One of the best features of Fantasy Football is that it makes meaningless games matter. It could be a Sunday Afternoon kick off between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, and you sure as hell know if one of your starters is playing, you’re glued to the television. You feel a Gambler’s high as you watch your receiver (that no one outside your fantasy league could name) score a touchdown. Sundays in the Fall and Winter are something else, man.  

The point I am trying to make is that even in the AFC EAST,  a division that has been almost forgotten due to the dominance of the New England Patriots, there is a plethora of fantasy options at multiple positions. Let’s take a look at how these teams are shaping up for the 2019-2020 season.

Miami Dolphins

QB: Josh Rosen, Ryan Fitzpatrick

RB:  Kenyan Drake, Kalen Ballage

WR: Kenny Stills, Devonte Parker, Albert Wilson

TE: Mike Gesicki

D/ST: 2018-2019 Position Rank = 19

Analysis: With a new Head Coach and starting Quarterback, the Miami Dolphins find themselves in an interesting position to say the least. The Rosen experiment in Arizona was short lived, but will the California native be able to turn it around this year? On paper, their offensive weapons are pretty similar to last year, but a new Coach and QB may be exactly what they need. With Tannehill and Osweiler under center in 2018, their offense ranked 31st in yards/game, and 30th in passing yards/game. Brian Flores, the new Head Coach of the Dolphins is a defensive mind coming from the NE Patriots where he was the Linebackers Coach. He brought Chad O’Shea, the ex-WR coach of the Patriots to be his new Offensive Coordinator. With a new system in place, the Dolphins offense has nowhere to go but up. Still, Rosen has to prove he is capable of running an NFL offense. Kenyan Drake is a nice RB, but is not used to every down work, which should make way for Ballage to see the field as well. Their three top receivers are decent, but none of them have proven they are Fantasy Studs quite yet. Devonte Parker is a nice red zone target, and Stills had a respectable 6 TD grabs on only 64 targets last year. Mike Gesicki is an intriguing prospect as well. With increased volume in his second year now, look for the athletic TE to see a lot more action. Miami’s defense should improve this year as well, as Brian Flores will look to incorporate elements of the NE system. Overall, none of their players are worth a selection in the first three rounds. Around the 4-5th round, expect Drake to be taken, and Stills probably closer to round 8-10.

New York Jets

QB: Sam Darnold

RB: Le’Veon Bell, TY Montgomery

WR: Robby Anderson, Quincy Enunwa, Jamison Crowder

TE: Chris Herndon

D/ST: 2018-2019 Position Rank = 22

Analysis:  The NY Jets are another young and exciting team building for the future. Fantasy wise, they are still pretty uncertain as of now. Sam Darnold showed plenty of flashes last year that he is a competent and capable starter in this league. The Jets also made some coaching staff changes bringing in ex-Miami HC Adam Gase to run the show. Along with this, the addition of Le’Veon Bell brought even more uncertainty. There were rumblings that members of the coaching staff really did not want to pay big dollars for a running back, rather allocating their money elsewhere. But nevertheless, Bell seemed primed to see a heavy workload in both the run and passing game. I don’t expect to see the Steelers version of Bell, but he will definitely have his chances. Similar to the Dolphins, they have some good wideouts, but no one that will completely take over a game. Robby Anderson comes in as their top receiver, coming off another decent season with 50 catches and 6 TDs. If he and Darnold can create some sort of rapport, look for him to have a career year. Herndon, the Jets 4th round pick in 2018 should have an increased role in the offense as well. The Jets defense should improve as well this year. Not quite into the elite category, but the draft selections of Quinnen Williams and Jachai Polite should help them drastically on the interior. Overall, Bell is no doubt still one of the elite RBs in this league and will be selected in the first two rounds. After him, you probably won’t see until Jets player selected until Robby Anderson around the 7-9th round range. 

Buffalo Bills

QB: Josh Allen

RB: LeSean McCoy, Frank Gore, TJ Yeldon

WR: John Brown, Cole Beasley, Zay Jones

TE: Tyler Kroft

D/ST: 2018-2019 Position Rank = 7

Analysis:

There was only one bright spot about the Buffalo Bills offense in 2018, and it was their running game which they ranked 9th in the league in yards/game. The problem is that when they trailed, their passing attack was really nowhere to be found, ranking 31st in throwing yards/game. Their defense actually kept them in a lot of games, ranking 7th in the league. Their star runner, LeSean McCoy has really been slowed down by injuries, mostly credited to his age. They brought in Frank Gore, who is also aging but is known for his toughness and ability to play through anything. They signed John Brown and Cole Beasley, which should help for their intermediate and deep passing game. Josh Allen definitely has the physical tools of a great QB, but he will be tested throughout this year. Much like the two teams before the Bills on this list, there is a lot that us fans still don’t know about how their offense will shape up. None of their skill position players are worth an early round draft selection. McCoy is too injury prone and none of their WRs have proven that they can be a Fantasy star quite yet. Still, look for McCoy to be drafted in the 3rd-5th rounds, and Brown/Beasley to be taken closer to round 10. 

New England Patriots

QB: Tom Brady

RB: Sony Michel, James White, Damien Harris, Rex Burkhead

WR: Julian Edelman, N’Keal Harry, Demaryius Thomas, Phillip Dorsett

TE: Ben Watson, Austin Seferian-Jenkins

D/ST: 2018-2019 Position Rank = 6

Analysis: As Tom Brady ages, the NE Patriots seem to be instituting a more run heavy scheme on offense. This isn’t a high powered aerial attack like Kansas City, but almost the mere opposite. Long, slow, methodical drives that wear the defense down. There is a reason that the Patriots used a 4th round pick on Damien Harris with an already clustered backfield. Belicheck knows that a backfield by committee is the only way to ensure Brady’s longevity. They have four quality runners who can step up an anytime barring an injury to starters Michel or White. The Patriots also selected Arizona State wideout N’Keal Harry with their first round pick. Look for him to have an immediate impact on the offense. With Edelman eligible for a full 16 games this year, he should end with around 100 catches. With the retirement of Rob Gronkowski and departure of Dwyane Allen, the Patriots have a big hole to fill at the TE position. They signed two veterans, Ben Watson and Austin Seferian-Jenkins, but it is still a question as to how the snaps will be divided. The Patriots are known for their bend-don’t-break defense, ranking 21st in yards/game but 7th in points allowed. Their stingy red zone and goalline defense forces opponents to often settle for 3. In terms of fantasy standing, the Patriots have a few good options and a few players I would stay away from. First, Tom Brady should not be your fantasy QB. At Age 41, he was still exceptional in the playoffs, but the regular season game plan is much different. There are many better options than Brady at QB, unless you play in a 2 QB league. On the other hand, Sony Michel, Julian Edelman, and N’Keal Harry are all primed for big years. Michel should be the first of those three off fantasy boards in the 2nd-4th rounds.. Edelman will be drafted before Harry due to the definite role that Edelman has in the offensive scheme, but don’t be surprised if Harry ends the year with more TD receptions than Edelman. Both of these WRs won’t make it past round 7-8.