Should Drafters Be Worried About Patrick Mahomes’ Protection? The Fantasy Impact of Offensive Line Continuity Entering 2021

Thomas Emerick
September 6, 2021

Thomas Emerick takes a final look at offensive line continuity before the start of the regular season. Which teams can expect strong offensive line play in the early going?

The top offenses and best run-blocking lines tend to return most of their offensive line starters. Those finishing near the bottom replace more starters on average from the previous year.

Great scheme and personnel still remain the biggest factors – and we’ll see Kansas City test to what degree. They are the only team to replace its entire starting offensive line or start three rookies entering Week 1 over the past five years. This comes after a period since 2017 where no team had returned more members of its starting offensive line than the Chiefs’ average of four incumbents on the starting unit.

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Thomas Emerick

The Lane Johnson Effect: Offensive Lines and Their Fantasy Impacts, Week 13

Thomas Emerick November 27, 2025

The famous Lane Johnson splits are part of weekly fantasy decisions once again. This tertiary but not insignificant factor was put to the test during the Eagles’ collapse in Dallas without the future Hall of Famer, even if Philly’s full game EPA landed about halfway between the In and Out splits on the season leading up to the game. They had an EPA per play…...

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The Raiders’ Offensive Line Collapse Just Made Ashton Jeanty Almost Unplayable: Offensive Lines and Their Fantasy Impacts, Week 12

Thomas Emerick November 22, 2025

The Raiders’ offensive line profiled as a sneak-back-to-average unit heading into the season, derailed largely by events involving Kolton Miller and Jackson Powers-Johnson. Miller’s long been one of the league’s underrated elite left tackles, while Powers-Johnson really came along down the stretch in 2024. JPJ’s handling in August and September is still a bit murky as to the why: What were offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Pete’s son, offensive…...

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Will Tampa Bay’s Offensive Line Renaissance Turn Bucky Irving and Emeka Egbuka Into League-Winners? Offensive Lines and Their Fantasy Impact, Week 11

Thomas Emerick November 15, 2025

The Bucs’ OL cavalry has fully arrived. Baker Mayfield ran for his life in the early weeks without OTs Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, but the former returned in October and the latter this past Sunday. However, Mayfield’s rushing production has vanished, which might also be attributed to his knee and oblique injuries. Wirfs is a stud, and Goedeke’s reliably above-average, while utility lineman Charlie Heck landed…...