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Doug Orth | Archive | Email | Twitter
Staff Writer


Updated AFC Breakdowns
Preseason Schedule Analysis
8/30/11

AFC | NFC
AFC East: BUF | MIA | NE | NYJ
AFC North: BAL | CIN | CLE | PIT
AFC South: HOU | IND | JAX | TEN
AFC West: DEN | KC | OAK | SD

With many drafters either in the middle of drafting their teams or about to start, some of my loyal readers asked for updated projections they could use to either complement their use of the Cheatsheet Compiler/Draft Buddy or maybe just to impress their friends. Whatever the reason, many of the projections below have changed for my initial release (AFC and NFC) earlier this month. So, in an effort to help your draft-day experience a successful one, let’s get right into the updated projections.

Note: My final Big Board will hit the site on Thursday.

If you have any questions regarding the color-coding below, please refer to my last Big Board. Otherwise, the key to the stats is below, in case they are not self-explanatory:

PYd – Passing Yards
PTD – Passing touchdowns
RuYd – Rushing Yards
RuTD - Passing touchdowns
ReYd – Receiving yards
ReTD - Receiving touchdowns
Rec - Receptions

AFC EAST

 Buffalo Bills
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick 28 3020 18 13 235 2
QB Tyler Thigpen 27 280 1 1 30 0
QB Brad Smith 27 165 2 1 185 2 300 2 23
RB Fred Jackson 30 945 6 225 1 31
RB C.J. Spiller 24 435 4 390 2 34
WR Steve Johnson 25 1025 7 71
WR Donald Jones 23 715 5 45
WR Roscoe Parrish 29 550 3 44
TE Scott Chandler 26 130 0 16

Thoughts: I’m still at a loss at whether I should place Jones or Marcus Easley into the WR2 role. If Jones recovers quickly from his “head” injury (that is what the team is calling it anyway), he should be the pick to replace Lee Evans opposite Johnson. Do keep in mind, however, that Buffalo probably would not have dealt Evans if it wasn’t happy with its depth at the position, so if Jones is slow to recover, Easley could very well run away with the WR2 job. Don’t sleep on this position battle as there figures to be at least two fantasy-worthy receivers in this offense.

 Miami Dolphins
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Chad Henne 26 2980 12 12 35 0
QB Matt Moore 27 485 300 2 23 0
RB Daniel Thomas 23 770 5 205 1 29
RB Reggie Bush 26 550 4 550 3 55
WR Brandon Marshall 27 1045 7 78
WR Davone Bess 25 725 3 69
WR Brian Hartline 24 420 1 24
WR Clyde Gates 25 145 0 9
TE Anthony Fasano 27 340 2 33

Thoughts: One of the bigger fantasy stories this preseason is the use (or lack thereof) of Thomas. Despite being 6-0 and 230 pounds, Thomas is more of a glider than a pounder (think Matt Forte and Marion Barber, respectively), which was pretty obvious to just about anyone who watched the K-State rookie in college. Despite showing more power than I thought he had, it still isn’t enough for HC Tony Sparano, who expected Thomas to be more of a physical runner. The quicker Miami realizes the kind of back it has in Thomas (right now, an all-purpose back that needs a lot of work in pass protection), the better. Thomas should get that chance if/when Bush shows he cannot handle a full-time workload.

 New England Patriots
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Tom Brady 34 4205 30 9 25 0
RB BJ Green-Ellis 26 795 8 35 0 6
RB Danny Woodhead 26 470 3 340 2 41
RB Shane Vereen 22 185 1 120 0 16
RB Stevan Ridley 22 250 4 55 0 9
WR Chad Ochocinco 33 790 6 59
WR Wes Welker 30 950 6 87
WR Deion Branch 32 295 1 27
WR Julian Edelman 25 185 0 19
WR Taylor Price 23 240 1 15
TE Rob Gronkowski 22 540 9 48
TE Aaron Hernandez 21 655 5 56

Thoughts: I expect Ridley to eat into Green-Ellis’ workload at some point, be it due to injury or production. I believe the “Law Firm” is still the back to own between the two (simply because the Pats should hold their share of fourth-quarter leads this season), but a repeat of 2010 is unlikely. Hernandez’s preseason has made me rethink his overall numbers, so his spike from my initial projections comes at the expense of Ochocinco and Branch.

 New York Jets
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Mark Sanchez 24 3465 22 13 90 1
RB Shonn Greene 26 1090 9 90 0 14
RB L. Tomlinson 32 365 2 235 0 34
RB Joe McKnight 23 345 0 190 1 22
WR Santonio Holmes 27 1075 7 77
WR Plaxico Burress 34 525 5 41
WR Jeremy Kerley 22 210 1 23
WR Derrick Mason 37 505 3 45
TE Dustin Keller 26 635 5 59

Thoughts: The major change here is Keller, who will benefit from the increased attention his high-profile new teammates (Burress and Mason) should receive. It would come as little surprise to me if he ended up as Sanchez’s second-favorite target in 2011.

AFC NORTH

 Baltimore Ravens
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Joe Flacco 26 3805 22 11 70 0
RB Ray Rice 24 1230 8 685 2 69
RB Ricky Williams 34 355 3 60 0 9
WR Anquan Boldin 30 970 7 78
WR Lee Evans 30 805 5 51
WR Tandon Doss 21 400 1 33
WR Torrey Smith 22 175 1 12
TE Ed Dickson 24 315 2 28
TE Dennis Pitta 26 395 4 38

Thoughts: Getting out of Buffalo should help Evans immensely in the consistency department. It took him just a few days to show chemistry with Flacco during preseason action. Because his game is speed, he won’t ever be the most consistent fantasy force, but for owners looking for a potential WR3 at a WR4 price, he’s worth it. I have seen nothing yet from Smith this season that makes me think he will overtake Evans (or even deserve to play ahead of Doss).

 Cincinnati Bengals
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Bruce Gradkowski 28 500 5 5 25 0
QB Andy Dalton 23 2985 12 17 205 1
RB Cedric Benson 28 1065 6 155 0 21
RB Bernard Scott 27 350 1 110 0 11
RB Brian Leonard 27 90 1 185 0 28
WR A.J. Green 23 915 7 60
WR Jerome Simpson 25 790 3 49
WR Jordan Shipley 25 525 2 52
WR Andre Caldwell 26 265 1 20
TE Jermaine Gresham 23 540 4 48

Thoughts: After watching each of the Bengals’ first three preseason games, it appears they have a shot at being useful in plus fantasy matchups and should be avoided at all costs in the less-than-plus matchups. One observation I made with Dalton is that he was much more accurate on the run in the Panthers’ game – he has been very erratic in the pocket this preseason. While Green’s long-term future is bright, his short-term success figures to be capped significantly by Dalton if the preseason is any indication of the way his rookie year will go.

 Cleveland Browns
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Colt McCoy 24 2915 17 13 205 1
QB Seneca Wallace 32 515 3 3 40 0
RB Peyton Hillis 25 1060 9 475 3 59
RB Montario Hardesty 24 345 3 40 0 7
RB Brandon Jackson 25 155 0 135 0 20
WR Mohamed Massaquoi 24 675 3 40
WR Jordan Norwood 24 480 2 41
WR Brian Robiskie 23 390 2 35
WR Greg Little 22 510 4 41
TE Ben Watson 30 720 5 64

Thoughts: I believe I have made several major changes for the Browns. With Jackson likely out until at least the bye, Hillis gets a big bump in PPR leagues since he will add primary passing-down back responsibilities to the lead-back role he already had. Little is clearly fourth on the depth chart as we speak, so I have projected accordingly and will give him a slow first month. It’s hard for me to believe he’ll remain behind Robiskie all season long. Lastly, Norwood makes his first appearance. The former Eagles practice-squader is locked in as the slot receiver. And with HC Pat Shurmur already comparing him favorably to Danny Amendola, there’s enough reason for fantasy owners to keep a close eye on him.

 Pittsburgh Steelers
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB B. Roethlisberger 29 3955 23 11 150 2
RB R Mendenhall 24 1150 11 190 0 28
RB Isaac Redman 26 240 1 70 0 10
WR Mike Wallace 25 1285 8 75
WR Hines Ward 35 695 5 58
WR Antonio Brown 23 865 4 51
WR E. Sanders 24 405 2 28
TE Heath Miller 28 445 4 46

Thoughts: Much like the Bills’ WR2 situation, it’s hard to get a read on the Steelers’ WR3 outlook. Sanders is the more accomplished route-runner, but Brown has enjoyed a great preseason and has remained healthy – something that Sanders cannot say. As much as I’d like to say I currently have the two players projected correctly, the fact of the matter is that it will probably boil down to whether or not Sanders can ever get his injured foot right. This has all the makings of a fast Brown start and slow finish while the opposite can be said for Sanders.

AFC South

 Houston Texans
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Matt Schaub 30 3865 26 11 35 0
RB Arian Foster 25 1395 13 435 2 53
RB Derrick Ward 31 110 0 15 0 3
RB Ben Tate 23 345 3 75 0 10
WR Andre Johnson 30 1390 10 106
WR Jacoby Jones 28 540 4 30
WR Kevin Walter 29 520 3 47
WR D. Dickerson 23 175 0 12
TE Owen Daniels 28 715 7 60

Thoughts: Foster’s re-aggravation of his hamstring injury caused me to lower his yardage output a bit early on, but I’m still comfortable with him No. 1 overall in this prolific offense. Based on preseason action, it’s easy to get excited about Tate’s prospects, but his rise to RB2 on this team is still speculation at best. (Sometimes, what seems obvious to fantasy football owners isn’t always what happens on the playing field.) About the only other item I’ll mention here is Dickerson, who has no business being on 99% of fantasy rosters at the moment. His projected production could easily fall into the lap of TE/FB James Casey, who the team has wanted an excuse to play for some time now.

 Indianapolis Colts
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Peyton Manning 35 4370 29 9 20 1
RB Joseph Addai 28 830 8 320 0 42
RB Donald Brown 24 285 2 90 0 14
RB Delone Carter 24 280 3 55 0 9
WR Reggie Wayne 32 1200 8 88
WR Pierre Garcon 25 780 6 50
WR Austin Collie 25 945 6 81
WR A. Gonzalez 26 150 0 14
TE Dallas Clark 32 830 9 79

Thoughts: Very little has changed here since my initial projections. We still have little idea on Manning’s’ early-season effectiveness or availability, although Monday’s return to limited practice was an encouraging sign. Obviously, just about every player on this team and their fantasy stock depends on the successful return of Manning. While Kerry Collins’ addition likely helps this situation from being a total loss should Manning miss a game or two, just about every player above should be considered one step lower (Wayne goes from a WR1 to WR2, for example) than they would be with Manning under center.

 Jacksonville Jaguars
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB David Garrard 33 1555 6 9 115 3
QB Blaine Gabbert 21 1915 12 11 145 2
RB M. Jones-Drew 26 1100 7 420 2 49
RB Rashad Jennings 26 560 5 160 0 23
WR Mike Thomas 24 840 3 72
WR Jason Hill 26 445 2 27
WR Cecil Shorts 23 500 3 37
WR Jarett Dillard 25 215 1 12
TE Marcedes Lewis 27 710 7 63
TE Zach Miller 26 180 0 20

Thoughts: While Gabbert has impressed casual observers on the practice field with his strong arm, the preseason has exposed enough flaws that Garrard could make it through the season without losing his job. Still, I have a hard time seeing Garrard remaining the team’s QB following the bye, even though the rookie would not be ready to take over. The fantasy chaos will likely carry over to the RB and WR positions, where it has been confirmed by the Jags’ coaching staff that Jennings has “earned” more work, meaning MJD is probably coming off the board a bit too high right now. At WR, I expect Shorts to overtake Hill in the starting lineup at some point. Whether he is worth a pick-up in your league at that point will be based on the size of your league.

 Tennessee Titans
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Matt Hasselbeck 35 3150 15 14 50 0
QB Jake Locker 23 650 1 3 60 1
RB Chris Johnson 25 1245 10 535 1 54
RB Javon Ringer 24 235 1 85 0 12
RB Jamie Harper 21 115 1 60 0 10
WR Kenny Britt 22 1030 7 63
WR Nate Washington 28 560 1 33
WR Damian Williams 23 575 2 49
WR Marc Mariani 24 160 0 17
TE Jared Cook 24 755 5 62

Thoughts: Britt will not be suspended by the league, so he’s as safe as he’ll ever be to draft. The problem with him will never be talent, but his ability to stay out of trouble. I’m holding tight to a late preseason return by Johnson, but I have adjusted his early-season numbers because a slow start at this point should be expected – if he even shows up. Harper could – and probably should – steal some red-zone looks from either Johnson or Ringer, but Johnson’s new contract will probably suggest otherwise. It’s quite possible I have him undervalued here.

AFC West

 Denver Broncos
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Kyle Orton 28 3135 19 11 85 0
RB Knowshon Moreno 24 990 6 310 1 32
RB Willis McGahee 29 700 8 125 1 19
WR Brandon Lloyd 30 1040 8 76
WR Eric Decker 24 575 2 41
WR Eddie Royal 25 570 2 50
WR David Anderson 29 200 0 17
TE Julius Thomas 23 420 5 36

Thoughts: Perhaps no team has undergone more change since my initial projections than Denver. McGahee has been confirmed as the goal-line RB and, as a result, is a good bet to top Moreno in that category. The ex-Bill and Raven should be a solid flex play in PPR and non-PPR. Lloyd has received a significant boost now that Tim Tebow is either fighting for the QB2 job or the fourth-best QB on the roster (depending on what source you choose to believe). And finally, keep the rookie Thomas in mind with your last pick in deep leagues. Thomas is the latest college basketball-to-pro-tight end transition player and appears to be following in the footsteps of Jimmy Graham in that regard. (Let’s spare the kid the pressure of living up to Antonio Gates right now.) He’s earned the name “Mr. Red Zone” from his teammates during training camp, so keep his name in mind late in drafts.

 Kansas City Chiefs
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Matt Cassel 29 3365 18 15 130 0
RB Jamaal Charles 24 1335 7 550 2 53
RB Thomas Jones 33 495 4 70 0 12
RB Le’Ron McClain 26 120 1 80 0 14
WR Dwayne Bowe 26 1020 8 72
WR Steve Breaston 28 550 3 42
WR Jerheme Urban 30 435 1 28
TE Tony Moeaki 24 660 4 55

Thoughts: While Denver has received upgrades just about everywhere for their work this preseason, it’s hard to like anything the Chiefs have done. Let’s go ahead and write off Jonathan Baldwin for now since it is highly questionable when he will return from his broken thumb, but the fact of the matter is that his attitude may be what needs to addressed the most. It’s very likely his rookie season will be a wash. Charles has fallen in my eyes since my initial projections simply because it is doubtful HC Todd Haley will ever ask him to eclipse 300 touches. While his sterling career yards/touch help him make the most of his workload, it’s a lot to ask Charles to produce this season – especially in Weeks 11-15 - like he did against a much softer schedule in 2010.

 Oakland Raiders
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Jason Campbell 29 3360 16 13 195 2
RB Darren McFadden 24 1075 7 520 2 50
RB Michael Bush 27 710 6 140 0 21
WR Louis Murphy 24 530 3 38
WR Jacoby Ford 24 910 5 58
WR Denarius Moore 22 465 2 23
WR D. Heyward-Bey 24 265 0 21
TE Kevin Boss 27 530 4 49

Thoughts: Like Kansas City, Oakland understands it is a running team. Unlike the Chiefs, HC Hue Jackson has decided to hitch his wagon to one runner – McFadden. Yes, Bush will get his and be a great play if/when McFadden suffers his annual hamstring injury, but this is McFadden’s show. And since Jackson has even adjusted the Raiders’ previous zone-blocking scheme to a power-blocking one that suits McFadden’s running style, I believe he will match and maybe even exceed last year’s numbers, even if he sits out the three games I have him projected to miss. If he puts together 16 games for the first time in his career, McFadden has a great shot at being the top fantasy back in 2011…that’s a big if, however.

 San Diego Chargers
Pos Player Age PYd PTD INT RuYd RuTD ReYd ReTD Re 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
QB Philip Rivers 29 4410 31 10 55 0
RB Ryan Mathews 24 895 6 190 1 23
RB Mike Tolbert 25 725 8 240 0 31
RB Jordan Todman 21 95 0 40 0 8
WR Vincent Jackson 28 1260 11 74
WR Malcom Floyd 29 660 4 40
WR Vincent Brown 22 580 2 46
WR Patrick Crayton 32 330 0 30
TE Antonio Gates 31 1110 11 79

Thoughts: I keep going back and forth on Mathews and Tolbert, but have settled on Mathews for now being the slightly more valuable fantasy property. (That could change at any time, however, so my best advice is to either make sure you grab both or draft Tolbert and use him as a flex until Mathews gets hurt). I’ve also increased Jackson’s numbers as he will be playing for a contract (or so he hopes) and will be able to start his season when everyone else does this season.

Suggestions, comments, musings about the article or fantasy football in general? E-mail me.


Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006, appeared in USA Today’s Fantasy Football Preview magazine in each of the last two seasons and served as a weekly fantasy football analyst for 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C. this past season. He is also a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association. You can also follow him on Twitter.