2026 Fantasy Football: AFC South Division Breakdown

As the fantasy football season nears, it’s time to preview the NFL divisions in terms of fantasy. In this article, we take a look back and ahead at each team in the AFC South, while also highlighting the fantasy-relevant players you need to know for the 2026 season.

We are diving into the AFC South Division that offers plenty of fantasy talent, potential breakout players, and some interesting situations to monitor heading into the season.

AFC South 2026 Divisional Breakdown

Houston Texans

Looking Back at 2025

The 2025 Texans were a strong, playoff-caliber team, mostly because of an elite defense that carried them throughout the season. The offense was another story, unfortunately. The run game was inefficient, with Woody Marks averaging just 3.6 yards per carry and now-retired Nick Chubb not being much of a threat on the ground. The passing game was just okay under C.J. Stroud, who played a bit better but still lacked the upside through the air that we saw during his rookie season. Nico Collins and Dalton Schultz would put up respectable stats for their positions, giving solid weekly fantasy outputs throughout the season.

Looking Forward to 2026

The 2026 Texans will look to take a step further on offense if C.J. Stroud can refine the production that he showed off as a rookie. The run game added David Montgomery, who should be an upgrade to the backfield they offered last season after Houston finished tied for 29th. The return of Tank Dell could help Stroud, as the two have shown they can play well together. Unfortunately, the Texans lost second-year receiver Jayden Higgins for the season with a torn ACL. Houston responded by trading for up-and-coming receiver Kayshon Boutte as we inch closer to the season, giving Stroud another potential weapon.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Nico Collins, WR

The Texans’ most relevant fantasy player has to be Nico Collins, who is being drafted as a top-15 receiver in drafts right now. Collins offers consistency as a high-end WR2 for fantasy, as he is likely to lead the team in targets once again. He had a career-high 120 targets in 2025. Collins offers great, but not necessarily elite, upside with his target volume. His ceiling is tied to whether or not C.J. Stroud can take another step, but Collins is still a very good receiver to draft in 2026.

David Montgomery, RB

Newcomer David Montgomery seems likely to take over the backfield in Houston after a disastrous 2025 season for the Texans’ run game. The veteran does have plenty of tread on the tires, as he is now 29 years old. Over the last two seasons, he has played more of a backup role in Detroit, so he should still be fresh enough for a high-200-carry season. I could see a 2024 Joe Mixon-type season for him if he gets the workload. Montgomery offers a great Zero RB approach in drafts where he could give you mid-to-low RB2 numbers in 2026.

Fantasy Football Question Marks

C.J. Stroud, QB

Quarterback C.J. Stroud likely won’t be drafted in many 1-QB leagues because he has regressed each of the last two seasons since his impressive rookie year. The hope is that OC Nick Caley can help get Stroud back on track this season, especially after his accuracy and overall passing production struggled at times in 2025. Hopefully, an improved run game can help set up more play-action, allowing him to make better throws downfield, and maybe the return of Tank Dell can spark some of the old Stroud from his rookie season. For now, Stroud is likely someone to avoid in most 1-QB drafts.

Woody Marks, RB

Second-year running back Woody Marks is going to be an interesting player to grab late in drafts this season. Marks has gotten some praise during the offseason and has looked good in the preseason. There have been rumors of more of a 50/50 split with David Montgomery, but it’s hard to trust that until we actually see it. If Marks can see more of a receiving role, he may be a sneaky PPR play. He did well as a receiver when he saw four or more targets last season, scoring 27.9, 12.5, and 15.1 fantasy points in those three games. That receiving role could be the key to Marks having standalone fantasy value in 2026.

Kayshon Boutte, WR

Recently acquired Kayshon Boutte should be a late-round sleeper in drafts. Boutte is very underrated after showing plenty of upside during the first half of the 2025 season, as WR22 in that span. Boutte has the downfield ability to make big plays and should have a role as a potential bye-week replacement option on fantasy rosters this year.

Dalton Schultz, TE

Like Stroud, Dalton Schultz likely won’t be drafted in many leagues just due to the number of tight ends drafters may like more than the veteran. Schultz benefited from the Texans having young receivers last year, as he finished second on the team with a career-high 106 targets. I do expect a dip in production, but Schultz can still offer bye-week replacement value for fantasy lineups.

Fantasy long shots

Tank Dell | Jaylin Noel | Xavier Hutchinson

We have the rest of the Texans receiving group, where at one point it looked like one of these players could break out this year. I fully expect Kayshon Boutte to take on the WR2 role in the offense. Jaylin Noel will likely play as the slot option and mix in and out with Tank Dell and Xavier Hutchinson throughout the season. They are all long shots to make any serious noise in fantasy football this year, especially based on how down we are on the Texans offense as a whole.

Indianapolis Colts

Looking Back at 2025

The 2025 Colts surely had an interesting season after getting off to an 8-2 record under bounce-back candidate Daniel Jones, as the team looked like a true contender. Unfortunately, Jones suffered a torn Achilles, and the Colts would lose their final seven games with a mix of Riley Leonard and high school coach Philip Rivers playing quarterback.

The run game continued to do its part, as Jonathan Taylor had yet another strong season. We also got a breakout from Alec Pierce, who went over 1,000 receiving yards. The addition of rookie tight end Tyler Warren and Michael Pittman Jr. kept the offense decent at times for fantasy in the passing game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the season everyone expected after such a strong start.

Looking Forward to 2026

All eyes for the Colts will be on Daniel Jones, and it seems like he has recovered well from the torn Achilles. Jones has been a full participant in training camp, but it’s still make-or-break with him for this offense and team in 2026. They will likely continue to treat Jonathan Taylor as a workhorse despite drafting running backs in back-to-back drafts.

The receiving group is going to be an interesting one this season, especially with their top players battling some injuries. Alec Pierce coming off the PUP list is great news, but hopefully he can get up to speed for Week 1. Breakout candidates Tyler Warren and Josh Downs have gotten banged up as well, but the hope is they’ll be ready for Week 1. The leader of this receiving group could end up being 34-year-old Keenan Allen, who joined the team in August.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Jonathan Taylor, RB

We have one of the top running backs in 2026 in Jonathan Taylor. Taylor is a first-round talent who has a relatively safe floor among the elite RB1 options. He is coming off back-to-back 300-carry seasons, so there may be some concern with his durability and workload. We saw Taylor have elite upside with Daniel Jones as the starting quarterback. Taylor should once again be among the top running backs for fantasy in 2026 and is worth the first-round price tag.

Tyler Warren, TE

My potential breakout at tight end this year has to be Tyler Warren. Warren got off to a hot start last season, averaging 11.1 fantasy points per game over his first 10 games, but his production dropped off in the back half of the season.  Daniel Jones’ return should help Warren reach new highs in 2026, especially after the success they had together early last season. Warren is the tight end you should be targeting in the middle rounds of drafts.

Fantasy Football Question Marks

Daniel Jones, QB

We get the return of Daniel Jones after he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 14 of the 2025 season. We’ve seen quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins return the following season from Achilles tears and play decent enough, finishing as the QB15 and QB21 in 2024. With Jones, I think we have to assume the mobility that has always been one of his strengths may not be used as much. Through 13 games last year, he had only 164 rushing yards, so his rushing wasn’t propping up his fantasy production as much as it had in the past. Jones is a borderline draftable quarterback who may end up being a waiver-wire option in good matchups throughout the season.

Alec Pierce, WR

Our AFC South Division preview couldn’t come at a better time, as Alec Pierce is coming off the PUP list. That’s great news, but there are still question marks about how he will look for Week 1 after missing all of training camp. I know he just got paid to be the WR1, but his high efficiency will be hard to replicate. Pierce has averaged over 20 yards per reception in back-to-back seasons, becoming the first player to do that in over 40 years. You have to assume some regression will come from that efficiency in 2026. Pierce is a very risky receiver to select in drafts despite his recent fall in ADP.

Josh Downs, WR

Slot receiver Josh Downs has the potential for a breakout season, but the signing of Keenan Allen may have cooled that off a bit. Downs had a slight regression in opportunity last year. With Michael Pittman Jr. gone, we could see Downs tick back up toward 100 targets, although Allen adds more competition for those opportunities. Downs feels like a safe-floor PPR play who can get you around eight fantasy points in any given week.

Keenan Allen, WR

The 34-year-old Keenan Allen is now on his third team in three years. Despite his age, Allen has been solid in his 30s, averaging 879 receiving yards and five touchdowns over the last four seasons. Allen has been known for playing in the slot throughout his career, but he played at a lower rate there last season, so he could play a similar role with the Colts since Josh Downs is the primary slot receiver. Allen is likely a last-pick type of player in drafts, but he is definitely a name to watch on waivers over the first month of the season.

Fantasy long shots

DJ Giddens | Seth McGowan | Nick Westbrook-Ikhine 

As long as Jonathan Taylor is healthy, his backups DJ Giddens and Seth McGowan don’t sustain much fantasy value. It does look like McGowan is winning the race for the backup job, making him the more interesting handcuff to Taylor. Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is likely the WR4 in this offense, and you can probably expect him to have one game where he catches a long touchdown, but not much more than that for fantasy purposes.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Looking Back at 2025

The 2025 Jacksonville Jaguars broke out under head coach Liam Coen, finishing first in the AFC South Division. Trevor Lawrence took some time during the season but broke out in a big way during the second half of the year. The run game was consistently strong all year under veteran Travis Etienne. The receiving group went through some wild changes throughout the season. Brian Thomas Jr. would get hurt and struggled to find the same form we saw during his rookie season, while two-way player Travis Hunter had one spectacular game in London but would miss most of the season due to injuries. The team would trade for Jakobi Meyers during the season, adding another veteran to the offense. Under-the-radar third-year receiver Parker Washington would end up leading all Jaguars receivers with 847 receiving yards.

Looking Forward to 2026

Looking forward, this team has high expectations but also a lot of question marks surrounding their receiving room and backfield. The biggest question is who will really be the WR1 for the season. Parker Washington is getting plenty of attention right now after leading the team in receiving last year, but Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers are there to make some noise as well. What type of role does Travis Hunter play on offense?

The backfield also has plenty of questions. The signs point to Bhayshul Tuten having a chance to be the RB1, but Chris Rodriguez and LeQuint Allen also have important roles to play. There is a lot of talent on this offense, but also a lot of questions about who will end up truly helping fantasy lineups in 2026.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Trevor Lawrence, QB

Trevor Lawrence is a hard quarterback to evaluate because I think he is more of a product of his skill players than being a truly talented quarterback. He had the highest 1st Read % among starting quarterbacks, showing that the offense was schemed for him to get the ball to that first read more times than not. It’s hard to completely knock Lawrence, though, when he finished with 20-plus fantasy points in each of his final seven games after doing that only three times in his first 10. It seemed like he was finally getting comfortable in the offense.

The last time we saw Lawrence have a stretch of impressive games, he would regress the following season, as we saw between 2022 and 2023. Many will think Lawrence is starting to rise and should be a top-10 quarterback selected in drafts. There is high upside but also high risk with Lawrence. If he falls into the double-digit rounds, the value becomes worth it, but I want to see Lawrence do it for a full season rather than just a stretch of games.

Parker Washington, WR

The Jaguars’ projected WR1 is Parker Washington. All offseason, Washington has been talked up as one of the team’s top targets, especially because of the connection he has built with Trevor Lawrence. In his final three regular-season games last year, he averaged 18 fantasy points in half PPR. It seemed like the coaching staff finally figured him out as a weapon in the offense with his ability to line up all across the formation.

The question is whether his ADP around 70 is worth it based on that late-season breakout. That’s going to be tough, and you have to have faith that what the coaching staff is saying will translate to the field. Washington has been one of the hottest names this offseason, but you’ll notice that the Jaguars receivers are also one of the biggest mysteries heading into 2026.

Jakobi Meyers, WR

Veteran Jakobi Meyers was traded midway through last season to the Jaguars. He led the team in targets with 61 over the final nine games of the season. While everyone is on Parker Washington right now, Meyers could be the sneaky play to take over the Jaguars’ WR1 role. Meyers is going in the double-digit rounds of drafts, which makes him a sleeper value. He can offer you a FLEX player off the bench who you can rotate into your lineup when needed. If you like finding value in drafts, then Meyers is the Jaguars receiver to grab.

Brian Thomas Jr., WR

Former rookie standout Brian Thomas Jr. will look to bounce back in 2026, but it doesn’t seem like he is the clear WR1 anymore. Thomas and Trevor Lawrence don’t seem to be on the same page. Thomas has actually had more 20-point fantasy games with Mac Jones in 10 games than he has with Lawrence in 24 games. I’d look to avoid him at his current price, as he feels like the riskiest pick among the Jaguars’ top receivers, but he also has the most upside if he can bounce back.

Bhayshul Tuten, RB

Second-year running back Bhayshul Tuten has a big chance to break out this season. Tuten struggled with his efficiency last year at 3.7 YPC, but in the one game where he received over 10 carries, he ran for 74 yards and a touchdown. Now as the starter, he should see the majority of the carries between the 20s. The question is how much work he gets on passing downs and in the red zone. He may not have a strong hold on the starting job if he struggles to produce on the field, but he has been getting praised all camp long by the coaching staff. Tuten offers plenty of upside as a mid-round running back selection, but he does come with some risk.

Fantasy Football Question Marks

Chris Rodriguez Jr, RB

Backup running back Chris Rodriguez is going to have a role in the Jaguars offense, reuniting with his college head coach. He is likely going to see some of the red-zone work in the offense, which could give him touchdown upside. How many touches he gets will be the biggest question. Last year, Bhayshul Tuten did not see a massive workload, but this is a different backfield. Rodriguez was brought in to reunite with his former coach, so we could potentially see something closer to a 65/35 split in touches. He is worth a late-round pick in drafts to see how this Jaguars backfield plays out.

Travis Hunter, WR/DB

Dual-threat player Travis Hunter likely won’t be someone you should consider drafting in fantasy this year. He has been playing the majority of his practice reps on defense while seeing limited work with the offense. You should expect him to see more time on defense than anything else in 2026. Hunter isn’t draftable right now and likely won’t become a fantasy option unless an injury on offense opens up a bigger role for him.

Brenton Strange, TE

Tight end Brenton Strange will look to continue to build off the last few years. Strange was a nice safety blanket for Trevor Lawrence last season, as he set career highs with 60 receptions. While Strange has a role in the offense, the targets are another question. There are plenty of mouths to feed in this offense, so it’s hard to tell if Strange can get to another level in 2026. He is likely going to be one of those waiver-wire, bye-week replacement tight ends this season.

Fantasy long shots

LeQuint Allen Jr. 

The biggest long shot in this Jaguars offense has to be LeQuint Allen Jr. It’s mostly because he is getting plenty of reps in the passing game and on third downs. He would likely need one of the top two running backs to fail or get hurt to have a shot at real fantasy production. For now, Allen is more of a name to remember if that opportunity comes during the season.

Tennessee Titans

Looking Back at 2025

Truly a season to forget for the Titans in 2025, as they finished fourth in the AFC South Division. Rookie quarterback Cam Ward played the whole season and showed some improvement during the second half of the year. The team leaned on the run game with Tony Pollard rushing for over 1,000 yards. The passing game was very undesirable for fantasy football, with no pass catcher finishing over 600 receiving yards. The team relied on youth in the passing game, with rookies Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike seeing plenty of targets. This terrible offense would eventually lead the team to look for a new coaching regime heading into 2026.

Looking Forward to 2026

The Titans are now under no-nonsense head coach Robert Saleh and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, but could we see improvement from this team? Year two of Cam Ward will be very important if this offense is going to take a step forward, especially with Daboll brought in to help his development. The backfield remains mostly the same outside of the addition of Nicholas Singleton, but it’s likely Tony Pollard’s backfield for one more year. The receiving group got an overhaul heading into Week 1, with rookie Carnell Tate and Wan’Dale Robinson joining a hopefully healthy Calvin Ridley as the top three pass catchers in the offense. There seems to be some hope for this offense, but it’s better to stay cautious with this team in 2026.

Fantasy Relevant Players

Wan’Dale Robinson Jr., WR

The most valuable Titans receiver this year could easily be Wan’Dale Robinson. Coming off a career year, Robinson has a chance to be the team’s WR1 for the 2026 season as he reunites with his former head coach Brian Daboll. It’s unclear if Robinson can get back to 140 targets in this Titans offense, but you should be able to rely on his PPR value. Robinson is one of the better values in drafts, as you can get him in the double-digit rounds and he should offer FLEX value on a weekly basis.

Tony Pollard, RB

Tony Pollard feels like a trap despite quietly rushing for over 1,000 yards in four straight seasons. There are some things to consider, as his fantasy production was mostly driven by volume last season, and he finished as just the RB29 in fantasy points per game. Can Brian Daboll bring some life to the Titans’ rushing attack? Does a healthy Tyjae Spears take on a bigger role in the offense this season? Pollard feels like an RB3 floor player with minimal upside that you probably should avoid in drafts unless you are taking a Zero RB approach.

Carnell Tate, WR

Rookie Carnell Tate is going to be a tough player to select right now in drafts since we haven’t seen him do much in his preseason games. I’m concerned that with his more downfield ability, he could end up being more of a boom-or-bust type of receiver in 2026. Cam Ward has a big arm, but Brian Daboll hasn’t always forced his young quarterbacks to consistently push the ball downfield, which could prevent Tate from seeing a big target share. Tate seems to be going within the top seven rounds of drafts, which feels very high for his current situation. He is probably a receiver I’d avoid at his current price tag.

Fantasy Football Question Marks

Cam Ward, QB 

Unfortunately, this feels like a make-or-break season for second-year quarterback Cam Ward. He ended last year on a positive note, which is encouraging heading into 2026. Brian Daboll has had recent success with quarterbacks like Jaxson Dart and Daniel Jones, which could be a good sign for Ward’s development this season. He likely won’t be drafted in many 1-QB leagues, but he is definitely a name to watch on waivers if he is able to produce a breakout season.

Tyjae Spears, RB

Backup running back Tyjae Spears may be one of those last-pick-in-the-draft type of players right now. Spears was only relevant in a few games last season, and his best fantasy performances usually came when he was able to score a touchdown. Brian Daboll rarely had a true dual-threat backfield during his time with the Giants, so I don’t have a ton of faith that Spears can overtake Tony Pollard or turn this into a split backfield. He’ll have some PPR value as a potential bye-week replacement, but he isn’t someone I’m actively targeting in drafts.

Fantasy long shots

Gunnar Helm | Calvin Ridley | Nicholas Singleton | Elic Ayomanor | Chimere Dike

Gunnar Helm is an interesting tight end, but we haven’t heard much about his development in the offense this offseason. Calvin Ridley is an older player whose role may need to be figured out on the field, but I don’t see him finishing better than third on the team in targets. Nicholas Singleton could make some late-season noise, but an injury to Tony Pollard may be the only way he gets consistent opportunities. The two 2025 rookie receivers, Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike, who saw plenty of opportunities last season, will likely be pushed down the depth chart.