/sit tool, so let's run through them to let you know what fantasy owners are doing. My rankings are listed in the next section, so you can see where I stand.

McConkey is preferred over Smith, but both are starting in 65% of leagues. Fantasy owners like McConkey over Hampton, with both starting in 30% of leagues - those numbers could change if Hampton is eventually set as active.

Goedert is the preferred TE between him and Gadsden - both are starting 20% of the time still. Barkley is preferred over Hampton, but both are starting 29% of the time - I'd expect that both percentage to rise if Hampton ends up playing.

The Eagles DST is preferred over the Chargers DST. Fantasy owners like Hampton over Vidal, with both starting just 3% of the time - only in deeper leagues should you consider playing both backs tonight. 

McConkey is preferred over Vidal by a wide margin, but both are starting 25% of the time - that could change if Hampton is cleared. Brown is being started over Smith, with both Eagle wideouts starting a whopping 78% of the time.

Barkley is starting over McConkey, but 89% of fantasy owners are starting both guys tonight. Johnston is preferred over Vidal, with both starting 15% of the time - again, those numbers likely will change if Hampton is active.

Johnston is also being taken over Allen, with both LA receivers starting 23% of the time. Gadsden is preferred over Johnston, with both starting just 9% of the time - this decision is the first one that's truly surprised me.

Smith is starting by a wide margin over Hampton, with both starting 33% of the time. Smith is an even bigger favorite over Vidal, with both starting 37% of the time. Those numbers should change if Hampton suits up.

Barkley is being started over Brown, but both are being started 87% of the time. Hampton is barely preferred over Goedert, with both starting in 25% of leagues.

Offensive Overall Rankings (OP or Flex Spots)

1. Jalen Hurts

2. Justin Herbert 

3. Saquon Barkley 

4. A.J. Brown

5. Omarion Hampton 

6. Ladd McConkey

7. DeVonta Smith 

8. Quentin Johnston

9. Kimani Vidal

10. Dallas Goedert

11. Oronde Gadsden

12. Keenan Allen

13. Tank Bigsby

14. Tre' Harris

15. Jahan Dotson

16. Jaret Patterson

17. Will Shipley

If Lance starts over Herbert, Lance would rank between Smith and Vidal.

If Hampton isn't active, Vidal would replace Hampton in the rankings, then Patterson would jump between Allen and Bigsby.