Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Sept 5, 2018 5:45:06 GMT -5
AFC WEST
The AFC West was the original power conference in this league, pitting 2017 HOF inductee Ryan (SD), against fellow 2017 HOF inductee (Brooks), the first-ever MFL Super Bowl-winner, Gramps (DEN), and future Super Bowl-winner, former Commissioner, and resident jackass, Mike (OAK), against one another. While we don’t have four teams of that stature, or GMs with such big personalities, this season, it’s clear from the way last year ended that the West is a division on the rise. It’s entirely possible that three playoff teams come out of the West this year, something that would be a true accomplishment given the power of the conference. But just who will those potential teams be? Will it be Trey continuing to assert his dominance over the division? Can Steve recover and get back to his winning ways in 2018? Will Hunter topple the division order and build upon a strong rookie campaign? Or can John follow on a personal-best calendar year? So much is possible. Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Denver Broncos (Steve)
Last year’s finish: 22nd (Division: 4th)
Outlook: Steve’s first three years in the league went about as well as one could hope for: a 19-17 record, a division title, two playoff appearances, and a playoff win. The Broncos’ 2017 was much different—a losing record for the first time (Albeit 5-7), and a second missed postseason in a row. Now Steve has taken some extraordinary measures to right the ship: aggressively trading for and drafting impact players (First taking Larry Fitzgerald in the UFA Draft, then trading for Sean Lee as if going for an all-in year, and lastly, selecting Roquan Smith and Antonio Callaway in the Rookie Draft). Adding Lee and Rowuan Smith to existing starters Anthony Barr and Jaylon Smith forms what is undoubtedly Steve’s best unit, and biggest reason for optimism. The rest of the defense has some questions, but generally is filled with high-upside players, like Chris Jones and Carl Lawson on the defensive line, and Artie Burns, Josh Norman, Logan Ryan, and Dontae Johnson in the secondary. Overall, it has the potential to be a top-10 defense. On the other side of the ball though, there are more pressing questions. Like, for example, how will QB Dak Prescott handle throwing the ball to likely the league’s worst real-life receiving corps? And can Denver’s Running Backs, Samaje Perine, Giovani Bernard, Corey Grant, and rookie Jaylen Samuels, find a way to give Denver at least one quality, startable option? Or will it have to be done in the aggregate—something that would require occupying both flex slots with RBs to accomplish. Wide receiver and Tight End are in much better position, with Steve cashing in on Fitzgerald’s supposed last go-around, the aforementioned Calloway, Jeremy Kerley (Who could soak up targets in what is perhaps the league’s second-worst receiving corps in Buffalo). There is a lot of dead weight at the position though: recently released Braxton Miller, unemployed Dontrelle Inman, and recent underperformer Torrey Smith. So it seems like only the top-3 will be responsible for holding up the unit, but a solid top-3 it should be. Tight end is handled by Zach Ertz, and touchdown-dependent Darren Fells for a “bye week whatever that’s worth.”
X-factor: Running back. Either it will propel Steve into the playoffs, or it will sink the all-in ship. Steve could look to fortify the position, as he still maintains all of his 2019 picks, but as of right now, it creates an inconsistent direction for is roster—holding the win now mentality of Steve’s offseason moves hostage to the success at that position.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Kansas City Chiefs (John)
Last year’s finish: 13th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: John is coming off his best year in his two seasons in the league, going 7-5 and nabbing a playoff spot in the most competitive conference (The 2017 AFC) in league history, though his total points suggest he was just a little bit lucky to be there (Finishing 19th in points, behind non-playoff AFC teams such as Cleveland, Oakland, Tennessee, and New England). Offensively, there is depth in numbers, though some real questions that have cropped up in just the last few days—and they have nothing to do with whether or not Joe Flacco is elite (A joke that keeps on giving despite him supposedly having his best offseason ever). For one, Marlon Mack’s injury potentially imperils not only the start of his season, but also maintaining a hold on his job, depending on how the rookies taking over for him in the interim, perform. Quincy Enunwa returning from serious injury that forced him to miss 2017, Rishard Matthews’ strange holdout/fake injury/under-market signing, as well as the emergence of Mike Williams in LA in relation to Tyrell Williams, have their roles a little less certain. Add to that the failure of Carlos Henderson and Jeremy McNichols to make their respective teams, and LeGarrette Blount in a through-and-through committee. But all of that pales in comparison to Jerick McKinnon tearing his ACL on the eve of the regular season. All in all, that’s a bitter pill to swallow--for any team. Luckily for John, the Cheifs’ Tight Ends are in pretty good shape, with sleeper Ricky Seals-Jones and Austin Seferian-Jenkins making the all-hyphenated-name team. On D, Kansas City may be better off than he was a year ago, with solid-or-better options Christian Kirksey, Aaron Donald, and 2017 injured reserve returnee Raekwon McMillan manning the fort. Vernon Hargreaves and Eli Apple present average or better options at DB, but beyond that, depth is scarce, as are numbers—unlike the offense.
X-factor: Weathering the storm. It would be hard for any team not named Seattle to handle having concrete effectively dumped on your head. But at least John drafted Lamar Jackson, which should pay long-term dividends starting whenever Baltimore realizes that Joe Flacco hasn’t been a good quarterback in over half a decade.
Projected division finish: 4th
Los Angeles Chargers (Trey)
Last year’s finish: 12th (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Since Trey entered the league in 2015, he has posted a 23-13 record, and had wrestled control of the division away from Steve (DEN), with two-consecutive division titles. Trey’s 2018 Chargers have the chance to be his best yet. Derek Carr returns at QB, and that should provide the Powder Blue crew with some much-needed stability considering that the only current non-suspended running back on the roster, James White, is part of a pretty serious timeshare. Mark Ingram, the aforementioned suspended party, will miss 5 of the first 6 weeks, and with the Saints’ recent signing of Mike Gillislee, it’s possible he loses some of his share of carries as the big back when he returns. At receiver, LAC is as deep as any team in the league, sporting a foursome of Tyreek Hill, DeVante Parker, Kenny Golladay, and rookie slot man Anthony Miller. Tight End is in good health too, with 2017 fantasy darling Cameron Brate, as well as Delanie Walker backup (And potential successor) Jonnu Smith in the fold. Los Angeles is just as stout on defense, with Luke Kuechly, Benardrick McKinney, Khalil Mack, and Deone Bucannon leading the charge. After those four, the dropoff is rather precipitous, but players like Barry Church, Karl Joseph, Shawn Williams, and Nick Vigil have shown fantasy-relevance before, and would likely be starters on most teams in the league. If anything hurts on this side of the ball, it’s the fact that Mack, by virtue of his recent trade, is now locked in as a LB, whereas before the move, it was still a remote possibility that he would be classified as a DL, devaluing him somewhat (As he would’ve probably been DL #1, as opposed to a top-25ish LB, as he was a season ago).
X-factor: Running back. It’s a strong roster all-around, but some of the holes do concern me. There appear to be minor holes depth-wise on defense, and the fact that the market for shoe and dropped-pass aficionado Corey Coleman has been ice cold. But the key ingredient to this team is Ingram, and by extension, White while he’s gone. How and how much Ingram handles the workload when he returns is crucial to the success of the Chargers.
Projected division finish: 1st
Oakland Raiders (Hunter)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Hunter entered the league last year in Week 4, and promptly took an underachiever to a playoff contender, finishing 6-6, and only one game and three spots out of the playoffs. Several key factors may determine if he repeats that performance. Firstly, does Deshaun Watson replicate his apparently unsustainable performance from year one? With the way he played in 2017, it doesn’t take much more than one of his good airing it out games to put the Raiders in the winner’s circle on a weekly basis. But Oakland has several more offensive weapons at its disposal, including French waiter Pierre Garcon, Devin Funchess, Dion Lewis, newly-minted Bucs’ starter Peyton Barber, and rookie rusher Kerryon Johnson. Vernon Davis returns at TE, and although he’s not a starter, either in real-life, or by fantasy quality, that all changes with one Jordan Reed injury…and he’s been known to have a few. That’s key number two: getting the other members of the offense to supplement Watson’s performance, especially if it’s not quite as prodigious as last year. And then there’s the third key: Defensive depth. Looking at the starting unit, it’s one of the very best in the league. With Joe Schobert now free to resume his run-stopping role, and Wesley Woodyard to repeat his role—even if just slightly lessened, the Raiders have a fearsome twosome at LB. Defensive line is equally well-stocked, with Chandler Jones and Mario Addison ready to wreak havoc. And lastly, a defensive backfield with returnees Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers, Quandre Diggs, and Marlon Humphrey should, at worst, be league average as a unit.
X-factor: Quality depth. It’s hard to say who and how many quality bench players will develop for Hunter this year. He needs a few to outperform their current projections to really leap up the ladder this year, both in division and conference. He does have one of the more talented teams in a once-again AFC. Ultimately, it may come down to the depth that he can produce, as well as the play at quarterback, that separates #2 and #3 in this division, because it seems to be inseparably close.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Remember to watch out for the sixth of our divisional previews, this time the NFC South, which should drop tomorrow. Thanks again guys.
The AFC West was the original power conference in this league, pitting 2017 HOF inductee Ryan (SD), against fellow 2017 HOF inductee (Brooks), the first-ever MFL Super Bowl-winner, Gramps (DEN), and future Super Bowl-winner, former Commissioner, and resident jackass, Mike (OAK), against one another. While we don’t have four teams of that stature, or GMs with such big personalities, this season, it’s clear from the way last year ended that the West is a division on the rise. It’s entirely possible that three playoff teams come out of the West this year, something that would be a true accomplishment given the power of the conference. But just who will those potential teams be? Will it be Trey continuing to assert his dominance over the division? Can Steve recover and get back to his winning ways in 2018? Will Hunter topple the division order and build upon a strong rookie campaign? Or can John follow on a personal-best calendar year? So much is possible. Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Denver Broncos (Steve)
Last year’s finish: 22nd (Division: 4th)
Outlook: Steve’s first three years in the league went about as well as one could hope for: a 19-17 record, a division title, two playoff appearances, and a playoff win. The Broncos’ 2017 was much different—a losing record for the first time (Albeit 5-7), and a second missed postseason in a row. Now Steve has taken some extraordinary measures to right the ship: aggressively trading for and drafting impact players (First taking Larry Fitzgerald in the UFA Draft, then trading for Sean Lee as if going for an all-in year, and lastly, selecting Roquan Smith and Antonio Callaway in the Rookie Draft). Adding Lee and Rowuan Smith to existing starters Anthony Barr and Jaylon Smith forms what is undoubtedly Steve’s best unit, and biggest reason for optimism. The rest of the defense has some questions, but generally is filled with high-upside players, like Chris Jones and Carl Lawson on the defensive line, and Artie Burns, Josh Norman, Logan Ryan, and Dontae Johnson in the secondary. Overall, it has the potential to be a top-10 defense. On the other side of the ball though, there are more pressing questions. Like, for example, how will QB Dak Prescott handle throwing the ball to likely the league’s worst real-life receiving corps? And can Denver’s Running Backs, Samaje Perine, Giovani Bernard, Corey Grant, and rookie Jaylen Samuels, find a way to give Denver at least one quality, startable option? Or will it have to be done in the aggregate—something that would require occupying both flex slots with RBs to accomplish. Wide receiver and Tight End are in much better position, with Steve cashing in on Fitzgerald’s supposed last go-around, the aforementioned Calloway, Jeremy Kerley (Who could soak up targets in what is perhaps the league’s second-worst receiving corps in Buffalo). There is a lot of dead weight at the position though: recently released Braxton Miller, unemployed Dontrelle Inman, and recent underperformer Torrey Smith. So it seems like only the top-3 will be responsible for holding up the unit, but a solid top-3 it should be. Tight end is handled by Zach Ertz, and touchdown-dependent Darren Fells for a “bye week whatever that’s worth.”
X-factor: Running back. Either it will propel Steve into the playoffs, or it will sink the all-in ship. Steve could look to fortify the position, as he still maintains all of his 2019 picks, but as of right now, it creates an inconsistent direction for is roster—holding the win now mentality of Steve’s offseason moves hostage to the success at that position.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Kansas City Chiefs (John)
Last year’s finish: 13th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: John is coming off his best year in his two seasons in the league, going 7-5 and nabbing a playoff spot in the most competitive conference (The 2017 AFC) in league history, though his total points suggest he was just a little bit lucky to be there (Finishing 19th in points, behind non-playoff AFC teams such as Cleveland, Oakland, Tennessee, and New England). Offensively, there is depth in numbers, though some real questions that have cropped up in just the last few days—and they have nothing to do with whether or not Joe Flacco is elite (A joke that keeps on giving despite him supposedly having his best offseason ever). For one, Marlon Mack’s injury potentially imperils not only the start of his season, but also maintaining a hold on his job, depending on how the rookies taking over for him in the interim, perform. Quincy Enunwa returning from serious injury that forced him to miss 2017, Rishard Matthews’ strange holdout/fake injury/under-market signing, as well as the emergence of Mike Williams in LA in relation to Tyrell Williams, have their roles a little less certain. Add to that the failure of Carlos Henderson and Jeremy McNichols to make their respective teams, and LeGarrette Blount in a through-and-through committee. But all of that pales in comparison to Jerick McKinnon tearing his ACL on the eve of the regular season. All in all, that’s a bitter pill to swallow--for any team. Luckily for John, the Cheifs’ Tight Ends are in pretty good shape, with sleeper Ricky Seals-Jones and Austin Seferian-Jenkins making the all-hyphenated-name team. On D, Kansas City may be better off than he was a year ago, with solid-or-better options Christian Kirksey, Aaron Donald, and 2017 injured reserve returnee Raekwon McMillan manning the fort. Vernon Hargreaves and Eli Apple present average or better options at DB, but beyond that, depth is scarce, as are numbers—unlike the offense.
X-factor: Weathering the storm. It would be hard for any team not named Seattle to handle having concrete effectively dumped on your head. But at least John drafted Lamar Jackson, which should pay long-term dividends starting whenever Baltimore realizes that Joe Flacco hasn’t been a good quarterback in over half a decade.
Projected division finish: 4th
Los Angeles Chargers (Trey)
Last year’s finish: 12th (Division: 1st)
Outlook: Since Trey entered the league in 2015, he has posted a 23-13 record, and had wrestled control of the division away from Steve (DEN), with two-consecutive division titles. Trey’s 2018 Chargers have the chance to be his best yet. Derek Carr returns at QB, and that should provide the Powder Blue crew with some much-needed stability considering that the only current non-suspended running back on the roster, James White, is part of a pretty serious timeshare. Mark Ingram, the aforementioned suspended party, will miss 5 of the first 6 weeks, and with the Saints’ recent signing of Mike Gillislee, it’s possible he loses some of his share of carries as the big back when he returns. At receiver, LAC is as deep as any team in the league, sporting a foursome of Tyreek Hill, DeVante Parker, Kenny Golladay, and rookie slot man Anthony Miller. Tight End is in good health too, with 2017 fantasy darling Cameron Brate, as well as Delanie Walker backup (And potential successor) Jonnu Smith in the fold. Los Angeles is just as stout on defense, with Luke Kuechly, Benardrick McKinney, Khalil Mack, and Deone Bucannon leading the charge. After those four, the dropoff is rather precipitous, but players like Barry Church, Karl Joseph, Shawn Williams, and Nick Vigil have shown fantasy-relevance before, and would likely be starters on most teams in the league. If anything hurts on this side of the ball, it’s the fact that Mack, by virtue of his recent trade, is now locked in as a LB, whereas before the move, it was still a remote possibility that he would be classified as a DL, devaluing him somewhat (As he would’ve probably been DL #1, as opposed to a top-25ish LB, as he was a season ago).
X-factor: Running back. It’s a strong roster all-around, but some of the holes do concern me. There appear to be minor holes depth-wise on defense, and the fact that the market for shoe and dropped-pass aficionado Corey Coleman has been ice cold. But the key ingredient to this team is Ingram, and by extension, White while he’s gone. How and how much Ingram handles the workload when he returns is crucial to the success of the Chargers.
Projected division finish: 1st
Oakland Raiders (Hunter)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: Hunter entered the league last year in Week 4, and promptly took an underachiever to a playoff contender, finishing 6-6, and only one game and three spots out of the playoffs. Several key factors may determine if he repeats that performance. Firstly, does Deshaun Watson replicate his apparently unsustainable performance from year one? With the way he played in 2017, it doesn’t take much more than one of his good airing it out games to put the Raiders in the winner’s circle on a weekly basis. But Oakland has several more offensive weapons at its disposal, including French waiter Pierre Garcon, Devin Funchess, Dion Lewis, newly-minted Bucs’ starter Peyton Barber, and rookie rusher Kerryon Johnson. Vernon Davis returns at TE, and although he’s not a starter, either in real-life, or by fantasy quality, that all changes with one Jordan Reed injury…and he’s been known to have a few. That’s key number two: getting the other members of the offense to supplement Watson’s performance, especially if it’s not quite as prodigious as last year. And then there’s the third key: Defensive depth. Looking at the starting unit, it’s one of the very best in the league. With Joe Schobert now free to resume his run-stopping role, and Wesley Woodyard to repeat his role—even if just slightly lessened, the Raiders have a fearsome twosome at LB. Defensive line is equally well-stocked, with Chandler Jones and Mario Addison ready to wreak havoc. And lastly, a defensive backfield with returnees Jalen Mills, Jabrill Peppers, Quandre Diggs, and Marlon Humphrey should, at worst, be league average as a unit.
X-factor: Quality depth. It’s hard to say who and how many quality bench players will develop for Hunter this year. He needs a few to outperform their current projections to really leap up the ladder this year, both in division and conference. He does have one of the more talented teams in a once-again AFC. Ultimately, it may come down to the depth that he can produce, as well as the play at quarterback, that separates #2 and #3 in this division, because it seems to be inseparably close.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Remember to watch out for the sixth of our divisional previews, this time the NFC South, which should drop tomorrow. Thanks again guys.