Tell your friends (just not your leaguemates until next week)

by Mike Vadala

Published On: January 31st, 2026

In this week’s dynasty download, we’ll be breaking down the AFC East. For each team, I’ll include a summary of that team’s 2025 season and review the key starting players who will be up for a new contract. I’ll then highlight what positions need to be addressed in the offseason, and finally give my thoughts on that team’s 2026 season from a dynasty perspective.

Dynasty Download Looking Ahead To 2026: AFC East Edition

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

New England Patriots (14-3)

2025 Season:

Much to the dismay of this Bills fan writer, the Patriots are back on top of the AFC East, and the NFL for that matter, as they’re headed to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach. Only six years after this team’s last appearance in the championship, they’re already back. Drake Maye is in contention for the MVP after a miraculous year throwing to what most would say is an average group of receivers, and the team has plenty of cap space to continue improvements. Vrabel has this team ready to go week in and week out, schematically and mentally. Even if the Patriots finish this season as runners-up, the future looks very bright in New England.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Patriots are projected to have $34 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 12th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Offensive Line, Wide Receiver

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Patriots are in a great situation to build around a great QB still on his rookie contract. This has become the ideal prototype for rebuilding a team over the past decade, as we’ve seen with Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and others. Once a team hits on their young QB, they are usually eager to build around them in an effort to have a great roster during their Super Bowl window.

New England has plenty of money to spend this offseason, and they have a wide array of places to spend that money. Offensive line should be the first place New England invests, as they have struggled somewhat to protect Maye this year, and Vrabel is an old-school coach who will value high-level OL play. I would expect Vrabel to then focus on the defensive side of the ball, where the Patriots are already good, but keep an eye out for a WR signing as well. Between Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, Pop Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams, a true alpha receiver has yet to emerge for the team. Look out for a change that could refunnel Drake Maye’s targets to one player if they can land a star.

Buffalo Bills (12-5)

2025 Season:

In a way that only the Buffalo Bills can, they have lost in a heartbreaking fashion in the divisional round and are ending the season wondering what could have been. The Bills’ ownership has responded to this result by firing head coach Sean McDermott, promoting GM Brandon Beane to president of football operations, and hiring former OC Joe Brady as head coach. Many other Bills fans and I are spinning our heads, trying to make sense of it all, but that’s not too different from how we felt when they ruled an interception on a controversial play. 

‼️‼️‼️ BREAKING NEWS ‼️‼️‼️

The Bills are promoting their own OC Joe Brady to HC.

Per @rapsheet.bsky.social

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 27, 2026 at 11:39 AM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Bills are projected to have negative $9 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 25th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Wide Receiver, Defense

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Embed from Getty Images

The Bills’ actions immediately after the season ended have been extremely questionable, and some might say concerning. This makes all fantasy assets on the team very volatile, Allen included. One thing’s for sure, Allen will still be a fantasy QB1 for the next few years regardless of who the head coach is. The only way to get a read on the rest of the team’s fantasy assets, however, will be to pay attention this offseason. To make matters worse, the Bills will not have a lot of options during the coming free agency period, as they have already exceeded the salary cap by $9 Million. If they aren’t able to work out their salary cap woes, the 2026 NFL draft will have major implications on the Bills’ outlook next season.

Miami Dolphins (7-10)

2025 Season:

Miami is understandably cleaning house after yet another disappointing season. Mike McDaniel is out as the head coach, and the role has been given to former Packers’ Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley. The Packers ranked 12th in yards allowed per game and 11th in points per game in 2025. Hafley’s last head coaching role was from 2020 to 2024 at Boston College. It’s worth noting that over those four years, Hafley used three different offensive coordinators and held a 22-26 record with the team.

UPDATE: Jeff Hafley is signing a 5-year contract with the Dolphins.

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 19, 2026 at 6:52 PM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Dolphins are projected to have negative $22 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 28th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Cornerback, Offensive Line, Quarterback

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Dolphins will be an exciting team come draft season, as the QB position is officially in question, and they’ll likely look drastically different under a new head coach. It has also been floated that Miami will likely consider releasing or trading superstar WR Tyreek Hill to aid with some of their cap space woes. All of this uncertainty will make the Dolphins an exciting story in 2026, but Jeff Hafley doesn’t get me particularly excited about them.

Embed from Getty Images

In Hafley’s head coaching stint at Boston College, he had just one thousand-yard receiver and two thousand-yard rushers. Those two thousand-yard running backs combined for five total receptions across those two seasons. De’von Achane is far superior to the backs Hafley was working with at the college level, but we’ll have to see if he is open to using Achane in a different way than he has in the past.

New York Jets (3-14)

2025 Season:

For most of my short life, the New York Jets have been one of the laughing stocks of the NFL, and this offseason, they already seem excited to outdo themselves. The Jets are currently without most of their coaching staff, in a quarterback crisis, and coming off the first NFL season without a recorded interception. The team did seem to position itself for a much-needed rebuild this year by offloading Sauce Gardener and Quinnon Williams, but there is very little remaining public faith that this organization can execute a successful rebuild.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Browns are projected to have $83 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 4th most in the NFL.

Expiring contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Quarterback, Offensive Line, Wide Reciever, Cornerback, Coaching Staff

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are very good players. Wilson is unfortunately locked into being a Jet for the long-term, which should make him at best a high-end WR2 for fantasy purposes for the remainder of his prime. There aren’t a lot of great options for this team at QB, so Wilson will have to rely on his amazing talents and sheer volume to be worth his asking price in fantasy.

Embed from Getty Images

Hall will be an interesting asset this offseason, as he enters 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. This means that we can invest in Hall in hopes that he could end up in a better situation, and we can also invest in Braellon Allen, hoping he might take over this backfield for 2026. If you end up with both, it still should serve as a nice handcuff situation. Hall is a prime RB talent and is worth paying up for, whether he remains a Jet or moves on to greener pastures.

Mike Vadala is a dynasty analyst here at Optimus Fantasy, where you can find his updated dynasty rankings.

In this week’s dynasty download, we’ll be breaking down the AFC East. For each team, I’ll include a summary of that team’s 2025 season and review the key starting players who will be up for a new contract. I’ll then highlight what positions need to be addressed in the offseason, and finally give my thoughts on that team’s 2026 season from a dynasty perspective.

Dynasty Download Looking Ahead To 2026: AFC East Edition

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

New England Patriots (14-3)

2025 Season:

Much to the dismay of this Bills fan writer, the Patriots are back on top of the AFC East, and the NFL for that matter, as they’re headed to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach. Only six years after this team’s last appearance in the championship, they’re already back. Drake Maye is in contention for the MVP after a miraculous year throwing to what most would say is an average group of receivers, and the team has plenty of cap space to continue improvements. Vrabel has this team ready to go week in and week out, schematically and mentally. Even if the Patriots finish this season as runners-up, the future looks very bright in New England.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Patriots are projected to have $34 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 12th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Offensive Line, Wide Receiver

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Patriots are in a great situation to build around a great QB still on his rookie contract. This has become the ideal prototype for rebuilding a team over the past decade, as we’ve seen with Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and others. Once a team hits on their young QB, they are usually eager to build around them in an effort to have a great roster during their Super Bowl window.

New England has plenty of money to spend this offseason, and they have a wide array of places to spend that money. Offensive line should be the first place New England invests, as they have struggled somewhat to protect Maye this year, and Vrabel is an old-school coach who will value high-level OL play. I would expect Vrabel to then focus on the defensive side of the ball, where the Patriots are already good, but keep an eye out for a WR signing as well. Between Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, Pop Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams, a true alpha receiver has yet to emerge for the team. Look out for a change that could refunnel Drake Maye’s targets to one player if they can land a star.

Buffalo Bills (12-5)

2025 Season:

In a way that only the Buffalo Bills can, they have lost in a heartbreaking fashion in the divisional round and are ending the season wondering what could have been. The Bills’ ownership has responded to this result by firing head coach Sean McDermott, promoting GM Brandon Beane to president of football operations, and hiring former OC Joe Brady as head coach. Many other Bills fans and I are spinning our heads, trying to make sense of it all, but that’s not too different from how we felt when they ruled an interception on a controversial play. 

‼️‼️‼️ BREAKING NEWS ‼️‼️‼️

The Bills are promoting their own OC Joe Brady to HC.

Per @rapsheet.bsky.social

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 27, 2026 at 11:39 AM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Bills are projected to have negative $9 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 25th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Wide Receiver, Defense

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Embed from Getty Images

The Bills’ actions immediately after the season ended have been extremely questionable, and some might say concerning. This makes all fantasy assets on the team very volatile, Allen included. One thing’s for sure, Allen will still be a fantasy QB1 for the next few years regardless of who the head coach is. The only way to get a read on the rest of the team’s fantasy assets, however, will be to pay attention this offseason. To make matters worse, the Bills will not have a lot of options during the coming free agency period, as they have already exceeded the salary cap by $9 Million. If they aren’t able to work out their salary cap woes, the 2026 NFL draft will have major implications on the Bills’ outlook next season.

Miami Dolphins (7-10)

2025 Season:

Miami is understandably cleaning house after yet another disappointing season. Mike McDaniel is out as the head coach, and the role has been given to former Packers’ Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley. The Packers ranked 12th in yards allowed per game and 11th in points per game in 2025. Hafley’s last head coaching role was from 2020 to 2024 at Boston College. It’s worth noting that over those four years, Hafley used three different offensive coordinators and held a 22-26 record with the team.

UPDATE: Jeff Hafley is signing a 5-year contract with the Dolphins.

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 19, 2026 at 6:52 PM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Dolphins are projected to have negative $22 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 28th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Cornerback, Offensive Line, Quarterback

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Dolphins will be an exciting team come draft season, as the QB position is officially in question, and they’ll likely look drastically different under a new head coach. It has also been floated that Miami will likely consider releasing or trading superstar WR Tyreek Hill to aid with some of their cap space woes. All of this uncertainty will make the Dolphins an exciting story in 2026, but Jeff Hafley doesn’t get me particularly excited about them.

Embed from Getty Images

In Hafley’s head coaching stint at Boston College, he had just one thousand-yard receiver and two thousand-yard rushers. Those two thousand-yard running backs combined for five total receptions across those two seasons. De’von Achane is far superior to the backs Hafley was working with at the college level, but we’ll have to see if he is open to using Achane in a different way than he has in the past.

New York Jets (3-14)

2025 Season:

For most of my short life, the New York Jets have been one of the laughing stocks of the NFL, and this offseason, they already seem excited to outdo themselves. The Jets are currently without most of their coaching staff, in a quarterback crisis, and coming off the first NFL season without a recorded interception. The team did seem to position itself for a much-needed rebuild this year by offloading Sauce Gardener and Quinnon Williams, but there is very little remaining public faith that this organization can execute a successful rebuild.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Browns are projected to have $83 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 4th most in the NFL.

Expiring contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Quarterback, Offensive Line, Wide Reciever, Cornerback, Coaching Staff

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are very good players. Wilson is unfortunately locked into being a Jet for the long-term, which should make him at best a high-end WR2 for fantasy purposes for the remainder of his prime. There aren’t a lot of great options for this team at QB, so Wilson will have to rely on his amazing talents and sheer volume to be worth his asking price in fantasy.

Embed from Getty Images

Hall will be an interesting asset this offseason, as he enters 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. This means that we can invest in Hall in hopes that he could end up in a better situation, and we can also invest in Braellon Allen, hoping he might take over this backfield for 2026. If you end up with both, it still should serve as a nice handcuff situation. Hall is a prime RB talent and is worth paying up for, whether he remains a Jet or moves on to greener pastures.

Mike Vadala is a dynasty analyst here at Optimus Fantasy, where you can find his updated dynasty rankings.

In this week’s dynasty download, we’ll be breaking down the AFC East. For each team, I’ll include a summary of that team’s 2025 season and review the key starting players who will be up for a new contract. I’ll then highlight what positions need to be addressed in the offseason, and finally give my thoughts on that team’s 2026 season from a dynasty perspective.

Dynasty Download Looking Ahead To 2026: AFC East Edition

Want more from Optimus Fantasy? Join our Discord!

New England Patriots (14-3)

2025 Season:

Much to the dismay of this Bills fan writer, the Patriots are back on top of the AFC East, and the NFL for that matter, as they’re headed to the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach. Only six years after this team’s last appearance in the championship, they’re already back. Drake Maye is in contention for the MVP after a miraculous year throwing to what most would say is an average group of receivers, and the team has plenty of cap space to continue improvements. Vrabel has this team ready to go week in and week out, schematically and mentally. Even if the Patriots finish this season as runners-up, the future looks very bright in New England.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Patriots are projected to have $34 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 12th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Offensive Line, Wide Receiver

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Patriots are in a great situation to build around a great QB still on his rookie contract. This has become the ideal prototype for rebuilding a team over the past decade, as we’ve seen with Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and others. Once a team hits on their young QB, they are usually eager to build around them in an effort to have a great roster during their Super Bowl window.

New England has plenty of money to spend this offseason, and they have a wide array of places to spend that money. Offensive line should be the first place New England invests, as they have struggled somewhat to protect Maye this year, and Vrabel is an old-school coach who will value high-level OL play. I would expect Vrabel to then focus on the defensive side of the ball, where the Patriots are already good, but keep an eye out for a WR signing as well. Between Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, Pop Douglas, Mack Hollins, and Kyle Williams, a true alpha receiver has yet to emerge for the team. Look out for a change that could refunnel Drake Maye’s targets to one player if they can land a star.

Buffalo Bills (12-5)

2025 Season:

In a way that only the Buffalo Bills can, they have lost in a heartbreaking fashion in the divisional round and are ending the season wondering what could have been. The Bills’ ownership has responded to this result by firing head coach Sean McDermott, promoting GM Brandon Beane to president of football operations, and hiring former OC Joe Brady as head coach. Many other Bills fans and I are spinning our heads, trying to make sense of it all, but that’s not too different from how we felt when they ruled an interception on a controversial play. 

‼️‼️‼️ BREAKING NEWS ‼️‼️‼️

The Bills are promoting their own OC Joe Brady to HC.

Per @rapsheet.bsky.social

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 27, 2026 at 11:39 AM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Bills are projected to have negative $9 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 25th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Wide Receiver, Defense

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Embed from Getty Images

The Bills’ actions immediately after the season ended have been extremely questionable, and some might say concerning. This makes all fantasy assets on the team very volatile, Allen included. One thing’s for sure, Allen will still be a fantasy QB1 for the next few years regardless of who the head coach is. The only way to get a read on the rest of the team’s fantasy assets, however, will be to pay attention this offseason. To make matters worse, the Bills will not have a lot of options during the coming free agency period, as they have already exceeded the salary cap by $9 Million. If they aren’t able to work out their salary cap woes, the 2026 NFL draft will have major implications on the Bills’ outlook next season.

Miami Dolphins (7-10)

2025 Season:

Miami is understandably cleaning house after yet another disappointing season. Mike McDaniel is out as the head coach, and the role has been given to former Packers’ Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Hafley. The Packers ranked 12th in yards allowed per game and 11th in points per game in 2025. Hafley’s last head coaching role was from 2020 to 2024 at Boston College. It’s worth noting that over those four years, Hafley used three different offensive coordinators and held a 22-26 record with the team.

UPDATE: Jeff Hafley is signing a 5-year contract with the Dolphins.

[image or embed]

— 🏈Optimus FF News (@news.optimusfantasy.com) January 19, 2026 at 6:52 PM

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Dolphins are projected to have negative $22 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 28th most in the NFL.

Expiring Contracts:

Positions To Address:

Cornerback, Offensive Line, Quarterback

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

The Dolphins will be an exciting team come draft season, as the QB position is officially in question, and they’ll likely look drastically different under a new head coach. It has also been floated that Miami will likely consider releasing or trading superstar WR Tyreek Hill to aid with some of their cap space woes. All of this uncertainty will make the Dolphins an exciting story in 2026, but Jeff Hafley doesn’t get me particularly excited about them.

Embed from Getty Images

In Hafley’s head coaching stint at Boston College, he had just one thousand-yard receiver and two thousand-yard rushers. Those two thousand-yard running backs combined for five total receptions across those two seasons. De’von Achane is far superior to the backs Hafley was working with at the college level, but we’ll have to see if he is open to using Achane in a different way than he has in the past.

New York Jets (3-14)

2025 Season:

For most of my short life, the New York Jets have been one of the laughing stocks of the NFL, and this offseason, they already seem excited to outdo themselves. The Jets are currently without most of their coaching staff, in a quarterback crisis, and coming off the first NFL season without a recorded interception. The team did seem to position itself for a much-needed rebuild this year by offloading Sauce Gardener and Quinnon Williams, but there is very little remaining public faith that this organization can execute a successful rebuild.

Expiring Contracts/Cap Space:

Cap Space: According to Spotrac.com the Browns are projected to have $83 million in cap space in 2026, which ranks 4th most in the NFL.

Expiring contracts: 

Positions To Address:

Quarterback, Offensive Line, Wide Reciever, Cornerback, Coaching Staff

Dynasty Analysis/Implications:

Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall are very good players. Wilson is unfortunately locked into being a Jet for the long-term, which should make him at best a high-end WR2 for fantasy purposes for the remainder of his prime. There aren’t a lot of great options for this team at QB, so Wilson will have to rely on his amazing talents and sheer volume to be worth his asking price in fantasy.

Embed from Getty Images

Hall will be an interesting asset this offseason, as he enters 2026 as an unrestricted free agent. This means that we can invest in Hall in hopes that he could end up in a better situation, and we can also invest in Braellon Allen, hoping he might take over this backfield for 2026. If you end up with both, it still should serve as a nice handcuff situation. Hall is a prime RB talent and is worth paying up for, whether he remains a Jet or moves on to greener pastures.

Mike Vadala is a dynasty analyst here at Optimus Fantasy, where you can find his updated dynasty rankings.

By Published On: January 31st, 2026

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