A successful offense is bound to include individual talents that carry substantial fantasy value. Let's look past the likes of the Arizona Cardinals and the New England Patriots -- who profile as strong offensive candidates almost every year -- and find the best under-the-radar offenses to watch this season.
Here's my look at five offenses that might not be widely regarded as sure-fire top producers in 2016 but fit the bill as potentially potent ones. We've also included the names you need to know when drafting.
Houston Texans
Did anyone add more speed to the offensive attack this offseason than Houston? It sure doesn't feel that way, and more speed should translate to a higher volume of big plays.
The most interesting addition is running back Lamar Miller, who arrives from Miami and is set to receive the lion's share of the work. He's a stud talent who, despite being underutilized in my estimation, still finished as the lead running back in PPR scoring from Week 6 on last year, with 14 more points than the next-best back. Miller has exceptional open-field ability and lateral quickness to avoid defenders.
The offense in Houston will feature him, and despite averaging the fifth-fewest yards per carry as a team last year, the Texans posted the fifth-most rushing attempts. The system is set up for a workhorse.
First-round wideout Will Fuller was viewed as arguably the best vertical threat in this year's draft. He dazzled at Notre Dame with uncommon ability to win downfield, posting eight scores of at least 40 yards. That's good news for an offense that ranked sixth in air yards per attempt in the NFL last season and spent $72 million on a quarterback regarded for his arm strength, Brock Osweiler. But Osweiler should chew up yards in the precision (short air yardage) passing game, too. On throws of 10 yards or less, he finished with a better completion percentage than Tom Brady last year. Did I mention DeAndre Hopkins, one of the best wide receivers in football? Enough said.
Jaelen Strong and Braxton Miller add intrigue in this offense.
Detroit Lions
A surprise inclusion on this list, considering Detroit saw one of the great receivers of his era, Calvin Johnson, retire this offseason. But I think this offense has a chance to evolve and excel with "satellite" players, or those who excel in space. Last season, Matthew Stafford was one of two quarterbacks (out of 37 qualified) whose average depth of target on passes was less than 7 yards. That means quick, precise reads that allow pass catchers to eat up yards with the ball in their hands.
So let's look closer at the weapons Stafford has at his disposal, with newcomers Marvin Jones and Anquan Boldin joining Golden Tate, Theo Riddick, Ameer Abdullah and Eric Ebron. While Boldin has never been an overwhelming athlete, he's exceedingly reliable as a catcher and does his best work at or near the line of scrimmage.
The rest are all plus athletes with very good elusiveness and quickness. Jones joins Tate to make for a competitive receiving corps, Riddick is one of the most productive pass-catching backs in football, and Ebron and Abdullah are aiming to improve in their third and second seasons, respectively. The Lions need to hope that their aerial attack can alleviate pressure from Stafford and result in some less crowded fronts for Abdullah to take advantage of as a runner.
New York Giants
Yes, the Giants finished eighth in total offense in 2015, but there's room to grow as the team enters its third year in the system led by Ben MacAdoo, the former offensive coordinator who now is the team's head coach. The offense heavily relies on three-receiver sets, throwing 42 more passes from that set last year than any other team in football. That often correlates to an uptempo, spread-it-out attack. But it's not just schematics that matter, it's also personnel.
The addition of Sterling Shepard has generated substantial buzz this offseason, and he appears ready to assume a slot role from day one. Shepard has as much talent as any second receiver that has been healthy for the G-Men over the past two seasons, and less time in the slot for Odell Beckham Jr. can only be a good thing for one of the league's premier talents. Beckham averages 16.5 percent more points per catch when not in the slot compared with when he is. Shepard's presence means Beckham will spend more time on the perimeter, which means more explosiveness. Watch out.
The running game in New York has been a chore to figure out in recent seasons, but the more backfield talent, the better. Eli Manning leads the NFL in completions and touchdowns on play-action passes over the past two seasons. While Rashad Jennings has reportedly shown well so far in training camp, the addition of Paul Perkins in the draft only strengthens the backfield. That wont hurt the play-action offense.
San Diego Chargers
Much like the Giants, the allure of San Diego's offense is rooted in the passing game, specifically the volume of it and the return of a star wide receiver. Keenan Allen missed eight games because of a lacerated kidney last season, but still managed three games with at least 12 catches. DeAndre Hopkins, Jarvis Landry, Brandon Marshall, Demaryius Thomas and Larry Fitzgerald, who all caught at least 105 balls last year, combined for just two such games.
But San Diego added a critical element this offseason that will open things up in a major way. Travis Benjamin can take the top off of a defense with his electric speed. His average depth of target (aDOT) last year was 12.6 yards down the field, an exceptional figure. Allen's aDOT was 8.0 in 2015, and he is used more along the lines of a Julian Edelman than a vertical field stretcher. Philip Rivers' aDOT on throws was fifth-lowest among 36 qualifying quarterbacks. Expect that to change this season, which should lead to more field-flipping plays that result in touchdowns or trips to the red zones.
Along those lines, the Bolts recently added James Jones into the mix. At 32, Jones won't win with speed, but he seems to just pile up touchdowns. He's eighth in the NFL in receiving touchdowns since the 2011 season. The Chargers are hoping for a more effective running game this season, and for what it's worth, Melvin Gordon had a really good first preseason game. But the passing game, which could be busy if the team isn't competitive like last season, should have a high ceiling.
Washington Redskins
Washington outperformed expectations in 2015, but many are wondering if this group is built to sustain that level of play in 2016. My answer: Yes. And it starts with the quarterback, Kirk Cousins. Naysayers will point to an inflated completion percentage that derives from throws at or near the line of scrimmage. But it's worth noting that Cousins hit a statistical stride driving the football down the field around the middle of last season. He registered a total QBR of 99.6 (out of 100) on throws of 15 or more yards down the field from Week 7 on. He also had four games with at least four touchdowns in that span, as many as Aaron Rodgers has since the start of 2014.
Cousins is loaded with weapons as well. DeSean Jackson is a quick-strike master, but the receiving corps is due to be even better once first-round pick Josh Docston is healthy and up to speed (Jamison Crowder was a slot fiend as a rookie in 2015). But perhaps no player will be more critical to Cousins' fantasy outlook than Jordan Reed. From Week 7 on (10 games), Reed totaled 63 catches and 10 touchdowns. He's the next best thing at tight end after Gronk.
And while Matt Jones must improve his ball security, he's an exceptional physical talent with big-play burst. He takes over full time as the starter after sharing a workload last year with Alfred Morris, who averaged just 3.91 yards over the past two seasons, second-worst among 19 backs with at least 300 carries. With Jones and rookie back Keith Marshall, who paced all players at the combine with a blazing 4.31 40 time, the running game should get a shot in the arm.