Strategy
AFC East Dynasty Fantasy Outlook 2026
Two of the division's four teams have a true dynasty core. The other two have one great player and not much else. Here's the full breakdown.
By Marcus Reyes · September 3, 2026
Quick answer: Three real building blocks and one team you should mostly leave alone. Josh Allen and De'Von Achane are effectively tied at the top of the division board, Drake Maye is a clear QB2 asset behind Allen, and James Cookgives Buffalo a second top-five division piece. Miami is Achane and almost nothing else right now — the passing game around him turned over completely, and the numbers below reflect that, not last year's roster.
Division board
| Rank | Player | Team | Pos | DVS | Proj. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De'Von Achane | MIA | RB | 9,643 | 17.2 |
| 2 | Josh Allen | BUF | QB | 9,637 | 21.2 |
| 3 | Drake Maye | NE | QB | 7,854 | 20.3 |
| 4 | James Cook | BUF | RB | 7,837 | 15.9 |
| 5 | Breece Hall | NYJ | RB | 7,224 | 14.3 |
| 6 | TreVeyon Henderson | NE | RB | 6,411 | 10.6 |
| 7 | Garrett Wilson | NYJ | WR | 6,181 | 12.5 |
| 8 | A.J. Brown | NE | WR | 5,515 | 11.2 |
| 9 | DJ Moore | BUF | WR | 4,767 | 10.7 |
| 10 | Khalil Shakir | BUF | WR | 3,511 | 7.8 |
Six of the top ten names in the division play for Buffalo or New England. Miami has one player on this list. That tells you most of what you need to know before you even get to the team breakdowns.
Buffalo: still the most complete room in the division
Josh Allen, James Cook, DJ Moore, and Khalil Shakir all hold real dynasty value, and none of them come with a real asterisk. Cook is a true RB1 asset with 276 projected carries and a real receiving role attached to it. Moore is the clear top receiver after last year's trade, and Shakir remains one of the more efficient route runners on the roster even in a smaller role.
| Player | Depth chart spot | Age | DVS | Proj. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | QB1 | 30 | 9,637 | 21.2 |
| James Cook | RB1 | 26 | 7,837 | 15.9 |
| DJ Moore | WR1 | 29 | 4,767 | 10.7 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR2 | 26 | 3,511 | 7.8 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE1 | 26 | 2,843 | 5.6 |
| Keon Coleman | WR3 | 23 | 529 | 4.2 |
Keon Colemanis a name to watch, not a player to roster off name recognition alone — the value isn't there yet.
New England: the model and the depth chart disagree
Drake Maye is the second-best quarterback asset in the division, and A.J. Brownis a legitimate WR1 now that he's fully entrenched in the offense. The interesting fight is at running back. New England's own depth chart still lists Rhamondre Stevenson as the starter, but TreVeyon Hendersonholds more than two and a half times Stevenson's dynasty value, and the projections back that up — Henderson is projected for clearly more points per game than Stevenson despite coming in behind him on the chart. If you're building around this backfield, build around Henderson, not the listed starter.
| Player | Depth chart spot | Age | DVS | Proj. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | QB1 | 24 | 7,854 | 20.3 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | RB2 | 23 | 6,411 | 10.6 |
| A.J. Brown | WR1 | 29 | 5,515 | 11.2 |
| Hunter Henry | TE1 | 31 | 3,280 | 7.6 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR2 | 26 | 3,216 | 7.0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | RB1 | 28 | 2,459 | 8.1 |
N.Y. Jets: two real assets, a lot of young draft capital
Breece Hall and Garrett Wilsonare the only Jets in the division's top eight, and both are worth building around. Behind them, New York is stacked with young receiving pieces — Mason Taylor, Kenyon Sadiq, and Omar Cooper Jr. are all real names for future value, but none of them project as 2026 difference-makers yet. Geno Smith will get you fantasy points in a given week, but he's a season-scoring option, not a dynasty asset.
| Player | Depth chart spot | Age | DVS | Proj. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breece Hall | RB1 | 25 | 7,224 | 14.3 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR1 | 26 | 6,181 | 12.5 |
| Mason Taylor | TE1 | 22 | 3,064 | 7.1 |
| Kenyon Sadiq | TE2 | 21 | 2,961 | 3.0 |
| Omar Cooper Jr. | WR3 | 22 | 2,706 | 5.5 |
Mason Tayloris the name to watch closest — he projects for a real target share as Geno Smith's safety valve, which is worth more long-term than his current ranking suggests.
Miami: Achane, and a passing game that's completely different now
This is the one team where you can't reuse last year's mental picture. Tua Tagovailoa is now Atlanta's starter, Tyreek Hill is a free agent, and Jaylen Waddle is in Denver. None of those three play for the Dolphins anymore. Malik Willisis Miami's current starting quarterback, and he carries zero dynasty value on our board — he'll score you points in a given week off his legs and arm, but there's no long-term asset there.
De'Von Achane is the exception to all of this. He's a top-two dynasty asset in the entire division, built on real receiving volume out of the backfield rather than carries alone. Everyone else on this roster is replacement-level value.
| Player | Depth chart spot | Age | DVS | Proj. PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane | RB1 | 24 | 9,643 | 17.2 |
| Jalen Tolbert | WR2 | 27 | 794 | 6.2 |
| Malik Washington | WR1 | 25 | 758 | 7.0 |
| Greg Dulcich | TE1 | 26 | 739 | 6.1 |
| Malik Willis | QB1 | 27 | 0 | 10.2 |
Bottom line
Buffalo and New England are the two teams worth mining for dynasty value across the board. The Jets have two real building blocks and a stash of young receiving talent still developing. Miami is Achane, full stop — build around him, and don't expect much else out of that offense until the receiving room proves itself.
Check any player from this division against a trade target using the Dynasty Trade Calculator.
Building your dynasty league on NextDyne locks in Founding Franchise pricing — $2.00 per player for life. Join the waitlistwhile it's open.
Join the founding waitlist
Founding leagues lock in $2.00 per player, forever. Price rises to $3.00 once the founding cohort is full.
Founding leagues also get permanent Founding Franchise status in your Vault history.
FAQ
- Who's the top dynasty asset in the AFC East?
- De'Von Achane and Josh Allen are essentially tied at the top of the division board, with Achane holding a razor-thin edge.
- Is Tyreek Hill still on the Dolphins?
- No. Hill is currently a free agent, and Miami's passing game is built around Malik Washington and Jalen Tolbert instead.
- Should I trust TreVeyon Henderson over Rhamondre Stevenson in dynasty leagues?
- The model does. Henderson holds far more dynasty value and a higher scoring projection than Stevenson, even though Stevenson is New England's listed starter right now.
- How many AFC East players crack the division top 10 for Buffalo and New England?
- Six of the top ten — four Bills and two Patriots. Miami places just one player, De’Von Achane, and the Jets place two.