The ESPN Fantasy Football crew is counting down the days until the season begins! This summer, we've looked at each NFL division with a focus on what is new, old and perhaps quite a bit in between!
Click below to check out your favorite division:
AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West
NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West
AFC West
Key fantasy offseason movement
• The Las Vegas Raiders made some rather odd additions at skill positions. Despite enjoying two solid seasons from 2019 first-round pick Josh Jacobs, the Raiders decided to give former Arizona Cardinals starter Kenyan Drake a two-year contract. It may make for a messy time-share since each player is of rather similar size and skill. Enticing wide receiver Henry Ruggs III figures to break out in his second season, although he, Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow now have to fight for targets with veterans John Brown and Willie Snead IV. The Raiders have more depth on offense, yes, but myriad other needs as well.
• The Denver Broncos parted ways with Phillip Lindsay and added to their running back group by using a second-round pick on North Carolina's Javonte Williams, and it would hardly be surprising if he surpassed veteran Melvin Gordon III at some juncture early in the season. Gordon's first season in Denver went fine, as only 13 running backs scored more PPR points, but Williams certainly offers more upside. It should be a fascinating camp battle.
• Blessed with excellent, young quarterbacks, the defending AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs and rising Los Angeles Chargers focused on offensive line help, which of course can aid fantasy managers as well. We want Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert properly protected, and their running backs to find ample space to run. The Chiefs traded for former Baltimore Ravens tackle Orlando Brown and welcome guard Laurent Duvernay-Tardif back after he opted out of the 2020 season, among other moves. The Chargers added Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler and drafted large Northwestern tackle Rashawn Slater.
Something to prove
• A mere two Chiefs reached 50 receptions last season, and fantasy managers know all about tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill. They may be first-round choices in your leagues. Will any other Chiefs receivers be on your mind? Underachiever Sammy Watkins left for the Baltimore Ravens and the Chiefs figure to rely on Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson and Byron Pringle, for now. At running back, newcomer Jerick McKinnon (remember him?) hopes to push sophomore Clyde Edwards-Helaire. Mahomes may throw for 5,000 yards again, so fantasy managers seem justified to speculate about other catching options this season.
• Few would say the Denver Broncos' passing game thrived last season, and few would say acquiring quarterback Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers alters the trajectory much. Still, incumbent starter Drew Lock is hardly a lock to start. If only the Broncos could trade for a future Hall of Fame quarterback that calls Wisconsin his fall home. Of course, health and maturity among the Denver wide receiver corps would probably help everyone. Jerry Jeudy and KJ Hamler were high draft picks in 2020 and should greatly improve. Courtland Sutton was a star in 2019 before tearing his knee in the first week of 2020.
• Chargers running back Austin Ekeler missed six games in 2020 with lower-body injuries, and while few expected him to match his fantastic 2019 numbers, when he was among the top three running backs in PPR scoring, he still averaged 16.5 PPR points per game. Armed with a massive contract and little competition in the Chargers' backfield, Ekeler and fantasy managers would obviously prefer his 2019 production.
Whose fantasy stock may fluctuate?
• Numerous situations in Denver bear watching. Many rookies explode up draft boards in August after something as mild as a coach quote, and Javonte Williams may be that player in this division. Health for Sutton would also be a big deal, since many fantasy managers likely forgot he surpassed 1,100 receiving yards two seasons ago. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues, in which every starting quarterback matters, also need to see who starts in Denver.
• Ekeler and Edwards-Helaire are certainly proficient pass-catchers, but other running backs could push for sharing the early-down work in those offenses. Justin Jackson and Joshua Kelley vie for this role on the Chargers. Jackson was the more efficient runner in 2020, averaging 4.6 yards per carry. The Chiefs, who gave current free agent Le'Veon Bell the second-most rushing attempts last season, brought in McKinnon, who returned in 2020 after missing consecutive seasons with knee injuries. McKinnon scored touchdowns in each of the first four games for the San Francisco 49ers last season. Darrel Williams also remains a Chief from last season.
• The AFC West already features two of the top three tight ends in the sport with Kelce and Raiders star Darren Waller, but what about the other two teams? Denver's Noah Fant scored touchdowns in each of the first two weeks of the 2020 season, looking like a fantasy star, then sprained an ankle and succumbed to the team's quarterback play. He may be a fantasy starter, however. The Chargers let Hunter Henry go and replaced him with productive journeyman Jared Cook, a top-10 fantasy tight end in both 2018 and 2019. Few seem to expect it, but Cook may return to that level in L.A.