NFL free agency fallout: Early impressions for fantasy
AFC South
Houston Texans – Houston has been pretty quiet to this point but the offense is in relatively good shape. The line could use some help but the skill positions are looking solid, provided quarterback DeShaun Watson is healthy. His status will be scrutinized the next few months. Receiver DeAndre Hopkins could get his regardless of who’s under center. Third year receiver Will Fuller is the player with the most to gain or lose in regards to Watson playing. Running back Lamar Miller will feel the heat from D’Onta Freeman if his Achilles is healed. That’s an important camp battle come August.
Indianapolis Colts – The Colts are a team that is going to need to maximize the NFL Draft because all they’ve done so far is lose running back Frank Gore and receiver Donte Moncrief. They have to add some depth at some point but the fantasy fates start and end with quarterback Andrew Luck. If he’s healthy, it could be all systems go. If not, receiver T.Y. Hilton and tight end Jack Doyle are best left as daily fantasy plays. Running back Marlon Mack could be intriguing if Indy doesn’t bring in much competition.
Jacksonville Jaguars – The Blake Bortles show will continue through at least 2018 and that’s not always the worst thing for fantasy. However, the signing of free agent guard Andrew Norwell spells out the plan pretty clearly: Use running back Leonard Fournette to smash the opposition into the ground and use play action to make life easy on Bortles. They let talented receiver Allen Robinson walk in a somewhat curious decision. That means Marqise Lee and Keelan Cole could be prime sleeper targets in the middle rounds of a draft. If you’re into handcuffs for a star back, tab Corey Grant as the backup for Fournette.
Tennessee Titans – That sound you heard at roughly about 9:30 pm Tuesday night was the anguished screams of Derrick Henry owners. The Titans made a play for running back Dion Lewis, throwing a big old bucket of cold water on his hype train before it got moving. These two will likely fight it our for the majority of the carries. However, NFL analyst Warren Sharp brings up a great point.
Titans OC Matt LaFleur spent 2 yrs in ATL (2015 & 2016), when they went to the Super Bowl w/ RBs Freeman AND Coleman. I would love to see him open to 21 personnel w/ Lewis split out as a receiver. So much flexibility & conflict:
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) March 14, 2018
RB Henry
RB Lewis
WR Davis
WR Matthews
TE Walker
This is a tough spot to predict at the moment. The drumbeat coming from training camp is going to be hugely important to interpret correctly. On the defensive side, they Brough in another ex-Patriot in corner Malcolm Butler. It probably doesn’t put the Tennessee defense on the fantasy radar for anything past daily purposes.