AFC South
Houston Texans (11-5)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks*Total offense:* 11th
Passing: 17th
Rushing: 8th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Deshaun Watson -- 4,165 yards, 26 TD, 9 INT (QB5)
Rushing:Lamar Miller -- 973 yards, 5 TD (RB23/RB24)
Receiving:DeAndre Hopkins -- 1,572 yards, 11 TD (WR4/WR4)
What went right:Deshaun Watson's mind-blowing rookie season had some fantasy enthusiasts ranking him as the second quarterback off the board after Aaron Rodgers. Things started slowly when the interception bug that Watson avoided for much of 2017 found him early in 2018. The young quarterback found his stride beginning in Week 7 and threw just two picks the remainder of the season to finish in the top five at his position. Lamar Miller's overall finish won't get many people excited but there were weeks where he was a quality RB2 and in many ways exceeded preseason expectations. In other news, DeAndre Hopkins continued being awesome and will likely be the consensus first receiver off the board in drafts this summer.
What went wrong: Aside from Hopkins, the Texans struggled to find any other consistent offensive options. Will Fuller was a big play weapon until he tore his ACL -- the second time in as many seasons that an injury cut his year short. Rookie Keke Coutee made an immediate splash but failed to maintain that production as he battled hamstring injuries. A mid-season trade with the Broncos brought Demaryius Thomas to Houston but he was a non-factor before eventually suffering a season-ending injury and being released.
What needs to improve: Health might be the biggest factor in the Texans becoming more of a fount for fantasy production in 2019. Can Will Fuller stay on the field for a full 16 games -- something that he hasn't yet accomplished? That, and the further development of Coutee could take the Texans passing game to the next level. Miller has been a decent option at running back but Houston could see if D'Onta Foreman is fully recovered from the Achilles injury that limited him for much of the season. It's not hard to envision this offense exploding in 2019.
Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 5th
Passing: 6th
Rushing: 20th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Andrew Luck -- 4,593 yards, 39 TD, 15 INT (QB6)
Rushing:Marlon Mack -- 908 yards, 9 TD (RB20/RB23)
Receiving:T.Y. Hilton -- 1,270 yards, 6 TD (WR11/WR13)
What went right:Andrew Luck, Andrew Luck, and Andrew Luck. The football world waited for the past two seasons for the Colts franchise quarterback to return but still we wondered whether his surgically repaired shoulder would be ready to go. It was a reasonable concern after the misdirection run by the franchise over the past two years. Turns out, everything was just fine. Luck finished the season top five in passing yards and touchdowns and re-assumed his spot among the NFL's elite quarterbacks.
Eric Ebron was a thing! We're just as shocked as you. After never living up to his potential during a four-year stay in Detroit, the tight end turned into a touchdown machine in Indy, snagging 13 touchdown receptions and running for another score. The Colts also began to unlock the potential of running back Marlon Mack, pushing him to more than 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns in his second season.
What went wrong: The Colts pass-catching weapons consisted of Ebron, T.Y. Hilton and ... not much else. Chester Rogers, Nyheim Hines, and Ryan Grant combined for fewer receiving yards and touchdowns than Hilton alone. While fantasy managers like concentrated passing games, it's apparent that Luck was trying to find other targets but couldn't identify another one consistently.
What needs to improve: For years, the answer to this question has been "offensive line" but in 2018, that was one of the Colts' biggest strengths. If there's an area in which Indy needs to improve in 2019, it's finding more wide receiver help to put around T.Y. Hilton -- a need that could be filled in the draft.
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 31st
Passing: 26th
Rushing: 19th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Blake Bortles -- 2,718, 13 TD, 11 INT (QB24)
Rushing:Leonard Fournette -- 439 yards, 5 TD (RB35/RB39)
Receiving:Dede Westbrook -- 717 yards, 5 TD (WR28/WR28)
What went right: In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one half away from playing in the Super Bowl. That brought expectations in 2018. They were not met. But if you squint really hard, there were some positives to be found offensively for the club. Much was asked of TJ Yeldon and he did a reasonably good job, leading the team with 901 scrimmage yards. After Marqise Lee was lost in the preseason with a knee injury, that opened the door for a gaggle of receivers to shoulder the load. The player that emerged was Dede Westbrook with just over 700 yards on 66 receptions.
What went wrong: There wasn't much good in Jacksonville, but there was plenty of bad. Blake Bortles regressed mightily after a promising 2017. Leonard Fournette continued to battle the injury bug and compounded his issues by admitting late in the year that he could have been in better shape. The offense finished the year as one of the NFL's worst outfits and was generally avoided at all costs by fantasy enthusiasts.
What needs to improve: Pretty much everything. There is a major expectation that a change is coming at quarterback, but who the signal caller will be in 2019 is anyone's guess right now. Fournette and Jaguars executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin met after the season to discuss what went wrong in 2018 to avoid a repeat performance. Having a healthy Lee would be a boon to the receiving corps that is full of young playmakers but this is an offense still in need of a true No. 1 at the position.
Tennessee Titans (9-7)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 27th
Passing: 29th
Rushing: 6th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Marcus Mariota -- 2,528 yards, 11 TD, 8 INT (QB22)
Rushing:Derrick Henry -- 1,059 yards, 12 TD (RB13/RB16)
Receiving:Corey Davis -- 891 yards, 4 TD (WR25/WR26)
What went right: The Titans ran the football. Then they ran it some more. Then they ran it even more. That was the crux of Tennessee's offense in 2018. Early in the season, it was Dion Lewis doing much of the damage. Late in the year, the focus turned to Derrick Henry, whose end-of-the-year surge likely helped a lot of fantasy managers win their leagues. As for the passing game ... well, Corey Davis had two really nice weeks. That was about it.
What went wrong: The Titans could never get their aerial attack going. Some of it had to do with the loss of Delanie Walker. The veteran tight end fractured is ankle in the season opener and sat out the rest of the year. A lot of the problem might have been owed to quarterback Marcus Mariota's lingering elbow issues. Mariota missed a pair of games and played injured in a few others. As a result, he finished with the lowest yardage and touchdown totals of his career. It probably also didn't help that Tennessee fielded one of the NFL's most lackluster receiver groups. All of that added up to a passing game that fell flat.
What needs to improve: The Titans could certainly use some good health in 2019 but they'll also need to learn a new offensive system. Offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur left to take the Packers head coaching job with tight ends coach Arthur Smith getting the promotion to OC. It will be interesting to see if this means Henry becomes a workhorse back or if the Titans will stay with a committee approach. Regardless, any energy pumped into the passing game would be a welcome sight.
