Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Roster Reset: AFC

Published: May 20, 2020 at 08:40 PM

Marcas Grant

Fantasy Analyst

We've virtually gone through the entire NFL offseason. By that, I mean we've done all of it virtually. Free agency. The draft. Schedule release. All of it done while keeping our distance. This is the world we currently live in. But there's one place you can see a bunch of players grouped together -- depth charts! Now that teams have made most of their roster-building moves, I've done my best to put together the list of fantasy relevant players on every roster. Of course, we'll get a better idea once teams put out their official(ly unofficial) depth charts later this summer. But for now, hopefully this gives you an idea of who's who when you start to put together your fantasy draft big boards.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

Outlook: John Elway has made a distinct push to validate Drew Lock as his quarterback of the future. Adding Melvin Gordon in free agency while drafting Jerry Jeudy and Albert Okwuegbunam to insert into a young, talented offensive framework makes Lock a sleeper prospects in more forward-looking formats. Overall, Denver now boasts an attack that could sport a number of productive fantasy gems.

Kansas City Chiefs

Outlook: The Chiefs have arguably been the NFL's most fearsome offense in the past couple of years. Adding versatile rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire gives Patrick Mahomes another weapon to dazzle opposing defenses. The wide receiver corps still resembles a track team with Mecole Hardman poised to take a larger target share. The gap may have closed between Travis Kelce and George Kittle, but the former is still likely to be the first tight end drafted in most leagues.

Los Angeles Chargers

Outlook: The last time someone other than Philip Rivers started a game at quarterback for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers, YouTube was was a brand new platform and Blu-Ray hadn't been released in America. This year, the Bolts will roll with Tyrod Taylor or rookie Justin Herbert under center. The good news is the Chargers return a steady and productive group of pass-catchers. With Melvin Gordon in Denver, Austin Ekeler's role should increase with Justin Jackson and rookie Joshua Kelley battling for touches behind him.

Las Vegas Raiders

Outlook: The Raiders will open their new digs in Las Vegas this season and could christen a new city with a quarterback battle after signing free agent Marcus Mariota in the offseason. In desperate need of wide receiver help, the team made speedster Henry Ruggs the first wideout drafted in the hopes that he can give the offense another playmaker. After standout campaigns in 2019, Josh Jacobs and Darren Waller will be looking for an encore.

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

Outlook: The Bills are making sure Josh Allen has plenty of help in 2020. Buffalo traded to acquire receiver Stefon Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. Then they drafted University of Utah running back Zack Moss to fill the void left by free agent Frank Gore. The biggest question remains Allen himself. While he's proven to be a credible option and a productive runner at quarterback, there are still concerns about his accuracy -- especially downfield. Whether he improves in that area will determine how effective a lot of the Bills skill position options will be.

Miami Dolphins

Outlook: The 2019 Dolphins exceeded expectations with five wins, but they were still able to land their presumptive target by drafting former Alabama star Tua Tagovailoa. Whether he begins the season as the starter over Ryan Fitzpatrick remains to be seen. Miami then revamped its backfield by signing Jordan Howard and swinging a draft day deal with the 49ers for Matt Breida. The pass-catchers are an intriguing bunch with Preston Williams looking to pick up where he left off after a mid-season injury and popular sleeper pick Mike Gesicki at tight end.

New England Patriots

Outlook: For the first time in a generation, the New England Patriots will enter a season without Tom Brady on the roster. That opens the door for Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer to battle for the job, with the former expected to land the gig. Either way, it doesn't generate much excitement for the prospects of the skill position players left behind. The only exceptions could be stalwarts Julian Edelman, James White and Sony Michel, who are likely to become the focal points of the revamped attack.

New York Jets

Outlook: The Jets' offense is knocking on the door of "interesting" with no real idea if anyone is willing to let it in. We're still waiting to see who Sam Darnold is. Can Le'Veon Bell regain his former productivity while playing for a coach who seemingly doesn't want him around -- and proved it by signing the eternal Frank Gore? After a torrid finish to 2019, Breshad Perriman joins Gang Green to replace Robby Anderson (Panthers). On paper, a lot of these pieces have potential, but until Adam Gase proves he can generate a consistently potent attack, fantasy managers will have little reason to be confident.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

Outlook: Last year's NFL MVP and fantasy darling Lamar Jackson is likely to be the first quarterback drafted in many fantasy leagues. It's a major accomplishment considering the Ravens' pass-catchers were a rather inconsistent lot outside of tight end Mark Andrews. Baltimore's biggest offensive addition this offseason came during the draft when the team drafted Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins to pair alongside Mark Ingram. Both runners have the potential to be productive, which could cause fantasy worries that they cannibalize each other's opportunities.

Cincinnati Bengals

Outlook: The times, they are a-changing in Cincinnati. The Bengals parted ways with longtime quarterback Andy Dalton and used the first overall pick in the draft to select LSU star Joe Burrow. One round later, they got Burrow extra help by drafting Clemson receiver Tee Higgins. The two will join an offense that has talent in the form of running back Joe Mixon and receivers Tyler Boyd and veteran A.J. Green -- the latter coming off a foot injury that cost him all of 2019. Burrow will be the starter from Day 1 and how quickly he adjusts to the pro game will dictate how much fantasy managers can expect from the rest of the offense.

Cleveland Browns

Outlook: Few NFL fans know disappointment like Browns fans. Yet last year might have been a new level of letdown for the people of Cleveland. Apart from the addition of free agent Austin Hooper (Falcons), the skill position pieces remain the same. What's changed is a focus on building the offensive line, signing former Titan Jack Conklin and drafting tackle Jedrick Wills. Maybe the biggest change is as the top where the team moved on from head coach Freddie Kitchens after one season and replaced him with former Vikings offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski. If Stefanski can reignite Baker Mayfield's potential, this entire attack becomes a fantasy goldmine.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Outlook: If we learned anything from the Steelers last season, it was the importance of Ben Roethlisberger to the team's offensive success. After Big Ben went down early in the season with an elbow injury, the offense ground to a painful halt. Speaking of injuries, James Conner's physical issues opened the door for a combination of Jaylen Samuels and Benny Snell to get work, though neither gave fantasy managers much to be excited about. We're willing to give guys like Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster the benefit of the doubt after last season but with Roethlisberger entering his age-38 season and not exactly having been the most durable player around, it's fair to approach any Steelers with caution in 2020.

AFC South

Houston Texans

Outlook: It was a topsy-turvy offseason for the Texans. Houston did add David Johnson and Brandin Cooks. All it cost the Texans was arguably the league's best receiver in DeAndre Hopkins. The end result is an offense that would have looked a lot stronger a few years ago but is filled with players who have struggled with injury in recent seasons. Yet as long as Deshaun Watson is mobile, he remains a threat to finish as a top-five fantasy quarterback.

Indianapolis Colts

Outlook: After muddling through last season with Jacoby Brissett, the Colts made a splash by signing Philip Rivers. The gamble is that the Rivers we saw at the end of last season was an anomaly and not the beginning of the end. Part of what could help is having a healthy receiving corps. To that end, Indy spent a second round pick on USC standout Michael Pittman. The Colts also beefed up their backfield, selecting Wisconsin star Jonathan Taylor to pair with Marlon Mack. With a solid offensive line leading the way, this is an offense that should excite fantasy enthusiasts.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Outlook: Gardner Minshew was a football and pop culture sensation last season. The Jags doubled down on Minshew as their guy by letting Nick Foles go and bringing in journeyman Mike Glennon. That's presumably good news for D.J. Chark and Dede Westbrook, who flourished with Minshew last season. Adding a wrinkle to the offense is rookie Laviska Shenault, who was a jack-of-all-trades in college at Colorado. Through it all, the Jaguars and Leonard Fournette appear to be stuck together for at least another season after the team tried unsuccessfully to trade the running back. Yet if Fournette can duplicate his 2019 campaign -- albeit with a few more touchdowns -- then he should be a coveted fantasy option once again.

Tennessee Titans

Outlook: After rolling all the way to the AFC Championship Game, the Titans wisely kept Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry in town for another season. While the former might not be universally drafted in fantasy leagues, the latter is likely to come off the board in the first round. Elsewhere, A.J. Brown is rocketing up draft boards after a breakout rookie season. The question will be whether he can maintain that level of production in an offense that will still be run-heavy. Not having anyone else who can seriously compete for targets should help.

Marcas Grant is a fantasy analyst for NFL.com and a man who is aiming to become the king of peanut butter and honey sandwiches. Send him your tales of kindergarten lunch items or fantasy football questions on Twitter @MarcasG or Instagram at MarcasG.