Houston Texans
What they needed: Finding their QB of the future is probably the biggest fantasy priority and improving their run D also wouldn’t hurt. They had more than a few games where each weakness was rather glaring. This seems to be a team on the verge of being very good but still missing a few stars.
Moves I liked: I actually kind of love the addition of WR Cecil Shorts, assuming he can stay away from the nagging injuries. I really think he has the ability to surprise some people this season as I view this as a much better situtation than in Jacksonville. RB Chris Polk is also worth keeping in mind if Foster sustains any type of lengthy injury. The defensive upgrades through the draft and the signing of Wilfork should also bode well for what was already a pretty solid D.
Moves I disliked: Very little to dislike but I’ll say the obvious of not getting a better QB. Hoyer comes in to battle with Mallett for the job, which is a little concerning considering Hoyer looked pretty awful at times last season in Cleveland. Hoyer would be playing behind a better O-line but it’s hard to be overly excited about this position right now. My hope would be that Mallett runs away with the job in training camp which would signal a potentially really good fantasy outlook for the players on this team.
Indianapolis Colts
What they needed: The D looked as bad as any during quite a few games last season. A lot of holes to fill there. Their O-line was fairly strong pass blocking but was awful trying to run block. Some might blame Richardson for his ineffectiveness but the line was the bigger problem.
Moves I liked: They’ve seemingly overhauled the D with a ton of free agent moves and draft picks. While it’s difficult to say they’ve vastly upgraded there, they were obviously aware of how terrible they were. They also brought in a few O-linemen so we can hope for better RB production as well but have to wait and see.
Moves I disliked: They brought in around 25 WRs it seems and they already had a very good one in Hilton to go along with a couple strong pass catching TEs. The Colts have surrounded Andrew Luck with so much talent to throw to it makes one wonder how well any of these guys will do from a fantasy perspective. Hilton and Luck are no brainers for fantasy but if any other player is starting for your team in week 1, I hope it’s out of desperation.
Jacksonville Jaguars
What they needed: It was painful how bad their O-line was at times last season. It devastated every aspect of this team: QB, RB, and it gassed their defense by keeping them on the field. I’m not yet a big fan of Bortles but it’s hard to dislike a guy when he has so little time to make reads and throws. This team needed O-linemen badly with RB also being a need.
Moves I liked: The Jags addressed both needs with the key addition being RB T.J. Yeldon in the second round. They also snatched “Too Easy” TE Julius Thomas from Denver which will be a nice veteran upgrade for Bortles to throw at. If the O-line additions pan out, the fantasy prospects for this team get very interesting. If they don’t, it will be mostly a fantasy wasteland like last season.
Moves I disliked: Almost nothing to dislike about the moves they made this off-season. Just to pick on something, I’ll say I’m not a fan of bringing in RB Bernard Pierce. He just isn’t a very good NFL running back and there is no reason to believe that changes. Whatever they are paying him could be better used elsewhere. This team has enough RBs already.
Tennessee Titans
What they needed: They weren’t drafting second for no reason. So many holes on this team it’s easier to just say what they didn’t need. Tight end. That is all…
Moves I liked: Considering their needs, you sort of have to like their moves since virtually everything is an upgrade. The most important may have been grabbing some O-linemen through the draft and free agency to help protect their new jewel, QB Marcus Mariota. This line was even worse than the Jags’ line so there may be some surprise fantasy production from this team this season. Unfortunately, they are almost assuredly another season away from being even a .500 team.
Moves I disliked: Hard to knock the pick of WR Dorial Green-Beckham but wide receiver wasn’t really a desperate need for this team. I would have rather seen the Titans use their second round pick on O-line or D and I think they’ll pay for this a little this season. Best of luck to DGB, but he’s another mouth to feed on a team that already has plenty.