NFL Fantasy Football - AFC East Positional Battles

Rod Villagomez and Munaf Manji talk NFL fantasy football AFC east position battles.

The AFC East may not boast the flashiest fantasy options, but its positional battles could provide league-winning value for savvy managers. Hosts Munaf Manji and Rod Villagomez dissected the division’s key situations with a focus on deep-league stashes and late-round upside. In Buffalo, James Cook remains the lead back after averaging 4.9 yards per carry and scoring 18 touchdowns, but Munaf and Rod spotlighted Ray Davis, who logged 478 rushing and 189 receiving yards with six total touchdowns, as the preferred backup over Ty Johnson. The Bills’ receiver room also offers intrigue: Khalil Shakir led with 120 targets for 995 yards and four touchdowns, but Keon Coleman, who had 578 yards and four scores as a rookie, was pegged for a breakout as he battles newcomer Joshua Palmer for the WR2 role. For Miami, the tight end room is unsettled after Jonnu Smith’s departure, creating opportunities for Darren Waller, Pharaoh Brown or Julian Hill. At receiver, Munaf pushed Nick Westbrook-Akene, who tallied 497 yards and nine touchdowns on 60 targets, as a touchdown-dependent but intriguing flex option over Malik Washington, who managed 223 yards on 36 targets. In New York, the focus shifted to the WR3 battle between veteran Alan Lazard, who had 530 yards and six touchdowns, and rookie Arian Smith, a dynamic Georgia product with 817 collegiate yards and four touchdowns. Both hosts leaned toward Smith for long-term value while framing Justin Fields’ season as a redemption tour in a relatively low-pressure environment, making him a viable QB2 with upside. In New England, Ramondre Stevenson’s 14 career fumbles, half of which came last season, put him on thin ice, opening the door for rookie Trevion Henderson, a second-round pick from Ohio State, to carve out a meaningful role. Demario Douglas led Patriots receivers with 621 yards, but Munaf identified 6’4” veteran Mac Hollins, who scored five touchdowns last season, as a sneaky red-zone threat and deep sleeper, particularly if Stefon Diggs needs time to recover from his ACL injury. The episode concluded with a shared philosophy: these AFC East names may not headline drafts, but they are exactly the types of players who become early-season waiver-wire priorities. Drafting them late provides a strategic edge, especially in deeper leagues or superflex formats where depth and upside separate contenders from pretenders. As Munaf put it, these are the players “you might as well just pick up and hope for the best.” This breakdown of Buffalo’s backfield, Miami’s receiving depth, the Jets’ WR3 competition, and New England’s RB and WR rooms offers actionable insights for managers looking to squeeze value from one of the NFL’s less-heralded divisions.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices