The AFC West, our last spot on the journey through the AFC. Potentially the best division in the AFC, the West has so much fantasy firepower. From elite QBs to TEs, you could roster a championship level team from just these four franchises.
Denver Broncos:
QB: Joe Flacco
RB: Phillip Lindsay, Royce Freeman
WR: Courtland Sutton, Emmanuel Sanders, Daesean Hamilton
TE: Noah Fant, Jake Butt
D/ST: Position Rank = 10
2018 was a tough year for the Denver Broncos. Although their defense kept them in a lot of games, their lack of consistency on the offensive side of the ball killed them. Them found a gem in the rough with undrafted rookie Phillip Lindsay, who proved himself as a very capable back in the league. Expect Lindsay to continue as the lead runner and pass catcher out of the backfield. He should be drafted somewhere in rounds 3-5. They signed Super Bowl Champion QB Joe Flacco, but his best playing days are behind him. They have some talent at WR, but both Courtland Sutton and Daesean Hamilton are very young and inexperienced. Emmanuel Sanders is coming off of an Achilles tear as well. They drafted a TE out of Iowa, Noah Fant, who will definitely have a pretty big role in the offense. Denver might have some trouble moving the ball this year, especially when the opposition can gameplan Lindsay out of the game with many defenders in the box. Outside of Lindsay, there really isn’t anyone else that should be drafted before the start of the 7th round.
Los Angeles Chargers:
QB: Phillip Rivers
RB: Melvin Gordon III, Austin Ekeler
WR: Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin
TE: Hunter Henry, Virgil Green
D/ST: Position Rank = 12
The LA Chargers have one of the best rosters from top down in the entire league. They have a hounding defense, electrifying playmakers at wideout and running back and a veteran QB who loves to air it out. Star running back Melvin Gordon III wants a new contract, and he might even hold out until they reach an agreement. If Gordon III doesn’t suit up, the Chargers still have a solid backup in Austin Ekeler. Gordon is a top tier fantasy RB and if his contract dispute is not an issue, he should be drafted in the first round of almost every fantasy draft. Over the last three seasons, Gordon’s lowest TD count was 12. He missed a few games last year and in 2016, but he has yet to sustain a season ending injury. The Chargers also have some great receivers in Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. After missing huge portions of the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Allen has played all 16 games over the last two years, totalling over 1150 yards and 6 TDs each season. His TD numbers aren’t crazy high, but he is always around 100 receptions. Mike Williams proved last year he is the preferred Red-Zone target of Phillip Rivers. Williams, standing in at 6’4” 220 llbs is a monster on jump balls and his 10 TD grabs on only 43 catches shows that. His TD rate will definitely drop, but don’t sleep on him this year. Allen will be taken before Williams in most drafts, somewhere around the 3-5 rounds, but don’t sleep on Williams! TE Hunter Henry is coming off of a season long injury but should see a lot of action this season. He is a mid-tier TE that should be drafted in the later rounds, far after the likes of Travis Kelce or George Kittle.
Oakland Raiders:
QB: Derek Carr
RB: Josh Jacobs, Jalen Richard
WR: Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, JJ Nelson
TE: Darren Waller, Luke Willson
D/ST: Position Rank = 32
The Oakland Raiders are a team that underwent a lot of construction this offseason. After a very disappointing first season under Jon Gruden, management decided to bring in the All-Pro WR Antonio Brown. Brown is a world class talent, but how effective will he be in this new system? He should still be picked in the first 3 rounds, but the 1300 yards, 12 TD certainty is just not there this year. Derek Carr got his huge payday in 2017 but hasn’t shown much since. Oakland drafted RB Josh Jacobs out of Alabama who should have a big role in his first year with the club. He shouldn’t be overdrafted though, as this offense still has much to prove. How effective is a power running back if they are losing and aren’t constantly moving the ball? Jacobs should be selected in the 4-6th rounds. The Raiders also added Clemson rookie Hunter Renfrow who should be a nice addition as a slot and possession receiver. As of now, Antonio Brown and Josh Jacobs are the only two players with enough value to see them drafted on fantasy boards. This could all change if the Raiders prove to be better than expected on offense. Their defense certainly won’t be stopping anyone, which ranked last out of all teams in 2018.
Kansas City Chiefs:
QB: Patrick Mahomes
RB: Damien Williams, Carlos Hyde
WR: Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman, Demarcus Robinson
TE: Travis Kelce
D/ST: Position Rank = 17
Perhaps the best fantasy team in the whole league, the Kansas City Chiefs. Led by superstar QB Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs seem to put up 30 points/game in their sleep. Patrick Mahomes is by far the best fantasy QB, as last year he averaged over 3 fantasy pts/game more than QB2(Big Ben)! If you are to reach on a QB early, Mahomes should be the one. Still, you shouldn’t take him over any top 10 RB/WR. Star WR Tyreek Hill was found not guilty in his child abuse investigation, meaning a full 16 games of the cheetah. The Chiefs released their RB Kareem Hunt, but Damien Williams played outstanding in his short tenure as the starter at the end of 2018. The Chiefs also signed backup RB Carlos Hyde. Not sure how big of a role Hyde will have, or if he is just an insurance policy. After Tyreek Hill, their second leading receiver is TE Travis Kelce. Kelce had his best year as a pro in 2018 with over 100 receptions, 1300 yards, and 10 TDs. Kelce should be the first TE selected in every single fantasy draft, somewhere in rounds 2-4. Kansas City also drafted speedy WR Mecole Hardman out of Georgia. With a similar skillset to Hill, just imagine how dangerous having them line up on opposite sides of the perimeter will be for opposing defensive coordinators. Overall, the Chiefs have weapons everywhere. Mahomes, Williams, Hill, Watkins, Kelce and Hardman will all be selected in every fantasy draft. There is no other team in the NFL with this many fantasy options. Expect Hill to be the first off the board in round 1 with Kelce coming off the board in rounds 2/3. Mahomes will inevitably be picked by someone who overvalues QBs in the 3rd round as well. Damien Williams could go as early as the second round, as he will see a ton of goalline work. Hardman and Watkins will be late selections, somewhere after round 5. By the end of the year, don’t be surprised if Hardman ends with a better season than Watkins.
