In the past six years, the Jaguars, Texans, and Titans each have won two AFC South titles. The team with the longest drought – the Colts – started last season 8-2 before collapsing and falling to 8-9. Entering the offseason, there are plenty of big roster decisions that will impact these four teams’ fantasy players. Here are three notable possibilities.
Since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement seven years ago, Indianapolis has struggled to find a new franchise quarterback. Last year, it seemed that a one-year rental of Daniel Jones was the answer (before a ruptured Achilles ended his season).
With Jones potentially signing elsewhere, and with former high-priced draft pick Anthony Richardson almost certainly on his way out, the question is who will start under center Week 1. A downgrade from Jones could wreak havoc on the fantasy values of Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and (if he’s re-signed or franchise tagged) Alec Pierce.
In Houston, the backfield is a mess. Joe Mixon’s mysterious foot injury and Nick Chubb’s post-prime abilities might leave Woody Marks as the last man standing. But before managers get too excited about the prospect of “Marks the bell cow,” consider that he was a relatively old rookie who will turn 26 later this year, and he mustered only 3.6 yards per carry on sub-par advanced rushing metrics (1.8 yards after first contact and one broken tackle per 32.7 carries).
The Texans almost certainly will add at least one RB. The question is whether he’ll push Marks for the starting job.
Meanwhile, with Travis Etienne likely leaving Jacksonville, there’s an opening for Bhayshul Tuten to post top-20 RB numbers. If this franchise is satisfied with 2025 seventh-rounder LeQuint Allen backing him up, then there’s nothing left to say. But . . . this team is built to make another run at the playoffs.
They probably won’t be content to put the running game squarely on Tuten’s shoulders. The caliber of RB they bring in will determine whether Tuten is a weekly fantasy starter or a start-and-hope streamer.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 3 offseason roster moves that would impact AFC South fantasy values