AFC East Analysis

This is the toughest division in football. Four solid teams will vie for East coast supremacy. Who has the guts and gusto to win it all?

Drew Bledsoe. Need I say more? The Bills’ air attack improved by leaps, bounds, and a QB this off season. Bledsoe was solid in the opener and tore it up in week 2. I would start him against all but the most difficult defenses, and even then he’s tough to sit. Price and Moulds are both excellent receivers who have big play ability. Drew seems to like hooking up with Peerless more often, but Moulds is a great veteran receiver with skills. Both are worth starting. Josh Reed emerged in week 2 as a solid third receiver for the Bills. I wouldn’t pick him up just yet, but monitor his progress closely. Travis Henry tore it up in week 1, then had a hard time against the Vikings in week 2. Minnesota had eight men in the box to stop him, and Bledsoe taught every other team in the league not to make that mistake again. I would start him every week in a league with a flex position, and he’s a nice #2 back in deeper leagues. Jay Riemersma hasn’t been getting any love from Drew; Bledsoe would rather throw to Reed. I wouldn’t start Riemersma, and he might not even be worthy of your roster. Buffalo’s defense isn’t worth fantasy consideration.

Herm Edwards and the Jets looked like the AFC version of the Rams in the pre-season. Now they look like the AFC Rams in the regular season. Their offense is struggling. Curtis Martin, the definition of a solid fantasy RB, is injured. Vinny Testaverde is a vertical QB who can air it out, and Paul Hackett, the Jets’ offensive coordinator, seems to only want to dump short passes here and there. This is hurting Chrebet, Coles, and Moss (Santana) in both fantasy and football terms. Until they open up this offense and hand Testaverde the keys, nobody can be considered a reliable fantasy starter. LaMont Jordan is a bright spot. He’s a good back who is more than capable as a backup to Curtis Martin. If you have Martin on your roster, I would pick up Jordan as insurance, just in case C-Mart has a tough time getting back into his groove. New York’s defense should also stay on the free agent list.

Superbowl Champion New England has come out to play this year. I haven’t seen a hungrier champion since George Foreman. They got no respect in the pre-season, and they’re forcing other teams to respect them now. Brady is the real deal. He’s lighting opponents up and is a must start, every week. The Patriots’ top two receivers, Troy Brown and David Patten, don’t seem to have the consistency that is required for an every week starter. Their third option, Deion Branch, is tearing teams up. He’s young, quick and ready to make an impact as a rookie. He should keep piling up touchdowns until someone else steps up in the receiving corps. Antowain Smith hasn’t had a great game yet, but he’s sure to have a couple. Expect him to be decent and serviceable as a fantasy back, but nothing more until some more threats at WR emerge. Adam Vinatieri is a great kicker and you shouldn’t hesitate to start him every week. New England’s defense is very capable and is a nice unit to have as a backup, or even starting in deeper leagues.

Last but certainly not least, my Miami Dolphins. I say that so you know where I’m coming from: I’ve been a Dolphan since I’ve known what football is. In the first two weeks, they’ve looked excellent. Jay Fiedler is doing whatever it takes to win, and that includes making some big plays. He’s worth a reserve spot on your roster, and if he continues to play like he has lately, he’ll emerge as a solid starter at QB. Ricky Williams has always been a stud running back, and his move to Miami has only made him better. He’s a threat running and catching the ball; his new lighter frame seems to have added a lot of speed to his already powerful running. Chris Chambers has been quiet in the first few weeks, but he’s still a fantasy and NFL superstar in the making. He’ll only improve over the course of the season and continue to play well. Randy McMichael has been the biggest suprise at tight end in a season of tight end suprises. Unfortunately, the Dolphins have also signed Desmond Clark, a solid TE who was cut from Denver because he was injured. Watch McMichael when Clark gets back, but I like the rookie better. Olindo Mare has been a great kicker for years, and will continue to be. Start him with confidence, and hope that the Dolphins need more field goals. Their defense is great, and should start every week.

In the end, this is a very difficult division to pick a winner in. The Dolphins look like the favorite now, but they do every year until week 8 or 9, and then head downhill faster than Jack and Jill. Unfortunately, I have to pick the Pats to win this division with Miami getting a Wild Card berth. Although the Patrios don’t have a lot of fantasy superstars, they do what it takes to win up there, and they’ll be tough to beat coming down the stretch. Yet if the Dolphins don’t fade at the end of the year, they’ll be the team to beat not only in the AFC East, but in the entire NFL. However, hat’s just a huge if.

 
Trent Vaughn is a ten-time winner of yahoo and NFL.com fantasy football leagues. When not playing fantasy football, he runs a movie production company and plays golf. Go Dolphins!