Before diving into Fantasy analysis for each team, I'll present a brief overview containing their offensive ranks in my baseline team projections as well as any notable coaching or offensive line changes.

Patriots

Projected Offensive Plays – (32nd)

Projected Passing TDs – 19.3 (30th)

Projected Rushing TDs – 18.1 (18th)

Notable coaching changes:

• Jerod Mayo takes over as the chosen one. A former linebacker with little coaching experience, the 38-year-old Mayo will presumably leave the offense entirely in the hands of:
• New offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt
• New senior offensive consultant Bob McAdoo

The last time that we saw McAdoo working for an NFL team was 2022, he was the offensive coordinator for a forgettable Carolina Panthers team. McAdoo's Panthers were able to produce a top-10 rushing offense even with Christian McCaffrey only playing in six games that season.

I'm worried that this Patriots offense is going to feel archaic amid a quickly evolving league that places an emphasis on agility. Maybe New England will be able to line up and just bully opponents with the run game. That seems to be the direction that we're headed with this team.

Notable offensive line changes

• 2022 Round 1 guard Cole Strange is expected to miss significant time

• Starting left tackle Trent Brown left in free agency 
• Right tackle Caeden Wallace was selected in Round 3
• Guard Layden Robinson was selected in Round 4

Robinson might have to start as a rookie with Strange set to miss the first month-plus of football. I'm not sure that he's ready. Perhaps more concerning is the left tackle vacancy. Maybe Wallace is able to switch to left tackle as a rookie, that feels like a huge ask. Currently, Chukwuma Okorafor appears to be the presumed starter at LT after an underwhelming tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Okorafor's highest PFF grade was 62.2. This may be one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

Which Patriots players will be worth targeting and avoiding in 2024 Fantasy drafts? ... Join SportsLine right now to see Jacob Gibbs' Do Not Draft list, all from one of the nation's most-accurate rankers!