NFL 2014: AFC Midseason Fantasy Football Projections

BALTIMORE: QB JOE FLACCO has 2,352 passing yards and is on pace to surpass VINNY TESTAVERDE’s single-season club record (4,177 in 1996)…RB JUSTIN FORSETT leads the AFC with a 5.4 rushing average (113 carries, 609 yards), and looks to move past JAMAL LEWIS (5.3 in 2003) for the highest average in Ravens history…WR STEVE SMITH, SR. leads the team with 711 receiving yards, which is on track to eclipse the single-season club record (MICHAEL JACKSON, 1,201 in 1996)…LB C.J. MOSLEY leads the AFC with 82 tackles and aims to join RAY LEWIS (1996) as the only rookies in franchise history to lead the team in tackles. RB LORENZO TALIAFERRO has rushed for 247 yards and four touchdowns and aims to become the first rookie in club history with 10 rushing TDs in a season.

BUFFALO: QB KYLE ORTON currently ranks fourth in the NFL in passer rating (104.0) and is on pace to join Pro Football Hall of Famer JIM KELLY (101.2 in 1990) as the only players in club history with a rating of 100 or better in a single season…WR SAMMY WATKINS is on pace for 1,180 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, which would both be Bills rookie records, and can become the fifth player in club history with more than 1,000 receiving yards and 10 TD catches in a season…MARCELL DAREUS leads the team with seven sacks and looks to join KYLE WILLIAMS (10.5 in 2013) as the only Bills defensive tackles with 10 sacks in a season. CB LEODIS MC KELVIN is on pace for eight interceptions, which would be the second-most in a season by a Buffalo cornerback (NATE ODOMES, nine in 1993).

CINCINNATI: QB ANDY DALTON is 35-20-1 (.634) in his career, the best record by a starting quarterback in club history (minimum 20 starts). He is on pace for 3,748 passing yards and can join PEYTON MANNING as the only players in NFL history to pass for at least 3,000 yards in each of his first four seasons…WR MOHAMED SANU is on track to accrue 1,256 receiving yards and would join CHAD JOHNSONA.J. GREEN and EDDIE BROWN as the only players in Bengals history with at least 1,250 receiving yards in a season…RBs GIOVANI BERNARD and rookie JEREMY HILL are on target to become to first duo in Bengals history to rush for at least 10 touchdowns apiece in a season. Bernard is on pace for 955 rushing yards and 383 receiving yards and would join JAMES BROOKS as the only players in club history to rush for at least 900 yards with 375+ receiving yards in the same season.

CLEVELANDThe Browns (5-3) are on pace to win 10 games for the first time since 2008…QB BRIAN HOYER is projected to join BRIAN SIPE (4,132 in 1980) as the only 4,000-yard passers in club history…WR ANDREW HAWKINS leads the team with 504 receiving yards and is on pace to become the first player to record 1,000 yards in his first season with the team…S TASHUAN GIPSON is on pace to set a single-season club record for interceptions (12) and would be the first Browns defender to lead the NFL in INTs since 2001 (ANTHONY HENRY)…RBs TERRANCE WEST and ISAIAH CROWELL are on track to become the first rookies in club history to run for at least 500 yards apiece in the same season. Crowell is projected to rush for eight touchdowns, which would rank third all-time among Browns rookies.

DENVERFive-time NFL MVP QB PEYTON MANNING is on pace for 5,144 passing yards and can join DREW BREES as the only players in NFL history with multiple 5,000-yard seasons. He would also join BRETT FAVRE (71,838) as the only players with 70,000 career passing yards…The Broncos are on pace to be the first team in NFL history with two 1,500-yard receivers in the same season (EMMANUEL SANDERS and DEMARYIUS THOMAS). TE JULIUS THOMAS leads the NFL with 10 touchdown catches and is on target to join RANDY MOSS (23 in 2007) and Pro Football Hall of Famer JERRY RICE (22 in 1987) as the only players with 20 TD receptions in a season…LB VON MILLER ranks second in the NFL with nine sacks and can challenge his own single-season franchise record of 18.5 set in 2012.

HOUSTON: RB ARIAN FOSTER has 10 total touchdowns (seven rushing, three receiving), which is tied for the most in the NFL, and can challenge his own franchise record for a single season (18 in 2010)…DE J.J. WATT leads the team with 8.5 sacks and is on pace to become the first player with 15 sacks and five total touchdowns in a season since sacks became an official statistic in 1982…WR DE ANDRE HOPKINS is on pace to join ANDRE JOHNSON as the only players in club history with 1,200 receiving yards in a season. Johnson is on pace to post his club-record eighth 1,000-yard receiving season…QB RYAN FITZPATRICKaims to join MATT SCHAUB and DAVID CARR as the only players to pass for at least 3,500 yards in a season in Texans history.

INDIANAPOLISThe Colts lead the NFL with 451.2 yards per game and are on pace for 7,219 total net yards, which would be the third-most ever in a season…QB ANDREW LUCK leads the NFL with 3,085 passing yards and is projected to surpass Peyton Manning’s NFL record total of 5,477 in 2013. Luck has an active streak of seven consecutive 300-yard games and can challenge the all-time mark of nine (DREW BREES)…WR T.Y. HILTON is second in the NFL with 937 receiving yards and is on pace to join MARVIN HARRISON and REGGIE WAYNE as the only players in team history with at least 1,500 in a season. WR REGGIE WAYNE is on pace to finish the season with 1,084 career catches, which would surpass TERRELL OWENS for No. 6 all-time. TE DWAYNE ALLEN leads the team with seven touchdown catches and is on pace to finish with 12, which would eclipse DALLAS CLARK’s single-season tight end mark (11 in 2007).

JACKSONVILLE: QB BLAKE BORTLES is on pace to establish Jaguars rookie records in passing yards (3,262) and touchdown passes (16), which would surpass the marks previously set by BYRON LEFTWICH (2,819 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2003)…WRs ALLEN ROBINSON (488) and ALLEN HURNS (466) ranks No. 3 and 4, respectively, among NFL rookies in receiving yards this season. Both players can challenge for the single-season rookie record for receiving yardage (JUSTIN BLACKMON, 865 yards in 2012). Hurns’ five touchdown catches are tied for the most among NFL rookies this season, and he aims to joinMARCEDES LEWIS and REGGIE WILLIAMS as the only Jaguars with 10 touchdown catches in a season…RB DENARD ROBINSON leads the team with 423 rushing yards on 85 carries (5.0 average) and is on pace to post the third-highest rushing average in Jaguars history.

KANSAS CITY: RB JAMAAL CHARLES is on track for 10 rushing touchdowns and can join Pro Football Hall of Famer MARCUS ALLENPRIEST HOLMES and LARRY JOHNSON as the only players in club history with multiple 10-TD rushing seasons…LB JUSTIN HOUSTON leads the NFL with 12 sacks and is on pace to eclipse MICHAEL STRAHAN’s all-time record (22.5 in 2001)…QB ALEX SMITH is on pace to pass for 3,384 yards and would join TRENT GREEN and ELVIS GRBAC as the only Chiefs quarterbacks with back-to-back 3,000-yard seasons…TE TRAVIS KELCE leads the team with four touchdown catches and is on pace for a career-high eight. He would join TONY GONZALEZ and FRED ARBANAS as the only tight ends in club history with at least eight touchdowns in a season.

MIAMI: The Dolphins (5-3) are off to their best start since 2003 and are on track to win 10 games for the first time since 2008 (11-5)…QB RYAN TANNEHILL has passed for 14 touchdowns and is on pace for a career-high 28 TDs. He would join Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO as the only players in club history with at least 25 in a season…RB LAMAR MILLER has 518 rushing yards and five touchdowns and is on track to become the fifth player in Dolphins history to rush for at least 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns in a season…Cornerback BRENT GRIMES leads the team with four interceptions is on pace to finish with eight, which would tie for the second-most ever by a Dolphins defender in a season…Rookie WR-KR JARVIS LANDRY ranks second in the NFL in kickoff return average (31.9) and is on target to surpass MERCURY MORRIS’ single-season club record (29.0 in 1970).

NEW ENGLANDHead coach BILL BELICHICK has led the Patriots to a 7-2 start and is on pace to finish the regular season with 230 total victories, which would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer CURLY LAMBEAU (229) for the fourth-most ever by an NFL head coach…QB TOM BRADY is on pace for 4,252 passing yards and can join DREW BREES and PEYTON MANNING as the only players with at least seven 4,000-yard passing seasons. Brady currently has 381 career touchdown passes and aims to join Manning, BRETT FAVRE and Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO as the only players with 400 career TDs…TE ROB GRONKOWSKI leads the team with eight TD catches and aims to become the first tight end in NFL history with four 10-TD seasons (see Gates note below)…K STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI leads the NFL with 101 points and is on pace to surpass DAVID AKERS (166 in 2011) for the most in a season by a kicker.

NEW YORK JETS: QB MICHAEL VICK (5,967) aims to become the first quarterback in NFL history to reach 6,000 career rushing yards. He also has 36 career rushing touchdowns and needs four more to join Pro Football Hall of Famer STEVE YOUNG (43) and JACK KEMP (40) as the only QBs with 40 career rushing TDs…JACE AMARO is on pace for 56 catches, which would be the most ever by a Jets rookie tight end. Amaro would join MICKEY SHULERDUSTIN KELLER and JOHNNY MITCHELL as the only Jets tight ends with 50 catches in a season…WR ERIC DECKER is on pace for 75 catches, which would be the most ever by a player in his first season with the Jets…DE MUHAMMAD WILKERSON leads the team with 4.5 sacks and aims for his second consecutive season with at least 10 sacks (10.5 in 2013).

OAKLAND: QB DEREK CARR leads NFL rookies with 1,711 passing yards and 11 touchdowns this season. He is likely to surpass the franchise rookie records set by TOM FLORES in 1960 (1,738 yards and 12 touchdowns)…S CHARLES WOODSON has 58 career interceptions and aims to become the 11th player in NFL history with 60 INTs. Woodson is currently tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer EMMITT THOMAS for No. 11 on the all-time list…WR JAMES JONES leads the Raiders with 39 catches for 443 receiving yards and is on pace for 78 catches and 886 yards, which would both represent career-highs (64 catches in 2012; 817 yards in 2013). WR ANDRE HOLMES is currently second on the team with 400 receiving yards, and is also on pace for a career-high 800.

PITTSBURGH: QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER is on target to pass for 4,835 yards and 39 touchdowns, both of which would surpass his own single-season franchise records (4,328 yards in 2009; 32 touchdowns in 2007). Roethlisberger, who is the only player in team history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, is on pace for his fourth career 4,000-yard effort…WR ANTONIO BROWN leads the NFL with 71 catches for 996 yards and aims to become the first Pittsburgh player to lead the league in receiving yards since 1933 (PAUL MOSS). He is slated to finish with 126 receptions, which would be the second-most ever in an NFL season (MARVIN HARRISON, 143 in 2002), and 1,770 yards, which would surpass his own Steelers record from last season (1,499)…RB LE’ VEON BELL leads the AFC with 1,144 scrimmage yards and can challenge BARRY FOSTER’s club record of 2,034 scrimmage yards in 1992.

SAN DIEGO: QB PHILIP RIVERS is on pace to extend his club record for the most seasons with 4,000 passing yards to six. He is also on pace for 35 touchdown passes, which would eclipse his own franchise mark of 34 set in 2008…TE ANTONIO GATES has nine touchdowns and is on the verge of becoming the first tight end in NFL history with four 10-touchdown seasons (see Gronkowski note above). Gates currently has 95 career touchdown catches and is on pace to finish the season with 101, which would surpass Pro Football Hall of Famers TIM BROWN (100), STEVE LARGENT (100) and DON HUTSON (99) for seventh all-time…RB BRANDEN OLIVER is on pace to rush for 742 yards, which would be the most by a Chargers rookie since LA DAINIAN TOMLINSON in 2001.

TENNESSEERookie QB ZACH METTENBERGER passed for 299 yards with two touchdowns in his first career start in Week 8 and will aim to challenge the franchise rookie records for passing yards (2,199) and touchdowns (12) set by VINCE YOUNG in 2006…TE DELANIE WALKER ranks second amongst AFC tight ends with 475 receiving yards and is on target to surpass FRANK WYCHECK’s single-season club mark for the position (768 yards in 1998). Walker also aims to surpass DAVE CASPER (eight in 1981) and WILLIE FRAZIER (eight in 1965) for the most touchdown catches in a season by a tight end in franchise history…DT JURRELL CASEY leads the team with four sacks and aims to become the first Titans player with consecutive 10-sack seasons since JEVON KEARSE (1999-2001).