NFL 2018: AFC North – Projected Starters

As the 2018 season draws closer, all the teams in the NFL will start to assess their options at different positions. Performances in OTA’s and training camps will determine the order of depth charts across the league. Here I take a look at the AFC North, which consists of the Bengals, Browns, Ravens and Steelers and see which players will be starting at the fantasy-relevant positions.

Cincinnati Bengals

QB – Andy Dalton

Looking to predict NFL playoff Scenarios? Try our NFL Playoff Predictor for real-time simulations and stay ahead of the game!

Dalton and the Bengals are coming off of a poor 2017 season. An inefficient offense, caused mainly by a poor offensive line, meant the Bengals finished with a 7-9 record. Dalton still managed to finish as the QB17, by throwing 25 touchdowns to just 12 interceptions. I expect Dalton to bounce back in 2018 after the Bengals addressed the Offensive Line this offseason. Increased time in the pocket will give his receivers the chance to create greater separation. Dalton is currently going undrafted in 1 QB leagues.

RB1 – Joe Mixon

Joe Mixon had a largely disappointing rookie season. He didn’t make the impact that some experts thought he would make, finishing as the RB34. This season he is seen as a big breakout candidate. The Bengals let Jeremy Hill leave, meaning Mixon has less competition for early down work. Mixon has cut weight this offseason to improve his elusiveness and speed, just like Leveon Bell did when he first came in the league. Mixon could easily finish as an RB1 this season.

RB2 – Giovanni Bernard

Bernard had a few good performances when given the chance last season. He finished the season as RB27, outscoring the other backs in Cincinnati. This season he will be largely used as a third down back and a complementary piece to Mixon. He will still hold value in PPR leagues but is little more than a handcuff in redraft leagues.

WR1 – AJ Green

Green is easily the most talented player on this offense. He finished as the WR10 last year, which isn’t bad for a somewhat down year. He was a little more inconsistent than previous years due to the struggles of the offense. Green is a superb athlete who creates great separation and makes catches he shouldn’t. This year he isn’t in the ‘elite’ Wide Receiver category, but he’s still going as the 8th WR off of the board in PPR leagues.

WR2 – Brandon LaFell

LaFell finished the 2017 season as the WR35. He caught 52 passes for 548 yards and 3 touchdowns. I expect him to lose targets to the returning Tyler Eifert and the next player on this list. He is likely to undrafted in many leagues and will likely be unplayable most weeks.

WR3 – John Ross

The Combine hero, John Ross, had a horrible rookie year in the league. The Bengals reached way too far to draft him with the number 9 pick in last years draft. Hampered by injuries, Ross amazingly finished the season with minus fantasy points. Mismanagement by the coaches was mainly to blame for his disastrous first campaign in the league. This year there is a lot more optimism for his fantasy output. I expect him to overtake LaFell on the depth chart and start to show why the Bengals drafted him in the first round.

TE – Tyler Eifert

Eifert was another Bengal who had a forgettable 2017. He is a talented Tight End who is a RedZone monster when he plays. However, Eifert always seems to be riddled with injuries. A back injury ruined his 2017 season, with Eifert recording just 4 catches in 2 games played. He was resigned to a 1 year deal with the Bengals after not a lot of interest was shown in him on the open market. If Eifert can get healthy then he is a great fantasy TE option, however, it might be best to steer clear of a player who hasn’t played a 16 game season in his 5-year career.

Cleveland Browns

QB – Tyrod Taylor

Tyrod Taylor was acquired from the Bills to be nothing more than a fill-in QB for a season. The Browns drafted Baker Mayfield with the 1st overall pick of the Draft and he will eventually take over from Taylor. That may come as soon as midway through this season. Taylor is a good option to have for the Browns in the meantime. He’s a largely underappreciated QB who manages to put up decent fantasy points due to his rushing upside. He has a lot more options to throw to than he did in Buffalo, so it’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the early part of the season.

RB1 – Carlos Hyde

Hyde was another offseason signing made by the Browns. Hyde was signed from the 49ers after finishing the 2017 season as the RB8 in PPR leagues. He signed a 3-year deal, but many see it as a one season loan, as he is available to be cut before the 2019 season for just $2 million in dead cap space. Another reason for that thought is that the Browns drafted Nick Chubb in the 2nd round of this year’s draft. Many experts see Chubb as the better back and think he will take over from Hyde at some point during the season. Hyde still has value in fantasy leagues, but buyers must beware of his competition for touches.

RB2 - Duke Johnson

Johnson is another threat to Hyde’s workload. Expected to be the odd man out in this corps, Johnson signed a new 3-year deal this offseason, securing his role as the pass-catching specialist in this backfield. Johnson always performs well in PPR leagues, largely outperforming his usual ADP. He will do well to replicate his RB11 finish from the 2017 season.

WR1 – Josh Gordon

Gordon has got himself clean and is back to being the premier outside receiver on this team. A freak athlete, Gordon finished the 2013 season with 1646 yards and 9 TDs. If he can replicate his pre-suspension form, he will be a huge contributor for this team. He has a lot more competition for targets than in 2013 though and will be playing with Tyrod Taylor who doesn’t throw for much more than 3000 yards in a season. For that reason, I think Gordons current ADP is a little too high. Still, Gordon has a huge ceiling and could win you weeks by himself.

WR2 - Jarvis Landry

Jarvis Landry has come across from Miami this offseason, signing a long-term deal in the process. Landry is a fantastic option for Taylor and Mayfield and will be a great complimentary piece for Gordon o the outside. Landry, who will play the majority of his snaps from the slot, recorded the most catches in the league last year with 112. There will be some regression this year due to the other options on offense for the Browns. Landry will still be a great option at WR for fantasy owners, but as more of a WR2 than a 1.

WR3 – Corey Coleman

Corey Coleman is the WR3 in this Browns offense. A broken hand landed Coleman on IR in 2017 meaning had to turn to players like Rashard Higgins and Ricardo Louis. Both of those players are still on the roster, along with draft day recruit Antonio Callaway, who has been tipped to overtake Coleman on the depth chart. I don’t’ expect Coleman to have much value in fantasy leagues unless the rumors of him being traded come true.

TE – David Njoku

David Njoku had a fairly quiet rookie season on a lackluster Browns offense. He caught just 32 passes in a poor team that struggled to get anything going. This season though, Njoku is seen as a breakout candidate. Tyrod Taylor loves to use a Tight End, with Charles Clay being his benefactor in Buffalo. This should mean that Njoku will get an increase in targets even with greater competition. He is currently going as the 14th TE off the board in fantasy drafts, which I think is good value.

Baltimore Ravens

QB – Joe Flacco

Flacco had slow 2017 season, finishing as the 24th QB in fantasy points. His cautious approach has frustrated Ravens fans in recent years and has caused the Baltimore front office to draft their Quarterback of the future, 2016 Heisman winner Lamar Jackson. Jackson is expected to redshirt his rookie campaign, learning behind Flacco and RG3 for the first season. This signing should light a fire under Flacco and cause him to throw the ball more and take a few more risks. If he doesn’t, then we may see Jackson sooner than expected.

RB1 – Alex Collins

Alex Collins had a fantastic 2017 season after starting the year on the Seahawks practice squad. The Ravens snapped him up after the other RBs in Baltimore became unavailable. Collins finished the year with 973 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs. Surprisingly the Ravens didn’t sign Collins to a long-term deal this offseason. He will start the season as the RB1 and should keep that job throughout the season. He is currently going as the 19th RB off of the board in fantasy drafts.

RB2 – Kenneth Dixon

Dixon was suspended for the first 4 games of last season and then suffered a torn meniscus, meaning he landed on IR for the rest of the season. Dixon hasn’t shown much since been rafted in the 4th round in the 2016 draft. He will compete with Javorius Allen for a change of pace work.

WR1 – Michael Crabtree

Michael Crabtree was signed from the Oakland Raiders and will be the WR1 in this offense. He had a down year in 2017, catching just 58 passes, however, he did find the end zone 8 times. If he can strike up a good rapport with Joe Flacco then he should be a solid WR2 come to the end of the season. He isn’t as quick as he used to be, but his experience and ability to create separation should see him receive plenty of targets, especially in the RedZone.

WR2 – Willie Snead

Snead had a forgettable 2017 season after being banned for the first 3 games. He was overtaken on the depth chart and therefore became disposable for the Saints. The Ravens snapped him up on a two-year deal. I don’t expect Snead to reach the heights that he did with the Saints in 2016, where he recorded nearly 900 receiving yards and 4 TDs. Snead will probably be undrafted in most fantasy leagues, so keep an eye out for him on the waiver wire.

WR3 – Breshard Perriman

Perriman will start the season a the WR3 in the Ravens offense. He won’t be fantasy relevant for the majority of the season unless injuries mean he is forced into a larger role. Perriman will be a free agent in 2019, so he will be looking to put himself in the shop window this season.

TE – Hayden Hurst

Hurst was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft with the 25th pick. Tight End was an area of need for the Ravens after losing Dennis Pitta to injury. Flacco has been known to target his Tight Ends, most notably Pitta, as seen in the 2016 season where he caught 86 passes. Hurst could have some immediate value in deep leagues, but the presence of fellow 2018 draftee Mark Andrews has experts worried that they will eat into each other's workloads. Tight Ends notoriously take a few years to get going in the NFL, so I’m not expecting too much production from Hurst in 2018.

Pittsburgh Steelers

QB – Ben Roethlisberger

Roethlisberger has had an interesting offseason after the Steelers drafted his heir apparent, Mason Rudolph, in the third round. Roethlisberger has flirted with retirement in recent years so its hardly surprising that the Steelers are looking to the future. That being said, Roethlisberger has shown he still has what it takes to be top 12 QB in this league. With a wealth of weapons at his disposal, I expect Big Ben to put up solid numbers yet again.

RB1 – LeVeon Bell

LeVeon Bell is one of the best Running Backs in the league. He will dominate the backfield in touches again, with the players behind him on the depth chart getting very little action. Bell is going as one of the top 2 picks in the majority of redraft and PPR fantasy leagues this offseason. Just keep an eye on his contract situation. He is holding out of OTA’s and could be a little rusty if he doesn’t participate in preseason.

RB2 – James Conner

James Conner is nothing but a handcuff in fantasy leagues in case Bell gets injured. If he does go down with an injury, Conner could have a big season, as DeAngelo Williams had in 2015, rushing 200 times for 11 TDs. He might be worth a pick in the later rounds of drafts.

WR1 – Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown is the best Wide Receiver in football. Despite his relatively diminutive size, he has shown he can torch all of the best corners in the league. Brown consistently puts up big numbers for the Steelers and fantasy Owners. Brown is a top 6 pick in redraft leagues and could go even higher in PPR leagues. I expect him to have around 110 catches for 1600 yards and double-digit TDs.

WR2 – Juju Smith-Schuster

2017 was a breakout year for the rookie, Juju Smith-Schuster. The exciting youngster finished the season with 58 catches for 917 yards and 7 TDs. He showed his big play ability with a 97-yard touchdown against the Lions in week 8. He has quickly become Roethlisberger’s number 2 target on this team, so much so that the Steelers felt they could trade away Martavis Bryant. I expect JuJu to have a similar stat line to last season, but a 10-15 catch increase wouldn’t surprise me. That being said, his current ADP of 4.06 is still a little too high for me.

WR3 – James Washington

James Washington was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2018 draft. Washington should slot straight in as the 3rd WR in this offense. He has the chance to start opposite Brown if the Steelers decide to keep Smith-Schuster in the slot. If so, then Washington could have some value in fantasy leagues this season.

TE – Jesse James

Jesse James is likely to start the season as the Steelers number 1 Tight End. However, he will be pushed by last years acquisition Vance McDonald. Many experts have McDonald projected as the higher fantasy scorer this season, and if he gets the nod ahead of James, he could have good value in fantasy drafts.