By Matt Sohn
July 19, 2008

A year ago, a prevailing belief throughout the NFL was that the Patriots’ offense was primed to evolve from good to great after adding WRs Randy Moss, Donté Stallworth and Wes Welker. Five hundred eighty-nine points and a multitude of records later, they were a few notches above where all but the most idealistic Patriots fan — and fantasy owner of Tom Brady, Moss or Welker — figured they’d be.

Although past performance is without a doubt the best indicator of a player’s fantasy value, there are more factors to consider when projecting whether a given player can expect to see his stock rise from one year to the next — supporting cast and maturation within the offense chief among them. In the case of the Patriots, teaming Brady along with a revolutionary talent like Moss produced a statistical windfall for each player. Welker was the fortuitous beneficiary of an offense that placed him in a position to put his unique talents to use. Stallworth and RB Laurence Maroney had seasons that weren't as impressive as some figured they would be, but chances are that if you had a couple of Patriots on last year’s fantasy roster, you had a solid season.

We all know that the Patriots are littered with fantasy stars heading into 2008. The more challenging task is figuring out which offense(s) appears poised to do what New England did a season ago. That is, which team(s) is ready to take a serious leap forward in its offensive production, creating fantasy studs in the process?

Though good cases can be made for a smattering of squads, nobody stakes a better claim to be that team than the Jaguars.

David Garrard

Koetter wasn’t satisfied. With inexperience at quarterback and a pedestrian receiving corps, he was forced to shelve much of the downfield passing game that had been a hallmark of his offense as the head coach at Boise State (as tremendous a job as Dan Hawkins and Chris Peterson have done on the blue turf, Koetter is responsible for laying the framework for the Broncos’ stunning success) and Arizona State.

Yet, bolstered by the addition of a true No. 1 receiver in Jerry Porter (he'll miss all of training camp and the preseason after undergoing surgery for a torn hamstring) and having full confidence in Garrard after the quarterback’s brutally efficient — if statistically underwhelming — season, Koetter’s ready to tap into parts of his playbook he kept under wraps in 2007.

If the passing game develops as expected, it wouldn’t be much of a shock for Garrard to emerge as a legitimate starting fantasy passer, as well as Porter being a fixture in your lineup. WR Reggie Williams turned the corner in ’07 on what had previously been a disappointing career, and there’s reason to believe he’ll keep up the momentum. Marcedes Lewis is a stretch-the-seam tight end whose production has lagged because his style hasn’t matched the offense. With a greater emphasis on the downfield passing game, he’s in line for a breakout campaign.

It’s difficult to imagine 32-year-old Fred Taylor matching his inspiring numbers of 2007 (1,202 rushing yards and a tremendous 5.4 yards per carry), but backfield mate Maurice Jones-Drew should revert to his outstanding rookie form after a mild sophomore slump.

Best of the rest

Texans — The Texans’ offensive line, the bane of the franchise’s existence since it entered the league, should improve considerably with the addition of venerable coach Alex Gibbs and first-round OT Duane Brown. Gibbs has crafted dominant lines since entering the NFL in 1984, and Houston is that much better with him. If you’re contemplating drafting QB Matt Schaub, don’t waste much time wondering if Sage Rosenfels will ultimately beat him out. Schaub would have to play awfully badly to relinquish the job, and he did enough good things in his first year under center to think he’ll improve considerably in his second season as a starter. With the expected improvements in the O-line, RB Ahman Green should be able to recapture some of his former glory, if he can stay healthy. WR Andre Johnson could conceivably lead the league in receiving with a more seasoned Schaub at the helm, and Kevin Walter should build upon his breakout 2007 campaign.

Giants — The Giants’ postseason surge overshadows the reality that they were very average offensively (16th in yards per game, 14th in points) in the regular season. However, their playoff performances do mean that this is an offense that finally has its numerous talents playing cohesively. Eli Manning’s countenance and external swagger may be permanently stuck in neutral, but you better believe he’ll be taking the field with more confidence in 2008 than at any point in his career. Assuming his contract conundrum is worked out, WR Plaxico Burress should be among the league leaders in receiving yards and touchdowns. Don’t forget, he was at times unstoppable in ’07 while hobbled with a season-long ankle sprain. After a strong close to his rookie season, WR Steve Smith should be able to overtake Amani Toomer as the No. 2 wideout, though Toomer has proved skeptics wrong before. Brandon Jacobs is a legit starting fantasy running back. He proved he could pick up the yards in ’07 and the touchdowns in ’06. A melding of the two in ’08? If so, look out!

Panthers — Jake Delhomme is so frequently described as underrated that, almost by definition, he’s not. But those who say that are absolutely right about what he means to the Panthers. Now healthy, Delhomme acts as the catalyst for an offense loaded with talent that might go nowhere without him. WR Steve Smith is the go-to guy, and newcomers D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad will keep defenses from devoting their secondary to stopping Smith. Behind a solid offensive line, rookie Jonathan Stewart could emerge as this season’s Adrian Peterson. DeAngelo Williams isn’t a shabby option, either.

Dolphins — Don’t laugh. OK, maybe a little chuckle is warranted. Just don’t be surprised if the Dolphins’ offense makes more than the occasional ripple. You can’t afford drafting any of their quarterbacks because it’s anyone’s guess who’ll win the job — Josh McCown, John Beck and Chad Henne could all end up starting six games — but WRs Ted Ginn Jr. and Ernest Wilford have real promise, particularly Ginn. Bill Parcells and the new coaching staff love Ginn’s ability, and they’re sure to concoct ways to get the ball in his hands in space. Ronnie Brown, who was leading the league in yards from scrimmage when he tore his ACL in Week Seven, should pick up where he left off, if healthy. The offensive line is not as bad as some make it out to be. In fact, it could have one of the league’s better tackle-center trios.