Editor's Note:
References to player rankings are based on ESPN's scoring system.
AFC East
Buffalo Bills:LeSean
McCoy will help Sammy
Watkins. Even with the brutal quarterback play last season
from Buffalo, Watkins was 25th in fantasy scoring at the wide
receiver position despite the fact he posted ten games with three
or less catches. He should get better this year now that McCoy
is in the mix. True, the Bills are still hoping for lightning
in a bottle with their current crop of quarterbacks, but even
with that issue and a run-first Rex Ryan as the team’s coach,
Watkins is far too talented to see a drop in production.
Miami Dolphins:Ryan
Tannehill may not improve this season. The fourth-year quarterback
has made steady progress in each season, and there’s a lot of
hope that he’ll take another step this year. But of the five players
he targeted most in 2014, four of them are gone. Relying on so
many new faces is a lot to ask of any quarterback.
Blount won't win any PPR league awards
but does have double-digit TD upside in the Pats offense.
New England Patriots:LeGarrette
Blount produces when given the chance. The 250 lb. runner
has never carved out a place for himself, which seems odd given
his ability. Yet when the opportunity arises, Blount has always
produced. He is averaging 4.6 YPC in his career, and in the three
seasons in which he’s had at least 150 carries, Blount has averaged
5.0 YPC in two of those seasons.
New York Jets:Brandon
Marshall is now a WR2. While still able to make plenty of
plays, Marshall has come into a bad situation with the Jets having
issues at quarterback. Marshall has never been a touchdown machine,
scoring double-digit touchdowns only three times in his career,
including twice in the last three seasons. Without Jay
Cutler constantly winging it to him, Marshall is much less
of a fantasy factor.
AFC West
Denver Broncos:Demaryius
Thomas will be the league’s top fantasy wideout. This is not
exactly a shocking prediction, and there’s reason for that. Thomas
not only has the physical tools, but the opportunity as well.
He had 184 targets last year and caught 111 of those balls, but
just 11 went for scores. However, the Broncos no longer have TE
Julius
Thomas, so while Demaryius Thomas probably isn’t going to
see more targets and could see a regression in his insane amount
of redzone targets from a year ago (39), even a modest increase
in his redzone efficiency will more than offset any opportunity
decrease.
Kansas City Chiefs:Jeremy
Maclin’s numbers will drop sharply. The Missouri product picked
a very good time to put up the best numbers of his career, gaining
over 1,300 yards with 10 touchdowns last season in Philadelphia.
He signed with the Chiefs this offseason, which should mean far
lesser numbers. Maclin went from a high-flying system in Philly
to a Jamaal-Charles oriented one in K.C., and now plays with a
quarterback in Alex
Smith that has never seen a dump-off pass he didn’t love.
Oakland Raiders: Don’t be afraid
of Derek
Carr. The quarterback from Fresno State had a surprisingly
good year in 2014, with 3,200 passing yards and 21 touchdowns
to go with only 12 picks. He did all this without much of a running
game and few real weapons in the passing game. Carr will now be
able to throw to rookie Amari Cooper, the fourth overall draft
pick who should make an immediate contribution. Carr shouldn’t
be anyone’s QB1 just yet, but he will be in time.
San Diego Chargers:Melvin
Gordon will be a top-10 running back. For three consecutive
seasons a rookie has been among the top-10 in fantasy scoring
at running back. Gordon is primed to make it four straight years.
His situation is a good one, playing behind an established quarterback
with veteran receivers to throw to and very little in the way
of backfield competition.
NFC North
Baltimore Ravens:Justin
Forsett was not a fluke. Forsett had a remarkable 2014 season,
with over 1,200 rushing yards, a YPC average of 5.4 and eight
scores. He has been a good runner his entire career, just in smaller
doses. Forsett has had four seasons with a YPC average of at least
5.2 and is also a solid pass-catcher, making him a valuable fantasy
commodity.
Cincinnati Bengals:Andy
Dalton is more productive than you think. Dalton was awful
last season, and there is no denying that, but Dalton had nearly
4,300 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2013, placing him fifth among
quarterbacks in fantasy scoring that year. He ranked 12th in scoring
in 2012 and even made the top-15 in scoring during his rookie
season of 2011.
Cleveland Browns:Isaiah
Crowell will be the team’s top fantasy performer. This wasn’t
a very difficult choice, because there happens to be very little
to choose from in Cleveland, unless anyone still believes in Dwayne
Bowe. Last season, Crowell led the team in YPC average (4.1)
and did the one thing that will make fantasy owners love you –
score touchdowns (he led the team with eight).
Pittsburgh Steelers:Martavis
Bryant will start the season as a WR2. Bryant bust onto the
scene last year with six touchdowns in his first four games. He
ended the regular season quietly, though he did score in Week
17 and in the wildcard game against Baltimore. Right now Bryant
is thought of as a WR4 or WR3 at best, but look for his ADP to
continue to rise as the season gets closer.
NFC South
Houston Texans:Arian
Foster cannot be stopped. The Texans don’t have much of a
quarterback. Some might say they don’t have one at all. That’s
usually bad news for a team’s running back but Foster is seemingly
a different breed, having amassed double-digit touchdowns in every
season in which he’s played more than eight games (which is four
of the last five). His injury history is concerning, but he remains
a worthy top-10 pick.
Indianapolis Colts:Andre
Johnson will be renewed. The veteran wideout had his least
productive season in 2014 (not including seasons marred by injury).
He had fewer than 1,000 receiving yards and just three touchdowns,
making his fantasy prospects for 2015 seem dim. But now with Andrew
Luck, fantasy owners should expect more. Much more. He’ll
be the team’s number two wideout, but the Colts throw it early
and often (661 pass attempts last season, most in the NFL), so
there will be plenty of opportunities for Johnson to post better
numbers than he did last year.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars
have zero draftable fantasy players. That’s correct – there is
not a single Jaguars player who owners in standard leagues should
have on their roster. That includes Julius Thomas. If he can disappear
from fantasy radars on a Peyton
Manning-led team, he can certainly be invisible on one led
by Blake
Bortles.
Tennessee Titans: Pass on Marcus
Mariota. The rookie from Oregon will probably be drafted way
too high because he has the ability to rack up fantasy points
with his legs. While it’s possible Mariota has a decent season,
it seems unlikely. The Titans finished in the bottom third in
most running game stats last season (scoring only 6 rushing TDs)
and have an average receiving corps, which will make the rookie’s
transition to the NFL that much more difficult.
