Fantasy Index

Factoid

Rushing offenses

Looking at most (and least) improved offenses

As we put together our projections – whether it be for yards, touchdowns, sacks or whatever – let’s keep in mind that teams will get better and worse. And not just a little; some will drastically move. Some of the teams that are terrible will become great, and some of the seeming top-tier talents will crash and burn.

It happens every year.

Look at running games, for example. Not individuals but teams (which are less affected by injuries and age and whatnot). Six years in a row, at least two teams ranked in the bottom 10 in rushing have been able to climb up into the top 10.

Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Arizona led the way last year. Using fantasy scoring (6 points for touchdowns, 1 for every 10 yards), the Cardinals moved from next-to-last to 8th. The Bills skyrocketed from 27th to 1st.

Running games going from bottom 10 to top 10
YearTeamBef YdsBef TDBef RkAft YdsAft TDAft Rk
2001Kansas City1,4651223rd2,008164th
2001NY Jets1,4711124th2,054117th
2001New England1,390926th1,793158th
2002Minnesota1,6091025th2,507261st
2002Jacksonville1,6001123rd2,089197th
2002Philadelphia1,778627th2,220159th
2004Pittsburgh1,4881028th2,464164th
2004NY Jets1,635827th2,388155th
2004New England1,607925th2,134158th
2004NY Giants1,559630th1,904189th
2005Washington1,765627th2,183158th
2006Tennessee1,525827th2,214157th
2007Tampa Bay1,523629th1,872158th
2007Oakland1,519530th2,0861110th
2008Atlanta1,520729th2,443232nd
2008NY Jets1,701626th2,004208th
2010Oakland1,701727th2,494191st
2010Houston1,4751323rd2,042204th
2011New Orleans1,519929th2,127166th
2011San Francisco1,6571023rd2,044149th
2012Washington1,614826th2,709221st
2012Kansas City1,893524th2,395910th
2013Green Bay1,702923rd2,136176th
2013Oakland1,420432nd2,0001610th
2014Baltimore1,328730th2,019165th
2014Houston1,743723rd2,161128th
2014New Orleans1,4731024th1,818169th
2015Buffalo1,482727th2,432191st
2015Tampa Bay1,375729th2,162127th
2015Arizona1,308631st1,917168th

Similarly, there will be some clunkers. Most years there will be a team or two that not only drops out of the top 10 but slides all the way down to the bottom 10.

Here are the approximate numbers for this century (again, using fantasy scoring). The 2000 and 2001 seasons only had 31 teams, so there might be a team or two from those years that I have overlooked (“22nd” in those years was a bottom-10 number).

Running games going from top 10 to bottom 10
YearTeamBef YdsBef TDBef RkAft YdsAft TDAft Rk
2000Kansas City2,082147th1,4651223rd
2001Minnesota2,129149th1,6091025th
2001Jacksonville2,032186th1,6001123rd
2002New England1,793158th1,508928th
2002St. Louis2,027202nd1,4051127th
2002Dallas2,18489th1,754726th
2002Indianapolis1,966165th1,5611223rd
2004San Francisco2,279167th1,4491028th
2004Philadelphia2,015235th1,6391023rd
2005NY Jets2,388155th1,3281029th
2007Kansas City2,143176th1,248632nd
2007Atlanta2,93993rd1,520729th
2008Indianapolis1,706197th1,2741328th
2009Washington2,0951210th1,510829th
2010New Orleans2,106216th1,519929th
2010Miami2,231224th1,643826th
2011Kansas City2,627132nd1,893524th
2012Oakland2,110167th1,420432nd
2012New Orleans2,127166th1,5771024th
2013NY Giants1,862188th1,3321125th
2013Houston2,123197th1,743723rd
2014Oakland2,0001610th1,240432nd
2014Buffalo2,307154th1,482727th
2015Baltimore2,019165th1,478825th
2015San Francisco2,1761010th1,544724th

—Ian Allan

Fantasy Index