Fantasy Football Rankings for the AFC South: Grades for All Four Teams
Fantasy Football Rankings for the AFC South: Grades for All Four Teams
D+ for the Houston Texans
With C.J. Stroud, the Texans have a true quarterback solution. It’s a breath of new air for a team that has been at sea for several seasons. Rookie quarterbacks may struggle to post above-average stats, but he allows them to assess their players.
As a rookie, Dameon Pierce established himself as a formidable rusher. He’s worn down a little, but the presence of Devin Singletary will assist matters while still allowing Pierce to run the show.
Nico Collins is this offense’s most intriguing breakthrough bet. He possesses all of the characteristics of the archetypal X-receiver and gets open with exceptional flexibility on in-breaking routes.
The rest of the receivers are primarily fill-ins, although Dalton Schultz at tight end could serve as a solid safety net for Stroud.
C+ for the Tennessee Titans
The Titans’ rating would have been significantly lower if they hadn’t signed DeAndre Hopkins.
Hopkins, while not the player he once was, can still function as the top receiver on an offence, get open short, and has the same old vice-grip hands. The rest of the receivers are a big unknown.
Treylon Burks is a limited player who works best as a No. 2 for the time being. After some sparks as a rookie, Chigoziem Okonkwo has breakout potential at tight end.
Neither is an established talent, and the rest of the roster isn’t particularly exciting.
Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry will play the same roles they did before.
The Titans have undoubtedly been looking for a successor for Tannehill, but he remains a competent starting quarterback, although with durability issues.
Henry is a difficult case. He’s at the age and workload axis where we worry about running backs. But he’s built completely differently than any other back.
Overall, with Hopkins on board, this offence becomes more exciting, but the ceiling remains limited unless Henry defies the age model to a significant degree.
C+ For Indianapolis Colts
Full disclosure: I am quite optimistic about the Colts’ skill position guys as potential bets. I could see them reaching B+ by next year, but I wanted to be realistic for now.
The receiving room is one of the NFL’s most slept-on sections. Michael Pittman is a legitimate No. 1 receiver who easily separates on key short to intermediate routes. He just needs a quarterback to get him going.
Alec Pierce is a good vertical option, and youngster Josh Downs fits perfectly between those two big slot receivers.
Jonathan Taylor was injured last year, but he is still a very efficient runner and the focal focus of this offence.
Unfortunately, he’s now embroiled in a contract issue; the Colts are reportedly considering him for the NFL list due to a “back injury” – an injury that Taylor himself appears startled about.
The recent Zack Moss injury will definitely heat things up even more – fantasy managers should keep a careful eye on this situation.
I consider the tight end room to be the only one that is truly “light,” but Jelani Woods is a huge athlete who can change my mind.
Everything comes down to Anthony Richardson. He is a rare athlete who can assault defences vertically. I believe he will start the entire season, although it may take some time for him to adjust to the offence.
He has a chance to flourish with this underappreciated group of skill-position players, but an untested rookie quarterback limits your grade.
B Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars are one of, if not the, most exciting young teams in the NFL. Trevor Lawrence is the starting point. He shown top-10 quarterback skills in spurts last year and is poised to break into the top tier of passers.
Last year, Jacksonville bolstered their pass-catching corps with Christian Kirk, Zay Jones, and Evan Engram, all of whom are great players in the correct roles.
Calvin Ridley will now be added to the mix. We haven’t seen him in a while, but he was a No. 1 wideout who could consistently overcome press and man coverage. That was just what they required.
The running game should feature a lot of Travis Etienne Jr. and a little bit of Tank Bigsby. Etienne may not be the pass catcher that some fantasy owners expected, but he’s a powerful runner.
This year, Jacksonville might be a top-five offence. At every level, there is skill.
