We are mere hours away from kickoff and a whole weekend of real football awaits us. While we wait, I wanted to help you pass the time by inviting you to dream on what could be of the 2018 NFL and fantasy season. Every year after I wrap up all my preseason work, I settle in an write this article to turn the page. What I’ll be doing is giving predictions for the standings and playoffs before handing out NFL and fantasy awards and even giving a sneak preview at the 2019 mock draft. Now, before you jump into this, realize that these are not my projections. Predictions and projections are quite different, for if I were to project the season, clearly the Patriots and Eagles would have the best shot at returning to the Super Bowl, every team would win between 5 and 11 games and absolutely nothing fun would happen. That isn’t how real life works though. More likely, a trio of surprising teams will be decimated by injuries and have rough seasons while several others will surge forward like the surprising Jaguars and Bills last season. My goal is to emulate the trends of reality when building this, so read it in that light and enjoy!
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NFL Standings
AFC East
Patriots 15-1
Jets 5-11
Bills 4-12
Dolphins 3-13
–Although Tom Brady takes a step back with just 490 passes, his sparkling 30 to 3 TD/INT ratio wins the favor of MVP voters who side with Brady’s team success over Rodgers’ superior numbers. Rob Gronkowski leads the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns, finishing as the most-owned player on fantasy championship teams. The rest of the division is such a mess that there is frankly no point in talking about them.
AFC North
Steelers 13-3
Browns 6-10
Bengals 6-10
Ravens 5-11
–Pittsburgh rides James Conner for 200 exceptional touches over the first 10 weeks before Le’Veon Bell comes crawling back into a much-diminished role. The Browns disappoint many by running Tyrod Taylor out there the entire season but the front office keeps Hue Jackson due to the improvement. After starting 1 and 5, Baltimore turns the keys over to Lamar Jackson who lights up the league for 700 rushing yards over the final 10 games, but his passing leaves much to be desired.
AFC South
Titans 10-6
*Jaguars 9-7
Texans 8-8
Colts 6-10
—Deshaun Watson regresses severely, throwing just 26 touchdowns and a league-leading 20 interceptions as the Texans fizzle despite a finally healthy defense. Jacksonville takes a step back as well and finally give up on the Blake Bortles project after a four-game losing streak over the middle of the season. Tennessee combines a much-improved defense and new superstar, Corey Davis, to win the division crown while the Colts sputter despite Andrew Luck‘s 4,600 yard, 34 touchdown season.
AFC West
Chargers 12-4
*Broncos 9-7
Raiders 6-10
Chiefs 6-10
–The Chargers rival Jacksonville for having the best defense in football with Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram racking up 30 sacks combined. In Denver, they are able to overcome a quarterback change thanks to Royce Freeman‘s league-leading 14 rushing touchdowns and their ever-strong defense. Elsewhere, Patrick Mahomes makes it clear that he is much closer to Paxton Lynch than the Chiefs’ franchise quarterback and the hapless Raiders drop 8 straight after a 3-1 start that energizes the fan base.
NFC East
Eagles 10-6
Redskins 9-7
Giants 7-9
Cowboys 7-9
—Carson Wentz ends up missing 5 games as the Eagles bring both he and Alshon Jeffery back slow. Meanwhile, Alex Smith has Washington humming, but once the Eagles regain health, Philly manages to catch them and sneak into the playoffs. The Giants take a leap forward thanks to Odell Beckham‘s return and a resurgent defense, but Saquon Barkley struggles against a treacherous schedule and stacked boxes galore, while the Cowboys struggle exclusively because of their defense.
NFC North
Packers 10-6
*Vikings 9-7
Lions 7-9
Bears 7-9
—Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook both have rough seasons with the offensive line giving them no chance. Still, the defense managers to squeeze the team into the playoffs right behind Aaron Rodgers and another classic 4,600 yard season with 42 touchdowns and 6 interceptions. While both the Lions and Bears performed admirably outside the division, neither could muster a win against either the Packers or Vikings leaving them on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
NFC South
Saints 13-3
*Falcons 12-4
Buccaneers 6-10
Panthers 4-12
–From Week 1, both New Orleans and the Falcons prove to be the class of the NFC with both surprisingly led by top-notch defenses. Michael Thomas and Julio Jones both chase Calvin Johnson‘s receiving record, but ultimately fall over 100 yards short. Behind them, Jameis Winston turns into a superstar, but it comes far too late as the Bucs drop their first five games. The Panthers’ dreadful offensive line leaves them wounded at the skill positions and eager for 2019 to begin.
NFC West
Rams 11-5
Cardinals 9-7
49ers 7-9
Seahawks 5-11
–The Seahawks’ decimated defense and lackluster offensive line make them one of the biggest disappointments of the season. Meanwhile, Sam Bradford‘s efficient play has the Cardinals right in the hunt for a wild-card all season. While Jimmy Garoppolo manages to lead the NFL with over 4,800 passing yards, San Francisco’s defense leave them mediocre for at least another year. The Rams cruise to another division title on the back of Todd Gurley‘s second consecutive 2,000 yard season.
Playoffs
Wild Card Round
Steelers 10
Jaguars 20
–Jacksonville forces Big Ben to retire after all
Titans 31
Broncos 17
–Costly turnovers ruin Chad Kelly‘s playoff debut
Packers 41
Falcons 14
—Aaron Rodgers comes out blazing with four first-half TDs
Eagles 16
Vikings 17
–Cousins and Wentz trade interceptions in a sloppy game
Divisional Round
Titans 3
Chargers 14
–Three Joey Bosa sacks including a forced fumble define the game
Patriots 13
Jaguars 23
–This time around, the Jags’ defense seals the playoff win over Brady
Rams 27
Packers 35
–Rodgers has his way in yet another marvelous performance
Saints 20
Vikings 16
–Kamara leads the way with two long receiving touchdowns
Conference Championships
Jaguars 6
Chargers 20
—Blake Bortles is a trainwreck from the very beginning
Saints 44
Packers 38
–The Saints finish the shootout with an overtime touchdown
Super Bowl
—Drew Brees piles up two touchdowns in the first ten minutes, one to Michael Thomas and the other to emergent tight end, Dan Arnold. By half-time, a field goal and Melvin Gordon touchdown bring the Saints lead to 17-10. After a pair of third-quarter Saints field goals, the game seems out of site, but Phillip Rivers scrambles in for a touchdown then tosses one to his favorite red-zone weapon, Mike Williams to take the Chargers’ first lead of the game. With just five minutes on the clock, the Saints march down into field goal position, but Mark Ingram scampers through the secondary for a touchdown. The two-point conversion fails, but it won’t matter, as Marshon Lattimore‘s interception secures the Super Bowl for the Saints and Brees who later in the off-season announces his retirement from the top of the game.
Saints 29
Chargers 24
2018 Awards
League MVP: Tom Brady (NE)
Super Bowl MVP: Drew Brees (NO)
Fantasy MVP: Rob Gronkowski (NE)
Top Fantasy QB: Aaron Rodgers (GB)
Top Value QB: Dak Prescott (DAL)
Breakout QB: Jameis Winston (TB)
Top Fantasy RB: Todd Gurley (LAR)
Top Value RB: Bilal Powell (NYJ)
Breakout RB: Royce Freeman (DEN)
Top Fantasy WR: Julio Jones (ATL)
Top Value WR: Keelan Cole (JAX)
Breakout WR: Corey Davis (TEN)
2019 NFL Draft
- Dolphins – Shea Patterson (QB – Michigan)
- Panthers – Nick Bosa (DE – Ohio State)
- Bills – Ed Oliver (DT – Houston)
- Jets – A.J. Brown (WR – Ole Miss)
- Ravens – Trey Adams (OT – Washington)
- Seahawks – Raekwon Davis (DT – Alabama)
- Bengals – Justin Herbert (QB – Oregon)
- Chiefs – Trayvon Mullen (CB – Clemson)
- Browns – Jeffery Simmons (DT – Mississippi St.)
- Buccaneers – Greg Little (OT – Ole Miss)
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