South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
AFC and NFC previews.
Patriots
2017: 13-3, 1st in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
TE Rob Gronkowski: A first-team AllPro last year, Gronkowski is fully recovered from various injuries and looks dominant again. Tom Brady might be the greatest quarterback of all time — at least he’s in the discussion — but the Patriots offense runs through Gronkowski.
DB Devin McCourty: He plays all over — free safety, slot corner, even linebacker in some schemes. McCourty is the captain of the defense and essential to a secondary that was frequently torched last season. It will help if the Patriots can ramp up their pass rush.
WR Phillip Dorsett: The wideout has the speed to replace Brandin Cooks, now with the Rams.
FANTASY TARGET
RB Sony Michel: He averaged a staggering 7.9 yards per carry for Georgia last season. Michel should be a good replacement for Dion Lewis, but he’s already dealing with knee issues.
Bills
2017: 9-7, 2nd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
RB LeSean McCoy: Coach Sean McDermott says McCoy, the centerpiece of the Bills offense, looks stronger and faster than he did a year ago.
DE Jerry Hughes: The Bills struggled to pressure opposing passers last season, and Hughes was their best pass rusher. Now that they have signed defensive tackle Star Lotulelei to clog the middle, the expectation is that Hughes will hit home more often from the edge.
WR Kelvin Benjamin: The team’s No. 1 receiver by far, Benjamin is playing for a big contract extension. Other receivers from his 2014 draft class have gotten paid, and Benjamin could use a 1,000-yard-type season to join them.
FANTASY TARGET
TE Charles Clay: He has been pretty average so far, but now Clay has a big contract, a new offensive coordinator, and likely a quarterback who will look for him more in the middle of the field.
Jets
2017: 5-11, 4th in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
WR Robby Anderson: Although most of the focus has been on who’s going to play quarterback, it’s just as important to know who will be on the receiving end. Anderson had 941 receiving yards last season and is clearly talented, but he’s had off-the-field issues as well, including multiple brushes with the law.
CB Trumaine Johnson: The Jets need this former Rams standout to be a shutdown corner. This is not a great passrushing team, so if the corners can lock down the receivers, coach Todd Bowles can get more aggressive with blitzing.
QB Sam Darnold: The Jets have their hopes riding on the shoulders of the rookie. So far, so good, but no one really knows until the season starts.
FANTASY TARGET
RB Isaiah Crowell: The former Brown will be splitting carries with Bilal Powell and figures to catch a lot of passes out of the backfield.
Dolphins
2017: 6-10, 3rd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
LB Raekwon McMillan: The Dolphins are expecting a big year out of McMillan, a standout in the middle of their defense. He missed his rookie season after he suffered a knee injury on the first play of the preseason.
WR Danny Amendola: In his 10th season, Amendola has quickly emerged as one of quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s favorite targets. The team is about five deep in solid receivers, but Amendola is a vital fixture in the slot.
DE Robert Quinn: The former Rams edge rusher will help the Dolphins turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks. He’s a good fit for Miami’s 4-3 defense.
FANTASY TARGET
RB Kenyan Drake: He took over the starting role when Jay Ajayi was shipped to the Eagles. The Dolphins back has explosive speed and is very talented catching passes out of the backfield.
Steelers
2017: 13-3, 1st in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
DE Stephon Tuitt: The Steelers had a tough time stopping the run last season without Truitt, who struggled with injuries. A prime example came in the playoffs, when the Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette ran for three touchdowns.
QB Ben Roethlisberger: Big Ben is the key every season, of course, but it will be especially interesting watching him this fall. He has cut out sugar and a lot of carbs from his diet, and he’s leaner than ever. His arm looks good too.
S Morgan Burnett: Signed in free agency to replace Mike Mitchell, Burnett should help improve communication in the Steelers secondary.
FANTASY TARGET
WR JuJu Smith-Schuster: The secondyear receiver is still playing third fiddle to Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, but with Martavis Bryant gone, watch for Smith-Schuster to put up some impressive numbers.
Ravens
2017: 9-7, 2nd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Joe Flacco: Having dealt with significant knee and back injuries the last two years, Flacco is looking better than he has looked in a while. Part of the reason for that could be the fact rookie Lamar Jackson is vying for his job.
C Matt Skura: With the Bucs signing former Ravens center Ryan Jensen to the most lucrative contract ever for a player at the position, the undrafted Skura takes over as the man in the middle of the offensive line.
DT Brandon Williams: As the Ravens found out last season, when the 336-pound Williams is on the sideline, their defense can get trampled by the run. He needs to stay healthy.
FANTASY TARGET
TE Hayden Hurst: A former pitcher in the Pirates organization, Hurst, 24, is more mature physically than most rookies and ready to make the step up. Flacco loves throwing to his tight ends.
Bengals
2017: 7-9, 3rd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Andy Dalton: In his eighth season, Dalton is coming off a bumpy 2017, when his team finished last in total yards and near the bottom in big plays. He didn’t get a lot of help from an anemic running game and porous offensive line.
RB Joe Mixon: In his second season, Mixon could become to the running game what A.J. Green is to the passing attack. Of course, a lot of that rests on how effective the offensive line is this season.
DT Geno Atkins: A force in the middle, Atkins is one of the NFL’s best interior pass rushers. He has made it to four consecutive Pro Bowls and is key to the Bengals’ success on that side of the ball.
FANTASY TARGET
WR Tyler Boyd: With the Bengals cutting Brandon LaFell, and John Ross not yet proving himself, this could be a good year for the sure-handed Boyd, who was impressive at training camp.
Browns
2017: 0-16, 4th in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Tyrod Taylor: Although No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield is waiting in the wings, the Browns have made it clear this is Taylor’s offense for now. It would be nice to give the rookie some time to breathe and prepare.
WR Jarvis Landry: The league leader in receptions last season, Landry is already proving to be an emotional leader for both the team and the young group of receivers around him.
DE Myles Garrett: The No. 1 overall pick in 2017, Garrett led the Browns in sacks last season despite missing five games. He’s a cornerstone of Gregg Williams’ defense.
FANTASY TARGET
RB Duke Johnson Jr.: Not only can Johnson carry the ball, but he has great hands out of the backfield. Johnson presents a mismatch for both safeties and linebackers.
Titans
2017: 9-7, 2nd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Marcus Mariota: After throwing 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions two years ago, Mariota took a big dip last season with 13 scores and 15 interceptions. New offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, who helped turn around the Rams, should be a help to him.
WR Corey Davis: The No. 5 pick in 2017, Davis was limited by injuries last year but can change the offense if healthy. He is big and physical, can catch balls across the middle and get deep.
CB Malcolm Butler: A big offseason acquisition from the Patriots, Butler was brought in to shore up the Titans secondary and provide it with a shutdown corner.
FANTASY TARGET
TE Delanie Walker: He led the team in receptions last season but had only three touchdowns. Walker wants to be a much bigger factor, and he should be in this offense.
Jaguars
2017: 10-6, 1st in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
RB Leonard Fournette: The fourth pick in 2017 made a splash as a rookie despite lingering ankle problems. He’s coming off a rookie year in which he ran for 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns in the regular season, and 242 yards and four touchdowns in the playoffs.
QB Blake Bortles: He got increasingly comfortable with the offense last season, and it showed. Now Bortles is in his second season in offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett’s system and painfree after offseason wrist surgery.
CB Jalen Ramsey: He is an outstanding player, no question. Ramsey also provided some solid bulletin-board material by candidly assessing NFL quarterbacks for a GQ story.
FANTASY TARGET
WR Donte Montcrief: He’s on a oneyear, prove-it deal with the Jaguars after missing 11 games over the last two seasons for the Colts.
Colts
2017: 4-12, 3rd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Andrew Luck: A healthy Luck gives the Colts a chance every week. Even when he was banged up in 2016, he threw for 4,240 yards and 31 touchdowns in 15 games.
TE Eric Ebron: A stalwart in Detroit, Ebron is primed for a big year in a tight end-heavy offense. He has size (6-4) and speed and should do a better job of stretching the field than Jack Doyle.
S Malik Hooker: The 2017 first-round pick is coming back from an ACL injury and is one of the few playmakers on a blue-collar defense. He already had three interceptions when he was hurt in October.
FANTASY TARGET
WR T.Y. Hilton: The Colts are going to find ways to get Hilton the ball. After four seasons in which he totaled precisely 5,000 receiving yards, Hilton had 996 last year catching passes from Jacoby Brissett. Now, it’s back to Luck.
Texans
2017: 4-12, 4th in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
LT Julie’n Davenport: At 6-7 and
320 pounds, Davenport protects Deshaun Watson’s blind side. Davenport, who played at Bucknell, is raw but has massive potential.
WR Will Fuller: In his third season, Fuller has yet to prove he’s durable enough for 16 games. The talented speedster has packed on 15 pounds to help survive the rigors of the season.
DE/OLB Jadeveon Clowney: This a pivotal juncture for the former No. 1 overall pick. Should the Texans make another long-term investment in him or just rent him as their franchise player next season? This season will go a long way in determining that.
FANTASY TARGET
QB Deshaun Watson: He put up astounding numbers before a knee injury in practice cut short last season. Watson could be the NFL’s most exciting player.
Chargers
2017: 9-7, 2nd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Philip Rivers: One of the truest constants in the NFL, Rivers is coming off a strong season in which his interceptions were way down. The Chargers cannot win without Rivers on the field.
CB Casey Hayward: A lot of the attention on the defensive side goes to ends Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa, but they get extra time to get to the quarterback because of Hayward’s coverage. Over the last two seasons, he has been one of the best in the league.
WR Keenan Allen: He had his best NFL season last year after two years of fluke injuries. Allen is a great route runner, sneaky strong and always open.
FANTASY TARGET
RB Austin Ekeler: An undrafted free agent last season, he played his way onto the roster in the preseason and earned playing time behind Melvin Gordon. In Year 2, he’s primed for a bigger role in the offense as a dual-threat back.
Chiefs
2017: 10-6, 1st in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Patrick Mahomes: Some have compared Mahomes to Brett Favre, and here’s his chance to validate those comparisons. Mahomes is surrounded by some of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game, including Kareem Hunt, Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins.
RB Kareem Hunt: As a rookie last season, Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards. The Chiefs are counting on him to take some of the heat off Mahomes.
LB Anthony Hitchens: The Chiefs are solid in the interior with linebackers Hitchens and Reggie Ragland. That will help pick up the run-stopping slack caused by the departure of Derrick Johnson.
FANTASY TARGET
K Harrison Butker: Even though he missed the first three games, Butker set the rookie record for the most field goals in franchise history.
Broncos
2017: 5-11, 4th in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
QB Case Keenum: On his fifth team since 2014, Keenum finally has one to call his own. He’s the first Broncos quarterback since Peyton Manning to enter the preseason as the unquestioned starter.
CB Bradley Roby: He led the team with 18 passes defensed and is comfortable playing outside or over the slot receiver. The Broncos need Roby’s leadership in their changing secondary.
OLB Bradley Chubb: The first-round pick is already atop the depth chart opposite Von Miller, and both players should be getting to the quarterback early and often.
FANTASY TARGET
WR Courtland Sutton: The secondround pick has been absolutely phenomenal at camp, with at least one jaw-dropping catch per day. Coach Vance Johnson compares Sutton to DeAndre Hopkins as a rookie.
Raiders
2017: 6-10, 3rd in division.
THREE PLAYERS ON THE SPOT
CB Gareon Conley: Because of a shin injury, Conley played only two games as a rookie. He’s off to a slow start again — he missed part of spring workouts with a groin injury and suffered a hip injury in his first practice at camp.
LT Kolton Miller: The Raiders like the rookie enough to move three-time Pro Bowler Donald Penn to the right side.
WR Martavis Bryant: The 6-4 Bryant has size, speed, and playmaking ability. But there are concerns about him off the field and on, where he has struggled to adjust to Jon Gruden’s offense.
FANTASY TARGET
WR Amari Cooper: Occasionally hot but mostly cold last season, Cooper is seeking to get back to the form of his stellar rookie year. Gruden is looking to find ways to spring him loose and plans to move Cooper all over the offense to keep defenses uncomfortable.