In case you missed it, here's the NFC Season preview.
AFC EAST
1. Buffalo Bills 11-6
2. New England Patriots 10-7
3. New York Jets 5-12
4. Miami Dolphins 4-13
Comments & Fantasy Predictions:
Bills: James Cook outscores Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Taylor … Dalton Kincaid is a top five TE, but DJ Moore’s ADP proves far too high ... Skyler Bell becomes one of the season’s higher FAAB bids … Buffalo sports an elite offensive line and the game’s best player, but the Bills fall short in the playoffs yet again.
Patriots: Rhamondre Stevenson easily outscores TreVeyon Henderson … Rookie tight end Eli Raridon emerges down the stretch … DT Milton Williams is an important player to remember for those who play DFS, as the Patriots’ run defense had comically dramatic splits with him on/off the field last season ... The Patriots will face a far tougher schedule and are coming off a long season, but the addition of a healthy AJ Brown would certainly help offset the regression. Still, New England just misses the playoffs thanks to a tiebreaker.
Jets: Garrett Wilson is a top 10 WR, while first-rounder Omar Cooper fails to overtake Adonai Mitchell as New York’s WR2 … Kenyon Sadiq isn’t a fantasy asset during his rookie campaign … The Jets ranked last in pressure rate and became the first team in NFL history without an interception last year. New York will regress on defense and improve at quarterback in 2026, but with Aaron Glenn as coach and Frank Reich as OC, Jets fans should be happy avoiding last in their division.
Dolphins: Malik Willis is a top 10 QB, while Chris Bell emerges as Miami’s clear alpha over the second half of the season. Bell is drafted as a top 25 WR in 2027 … The Dolphins are favored in just one game all season, and the hirings of Bobby Slowik and Kevin Patullo raise tanking questions. I’d rather ride shotgun with Tony Romo than have them running my offense. Miami resets in 2026.
AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens 12-5
2. Cincinnati Bengals 11-6 (Wild Card)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-9
4. Cleveland Browns 5-12
Ravens: Lamar Jackson is fantasy’s QB1 and wins his third MVP award … Zay Flowers is a top 12 WR, but Mark Andrews is washed … Ja’Kobi Lane emerges as the team’s clear WR2 … Baltimore is a top three fantasy D/ST thanks to the additions of Trey Hendrickson and Jesse Minter … The Ravens have questions at offensive line but experienced a possible major upgrade in scheme with Declan Doyle now calling plays. Baltimore is favored in all but three games entering the season and never underdogs by as many as three points. I used to question why some Ravens fans didn’t like John Harbaugh, but now I’m picking them to win the Super Bowl in part because of him leaving.
Bengals: Chase Brown is a top five RB, as Cincinnati scores more rushing touchdowns in 2026 ... The Bengals get the league’s second-easiest schedule and are favored in 15 games. An improved defense makes them a Super Bowl threat, but their stars must stay on the field and overcome coaching deficiencies. Don’t be surprised if Ja’Marr Chase’s knee injury lingers into the season.
Steelers: Jaylen Warren is a top 15 RB, but Michael Pittman suffers while playing outdoors and without the benefits of RPO … Darnell Washington overtakes Pat Freiermuth as the team’s TE1 … Pittsburgh enters with an elite defense yet again, but fans may be pining for the days of Mike Tomlin getting blown out in Wild Card rounds. The Steelers seemingly hired Mike McCarthy because he’s from Pittsburgh (and has a relationship with Aaron Rodgers).
Browns: KC Concepcion is fantasy’s highest scoring rookie WR … The Browns have the NFL’s most dire QB situation, and that’s before considering Deshaun Watson’s worst contract in sports history. Cleveland’s defense will also take a step back after trading away Myles Garrett … The Bears, Lions and Rams don’t have a single game with an over/under less than 45 points, but the Browns don’t have a matchup with an O/U more than 43.5 this season.
AFC SOUTH
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-8
2. Indianapolis Colts 9-8
3. Houston Texans 9-8
4. Tennessee Titans 5-12
Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence outscores Justin Herbert and Drake Maye. Lawrence may not be the prince we were promised, but he now has QB1 within his range of outcomes … Bhayshul Tuten disappoints fantasy managers while ceding red-zone work to Chris Rodriguez … Parker Washington is a top 20 WR, but Brian Thomas Jr. is at risk of also falling behind slot Jakobi Meyers while sharing reps at the “X” with Travis Hunter. BTJ has a gauntlet of tough opposing corners over the first eight weeks … Offensive line is a weakness, and Jacksonville is due for regression after jumping from four wins in 2024 to 13 last season (thanks in part to favorable turnover luck). But Liam Coen is the real deal, and the Jags possess an underrated defensive line.
Colts: Daniel Jones is a top 15 QB, and Tyler Warren is drafted ahead of Trey McBride in 2027 … The Colts were off to a historical start offensively last season before multiple injuries to Jones ultimately ruined their year. Jones’ sample was small compared to his career, and he’s returning from Achilles surgery, but Shane Steichen is the key here. Indianapolis enters with strong coaching, a top five O line and a top 10 D line; the Colts are a serious threat to win a wide-open AFC South. And of course, if Jones were to suffer another injury…
Texans: Nico Collins is a top three WR with Jayden Higgins out for the season, although Detective Davis Mills would give him more upside than C.J. Stroud at this point. Stroud simply hasn’t looked nearly the same since suffering multiple (at least three) concussions during his rookie season. He was an opening drive merchant last year and sports massive home/road splits throughout his career … Tank Dell never returns this season, as Dalton Schultz becomes Houston’s de facto WR2 … The Texans have a shaky offensive line once again, but Houston’s elite defense makes them the favorite to win the division.
Titans: Wan’Dale Robinson outscores Carnell Tate, and Tyjae Spears makes it close to a 50/50 split with Tony Pollard in Tennessee’s backfield … Cam Ward will need to show dramatic improvement from his rookie season, and the league’s worst offensive line won’t help. It’s also increasingly likely new OC Brian Daboll is more of a negative than positive at this point … Tennessee finishes last in its division and enters 2027 with a major question at quarterback.
AFC WEST
1. Kansas City Chiefs 10-7
2. Denver Broncos 10-7 (Wild Card)
3. Los Angeles Chargers 10-7 (Wild Card)
4. Las Vegas Raiders 6-11
Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes runs less coming off ACL surgery, and he has a rough pass-catching group. But he’ll benefit from Matt Nagy no longer forcing him to play without any cheat codes ... Kenneth Walker is a top five RB in points per game, while Emmett Johnson is an RB1 during games K9 misses … Tyquan Thornton outscores Cyrus Allen … The Chiefs went from 11-0 during one-score games in 2024 to 1-9 last season; expect somewhere in between in 2026. Kansas City retakes the AFC West.
Broncos: Jaylen Waddle is a top 15 WR in points per game but misses multiple weeks … Pat Bryant overtakes Courtland Sutton, and Jonah Coleman ends the season atop the depth chart … The Broncos went 11-0 in one-score games last year and faced the second-easiest schedule that doesn’t even account for five backup QBs. Defense isn’t reliably sticky, so regression is coming for Denver in 2026. Still, the Broncos are coached well and have a loaded roster that includes arguably the best offensive line. They likely make the Super Bowl last season if Bo Nix doesn’t get injured, and they added Waddle.
Chargers: Omarion Hampton, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston deliver on their ADPs thanks to Mike McDaniel, although all miss games … Oronde Gadsden is mass dropped after Week 1, and Keaton Missile provides spike weeks … The Chargers hoped to go from a bottom offensive line to a top tier one this season, but Los Angeles already lost its center for the season. They sneak into a wild card spot despite having the worst net rest disadvantage in more than a decade.
Raiders: Ashton Jeanty deserved far better last season, but an impressive Mike Washington Jr. and an ankle injury make him fall outside the top 12 RBs … Tre Tucker emerges as Las Vegas’ clear WR1 and as a WR3 in fantasy … Klint Kubiak and Fernando Mendoza give the Raiders a bright future, but they’re destined for last place again in the AFC West in 2026.
MVP: Lamar Jackson
Rookie of the Year: Jeremiyah Love
Offensive Player of the Year: Jahmyr Gibbs
Defensive Player of the Year: Aidan Hutchinson
NFC Championship Game: Cowboys over Lions
AFC Championship Game: Ravens over Bills
Super Bowl: Ravens over Cowboys