PHOENIX -- We already gave you Fantasy news and notes for the NFC teams after my trip to the NFL's annual league meetings. Now, here are the AFC teams.
Some key things to focus on here include the workload for Le'Veon Bell, how the Browns plan to use Odell Beckham, the Chargers not wanting to overload Melvin Gordon and the running back situation for the Texans. But there's also so much more after getting the chance to be around all the coaches in the conference.
A lot will still happen this offseason to change rosters, but this is a good start on helping you to prepare for Draft Day this year.
AFC EAST
Patriots
News: Bill Belichick might have to rely on Phillip Dorsett
Quote to note: "Phil's got good skill, he's a talented player," Belichick said. "He's got a lot of big plays for us."
Fantasy outlook: The Patriots could need a lot out of Dorsett this season with a stripped down receiving corps, which just lost Rob Gronkowski to retirement. Dorsett should be the starter opposite Julian Edelman, and he's a sleeper to target with a late-round pick. He had 32 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns in the regular season last year, as well as five catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns in three playoff games. But in the six games last season where he had at least five targets, including the playoffs, he scored at least 14 PPR points in four of them.
Dolphins
News: Brian Flores doesn't commit to Kenyan Drake
Quote to note: "I think Drake is an explosive player. I've seen it first-hand, unfortunately," Flores said. "I think he's a talented player. He catches the ball well. He's a good runner. He runs hard. He does a lot of really good things. But I think, and I'll say this to all of the players, the opportunities they get on the field will be up to them. Period. If they practice well, if they're smart, they work hard, they're tough, they block, they catch the ball consistently, they hit the hole correctly, then they're going to play. That's all of the backs. That's (Kalen) Ballage, that's Drake, that's period. By committee or workhorse, those are phrases that people throw out there, but I think the guys who perform at practice and produce in games, those are the guys that are going to be out there."
Fantasy outlook: Drake actually finished as the No. 14 PPR running back in 2018, but he only had four games with more than 15 touches and no games with more than 17. What saved him was his role in the passing game, where he was 13th in targets (73), 14th in receptions (53), 12th in receiving yards (477) and tied for third in receiving touchdowns (five) among running backs. Drake has the chance to be the featured back for Miami under Flores, but it seems like he will share touches with Ballage. As of now, plan to draft Drake as a low-end No. 2 running back in the Round 5 range, and Ballage is worth a late-round pick in all formats.
News: Flores confident in Ryan Fitzpatrick
Quote to note: "I've watched Ryan for a long time," Flores said. "I've known about him for a long time. The one thing you hear over and over and over again is his ability to connect with players offensively, defensively and lead. I think he's a great fit for us. We're excited to have him."
Fantasy outlook: Fitzpatrick started seven games for Tampa Bay in 2018, and he scored at least 30 Fantasy points in four of them. He never had the chance to be the full-time starter for the Buccaneers because of Jameis Winston, but he might get that chance with the Dolphins, depending on what happens in the NFL Draft. And Miami actually has an interesting receiving corps with Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker and hopefully a healthy Albert Wilson (hip). Fitzpatrick isn't someone to draft in one-quarterback leagues, but he's a sleeper to consider in two-quarterback formats with a late-round pick.
Jets
News: Adam Gase doesn't want to overwork Le'Veon Bell
Quote to note: "I've always felt that I have a good feel for when a guy is either fatigued or heading in a direction where maybe we're wearing him down," Gase said. "We'll start early to where there will be a certain amount of reps we'll use. But he is a veteran running back. He plays a position that's very physical. You can wear a guy out with too many rushes, touches, snaps, practice snaps. We'll keep an eye on that. This is not going to be where we burn him out in the first six months. We're aware of that. I feel like in this system we've always taken care of those backs and made sure we used them the right way in practice. In games, that's why, historically, I've always used a lot of running backs."
Fantasy outlook: Bell, 27, sat out last season with the Steelers over his contract, but he saw plenty of work prior to 2018. Since 2014, Bell had the most touches (1,252) and snaps (2,932) among running backs, and he averaged 409 touches per 16 games over that span. Gase might not want to overwork Bell, but he plans to feature him quite a bit. Said Gase, "We'll easily be able to adapt to what Le'Veon does in the run game. It's just going to take more of the chemistry part of the line, him, quarterback, receivers, tight ends, everybody just getting used to playing with each other. And the run schemes that he's really good at, we'd be fools to not to do those." Gase also added he's excited about Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon, saying "I see a lot of things I like." Bell will be polarizing on Draft Day in a lot of leagues, but he should be selected in Round 2 in most formats.
News: Gase plans to use Jamison Crowder inside and outside
Quote to note: "I think he checks all those boxes," Gase said. "He has something unique as far as he has an explosiveness after the catch that you don't see a ton of. A lot of the slot receivers historically have been not guys that are threats down the field. He's a threat down the field, but at the same time he can catch it and create, which is going to be interesting for us because we've never had a guy who can really juice it up. He has some flexibility to do some outside stuff. ... We want to make sure we expect everything and try to do as many things as possible."
Fantasy outlook: Gase spoke highly of all his receivers. On Robby Anderson, he said, "We're going to try to expand his role. We're going to try to make sure we give variety." On Quincy Enunwa, Gase said, "We have to find ways to get him the ball because he does have a unique ability to catch the ball, run with it. ... He's a strong runner, and he can move the chains." And keep in mind, at the NFL Combine, Gase also spoke highly of tight end Chris Herndon. Sam Darnold is expected to take a leap in his second season under Gase, and the addition of Bell will help this offense. But all of the Jets receiving options aren't going to excel as Gase expects. Fantasy players should consider Anderson still the No. 1 option worth drafting with a mid-round pick, Crowder after him in a similar range, especially in PPR, and Enunwa is only worth a late-round flier in deeper leagues.
Bills
News: Sean McDermott keeps expectations for Josh Allen in check
Quote to note: "I expect him to do his job, including the added leadership responsibility that comes with being the face of the franchise at the quarterback position," McDermott said. "I'm not going to put big expectations on Josh. I don't believe that's important. I think for him to come in and do his job, and continue to develop and grow. He's got a long list of areas that he needs to continue to improve on. There's also a long list of things that he did well, and I'm excited to get him back in Buffalo."
Fantasy outlook: Allen was a Fantasy star to close his rookie season in 2018, scoring at least 21 points in four of his final six outings, including three games with at least 27 points. A big reason why was his rushing prowess since he ran for at least 95 yards in four games over that span, as well as scoring five rushing touchdowns. The Bills gave him three new weapons this offseason with John Brown, Cole Beasley and Tyler Kroft, and hopefully Allen will improve as a passer. He's a sleeper to target with a late-round pick in all leagues.
News: McDermott still confident in LeSean McCoy
Quote to note: "Well, you look at the history, No. 1, and that the skills have been there," McDermott said. "I went back, along with our offensive staff, and we looked at why the results were the way they were last year. How much was on LeSean? How much was on the other pieces involved? We all took ownership of that. That's where it starts, and then I know LeSean is driven to be the best. That's been proven over the course of his career."
Fantasy outlook: McCoy, who will be 31 in July, is coming off a miserable season in 2018 with 161 carries for 514 yards (3.2 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, as well as 34 catches for 238 yards. It's his fewest carries and rushing yards since his rookie season in 2009, and it's the lowest yards per carry of his career. McCoy will have Frank Gore playing behind him, but that shouldn't impact his production much. At this point in his career, McCoy is a No. 3 Fantasy running back only worth a mid-round pick in all formats.
AFC North
Ravens
News: Ravens building offense around Lamar Jackson
Quote to note: "We have an offense that we're building," John Harbaugh said. "We're building it around Lamar, but we're also building it around all of our guys. We're building the offense that we want to run, and we're building it from the ground up -- nuts and bolts, scratch. And I think we're building it really, really well in a way that's going to allow us to do a lot of different things, be in a lot of different worlds. That's what we want to try to do because we think that best suits him and the team we're going to put together. It's going to be truly a team offense. We've got to install that. He's got to learn it. He's got to be the operator of it, and we have to make sure that we get him really good at doing that with this offense."
Fantasy outlook: Harbaugh said Jackson is spending the offseason working with a quarterback trainer and "throwing regularly." We hope he can improve as a passer because he could become a standout Fantasy option. He started the final seven games of his rookie season and scored at least 21 Fantasy points three times. But he passed for more than 200 yards just once over that span. There's plenty of upside with Jackson, but he also has a suspect receiving corps, which is currently led by Willie Snead. Keep an eye on what Baltimore does at receiver in the NFL Draft, but Jackson should be considered a high-end No. 2 Fantasy quarterback worth drafting with a late-round pick.
News: Harbaugh looking for options at receiver
Quote to note: "Our only problem right now is we don't have enough draft picks," Harbaugh said. "If we had more draft picks, I would be even more excited about those mid-round wide receivers. There are a lot of options. We're going to build it up from the beginning. We're going to try to fit players into what we want to do right now as far as our offense and how we're building it. We want to get the right kind of guys for us, plug them in and let them rip. That goes for the two receivers we drafted last year (Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley). Those two guys, I have high expectations for those two guys. I expect those two guys to come out ripping and roaring. Chris Moore is another one. He and I have talked about it. He came in and wanted to know where he stood. I told him, 'Let's roll. This is your time.' Willie Snead, how about Willie Snead? He's a pro all the way. He's a proven player. Then, we're going to add a couple of guys."
Fantasy outlook: OK, as it stands now, this group is hard to like. Snead could be worth a late-round flier in deeper leagues, and he scored double digits in PPR in three games with Jackson last season, although his best total over that span was 11 points. Moore has some sleeper appeal with an increased role, and we'll see what happens with Scott and Lasley. But like Harbaugh said, the Ravens will address receiver in the NFL Draft. Once that happens, we can further evaluate this group to see what Jackson will be working with in 2019.
News: Hayden Hurst, Mark Andrews could be vital parts of offense
Quote to note: "I told Hayden and Mark, I expect those two guys to be the best in the league," Harbaugh said. "That's the expectations for those two guys. Let's go. It's Year 2. They both did really well. Hayden would've done even better if he hadn't hurt his foot. They're working like crazy right now."
Fantasy outlook: As you can see, the Ravens need reliable pass catchers, and Hurst and Andrews might be their best options. Hurst dealt with a foot injury as a rookie in 2018 and missed four games. He was limited with his production with 13 catches for 163 yards and one touchdown on 23 targets in 12 games, but he's someone to consider with a late-round pick in all leagues. And Andrews had a nice rookie season, catching 34 passes for 552 yards and three touchdowns on 51 targets. Like Hurst, Andrews is worth a late-round flier in all formats.
Steelers
News: Mike Tomlin excited to see JuJu Smith-Schuster develop
Quote to note: "Just to grow and develop in all of the nuances relative to his play," Tomlin said of what Smith-Schuster has to do in his third year. "To not get consumed by the outside noise but to focus on his craft and elements of his craft, seeing the ball in, being quick to the tuck and things of that nature. Getting him quicker in the run-after. Just purely fundamental developmental things and staying in that space."
Fantasy outlook: Smith-Schuster is coming off a stellar sophomore campaign in 2018, but all eyes are on him now with Antonio Brown gone to Oakland. Last year, Smith-Schuster had 111 catches for 1,426 yards and seven touchdowns on 166 targets, and he scored at least 13 PPR points in all but four games, with six games over 20 points. He should be a star this season with the slight uptick in targets with Brown gone, and Smith-Schuster is worth drafting in Round 2 in all leagues.
Browns
News: Freddie Kitchens not concerned about number of targets for Odell Beckham, Jarvis Landry
Quote to note: "I guarantee you the most important thing to Odell is winning," Kitchens said. "I've spoken to him, I've talked to him. I know he's passionate about winning. He's not passionate about making great plays. That becomes the passion and that becomes the focus because that's what the media likes to put the focus on. And you should, that's your job. I'm not trying to hammer you guys. That's what you should do. But in the same sense, he's passionate because that increases his chances of being on a winning team in that very game, or that very moment. Jarvis Landry cares about winning. Baker Mayfield, what do you think he cares about? You guys have gotten to know him. Does he care about the stats or does he care about winning? All these guys are the same. They want to win because they know that their ultimate individual success is going to be tied to winning."
Fantasy outlook: Beckham had 169 targets the last time he played 16 games in 2016 with the Giants, and he was on pace for 165 targets last season before missing the final four games of the year with a quad injury. And Landry led the Browns in targets last season with 149. It could be hard for both guys to stay in that range -- as well as other players being involved in the passing game, along with the running game -- so this is something to monitor. But you know Beckham is still looking at around 150 targets, and Landry can still be at 130. And the quarterback upgrade for Beckham going from Eli Manning to Baker Mayfield should help. Beckham is still a top-five Fantasy receiver coming into the season, and he's worth drafting toward the end of Round 1. Landry is a mid-round pick in non-PPR leagues and a low-end starter in PPR.
News: Kitchens still backing Nick Chubb over Kareem Hunt
Quote to note: "Nick Chubb is what you want as a player on your football team," Kitchens said. "And he welcomes the competition. And he's excited about it. And let me tell you something: Nick Chubb can help Kareem Hunt. And again, we're doing everything we can right now to support Kareem Hunt as a person, not the player. We'll teach him what to do. We'll teach him where to line up. I've never taught a running back how to run the ball. ... We'll get to that part with Kareem. But right now we want him to become a better person. And he wants the same thing. And he's making tremendous strides in doing that."
Fantasy outlook: Hunt is suspended for the first eight games of the season, so Chubb should get off to a good start in his sophomore campaign. Once Hunt is back then it could get messy for Fantasy players, but we hope Chubb is dominating at that point, with Hunt just mixing in. You should still plan to draft Chubb in Round 2 in all leagues, and Hunt is worth a mid-round pick. You have to be patient with your roster if you draft Hunt, but he could be useful toward the end of the season, especially if Chubb gets hurt.
AFC South
Texans
News: Bill O'Brien has high expectations for D'Onta Foreman
Quote to note: "We think he's a very talented guy," O'Brien said. "Big, can run, can catch the ball out of the backfield, very instinctive, tough runner. So, we're expecting him to come back ready to go, and we've heard that's going to be the case -- that he's working hard. We're looking forward to seeing him back in the building."
Fantasy outlook: Foreman only appeared in one game last season after suffering a ruptured Achilles in 2017. He is expected to open the season behind Lamar Miller, but Foreman should be able to get quality touches, especially if Miller struggles. Foreman is a great mid- to late-round reserve running back to target in all leagues.
News: O'Brien says Will Fuller (ACL) moving in right direction
Quote to note: "I think he's doing really well," O'Brien said. "He's on a good track. He's been in there every day. He works very hard. With his work ethic and his mindset - I'm not going to put a timetable on it - but I feel like he's really moving in a good direction."
Fantasy outlook: At the NFL Combine, O'Brien said he was hopeful Fuller would return to practice prior to training camp, but that hasn't been decided yet. Fuller was hurt in Week 8 against Miami last year, but in the seven games he was able to play he had 32 catches for 503 yards and four touchdowns on 45 targets. Over 16 games, that projects to 73 catches for 1,150 yards and nine touchdowns. But Fuller has played just 31 games over three seasons due to injury, so hopefully he can stay healthy in 2019. If he's back for training camp as expected, draft Fuller around Round 7 in most leagues.
News: O'Brien hopeful Keke Coutee can stay healthy
Quote to note: "He knows now what to expect from a running standpoint and how to get his body ready for practice, get his body ready for the weight room sessions," O'Brien said. "He's learned a lot about it, we're going to be better with it and I think it's going to produce better results, obviously. That can't really happen again where you've got a guy that's an excellent player and he missed three quarters of the season with a hamstring. That's us and the player trying to get better."
Fantasy outlook: Coutee only appeared in six games last season while dealing with hamstring problems. He had three games with at least seven targets, and he scored at least 12 PPR points in all three outings. Coutee should be the No. 3 receiver for the Texans behind DeAndre Hopkins and Fuller, and he's worth drafting with a late-round pick in all leagues, with his value higher in PPR. He just needs to stay healthy in 2019.
Colts
News: Frank Reich has high expectations for Devin Funchess
Quote to note: "I'm so excited about Devin," Reich said. "I mean, when I watch his tape, what I see is a big man who is really athletic. I like to talk about having route-running skill -- this combination of having good feet, good instincts and good body control. And then what sometimes we refer to as body quickness. ... And Devin has all of that. And he's got really good feet. I remember watching his tape coming out of college thinking, 'This guy is a monster physically, and look at his feet. Watch the way this guy runs routes.' I mean, I remember watching him coming out of college thinking this guy could play in the slot, the way he runs routes. He's a big man, so the catch radius is massive."
Fantasy outlook: Funchess has plenty of sleeper appeal going to the Colts, and he should be the No. 2 receiver opposite T.Y. Hilton. Funchess has the chance to be like Eric Ebron this season, and Ebron came to Indianapolis last year after being a disappointment with Detroit. All he did was score 14 total touchdowns while also setting career highs in targets (111), catches (66) and yards (750). There are a lot of mouths to feed with the Colts, especially if Jack Doyle (hip) is healthy, but it sounds like Funchess will have a significant role. He's worth a mid-round pick in all formats.
News: Marlon Mack will lead a committee approach
Quote to note: "I think at this point going into it, it's still by-committee, but Marlon's a little bit more the featured guy," Reich said. "I mean, you saw that, when he's healthy, Nyheim (Hines) and Jordan (Wilkins) are still gonna get their plays and take some of the load off, but I thought the way we ran it when Marlon was in last year was, hey, it's by-committee, but with emphasis on Marlon being the No. 1 guy."
Fantasy outlook: Mack was solid in 2018 with 1,102 rushing yards in 14 games, including the playoffs. He also added 10 rushing touchdowns and 19 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown over that span. He gets the chance to run behind a tremendous offensive line and plays with a standout quarterback in Andrew Luck, so it's a great situation. While Hines and Wilkins will get touches, Mack has the chance to build off his performance from last year. He's worth drafting by Round 4 in all formats.
Titans
News: Mike Vrabel wants to feature Derrick Henry as much as possible
Quote to note: "I think that is where the whole plan would like to start," Vrabel said. "If Derrick can do what he did at the end of the year at the start this year, he's certainly going to get a lot more opportunities."
Fantasy outlook: Here's what Henry did in the final four games of last year: 87 carries for 585 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns. He also added three catches for 21 yards, and his limited role in the passing game hurts his upside. That said, if he continues to get 17-plus touches on a weekly basis then he should be a solid Fantasy asset in any format. While Dion Lewis will continue to share touches with Henry, you should still plan on drafting him in the Round 3 range in non-PPR leagues and Round 4 in PPR.
Jaguars
News: Doug Marrone says best is yet to come for Chris Conley
Quote to note: "He is someone that I like his leadership," Marrone said. "Obviously, I like his speed. There are a lot of things that he does well. ... We feel like Chris' best football hasn't come out yet. We are excited about that. Also, something else, Chris has worked with Nick (Foles) when Nick was in Kansas City. There is a relationship there, which is good. We are excited to have him and get him out on the field."
Fantasy outlook: The Jaguars receiving corps is a work in progress with Marqise Lee (knee) coming back from injury, and a young group of Dede Westbrook, Keelan Cole, D.J. Chark and Conley. We'll see what role Conley plays, and having a rapport with Foles should help. But Conley is only worth drafting with a late-round flier in deeper leagues. He had a career-high five touchdowns last season with the Chiefs, but he's never had more than 44 catches or 530 yards in any of his four years in the NFL.
AFC West
Chiefs
News: Andy Reid not worried about Patrick Mahomes getting complacent
Quote to note: "Defenses will have an opportunity to study him, and there are a lot of great minds, a lot of defensive coordinators in the league," Reid said. "They'll present certain things to him that they think will be effective against this offense, and then he'll have to answer those. But for now, we're going to add things in and he's going digest that. He's going to go back and look at all the things we did our studies on. These cut ups will be invaluable for him on the different plays that he's run this past year, study those and see where he can get better in those areas. And I think it's a great growing period from Year 1 to Year 2, and he'll handle it the right way. A lot of guys don't. They get complacent. He won't do that."
Fantasy outlook: Mahomes was amazing in 2018 when he was the NFL MVP. He passed for 5,097 yards, 50 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, and he also added 272 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He also scored at least 21 Fantasy points in all but one game. There will be regression this season, and hopefully Fantasy players don't overvalue him based on his performance last year. But Mahomes should be drafted as the No. 1 quarterback in all formats, with a pick toward the back end of Round 2. If you draft him in the first 15 overall picks, you could be making a mistake.
Chargers
News: Anthony Lynn wants Melvin Gordon to rest
Quote to note: "I just want him to work on taking some time off," Lynn said. "He's a workaholic. I don't want him overworking. I really want him to take a good month off and just do nothing and trust that when he comes back we're going to get him right. A lot of these guys, they leave for that time off and they get with their personal trainers and gurus and continue to work and grind. You can only make so many cuts in a year. I'd rather he make those cuts with us. I think it's important for him to rest, let his body recoup. And then come back."
Fantasy outlook: It's good that Lynn wants Gordon to take it easy in the offseason, but hopefully he will continue to dominate carries when the games count. In 2018, Gordon had at least 17 total touches in eight of his first nine games before hurting his knee in Week 12 (he also missed Week 7 against Tennessee with a hamstring injury). He had 15 touches or less in the final two regular season games before getting 18 touches in the wild-card round against Baltimore. Gordon is a standout Fantasy running back heading into this season, and he should be drafted in Round 1 in all leagues.
Broncos
News: Vic Fangio confident in Joe Flacco
Quote to note: "I think there's a lot left with Joe," Fangio said. "Joe's got an athletic body. I don't think he's got a body that will slowly break down. Now, that's not to say he can't get injured, but some bodies last longer naturally than others. I think he's got a body that can last a long time. He throws the ball with ease, meaning it's just natural. There's not a lot of torque, so I think his arm strength has not wavered one bit since he came into the league. And he's hungry. Joe wants to do well. I think a lot of players, they lose their stinger before they lose their talent, and Joe's stinger is still sharp."
Fantasy outlook: It's hard not to laugh when you hear Fangio say "Joe's got an athletic body." At 34, Flacco is not going to win games or have big performances based on his athleticism. Now, he might have success throwing the ball, and we'll see what kind of competition Denver gives him in the NFL Draft. If he's the starter as expected, hopefully the change of scenery will help him. Before losing his job to Lamar Jackson last season with the Ravens, Flacco had at least 21 Fantasy points in four of nine starts. He's only a low-end starter in two-quarterback leagues.
News: Fangio has high expectations for Courtland Sutton and DaeSean Hamilton
Quote to note: "They'd better be ready to step up," Fangio said. "We're counting on them. You always need reinforcements. Like I said, it's a league of receivers and DBs right now, so there's always room for improvement and to add to those groups. You never have enough of them, but I like where we're at with receivers. I think our line is better than people think it is and I'd like to think that if we're right with Joe Flacco, he'll have a hand in making those guys look better, too."
Fantasy outlook: Emmanuel Sanders (Achilles) is working his way back from injury, so a lot could be expected from Sutton and Hamilton. And we got the chance to see how they could perform in 2018 in an expanded role. Demaryius Thomas was traded to Houston prior to Week 9, and Sanders was hurt prior to Week 14. In those final four games, Hamilton averaged 13.3 PPR points, while Sutton was at 8.3 PPR points. Hamilton could struggle when Sanders is healthy since both are better suited to play in the slot, and hopefully Sutton will benefit playing with Flacco. Both receivers are worth a look in all leagues with a mid-round pick.
Raiders
News: Jon Gruden not worried about Antonio Brown's behavior in Pittsburgh
Quote to note: "I had no problem," Gruden said. "You got to be kidding me. We get Antonio Brown? I'll walk to Pittsburgh to get him. I don't have any problem with one aspect of Antonio Brown. I don't know who does or why they would."
Fantasy outlook: Brown, who will be 31 in July, has six consecutive seasons of at least 101 catches. He has at least 1,284 yards in every season over that span, and only once in those six years has he scored fewer than 10 touchdowns (nine in 2017). In 2018, Brown had 104 catches for 1,297 yards and a career-best 15 touchdowns on 168 targets. Clearly, even at 30, he's still a dominant force. But will that be the case with the Raiders? Gruden, who came out of broadcast booth in 2018 to coach the Raiders for the second time in his career, has done well with receivers. In 12 years as a head coach, he has 10 seasons where a receiver has reached at least 1,000 yards and six touchdowns. Brown is worth drafting in Round 2 in all formats.
