Table of Contents
AFC East
1. New York Jets 11-6
2. Buffalo Bills 10-7 (wild card)
3. Miami Dolphins 10-7
4. New England Patriots 4-13
Fantasy predictions
• Jets: Breece Hall wins Offensive Player of the Year and finishes as the No. 1 fantasy running back, while Garrett Wilson catches double-digit touchdowns and is a top-three wide receiver… An improved offensive line and loaded defense help an aging Aaron Rodgers lead New York to the conference championship game.
• Invoices: Josh Allen makes up for Stefon Diggs’ absence by running more, leading to another strong fantasy campaign and a top-three finish in MVP voting… James Cook loses short touchdowns to Ray Davis (and Allen), but finishes as a top-12 fantasy running back anyway… Keon Coleman disappoints by recording the fourth-most receiving yards in Buffalo, as a committee frustrates fantasy managers… Dalton Kincaid surpasses Travis Kelce and is a top-three fantasy tight end… The Bills have holes and a tough schedule, but earn a wild-card spot.
• Dolphins: De’Von Achane misses a few games but finishes in the top three in points per game. He’s a universal top-10 pick in 2025 fantasy drafts… Jaylen Wright produces multiple peak weeks thanks to Raheem Mostert’s age… Jaylen Waddle is closer to Tyreek Hill in fantasy scoring in 2024, while Jonnu Smith is a top-20 tight end… Miami was 10-0 against teams that didn’t make the postseason last year but just 1-5 against playoff teams. It falls just short of the playoffs in 2024 with still Another end of season collapse.
• Patriots:Drake Maye finishes as a top-15 fantasy QB in points per game despite a horrible situation in New England… Hunter Henry is the Patriots’ most valuable fantasy pass catcher, while Rhamondre Stevenson disappoints thanks to one of the league’s worst offensive lines… New England enters as an underdog in every matchup and with The most difficult schedule in the leagueso it is a threat to win the least amount of games this year.
AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens 10-7
2. Cincinnati Bengals 10-7 (wild card)
3. Cleveland Browns 9-8
4. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-9
Fantasy predictions
• Crows: Derrick Henry leads NFL in rushing touchdowns at age 30, while Lamar Jackson has potential for more passing after MVP campaign; Baltimore trails only 38 works during second halves last season (not counting Week 18), when the Ravens’ putback rate went from the ninth-highest in the first half to the lowest in the second (H/T Mr. Reebs) …Baltimore is on the verge of regression and Lost a lot of staff from last year (including DC Mike Macdonald), but the Ravens repeat as division champions.
• Flares: Joe Burrow continues to labor further down the stretch, failing to match his ADP with so many other dual-threat QBs as competition… Chase Brown edges out Zack Moss, but it’s still a frustrating committee for fantasy managers… Ja’Marr Chase isn’t a top-five fantasy wide receiver in 2024… Questions surround the Bengals with Burrow coming off major surgery and Chase holding on, but they remain loaded with talent and get a last-place schedule, ultimately leading to a wild-card spot.
• Browns: Deshaun Watson still looks like the worst contract in the league, but David Njoku finishes as a top-five fantasy tight end… Nick Chubb isn’t 100% after finally returning, leading to a committee and upset fantasy managers… Cleveland has a solid roster, but its quarterback is keeping it from making the postseason.
• Steelworkers: George Pickens surpasses Another difficult situation with the quarterback to finish as a top-20 fantasy wide receiver… Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren lose some work to Cordarrelle Patterson, while Justin Fields finishes as a top-five fantasy QB for several weeks… In a tough division, Mike Tomlin Finally produces a losing season.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans 11-6
2. Indianapolis Colts 9-8
3. Jacksonville Jaguars 8-9
4. Tennessee Titans 5-12
Fantasy predictions
• Texans: CJ Stroud, who likely played through multiple concussions during his underrated rookie season, finishes as the runner-up in MVP voting… Nico Collins is a top-10 fantasy WR, beating out Puka Nacua, Drake London, Chris Olave, Davante Adams, Mike Evans and Jaylen Waddle (who are all ranked higher in Yahoo drafts)… Tank Dell scores more fantasy points per game than Stefon Diggs, while Cam Akers is a deep fantasy player… Houston is a touted team, but now is the time to get a star QB on a rookie contract. The Texans also need to be healthier after leading the league in major player injuries according to the Texans. FTN Adjusted Game Loss NumbersThe coaching position is a real unknown, but Houston is a real threat to win the Super Bowl in 2024.
• Foals: Anthony Richardson is an inconsistent passer, but he gets wild and scores the most fantasy points per game among quarterbacks… Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in YPC and finishes second in rushing, while Michael Pittman doesn’t live up to his ADP… The Colts have good coaching and an elite offensive line, but they fall short of a wild-card berth.
• Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence never becomes The prince that was promised to us but he’s a top-15 fantasy QB despite OC Press Taylor … Travis Etienne isn’t a top-12 running back as Jacksonville moves forward with its plan to ease his workload … Evan Engram is outclassed by David Njoku, while Brian Thomas Jr. is the Jaguars’ top fantasy receiver through the second half of the season.
• Titans: Tyjae Spears passes Tony Pollard, while DeAndre Hopkins passes Calvin Ridley… It is not yet clear exactly What will Levis be like? Adapts to new coach Brian Callahan’s offensebut The man with fragrance The figures will remain Super aggressive Either way, Levis attempted as many deep passes as Stroud last season. Only nine games as a rookie … The Titans will miss Mike Vrabel, but they should be a fun fantasy team as their offense will be dramatically different from last year’s 30th-place finish in pass rate over expectations.
AFC West
1. Kansas City Chiefs 12-5
2. Los Angeles Chargers 10-7 (wild card)
3. Las Vegas Raiders 6-11
4. Denver Broncos 5-12
Fantasy predictions
• Bosses: Patrick Mahomes throws for the most touchdowns and wins MVP, helping the Chiefs become the first team to win three straight Super Bowls… Isiah Pacheco isn’t living up to his ADP, losing passing work to Samaje Perine and short touchdowns to Carson Steele… Travis Kelce misses multiple games as he prepares for another postseason run… Xavier Worthy is a top-30 fantasy wide receiver (third among rookies), while Rashee Rice is a top-15.
• Chargers: Justin Herbert Throws less under Jim Harbaughbut posts career-best YPA… Kimani Vidal eventually joins Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in a Chargers backfield that spreads out fantasy points… Josh Palmer is a fantasy player who outscores rookie Ladd McConkey and finishes as a top-30 wide receiver… Harbaugh and a very favorable calendar help Los Angeles earn the final wild-card spot.
• Raiders: Zamir White is a fantasy disappointment, but Brock Bowers outscores Jake Ferguson… Jakobi Meyers is a better ADP investment compared to Davante Adams, who is a midseason trade threat… Maxx Crosby wins Defensive Player of the Year, but the Raiders can’t overcome the league’s worst quarterback situation.
• Broncos: Bo Nix proves to be a bargain in Superflex drafts, while Courtland Sutton far exceeds his ADP… Jaleel McLaughlin and Greg Dulcich are sleepers, but Javonte Williams is Denver’s top fantasy target; Williams finishes among top 20 fantasy backs Thanks to Sean Payton …The Broncos remain in rebuilding mode in 2024.
NFC preview coming soon.
