For some of us, fantasy football season has already begun. Most of my dynasty rookie drafts are already in the rearview. And now I’ve jumped into some early best ball contests on Underdog. It’s still a little too early to draft leagues that have waivers, trades, etc. But it’s never too early to start asking questions. And, boy, are there a lot of them when it comes to the fantasy football landscape in the AFC.

In the early rounds, we want certainty. Ja'Marr Chase catching passes from Joe Burrow, lock it in. In the later rounds, though, uncertainty becomes our friend. And that’s especially true when it’s a high-leverage situation. Brian Thomas Jr, for instance, emerged in his rookie season to lead the Jaguars in targets and win a lot of folks' fantasy titles. Getting a discount on a player like that can change everything.

As I’ve been going through these early best ball drafts and sorting out our rankings for the 2025 Best Ball Cheat Sheet, I’ve found myself highlighting certain areas of uncertainty that could provide BIG upside this season. If you get some of these questions right, you could be creating a lot of leverage in your fantasy leagues. So let’s look at one question for fantasy football for each AFC team leading into this season!
 

 

 

AFC East Offseason Training Camp Questions

Buffalo Bills - Who Is The Top Target?

Last year, Khalil Shakir walked away with exactly 100 targets to lead the team. And he could continue to do so. But he’s essentially operated for them the same way Cole Beasley did prior to him, with a lot of low aDOT slot work. There is a lot of upside to be had if an outside wide receiver like Keon Coleman, Joshua Palmer, or Elijah Moore can capture a big target share. Or if Dalton Kincaid lives up to the hype with his tight end eligibility - reports have been coming in that he was not healthy all of last season. 

New England Patriots - Will This Backfield Be Split?

Obviously, there are a lot of questions here - like how much Stefon Diggs has left in the tank. But the biggest fantasy football stake falls in the backfield. The Patriots made a big draft investment in TreVeyon Henderson. But Josh McDaniels notoriously split the backfield for his time in New England. The Patriots would likely be happy with Rhamondre Stevenson as the bruiser, and TreVeyon Henderson is a James White type role, but fantasy gamers might be disappointed with that. 

New York Jets - Who Is The Second Pass-Catcher?

Garrett Wilson is locked in. And Breece Hall will certainly factor into the pass game. After that, it’s completely up for grabs. Guys like Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, and Malachi Corley don’t inspire much. Rookie tight end Mason Taylor is appealing, but he needs to beat out incumbent Jeremy Ruckert. Maybe our super deep dynasty sleeper Stone Smartt can throw his hat in the ring? If Justin Fields can’t support multiple pass-catchers, it may not matter, but there is an opportunity there. 

Miami Dolphins - Jaylen Waddle Vs. Jonnu Smith

Obviously, Tyreek Hill is a complete wildcard. And Mike McDaniel can certainly mix things up with his backfields (plus Terron Armstead retired). But we know that, statistically, it’s fairly rare for a team to have three guys all get 100+ targets. Last year, with the help of some injuries, Jonnu Smith got more targets on the season. Can he repeat that in 2025? Or will it be Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle at the top, with Jonnu as the odd man out?

 

 


 

AFC West Offseason Training Camp Questions

Los Angeles Chargers - Who Will Emerge As The Second Target?

Everyone wants to talk about Najee Harris vs. Omarion Hampton. But the boring truth is probably that both guys will play because they are both good players. There’s no reason to force one. The bigger unknown - and potential value - is who could step up after Ladd McConkey as the second target. Quenton Johnston and Mike Williams have some overlapping traits and will compete with each other. Tre Harris is the rookie wildcard. In the tight end room, you have Tyler Conklin, Will Dissley, and newcomer Orande Gadsden II. The ADPs are so cheap on these guys, you could hit for big value. 

Kansas City Chiefs - Can A Back Run Away With This Backfield?

The Chiefs are no longer the gun-slinging, 50 TD pass Chiefs of the last decade. They have a great defense now with a quarterback who can mold the game he wants at a Tom Brady level. That typically creates a great environment for the running back - if they have a lead running back. Heck, LeGarrette Blount scored 18 touchdowns even in a split backfield with Tom Brady. Isiah Pacheco was the incumbent starter, though injuries saw Kareem Hunt chip away at that down the stretch. Hunt matched snaps with Pacheco in Week 15, then played more snaps in each of the final four games. Technically, the highest-paid running back on the team right now is Elijah Mitchell, who they signed to a one-year $2.5M deal, so he’s a dark horse to come in and take over. 

Las Vegas Raiders - Jakobi Meyers Or Jack Bech?

You don’t take a running back at 6 overall to not start him. And Brock Bowers is locked in as a target machine. That realistically leaves only room for one more fantasy-relevant pass-catcher unless Geno Smith is 2013 Peyton Manning. Jakobi Meyers is probably the “safer” pick, but is he going to transform into something we haven’t seen all of a sudden? Second-round 2025 NFL Draft pick Jack Bech is your high-risk, high-reward option if you want to take a stab at upside. 

Denver Broncos - Can RJ Harvey Take Over?

Joe Lombardi LOVES throwing to the running back. Every offense he’s ever been a part of has been top 5 in passes to the RB. That’s going back 18 years. Even Javonte Williams last year was a top 5 back in targets, believe it or not. Now Williams is gone. They do have incumbents in Audric Estime and Jaleel McLaughlin, but the upside is huge for RJ Harvey - if he can take over. It’s never a guarantee for rookies. 

 

 


 

AFC North Offseason Training Camp Questions

Pittsburgh Steelers - Who Will Be Their Quarterback?

There are certainly some fun questions about who will be the WR2 or how the backfield will be split. But none of that matters if they don’t have a quarterback who can lead this team to wins. They opted not to take a rookie until Will Howard in the 6th round. Mason Rudolph is “fine” at best. But bringing in someone like Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins would mean a world of difference in distributing the football. That really means everything for the weapons on this team. 

Baltimore Ravens - Is Mark Andrews On The Decline?

Watching Andrews last year, especially early in the season, brought up a lot of questions about Andrews and his future. The drop to effectively end the season didn’t help those discussions. But it’s worth noting that Andrews had a Tightrope surgery on his ankle and was also in a car crash right before the season. He still finished as the TE6 in fantasy as well. If Andrews is on the decline, that could open the door for guys like Rashod Bateman or Isaiah Likely to shine. If it was just a down year for the 29-year-old, he could be a tremendous value at ADP.

Cincinnati Bengals - Will The Bengals Unleash Chase Brown?

We have a saying here at Fantasy Alarm. “Running is the luxury of the winning team”. You don’t get to pound the rock when you are down by two scores. And the best running backs in fantasy football often come from the combination of talent, opportunity, and quality of offense. And, sometimes, in fantasy football, opportunity and quality of offense are more important than talent (see 2016 LeGarrette Blount and 2022 Jamaal Williams). We believe that Chase Brown is talented. We know the Bengals are a quality offense. Will they fully unleash him in 2025? Or will they limit his opportunities using guys like Zack Moss, Samaje Perine, and Tahj Brooks? The upside is tantalizing. 

Cleveland Browns - Who Will Win The Starting Quarterback Job?

Sometimes the questions don’t need to be super deep. We have seen the Browns go into a season with a “full” quarterback room before. And we’ve seen them start multiple of them throughout the season. I mean, they’ve had forty different starting quarterbacks over the last 25 years. The starting quarterback question means everything for fantasy football in terms of production. Joe Flacco’s high-tempo offenses have actually been a GOOD thing for fantasy. Kenny Pickett at least has experience at the NFL level. Fans likely want to see the rookies in Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders, but throwing rookies into the fire can sometimes produce nightmare results. I mean, even the great Peyton Manning threw 28 interceptions as a rookie. 

 

 


 

AFC South Offseason Training Camp Questions

Houston Texans - Which Wide Receiver Will Emerge Alongside Nico Collins?

The Texans lost both Stefon Diggs (free agency) and Tank Dell (injury). They needed help in that room. So they went out and acquired Christian Kirk as well were taking two Day Two stabs at wide receiver. And, not only were they both drafted on Day Two by the Texans, but they were both teammates at Iowa State. Jayden Higgins played a bigger split end role while Jaylin Noel operated as the slot/flanker. Higgins was picked earlier, but his skillset does overlap with Nico Collins a bit. Maybe the snaps and the ball will be spread around, but if one guy can become the clear WR2, there is upside to be had there. 

Jacksonville Jaguars - Who Will Start At Running Back?

We like the scheme that Liam Coen runs. Last season, in his first year with Tampa Bay, Bucky Irving was able to leapfrog Rachaad White after being far more efficient. And he was great for fantasy football. Last year, for the Jaguars, Travis Etienne started, but Tank Bigsby was more efficient running the ball, a similar situation to what we saw in Tampa. But the Jaguars threw another wrench in there when new GM James Gladstone selected athletic runner Bayshul Tuten in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now there are three candidates to compete for touches. 

Tennessee Titans - Who Will Cameron Ward Lean On?

Starting a rookie quarterback can bring a lot of uncertainty. We don’t know how they will respond to NFL schemes and defenses. Calvin Ridley is clearly the top dog. After him, however, it gets pretty murky. Van Jefferson, Tyler Lockett, Epic Ayomanor, and Chimere Dike are all new to the organization. Treylon Burks has had his early career marred by injury. At tight end, incumbents Chig Okonkwo and Josh Whyle will do battle with rookie Gunnar Helm for snaps. If Cameron Ward is letting the ball fly, someone could emerge from that uncertainty. 

Indianapolis Colts - Who Will Lead In Targets?

If Anthony Richardson can hold down the job, he could have unique upside for fantasy. No doubt about that. If he can’t, Daniel Jones will come in and help maintain the floor for these pass-catchers. Where there is uncertainty is who will lead this team in targets. Michael Pittman has led the team in targets for four straight years but dealt with back issues last year. Josh Downs emerged as a fantasy football favorite out of the slot. And they just added tight end Tyler Warren in the first round - he had a unique skill set. The weapons are fairly affordable in early drafts, given the uncertainty.