Issue #277: AFC East
By Derrick Ernst
May 21, 2026
BUF
Link to ESPN’s Depth Charts homepage: NFL depth charts for all 32 teams
Last year offensive stat rankings:
Points/gm: 28.3 (3rd in NFL)
Pass yds/gm: 221.6 (11th in NFL)
Rush yds/gm: 156.6 (1st in NFL)
“Core Four” fantasy assets:
QB: Josh Allen (TBOTB)
RB: James Cook
WR: DJ Moore
WR: Khalil Shakir
Honorable mentions:
WR: Joshua Palmer
TE: Dalton Kincaid
YOU ALL KNOW WHAT TO DO! I don’t care what slot you’re drafting out of, you’re not allowed to leave R2 without selecting J. Allen. Excluding his rookie season, he has finished as QB1 four of seven seasons. Yes, he is worthy of that pick.
J. Cook has become worthy too. I feel like his draft rankings in the past have had a bit of “prove it” to them. You’ve consistently been able to get him cheaper than his production suggests. Not this year. Given some mocks I’ve already seen, Cook is going R1. If I’m pounding the table with drafting Allen in R2, I’d suggest looking elsewhere in R1. That pains me. I’ve been a fan of Cook’s since his resurgence in ’23. Although…
Fantasy has historically been all about QB/WR stacks. It’s not often QB/RB stacks are mentioned because traditionally their roles are less complimentary (pass/catch vs. pass/run). But, BUF is built different. Regarding rushes per game, BUF ranked:
1st in the NFL in 2025 (32.1)
7th in the NFL in 2024 (30.2)
3rd in the NFL in 2023 (30.8)
This was the earliest J. Cook became an everyday starter. This stretch averages out to 4th in the league (or 31 rushes/game). Consistently BUF averages over 500 rushes/season. What makes them different is that J. Allen and J. Cook make up 80% of those. I don’t have anything to back this, but that has to be close to tops in the league for a QB/RB combo. So I take back what I said. If you grab Cook in R1, don’t shy away from Allen in R2. Be a revolutionary in your league — stack your QB with their RB!
Last time a BUF receiver hauled in 10+ TDs was in 2022 when S. Diggs caught 11. In fact, Diggs is the only receiver to catch double-digit TDs from J. Allen in his career having done it twice. That’s not a high hit rate. DJ Moore is the most name recognizable WR BUF has had since Diggs, but I don’t expect him to be a mirror image of him. For one, Moore has never caught more than 8 TDs in a season. Every WR on BUF feels the same (400-800 receiving yards and 3-5 TDs). That’s not enough for me to take the bait. Moore will draw interest because of his name, but I’d much rather have BUF exposure via their ground game than any other area. By now I’ve made that vastly apparent.
MIA
Last year offensive stat rankings:
Points/gm: 20.4 (25th in NFL)
Pass yds/gm: 180.5 (26th in NFL)
Rush yds/gm: 120.2 (12th in NFL)
“Core Four” fantasy assets:
QB: Malik Willis
RB: De’Von Achane
WR: Jalen Tolbert
TE: Greg Dulcich
Honorable mentions:
None
See NYJ’s section and my comments around B. Hall. I wrote that section first and a lot of that applies to MIA and D. Achane. Despite the hate, I’ve been as big of a proponent of Achane as they come. It has already felt like a one-man show in MIA for awhile and with T. Hill and J. Waddle gone, it’s going to feel even more like it in ’26.
Much like J. Cook, ADP has final caught up to Achane. So long are the days of his draft value — early mocks have him going in R1. Rightfully so. Throughout his career he has averaged 17 half PPR fantasy PPG. That’s R1 worthy. If you’re scared of drafting him because he’s the only option, your reason for hesitation is literally what you want in a fantasy asset — all the opportunities.
NE
Last year offensive stat rankings:
Points/gm: 26.5 (8th in NFL)
Pass yds/gm: 235.9 (6th in NFL)
Rush yds/gm: 126.8 (6th in NFL)
“Core Four” fantasy assets:
QB: Drake Maye
RB: Rhamondre Stevenson
RB: TreVeyon Henderson
TE: Hunter Henry
Honorable mentions:
WR: Romeo Doubs
WR: Kayshon Boutte
There were six QB’s to throw over 4,000 yards last season. D. Maye was one of them. Of those six, Maye had the highest yards per pass. He was also one of four QB’s with 30+ passing TDs. Two for two on the bigger psychological stat thresholds for QBs. The question becomes, will Maye finish his third season closer to QB23 (where he ranked as a rookie) or QB3 (last year, his second season). The safe answer is somewhere in-between. For one, 102 passes to S. Diggs last season will need to go to someone else. Could this someone else be AJ Brown? If it is, my views on Maye would change dramatically.
Let’s not forget how often Maye turns to his TE either. H. Henry’s 18% target share was 2nd highest on the team and it led to him hauling in 770 yards and 7 TDs — his best statistical season of his career. He is as consistent as they come and if you find every other TE off the board in your drafts, Henry is a smart play that won’t let you down. As for NE’s running game, it’s T. Henderson’s for the taking. He was a statistically (and visibly) better rusher and pass catcher vs. Stevenson last year and being five years younger, I think the gap between them intensifies even further in ‘26.
NYJ
Last year offensive stat rankings:
Points/gm: 17.6 (29th in NFL)
Pass yds/gm: 140.3 (31st in NFL)
Rush yds/gm: 123.3 (11th in NFL)
“Core Four” fantasy assets:
RB: Breece Hall
WR: Garrett Wilson
WR: Omar Cooper Jr.
TE: Kenyon Sadiq
Honorable mentions:
QB: Geno Smith
RB: Braelon Allen
How productive do you think you’d be if everyone knew you were going to get the ball? Actually, not as bad as you’d think. Well, at least for B. Hall it hasn’t been:
Source: Fantasy Footballers
It’s apparent he can rush the football. What hasn’t been apparent yet is if he can find the end zone at a higher clip (he has yet to rush for more than 5 TDs in a season). NYJ bolstered their offense via the draft and when you look across the roster, there’s talent in a lot of places…except QB. It feels like NYJ have rented a QB every season for the past decade — this year will be no different. They’re in dire need of a consistent option and if I had to guess, they’ll use the 2027 draft to make that a realty.
In the meantime, I’m staying away from any Jets receiver. Even G. Wilson, despite his WR1 status, will be good for just as many WR48 or worse finishes as WR24 or better weeks. That kind of ups and downs will drive you mad as a fantasy manager. It’s better avoiding entirely and using that mental energy on something more worthy.
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