Fantasy football is a fast-growing entertainment niche and one that allows you to test your footballing expertise to the full. The good news for fantasy football coaches is that the first half of the season has been full of excitement and drama.
One thing that can be worthwhile during the early stages of a new season is looking at whether the AFC or NFC conference looks strongest. This can help you target certain games to look out for when setting your weekly lineup, or which players might be in an easier conference, to bring home more points. Through the first seven weeks, how is each conference looking, and which has been the strongest?
How does the AFC stack up?
The American Football Conference initially looked to have a number of strong teams on paper in 2021/22. A brief look at the American Football Conference future odds at Sidelines confirms this, due to the few teams with a serious shout at winning the AFC Championship game.
In AFC East, for example, you have the Buffalo Bills team, with star man Josh Allen on the top of his game and proving last year was no fluke. The rest of the division has been a disappointment, with the Patriots leading the way with a sub-.500 record
Although the Chiefs have run the AFC West with Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, they have had their issues. The defense does not look up to par and the injury bug has hit their locker room. Justin Herbert and the Chargers appear to be the class of the division so far, with the Raiders also looking better than usual.
What about the rest of the AFC?
The Ravens in AFC North are another side that add real quality to this conference. With Lamar Jackson standing out, their robust defense and explosive offense are a match for anyone. The insertion of rookie wideout Rashod Bateman should give Jackson yet another weapon to dismantle opposing defenses.
The Browns look to be another good side in the AFC North and their strong defense and running game gives them hope to reach the Super Bowl. However, Baker Mayfield’s injury could be a cause for concern.
The AFC South is not shaping up to how we thought it looked on paper in the preseason. The Colts and Titans appear to be mediocre and neither team is set up for a long playoff run.
What about the NFC?
In the NFC, it is best to start with NFC South and the Bucs. They were last season’s Super Bowl champions and Tom Brady is looking stronger and more unstoppable by the week. The Panthers made some early noise, but it looks like they were a mirage. The NFC North is much the same, with only the Green Bay Packers standing out as a quality side. Aaron Rodgers is sure to want to make this a Super Bowl year and Matt LaFleur will be eager to take his side all the way this time.
NFC West is a bit more competitive but Matthew Stafford might just make the LA Rams the pick of the bunch. If they continue to make strides on both sides of the ball, they could up-end the Arizona Cardinals, who seem to be pressing every right button this season. It also helps to have the early front runner for MVP, Kyler Murray, calling the shots in Arizona.
The Cowboys look to be the ones to beat in the NFC East and Dak Prescott’s return makes their offense hard to stop. With newbie Micah Parsons and second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs making significant impacts for the Dallas defense, they could wrap this division up by Thanksgiving.
AFC vs NFC – which looks stronger thus far?
While most fantasy football fans and NFL followers initially believed that the AFC was stronger before the season kicked off, it appears that the NFC has more Super Bowl contenders at the halfway point.
Outside of the Bills, Ravens, and the up-and-down Chiefs and Chargers, the AFC is lacking the depth that the NFC currently boasts. The Bucs, Cardinals, Rams, Cowboys, and Packers could all represent the NFC and hoist the Lombardi Trophy in early February.
Final Verdict: NFC looks to be the winner for NFL 2021
If you are looking to find out whether the AFC or NFC looks stronger thus far in 2021, then the above should help. This type of information is not only interesting for football fans but can be very useful for fantasy football coaches. By focusing on players from sides that might have easier games, you can in theory pick up more points each week.