First TD Bets — Wild Card Monday Slate
Alex Christenson
The Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs will end tonight, but for many teams, the 2024 season is over. Even though the 2024 season isn’t over, that means over half of the teams in the NFL are preparing themselves for the 2025 season.
This article will take a step back from the 2024 season to analyze the biggest team needs for all 16 AFC teams, with the NFC teams scheduled to drop for tomorrow. Remember that this article will be offense-centric because a team upgrading their defensive line or drafting cornerback depth will generally have an inconsequential effect on fantasy football (unless you’re in IDP leagues).
Baltimore Ravens
Bolster the Offensive Line
Baltimore got another MVP-level season from Lamar Jackson (4,172 passing yards and 41 touchdowns with four interceptions) and flourished in his second year of the Todd Monken offense. Of course, adding Derrick Henry to the mix (325 carries for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns) certainly helps.
The team also got a solid season from an offensive line unit that was replacing three new starters, especially rookie right tackle Roger Rosengarten (four sacks and 29 pressures on 488 pass-blocking snaps). Unfortunately, that unit is once again set to change with four players on their two-deep set to hit free agency, including two starters (Ronnie Stanley and Patrick Mekari).
Unfortunately, Baltimore has limited cap space to retain all those pieces ($23.4 million). The Ravens are in their prime contending window, which means it’s even more important for them to target the offensive linemen they retain or upgrade in the draft.
Buffalo Bills
Acquire More Receiving Talent
Josh Allen is talented enough to elevate whoever his receiving corps is. However, 2024 was a clear step back in passing production (even if it did mean seeing him become more efficient). Allen had his fewest passing yards (3,731) and touchdowns (28) since 2019 without Stefon Diggs.
Buffalo’s leading receiver (Khalil Shakir) paced the team’s pass-catchers with 100 targets, 76 receptions and 821 yards. Mack Hollins led the team in touchdown receptions (5). The Bills tried to replace Diggs with a committee approach, but rookie Keon Coleman (29 receptions for 556 yards and four touchdowns) and trade acquisition Amari Cooper (20 receptions for 297 yards and two scores) struggled to provide consistency. Cooper and Hollins are set to hit free agency this offseason.
The Bills only have $2 million in cap space, so making a splash in free agency will be difficult. They can add some pieces with some restructuring but will likely need to target receivers through the draft with their first or either of their second-round picks.
Cincinnati Bengals
Retain Tee Higgins
Cincinnati’s season didn’t go the way it had hoped despite an MVP-level season from Joe Burrow. At the beginning of the year, it seemed inevitable that the Bengals would move on from Higgins due to cap constraints. However, an excellent year from the offense (and a lot of posturing from Joe Burrow) showed how essential Higgins is to the offense’s success, even with Ja'Marr Chase operating as the WR1.
Keeping Higgins won’t be cheap (especially with Chase’s mega-deal on the horizon), but Cincinnati can retain him on either a long-term deal or with one more year of the franchise tag. More importantly, extending Burrow will keep Burrow happy with the best-receiving group in the NFL for years to come.
Cleveland Browns
Figure Out a Path At Quarterback
The Deshaun Watson experience legitimately couldn’t have gone worse for Cleveland. Over the last three seasons, Watson has completed just 61.2% of his passes for 3,365 yards and 19 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. The veteran quarterback has attempted just 557 passes in 19 games started.
Even worse, Watson has been outplayed over the last two seasons by Joe Flacco (1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns with eight interceptions in five games) and Jameis Winston (2,121 yards and 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in seven games). Both have operated the offense at a high level in his absence.
And the worst part of all? Watson tore his Achilles during the 2024 season and then reinjured it during his rehab process. He was always going to be on the roster thanks to a $119 dead cap charge, but now he will provide nothing to the team.
Cleveland didn’t get much from Bailey Zappe or Dorian Thompson-Robinson to close out the season, so it must address the quarterback position. Whether that is a veteran who hits free agency and can be acquired on the cheap (Kirk Cousins?!) to maximize an aging roster or taking a rookie (Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders) with the second overall pick to try for a quick rebuild, the Browns need to find a way to reset the quarterback position with an albatross contract on the roster.
Denver Broncos
Upgrade the Backfield
The Broncos enter the 2025 offseason in very good shape on offense. Rookie Bo Nix had a very successful first season (3,775 yards and 29 touchdowns with 12 interceptions) after being a surprise first-round pick. Denver is also set to return all five offensive line starters from one of the best units in the NFL.
Denver also seemed to figure out its pass-catchers late in the season, utilizing Courtland Sutton and Devaughn Vele as chain movers while finding ways to get Marvin Mims Jr. the ball in space to make explosive plays. The one area where this offense truly struggled was in the backfield.
The three-headed backfield of Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin and Audric Estime combined for 328 carries 1,319 yards and seven rushing touchdowns. According to FTN’s StatsHub, all three players finished with a negative EPA with the “best” running back (McLaughlin) finishing 68th out of 134 running backs. Williams is also set to hit free agency.
Sean Payton historically utilizes a committee backfield, which makes it hard for any single back to provide fantasy value. To take this offense to the next level (and help Nix continue to grow), the Broncos need to find a running back who can have success behind a good offensive line.
Thankfully, this running back class seems to be very deep and could provide a new lead option in the Denver backfield.
Houston Texans
Add Receiving Talent
Houston’s offense was a revelation in 2023 with a rookie quarterback (C.J. Stroud) operating behind a patchwork offensive line with Nico Collins and Tank Dell Everyone expected the offense to take a huge leap forward in 2024 thanks to a healthy offensive line combined with the addition of Joe Mixon at running back and Stefon Diggs at wide receiver.
Unfortunately, the offensive line struggled to protect Stroud. Mixon was excellent in the backfield, but Diggs lasted just eight games before tearing his ACL. Dell struggled to return from a broken leg and offseason gunshot before dislocating his knee and tearing multiple ligaments after 14 games. The exceptional play of Collins was able to keep the passing game afloat (when he was on the field).
Houston will once again need to work to upgrade its wide receiver corps heading into 2025. Diggs (and depth pieces Diontae Johnson and Robert Woods) are set to hit free agency. There’s also a chance that Dell will miss most, if not all, of 2025 thanks to the severity of his injury.
That leaves the Texans with Collins, Xavier Hutchinson and John Metchie III as their primary receiving group entering 2025. Houston has just over $8 million of cap space heading into the offseason, so it may need to utilize the draft over adding an established veteran (unless the team can restructure some deals) to get the offense back on track.
Indianapolis Colts
Hope Anthony Richardson Figures It Out
Anthony Richardson was drafted as a top-6 quarterback in 2024 thanks to the flashes of raw tools and rushing upside that we saw in spurts during his injury-shortened rookie season. Unfortunately, the fantasy managers who took the home-run swing on his upside struck out looking.
The second-year quarterback was wildly inconsistent once again, playing in just 11 games due to a benching and injury woes in his second season. Richardson completed just 47.7% of his passes (after completing 59.5% as a rookie) and saw his touchdown rate drop to 3.0% while his interception rate nearly quadrupled (4.5%).
FTN StatsHub paints an even worse picture. Richardson was 37th among 40 qualified quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) as a passer (-46.8), ahead of only Will Levis, Deshaun Watson and Spencer Rattler. He was also 36th in defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement (DYAR) and Defense-adjusted Value Over Average (DVOA).
The Colts have a strong offensive line, an excellent running back and a solid receiving group. But for the offense to take a step, they need the quarterback that they took with a top-5 pick to play like a high-end talent. Richardson is running out of chances to prove he can be the quarterback of the future.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Build Up the Interior Offensive Line
Injuries crushed Jacksonville’s pass-catchers in 2024, but the Jags are set to return their top seven receivers in 2025 (minus a cut to free up cap space). The best way for this group to improve (aside from getting a new offensive-minded head coach) is to bolster their offensive line.
The surface stats for Jacksonville’s offensive line aren’t terrible. The team allowed just 22 sacks and 147 pressures in 2024. However, only one of their offensive linemen (right guard Brandon Scherff) allowed fewer than two sacks. The Jaguars were top 10 in FTN StatsHub’s pressure rate (22.8%) but 31st in time to pressure (2.24 seconds).
Scherff is set to hit free agency, leaving Jacksonville with a cast of good but not great offensive linemen. Paying a 33-year-old guard may not be the best decision on the surface, but he’s the most talented interior offensive lineman on a team that needs a solid interior to allow Trevor Lawrence to use his strength as a deep passer. He has back-to-back seasons with an 88.0+ PFF deep passing grade and has one of the most exciting young speed-threat receivers in the NFL (Brian Thomas Jr.).
Kansas City Chiefs
Add More Pass-Catching Weapons
On the surface, it feels like the Chiefs’ biggest need would be fortifying the left tackle position after the team was forced to move left guard Joe Thuney to left tackle thanks to subpar play from Wanya Morris (five sacks and 35 pressures on 453 passing snaps) and Kingsley Suamataia (three sacks and 14 pressures on 131 passing snaps). Both players are still young and can still improve.
However, this team desperately needs to add more juice to their passing attack despite Patrick Mahomes’ wizardry elevating their pass-catchers. Travis Kelce (97 receptions for 823 yards and three touchdowns) is slowing down and Xavier Worthy (59 receptions for 638 yards and six touchdowns) appears to be a hit, but there is little else on this roster that will factor into 2025. Rashee Rice is coming off an ACL injury (and could still be suspended). The team is set to lose DeAndre Hopkins, Marquise Brown, Justin Watson, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mecole Hardman in free agency.
The Chiefs will likely keep some of those pieces at respectable prices but need to continue to infuse talent into this offense to keep their Super Bowl window wide open.
Las Vegas Raiders
Upgrade the Quarterback Room
The Raiders’ roster is in limbo.
Las Vegas drafted a game-breaking talent in the first round of the 2024 draft in Brock Bowers (112 receptions for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns) and has an underrated receiver in Jakobi Meyers (87 receptions for 1,027 yards and four touchdowns). The Raiders offensive line also has some nice pieces when healthy.
However, the big thing this team is missing (aside from a competent running back) is a quarterback who can maximize those weapons.
Las Vegas tried to get by with Gardner Minshew II (2,013 passing yards and nine touchdowns with 10 interceptions) with poor results. Aidan O'Connell (1,612 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions) has proven to be a solid player with a limited ceiling.
Unfortunately, the Raiders won just enough to potentially take them out of the running for the top two quarterbacks in this class (Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders). This appears to be a poor quarterback class, so moving draft picks to grab one of those players is probably a poor idea. There isn’t a clear third quarterback in this class either.
Will the Raiders try to pair O’Connell with another veteran quarterback this offseason? Will they make a move to secure a top rookie quarterback (or gamble on them falling to them at pick 5)? Time will tell.
But for this team to truly improve, they have to figure out how to upgrade the most important position on the field.
Los Angeles Chargers
Find a Good Complement to Ladd McConkey
The Chargers’ wild-card loss to the Houston Texans showed just how poor their pass-catchers are outside of rookie sensation Ladd McConkey. In that game, the rookie posted nine receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. The rest of the team combined for five receptions and 45 yards.
The regular season results weren’t much different.
McConkey paced the team in every major category (112 targets, 82 receptions, 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns). The team got a much better season from second-year receiver Quentin Johnston (55 receptions for 711 yards and eight touchdowns), but he still struggled with consistency and drops.
The Chargers were much better than expected in Jim Harbaugh’s first season, but they need a receiver who can primarily play on the outside and form an awesome 1-2 punch with McConkey going forward.
Expect the Chargers to throw the kitchen sink at Tee Higgins at free agency (if he hits the market).
Miami Dolphins
Strengthen the Interior Offensive Line
The Dolphins have more explosive playmakers than anybody in the NFL. That is why it was so shocking to see their offense struggle their way through the 2024 season. It became clear how essential quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is to this team’s operation on the field.
In order to keep Tua healthy (and to improve the run game to take the pressure off him), Miami needs to pull out all of the stops to improve its offensive line. It was clear just how missed 2024 free agent Robert Hunt was on the interior this season.
Miami’s offensive line surrendered 23 sacks and 158 pressures in 2025. Only two of its starters (Terron Armstead and Aaron Brewer) finished with a PFF grade above 60.0, a run-blocking grade above 65.0 and a pass-blocking grade above 61.0.
Armstead is still one of the most talented left tackles in the NFL (despite his considerable injury woes). The team also has solid pieces at center (Aaron Brewer) and right tackle (Austin Jackson). However, they are in desperate need of a tone-setting guard (or two) to get the offense back on track.
New England Patriots
Pick a Non-Quarterback Position
It appears that the Patriots nailed down the quarterback of the future in 2024 first-round pick Drake Maye. The rookie quarterback made 12 starts in 2024, throwing for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. That is even more impressive given the total lack of talent around him.
New England’s leading receivers were an old tight end (Hunter Henry) and a slot-specific wide receiver (DeMario Douglas). Its 2024 second-round pick (Ja'Lynn Polk) had just 12 receptions for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Even the biggest football fans would struggle to name two of the Patriots’ offensive linemen.
The Patriots will have plenty of chances to upgrade the team in 2025 armed with a top-5 draft pick and the most cap space of any team ($123.8 million). Nearly any position they choose to invest in on the offensive side of the ball will be an upgrade over 2024.
New York Jets
Start the Rebuild
The Aaron Rodgers gambit was a failure. Sure, he performed well for a 40-year-old quarterback coming off an Achilles tear (3,897 yards and 28 touchdowns with 11 interceptions), but he didn’t elevate the Jets into a serious contender, even with the Jets trading for his favorite target (Davante Adams).
New York still has Adams and Rodgers under contract in 2025, but its combined $61.7 million cap hit will make it hard for the team to upgrade the roster in free agency. Having both players on the roster is probably a bad idea with a new coach set to take over the team.
The Jets can free up nearly $30 million in cap space with only $8 million in dead cap space if they cut Adams. They’ll have to take a hit on Rodgers’ contract ($49 million dead cap), but that money would all be frontloaded in 2025.
If the Jets do hit the reset button, they could build around young skill players like Garrett Wilson (if he doesn’t demand a trade) and Breece Hall The team also has interesting young pieces on the offensive line in Olu Fashanu, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Joe Tippmann.
If done well, the Jets can enter the 2026 offseason with zero financial ties to Rodgers and Adams with a chance to have an offense that can support a young quarterback. The only way to do that is to admit defeat on the Rodgers experience.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Add Receiving Talent
The Steelers will have a lot of holes to fill on offense. Both Russell Wilson and Justin Fields will be free agents. The team is also set to lose both Najee Harris and Jaylen Warren from the backfield. Pittsburgh has enough cap space ($52 million) to bring back any of those pieces if it wants to maintain continuity.
However, the biggest need on this offense is a pass-catching weapon.
George Pickens flashed the talent to be an alpha wide receiver but lacked consistency both in his production (59 receptions for 900 yards and three touchdowns) and temperament. The team’s only other receiver with more than 25 receptions and 300 receiving yards was Calvin Austin III (36 receptions for 548 yards and four touchdowns).
The team has an ascending, young offensive line that can elevate the rest of the team. The Steelers need to continue to add dynamic weapons to the passing attack so they can support whichever quarterback they choose in 2025.
Tennessee Titans
Find a Competent Quarterback
Brian Callahan’s first year with the Tennessee Titans did not go well. A lot of that falls on the quarterback position.
Will Levis (2,091 yards and 13 touchdowns with 12 interceptions) was a turnover machine and was benched twice throughout the season. Backup Mason Rudolph (1,530 yards and nine touchdowns with nine interceptions) didn’t do much to inspire confidence either.
Thankfully, the Titans have several avenues they can pursue in 2025. The team holds the first overall pick and has their choice of the top prospect on their board. They can also attack the veteran free agent market and use the 1.01 as a trade chip to build up a war chest of future picks and fix the right side of their offensive line and defense.
Callahan needs to show improvement in 2025 to build up good graces in the organization, especially after GM Ran Carthon was fired with four years left on his contract. Solving the quarterback position is an essential step to achieving that goal.
