NFC East
Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks*Total offense:* 22nd
Passing: 23rd
Rushing: 10th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Dak Prescott -- 3,885 yards, 22 TD, 8 INT (QB15)
Rushing:Ezekiel Elliott -- 1,434 yards, 6 TD (RB5/RB5)
Receiving:Amari Cooper -- 725 yards, 6 TD (WR18/WR17)
What went right: No surprise that things were alright with Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys star was in the conversation to be the 1.01 pick in 2018 drafts and he delivered with more than 2,000 scrimmage yards. But it was a midseason trade that defined much of Dallas' season. The Cowboys engineered a deal with Oakland for wide receiver Amari Cooper, who would inject energy into a lifeless wide receiver corps. The former Raider led the team in receiving yards and helped boost Dak Prescott's overall production down the stretch.
What went wrong: Before Cooper's arrival, there wasn't much of a passing game in Dallas. The duo of Cole Beasley and rookie Michael Gallup wasn't getting the job done and Prescott's game suffered because of it. The Cowboys entered the season with a battle royale at tight end and while Blake Jarwin led that group in rushing yards, no one asserted themselves at the position.
What needs to improve: Having Cooper on the roster for a full season will do a lot to boost the passing game in 2019. But it'll be incumbent on the offensive line to protect Prescott better. The 'Boys allowed 56 sacks last season, second only to the Houston Texans. Through it all, this offense has the makings of a nice fantasy option next season.
New York Giants (5-11(
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 16th
Passing: 11th
Rushing: 24th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Eli Manning -- 4,299 yards, 21 TD, 11 INT (QB16)
Rushing:Saquon Barkley -- 1,307 yards, 11 TD (RB2/RB3)
Receiving:Odell Beckham, Jr. -- 1.052 yards, 6 TD (WR14/WR14)
What went right: Big things were expected of Saquon Barkley after the Giants took him second overall. Barkley met, and exceeded, those expectations with an historic rookie season. Not only did the Penn State product top 1,300 rushing yards but he also led the team with 91 receptions and added another 721 yards as a pass-catcher and a total of 15 touchdowns. This offense wasn't great but it's a wonder where it would have been without Saquon.
What went wrong: Did I mention that the rest of the offense wasn't great? Big Blue's middling overall finish belies an attack that couldn't generate much unless it ran through its rookie running back. Odell Beckham's "average" 1,052-yard season in 12 games (missed the final three with a quad injury) was a disappointment for an elite wideout. Eli Manning appears to be holding on to the starting job entering 2019, though it's fair to really wonder why.
What needs to improve: Manning justifiably takes a lot of the heat for a passing game that seemed to be more horizontal than vertical at times, but the offensive line deserves quite a bit of blame as well. After a mediocre output in 2017, this group was arguably worse in 2018 -- despite the front office's efforts to revamp the unit in the offseason. Trade rumors have swirled around Beckham in recent months but while moving him might placate some wounded egos, it would make an already bad passing game appreciably worse.
Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 18th
Passing: 7th
Rushing: 28th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Carson Wentz -- 3,074 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT (QB21)
Rushing:Josh Adams -- 511 yards, 3 TD (RB52/RB63)
Receiving:Zach Ertz -- 1,163 yards, 8 TD (TE2/TE2)
What went right: What went right for the Eagles from a fantasy perspective begins and ends with Zach Ertz. The tight end had been notorious in fantasy circles for not showing up until the last few weeks of the season. In 2018, Ertz got going early and never really slowed down on his way to being second at the position to only Travis Kelce. With the extreme lack of depth at tight end last season, Ertz's breakout made plenty of people look like geniuses.
What went wrong:Carson Wentz returned from a knee injury that ended his rookie season but never recaptured the magic that made him a 2017 NFL MVP candidate. Eventually Wentz's season would end early again -- this time because of a back injury. The Eagles receivers struggled to make impacts. Nelson Agholor wasn't the fantasy darling he became the year before, Alshon Jeffery disappeared for a long stretch and a midseason trade for Golden Tate never paid off. The running game was even worse with Philadelphia cycling through a throng of backs that never produced consistently.
What needs to improve: The Eagles -- and fantasy managers, alike -- would like to see a full season from Wentz. But he'll need to be healthy and on the same page with his receivers, which didn't really happen last year. The Eagles will also need to find a consistent running back, however, that player might not currently be on the Philadelphia roster.
Washington Redskins (7-9)
2018 Team Offensive Ranks
Total offense: 29th
Passing: 28th
Rushing: 17th
Statistical Leaders (Final positional ranking/PPR ranks)
Passing:Alex Smith -- 2,180 yards, 10 TD, 5 INT (QB29)
Rushing:Adrian Peterson -- 1,042 yards, 7 TD (RB15/RB17)
Receiving:Jordan Reed -- 558 yards, 2 TD (TE16/TE14)
What went right: At 33 years old, Adrian Peterson proved that he can still be productive. At least for part of the season. The veteran running back wasn't expected to play a large role for Washington but was asked to once again be a workhorse after rookie Derrius Guice suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason. While Peterson wasn't the same player he had been in his prime with the Vikings, he exceeded expectations in an otherwise poor offense. Oh, and Jordan Reed stayed (mostly) healthy.
What went wrong: That point about health was important. In addition to Guice, receiver Paul Richardson went on injured reserve halfway through the season with a bad shoulder. Running back Chris Thompson missed six games with a rib injury and most of the offensive line missed time with various injuries. But Washington's biggest injury might have been quarterback Alex Smith, who suffered a gruesome leg injury that threatens to keep him out for all of 2019.
What needs to improve: Having a healthy Guice, Richardson, and Thompson in 2019 will be a boost to the offense but a very large question looms at quarterback. Washington went with Mark Sanchez, Colt McCoy, and Josh Johnson at the position last season. Neither is going to raise pulses next season but with so much money committed to Smith, the team is very limited in its options.
