close
close

Fantasy Football: Ja'Marr Chase knocked out of the top 5, more AFC predictions

Click here for my NFC Fantasy Football preview.

1. New York Jets 11-6

2. Buffalo Bills 10-7 (Wildcard)

3. Miami Dolphins 10-7

4. New England Patriots 4-13

• Nozzles: Breece Hall is named Offensive Player of the Year and finishes the game as the No. 1 fantasy back, while Garrett Wilson catches double-digit touchdowns and is among the top three wide receivers… An improved offensive line and strong defense help the aging Aaron Rodgers lead New York to the conference championship game.

• Invoices: Josh Allen makes up for the absence of Stefon Diggs by running more, leading to another great fantasy season and a top-three finish in MVP voting… James Cook loses short touchdowns to Ray Davis (and Allen), but still finishes in the top 12 fantasy backs… Keon Coleman disappoints despite recording the fourth-most receiving yards in Buffalo while a committee frustrates fantasy managers… Dalton Kincaid scores more points than Travis Kelce and is a top-three fantasy tight end… The Bills have holes and a tough schedule, but clinch a wild-card spot.

• Dolphins: De'Von Achane misses a few games but ranks among the top three fantasy backs in points per game. He's a universal top-10 pick in 2025 fantasy drafts… Jaylen Wright has several 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 is 10-0 against teams that missed the postseason last year but just 1-5 against playoff teams. It narrowly misses the playoffs in 2024, with another slump late in the season.

• Patriots: Drake Maye ranks among the top 15 fantasy QBs in points per game despite New England's terrible situation…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 every matchup as an underdog and has the league's toughest schedule, so the team is in danger of winning the fewest games this year.

1. Baltimore Ravens 10-7

2. Cincinnati Bengals 10-7 (Wildcard)

3. Cleveland Browns 9-8

4. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-9

• Ravens: Derrick Henry is the NFL leader in rushing touchdowns at 30, while Lamar Jackson has the potential for more passes after his MVP campaign; Baltimore was only behind for 38 games during the second half of last season (not counting Week 18), when the Ravens' dropback rate fell from ninth-highest in the first half to lowest in the second (H/T LordReebs)… Baltimore is regressing, losing many of its last year's contributors (including DC Mike Macdonald), but the Ravens are defending their division title.

• Bengal: Joe Burrow continues to work more under and can't live up to his ADP compared to so many other dual-threat QBs as competition… Chase Brown is scoring more points than Zack Moss, but it remains a frustrating committee for fantasy managers… Ja'Marr Chase isn't a top-five fantasy wideout in 2024… Questions surround the Bengals as Burrow is coming off major surgery and Chase is holding back, but they continue to be loaded with talent and get a last-place game plan, ultimately leading to a wild-card spot.

• Shades of brown: Deshaun Watson continues to appear to be the worst contract in the league, but David Njoku finishes the season among the top five fantasy tight ends… Nick Chubb isn't 100% after his return, leading to a committee and disgruntled fantasy managers… Cleveland has a strong roster, but the quarterback is keeping them from reaching the postseason.

Subscribe Yahoo Fantasy Prediction To Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

• Steelers: George Pickens overcomes another difficult quarterback situation to land as a top-20 fantasy wideout… Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren lose some work to Cordarrelle Patterson, while Justin Fields finishes as a top-5 fantasy QB for several weeks… In a tough division, Mike Tomlin finally puts together a losing season.

1. Houston Texans 11-6

2. Indianapolis Colts 9-8

3. Jacksonville Jaguars 8-9

4. Tennessee Titans 5-12

• Texans: CJ Stroud, who likely played with multiple concussions in his underrated rookie season, finishes second in MVP voting… Nico Collins is a top-10 fantasy WR, outperforming Puka Nacua, Drake London, Chris Olave, Davante Adams, Mike Evans and Jaylen Waddle (who all rank higher in Yahoo drafts)… Tank Dell scores more fantasy points per game than Stefon Diggs, while Cam Akers is a deep fantasy sleeper… Houston is a hyped team, but now is the time to get a star QB on a rookie contract. The Texans are also getting healthy after leading the league in key player injuries, according to FTN's adjusted lost game numbers. The coach is a real question mark, but Houston is a threat to win the 2024 Super Bowl.

• Colts: Anthony Richardson has his ups and downs as a passer but runs like crazy and scores the most fantasy points per game of any quarterback… Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL in YPC and is second in rushing, while Michael Pittman isn't living up to his ADP… The Colts have good coaches and a top-notch offensive line but are just missing a wild-card spot.

• Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence will never be the prince we were promised, but he is a top-15 fantasy QB despite OC Press Taylor… Travis Etienne is not a top-12 back as Jacksonville follows through with its plan to lighten his workload… Evan Engram is outperformed by David Njoku, while Brian Thomas Jr. is the Jaguars' best fantasy receiver in the second half of the season.

• Titans: Tyjae Spears scores more points than Tony Pollard, while DeAndre Hopkins scores more points than Calvin Ridley… It's still unclear how exactly Will Levis will fit into new coach Brian Callahan's offense, but the man in the cologne will remain super aggressive either way; Levis attempted just as many long passes as Stroud in just nine games as a rookie last season… The Titans will be missing Mike Vrabel, but they should be a fun fantasy team to watch, as their offense will be dramatically different from last year's 30th-place pass completion rate above expectations.

1. Kansas City Chiefs 12-5

2. Los Angeles Chargers 10-7 (Wildcard)

3. Las Vegas Raiders 6-11

4. Denver Broncos 5-12

• Bosses: Patrick Mahomes throws the most touchdowns and is named MVP, making the Chiefs the first team to win three straight Super Bowls. … Isiah Pacheco doesn't live up to his ADP, losing passing to Samaje Perine and short touchdowns to Carson Steele. … Travis Kelce misses several games as he prepares for another postseason run. … Xavier Worthy is a top-30 fantasy wideout (third among rookies), while Rashee Rice is in the top-15.

• Chargers: Justin Herbert throws less under Jim Harbaugh but has the best YPA of his career… Kimani Vidal finally joins Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins in a Chargers backfield that dishes out fantasy points… Josh Palmer is a fantasy dark horse who scores more points than rookie Ladd McConkey and ranks among the top 30 wide receivers… Harbaugh and a very favorable schedule help Los Angeles secure one final wild-card spot.

• Robber: Zamir White is a fantasy disappointment, but Brock Bowers scores more points than Jake Ferguson … Jakobi Meyers is a better return on investment at ADP than Davante Adams, who could be traded midseason … Maxx Crosby wins Defensive Player of the Year, but the Raiders can't overcome the league's worst quarterback situation.

• Broncos: Bo Nix is ​​proving to be a steal in superflex drafts, while Courtland Sutton is far exceeding his ADP… Jaleel McLaughlin and Greg Dulcich are dark horses, but Javonte Williams is Denver's top fantasy target; Williams lands among the top 20 fantasy backs thanks to Sean Payton… The Broncos continue their rebuild mode in 2024.

  • Best Player: Patrick Mahomes

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Breece Hall

  • Defensive Player of the Year: Maxx Crosby

  • Rookie of the Year: Caleb Williams

  • NFC Championship: 49ers vs. Packers

  • AFC Championship: Chiefs vs. Jets

  • Super Bowl: Chiefs over 49ers

You may also like...