2024 NFL Free Agency Tracker. Every NFL Free Agent you need to know.
The 2024 NFL offseason is alive and well – and team Fantasy Life is here to break down all of the fantasy-relevant transactions.
All 2024 free agents are sorted first by relevance, then by position and alphabetically by last name.
This page will be updated with transactions and analysis as news rolls in throughout the next few months.
Players listed are unrestricted free agents unless otherwise noted.
Interested in drafting your 2024 fantasy football teams early? Head to Underdog Fantasy to get a 100% deposit match of up to $100 with code LIFE below and start drafting today!
WR Mike Williams
- Signed with the Jets on a one-year deal worth up to $15 million (3/19)
The longtime contested-catch artist is tentatively expected to be ready to go by Week 1 after his 2023 campaign was limited to just three games due to an ACL injury.
Williams has had an up-and-down fantasy career since being selected with the seventh overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft:
- 2022: 13.6 PPR points per game (WR21 among all WRs to play 8+ games)
- 2021: 15.4 (WR13)
- 2020: 10.3 (WR52)
- 2019: 10.8 (WR46)
- 2018: 11.3 (WR39)
- 2017: 2.1 (WR128)
Of course, sharing the field with Keenan Allen didn't lead to a ton of excess targets, something that also probably won't be on the table in an offense still fully expected to feature Garrett Wilson as the No. 1 pass-game option.
Still: Williams is certainly one helluva upgrade over Allen Lazard, and a healthy version of Aaron Rodgers should continue to supply the ex-Chargers veteran with a rather great QB. This offense was missing a true “X” WR like Williams in 2023; it's a fantastic and much-needed real-life upgrade.
There is reason for optimism for Williams' 2024 fantasy upside.
30 in October, Father Time hasn't been kind to WRs around this age, and failure to return from last season's knee injury at 100% could be especially problematic for a pass-catcher who has leaned heavily on his physicality and athleticism over the years.
That said: The best version of Williams is still capable of supplying some boom weeks, particularly as the clear-cut No. 2 WR inside of a passing game that could flirt with high-end production should the Injury Gods cooperate for once. He'll be a recommended target in the WR4/WR5 range around guys like Gabe Davis, Tyler Lockett and some of the rookies should his ADP not completely sky rocket.
RB Alexander Mattison
- Signed with the Raiders (3/18)
While Mattison is really good at jumping over people and supplied some quality fantasy performances as a handcuff to Dalvin Cook in the past, his run as the Vikings’ lead back didn’t go too well in 2023.
Mattison among 49 RBs with 90-plus carries:
- PFF rush grade: 70.2 (39th)
- Yards per carry: 3.9 (tied for 33rd)
- Yards over expected per carry (Next-Gen Stats): -0.25 (35th)
- Yards after contact per carry: 2.8 (tied for 33rd)
- Missed tackles forced per carry: 0.21 (tied for 14th)
This is probably a net positive for Zamir White truthers. After all, we already knew the Raiders weren’t done adding to their backfield, so signing the NFL’s reigning leader in most rush attempts without a TD (180) doesn’t exactly profile as the world’s toughest competition.
Still, White really benefited from surprisingly positive game scripts during his four-game showcase down the stretch of 2023; it’s hardly a guarantee that some combination of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell manages to consistently put this offense in a position to overly lean on the run game again in the ever-tough AFC West.
That said: White should still be slotted in as the favorite for RB1 duties. Give him credit for ranking ninth in yards after contact per carry (3.2) and 14th in rushing yards over expected per rush (+0.33) in 2023.
The rising third-year talent deserves to rise a bit higher from his current RB32 price tag over at Underdog Fantasy, but don’t get too carried away and (cue best Dennis Green expression) crown White’s ass as a top-24 option before we see what happens in a little over a month from now at the 2024 NFL Draft.
QB Justin Fields
- Traded to the Steelers in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick (3/16)
Three quick notes:
- The return is a conditional sixth-round pick that can become a fourth-rounder depending on playing time.
- There reportedly won’t be a competition for starting QB duties between Fields and Russell Wilson.
- THERE WON’T BE A COMPETITION FOR STARTING QB DUTIES BETWEEN FIELDS AND RUSSELL WILSON?!
Look, Fields is hardly guaranteed to find newfound success with the Steelers, but it’s not like he’s been significantly worse than Wilson (36 next November) during the past two seasons. Maybe the answer to this competition winds up being a simple “No”; these are the only two QBs with 100 or more INTs and sacks taken over the last two seasons after all (s/o StatMuse).
In terms of potential fantasy upside: It’d certainly be a lot cooler if Fields manages to make this a competition through fantastic practice performance; his aforementioned rushing prowess would make him a far more appealing target than Wilson. Overall, Fields (18.8 fantasy points per game, QB6) has easily out-produced Wilson (16.1, QB16) over the past two seasons. High-volume rushing QBs join elite pass-catching RBs as the closest thing our great American pastime has to cheat codes in fantasy land.
However, it’s probably better for the Steelers’ skill-position talents to have Russ under center:
- Life with a dual-threat QB like Fields is historically not great for RBs: They scramble instead of checking down (Bears RBs rank 28th in targets since 2022, Broncos 1st) and also tend to factor into the rushing conversation on the goal line (Bears RBs rank 25th in carries inside the five-yard line since 2022, Broncos 21st).
- Pass-game volume: While Arthur Smith will probably look to establish the run to a heavy extent regardless of which QB is under center, the difference in scramble rate between Fields (12.5%, 1st) and Wilson (5.8%, 10th) should lead to the most opportunities possible for the team’s top pass-game options (George Pickens).
Of course, Fields just got done “freeing” D.J. Moore to the tune of a breakout 96-1,364-8 campaign; Pickens should have more than enough target volume to himself after the Diontae Johnson trade to post boom-or-bust WR3 production at worst regardless of who winds up under center.
At the end of the day: Good for the Steelers on acquiring a 25-year-old former first-round QB for a fraction of the cost that many (at least the public) believed would be possible just a few short weeks ago.
For more on Fields, click here.
WR Keenan Allen
- Traded to the Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick (3/14)
The Chargers apparently asked Allen to take a pay cut. His response: “I'm coming off my best season, I wasn't taking a pay cut with the Chargers.”
Allen isn't wrong. While he will turn 32 in April, the long-time route-running savant is fresh off posting a 108-1,243-7 receiving line in just 13 games while averaging a career-high 95 yards per contest. The man can still ball.
Kudos to the Bears for improving their WR room in a major way, but two major questions immediately come to mind here:
- Just how much are Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers planning on running the football? I mean, look at this WR room.
- Who is going to wear No. 13 between Keenan and Caleb?
Ultimately, the Bears offense got quite a bit better, and suddenly Justin Herbert has … zero overly proven pass-catchers in his entire offense. Here’s to hoping the Chargers now take a LONG look at adding a certain stud rookie WR to the offense with the fifth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft.
It's tough to give Allen the nod over D.J. Moore in the ole fantasy ranks due to the difference in age and overall explosiveness; just realize nothing about Allen's recent on-field performance indicates that we should expect a sudden major dropoff. Currently priced as the WR27 over at Underdog Fantasy, the stud veteran receiver warrants volume-based WR3 treatment at worst and shouldn't slide past guys like Jordan Addison (WR37), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR39) or Chris Godwin (WR40).
WR Marquise Brown
- Signed with the Chiefs on a one-year deal up to $11M (3/14)
We all knew the Chiefs were in the market for a WR. But not just any receiver. They held fast to their process and tried to split up the loss of Tyreek Hill into his functional role on the field.
To (try to) cover for Hill's speed and downfield gravity, they signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling and drafted Skyy Moore. With Justin Watson as a complement, the deep perimeter was (theoretically) covered.
The Kadarius Toney experiment and selection of Rashee Rice were to address the short area of the field. Toney didn't work, but Rice was a hit. Regardless, their need for another weapon outside of Rice and Travis Kelce was clear. And now they have another option.
Marquise Brown joins the franchise on the hunt to create a dynasty. After Andy Reid did some recruiting to seal the deal, the only matter is his fit within the offense.
Last season was Brown's lowest snap rate from the interior (20.0%). His injuries forced him to miss time, but even a hurt Marquise was a more efficient perimeter option than most of the Chiefs' WRs.
- Brown (when lined up outside): 1.23 YPRR
- Skyy Moore: 1.29
- Justin Watson: 1.15
- Justyn Ross: 1.03
- Mecole Hardman: 0.86
Assuming health, Hollywood's versatility will make him an instant target magnet. And his presence doesn't have to affect Rice's snaps. Brown can play the Z receiver with Rice in the slot. With both demanding defender's attention, and Kelce still doing his thing, the Kansas City passing game will be a force to reckon with yet again in 2024.
WR Curtis Samuel
- Signed with the Bills on a three-year deal up to $30M with $15M guaranteed (3/14)
Welp, the hype train for Khalil Shakir didn't last long.
I noted Shakir's potential as a solid WR3 in 2024 drafts should he avoid a high-end addition to the offense. But Buffalo had other plans.
Now, don't get me wrong. Seeing Curtis Samuel catch darts from Josh Allen will be a sight that'll get the people going. The now-former Commander and former Panther was essentially Washington's WR2 despite having a primarily interior role.
- TPRR: 22.3% (1st)
- Target Share: 18.3% (2nd)
- Explosive Play Rate: 16.3% (2nd)
- YPRR: 1.53 (2nd)
Without question, Samuel still has juice despite being on his third team. The only intriguing part of this move is his fit within the offense and a potential shift away from their traditional style of play.
Allen still has one of the strongest arms in the game. But he closed out the 2023 season with his lowest passing aDOT (8.6). This happening on the heels of the team drafting a TE in the first round and releasing Gabe Davis, their big-bodied, contested-catch receiver.
If this means we're in store for similar passing rates, but more efficient dropbacks (i.e., focusing on the intermediate parts of the field and relying on YAC), sign me up. But if not, and before we pencil in Samuel for 100 targets, let's see if the Bills are looking to add another new face to their WR corps to give Allen a downfield target in 2024.
Quarterback
Brandon Allen
- Re-signed with the 49ers (3/11)
Ian Rapoport called Allen an “excellent presence” in the 49ers QB room, which is a curious thing to say about a QB with three pass attempts over the past two seasons and a 2-7 career record. Allen could work as Brock Purdy's direct backup should Sam Darnold take his talents elsewhere.
Jacoby Brissett
- Signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $8 million deal (3/11)
Reunion szn, but don't expect Brissett to be more than a bridge/backup QB option for whoever the Patriots wind up selecting third overall.
That said: Good get for New England! The 31-year-old veteran has looked like anyone’s idea of an above-average thrower of the football during his last two stops with the Browns and Commanders:
Brissett among 46 QBs with 300-plus dropbacks in 2022-23
- EPA per dropback: +0.153 (No. 8)
- Completion percentage over expected: +3.8% (No. 3)
- PFF pass grade: 77.0 (No. 19)
- Passer rating: 92.6 (No. 17)
- Yards per attempt: 7.2 (No. 17)
The heavy majority of those numbers occurred in Cleveland during Deshaun Watson’s suspension, but things continued to go rather swimmingly in Washington last year. Overall, Brissett went 18 for 23 for 224 yards, three TDs and zero INTs in his two games of action last season – generating a TD drive on all five of his meaningful drives along the way!
Fantasy impact: Likely minimal; Brissett won't be more than a low-end QB2 at best if/when he starts.
Real-life impact: Great veteran addition for a young and unproven QB room.
Jake Browning (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Bengals (2/28)
Browning low-key put up pretty wild efficiency numbers in 2023 (among 33 QBs with at least 250 dropbacks):
- EPA per dropback: +0.136 (No. 8)
- Completion percentage over expected: +3.9% (No. 7)
- Passer rating: 98.0 (tied for No. 7)
- Yards per attempt: 7.9 (No. 5)
Obviously, the Bengals won't confuse anyone as legit contenders anytime Joe Burrow isn't healthy enough to suit up; just realize Browning is in the running for one of the league's better backup QBs based on last season's performance.
Kirk Cousins
- Signed with the Falcons on a four-year deal (3/11)
The single-biggest potential free agent signing has come to fruition.
Adding Cousins to this Falcons offense is a massive upgrade; this group has been led by the likes of Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and Marcus Mariota over the past two seasons for crying out loud.
The former Washington and Minnesota signal-caller has been a pretty consistent top-10 real-life QB since taking his talents to Minnesota:
- 2018: -0.012 EPA per dropback (No. 29 among qualified QBs)
- 2019: +0.199 (No. 7)
- 2020: +0.188 (No. 10)
- 2021: +0.137 (No. 10)
- 2022: +0.058 (No. 19)
- 2023: +0.145 (No. 6)
Of course, it’s not a given that 2023’s excellence will carry over into 2024 with the soon-to-be 36-year-old signal-caller coming back from a torn Achilles. It’s good news that he’s already throwing again, but multiple doctors have stated a decrease in arm strength is possible even while admitting that a Week 1 return is realistic.
Still, even a 90% version of Cousins should be good enough to provide a lift to this talented Falcons roster. The top-10 offenses from last season in average PFF receiving, rushing and blocking grades (everything except passing) were as follows:
- 49ers (80.1)
- Lions (79.8)
- Ravens (76.9)
- Dolphins (76.1)
- Eagles (76)
- Rams (74.8)
- Bills (74.4)
- Cowboys (73.8)
- Falcons (73.3)
- Vikings (73.1)
Kirk probably shouldn't be expected to supply immediate top-10 fantasy production, but it's possible should he return from the Achilles injury at something close to 100%. At a minimum, he's right at home as a mid-tier QB2 alongside fellow veteran pocket passers like Jared Goff and Aaron Rodgers.
Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson fantasy managers: Rejoice. Each deserves a solid bump up the ole fantasy ranks ahead of 2024, particularly London considering just how prolific Cousins' top WRs have been in the past.
For more on Cousins, click here.
Sam Darnold
- Signed with the Vikings on a one-year, $10 million deal (3/12)
Darnold is suddenly the front-runner to be the Vikings' Week 1 starting QB after Kirk Cousins took his talents to Atlanta.
Of course, this feels like more of a bridge situation – and Fantasy Life's Matthew Freedman accordingly has Minnesota selecting Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy with the 11th overall pick in his latest mock draft.
There have been plenty of examples of Darnold flashing all-world arm talent over the years; film-grinding scholars will certainly lean on these sporadic moments of dopeness to flex their superior football knowledge on us mere mortals.
That said: The No. 3 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft has been one of the game's least efficient QBs since entering the league by almost any commonly used advanced metric.
Darnold among 76 QBs with 300-plus dropbacks since 2018:
- EPA per dropback: -0.046 (No. 63)
- Completion percentage over expected: -2% (No. 61)
- PFF pass grade: 59.7 (No. 60)
- Passer rating: 78.3 (No. 67)
- Yards per attempt: 6.7 (No. 56)
Kudos to Darnold for truly finishing his Panthers tenure strong (4-2 with 7 TDs vs. 3 INTs in his final six starts) and ... I guess for existing behind Brock Purdy in San Francisco last year. It'd make sense if playing with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison helps matters – Nick Mullens can certainly attest to this.
Maybe the soon-to-be 27-year-old signal-caller just wasn't set up for success with the Jets or Panthers, although that excuse begins to wear thin after 56 mostly bad career starts.
Ultimately, the Vikings had little choice but to sign a bridge QB like Darnold in the near term ahead of this inevitable rebuild. Head coach Kevin O'Connell certainly seemed to get the most out of the team's carrousel of backup QBs last year; here's to hoping he enables Darnold to have enough production to at least help the skill-position talents involved keep on keeping on for however long he's needed under center – but we wouldn't bet on an overall pretty outcome there.
Joshua Dobbs
- Signed with the 49ers on a one-year, $3 million deal (3/18)
The Passtronaut found himself a new home. While Dobbs flamed out rather brutally after his feel-good opening stretch with the Vikings; he provides the sort of plus-ability on the ground to feign a competitive offense for a spot start or two – particularly alongside the 49ers' ever-loaded crop of skill-position talents.
Joe Flacco
- Signed with the Colts on a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million (3/13)
I want to be Joe Flacco when I grow up.
The man was sitting on his couch in November, Cleveland called and asked him to join their practice squad, and he was on a roster. Then, he starts! And not only does Flacco start. Flacco reminds us why he was ‘elite’ back in the day.
- Air Yards per Game: 382.0 (2nd among all QBs)
- Deep-ball Attempts: 30 (1st)
- Explosive Passing Rate: 15.1% (8th)
The man couldn't be stopped.
Well, until the Texans got a hold of him, but that's another story. Regardless, before Flacco met his demise in the playoffs, he lifted Amari Cooper into the history books as Cleveland's single-game yardage leader and made David Njoku a weekly staple in fantasy lineups. But now, he's back to being a second-stringer in Indy.
With Anthony Richardson returning, we may not see Flacco sling it at Lucas Oil Stadium. But with Richardson's injury history, it's not out of the cards we'll see Michael Pittman catch a deep ball from Flacco in 2024.
Jimmy Garoppolo
- Signs a one-year deal with the LA Rams. (3/15)
As far as backups go, you could do worse.
Jimmy Garoppolo still has to serve out a two-game suspension, but will backup Matthew Stafford after the league reinstates him. Luckily, his next stop won't be too much of a schematic shift. After spending seven seasons under Kyle Shanahan, potentially working with Sean McVay should keep any reservations in Jimmy G starting in check. Going from Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and George Kittle to Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams isn't a bad move making Garoppolo a QB to keep on speed dial should Stafford get injured again.
Sam Howell
- Traded to the Seahawks (3/14)
The details: Washington is sending Howell, a 2024 fourth-round pick (No. 102 overall) and a 2024 sixth-round pick (No. 179) in exchange for a 2024 third-rounder (No. 78) and a 2024 fifth-rounder (No. 152).
Allegedly, Howell can compete with Geno Smith for the Seahawks starting QB job. This shouldn't be much of a battle if the last two seasons are any indication.
Among 46 QBs with 300-plus dropbacks 2022-23
- EPA per dropback: Smith (+0.084, 17th), Howell (-0.075, 43rd)
- Completion percentage over expected: Smith (+4.2%, 1st), Howell (-0.6%, 29th)
- PFF pass grade: Smith (82.2, 13th), Howell (57.8, 43rd)
- Passer rating: Smith (96.8, 10th), Howell (79.0, 39th)
- Yards per attempt: Smith (7.4, 13th), Howell (6.5, 34th)
Arguably the biggest issue for Howell is also a strength for Geno: The former QB posted the league's third-worst sack rate on pressured dropbacks (23%), while the latter's 14% mark was tied for the fourth-best rate in the league.
Howell did make a number of objectively dope throws in 2023; maybe the 23-year-old talent will improve in a major way moving forward. Still, it's probably in the best interest of everyone involved in the Seahawks organization to ride with Geno for at least 2024.
Tyler Huntley
- Signed with the Browns on a one-year deal (3/17)
It remains inexplicable how Huntley made a Pro Bowl in 2022. How? Was it legit just a mistake from the voting committee? Or does this go all the way up to the vice president? People are asking.
Josh Johnson
- Re-signed with the Ravens (3/14)
Johnson hasn't started a game since 2021, but continues to rake in that sweet, sweet backup QB money. He's the favorite to serve as Lamar Jackson's backup in 2024. The 37-year-old veteran has the passing ability and experience to keep the offense afloat for a week or two should disaster strike.
Mac Jones
- Traded to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick (3/10)
Jones will now serve as Trevor Lawrence's backup. The side-by-side comparison of their respective careers is admittingly funny, but make no mistake about it: Jones is in town to simply serve as the backup QB ahead of C.J. Beathard for likely only one season.
Even an unfortunate injury to T-Law wouldn't boost Jones out of the low-end QB2 fantasy hell-hole that he's spent the majority of his three-year career in.
Drew Lock
- Signed with the Giants on a one-year, $5 million deal (3/12)
Lock operates with the sort of YOLO-DGAF mindset that makes him a joy to watch for better and (mostly) worse. Sadly, NFL coaches hate fun prefer more consistency under center, something that was never a given during his three years as a starter in Denver.
Kudos to Lock for providing one of the better feel-good moments of last season by leading the Seahawks to a last-second upset victory over the Eagles; just realize the quality of his two spot starts over the last two seasons was not too great overall.
Maybe Lock finds a way to push 160 million-dollar man Daniel Jones for the starting gig; even then he wouldn't be more than a low-end QB2 inside of a Giants offense that remains without many (any?) reliable pass-catchers.
Marcus Mariota
- Signed with the Commanders on a one-year, $6 million deal worth up to $10 million (3/12)
It's a bridge-backup QB sort of deal for the 30-year-old veteran. Mariota hasn't started a game since 2022 in Atlanta, where he was mediocre at best despite having some high-end weapons to throw the football to in the form of Drake London and Kyle Pitts:
Mariota among 31 QBs with 300-plus dropbacks in 2022:
- EPA per dropback: +0.073 (No. 16)
- Completion percentage over expected: -0.6% (No. 22)
- PFF pass grade: 62.7 (No. 28)
- Passer rating: 88.2 (No. 20)
- Yards per attempt: 7.4 (No. 10)
Regardless, the former No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft will provide experience and mentorship to whoever the Commanders decide to select with this year's second pick. Mariota may start a game or two, but even then he'll be nothing more than a low-end QB2 in fantasy land.
Baker Mayfield
- Re-signed with the Bucs on a three-year, $100 million contract extension with $50 million guaranteed (3/10)
What a difference a year makes – kudos to Mayfield for betting on himself and winning in a major way.
Of course, bringing back Mayfield always made the most sense for Tampa Bay due to the lack of possible upgrades in free agency other than Kirk Cousins, and their general lack of high-end draft capital (26th overall first-round pick). The soon-to-be 29-year-old gunslinger also simply earned this contract by posting solid numbers all season long on his way to leading Tampa Bay to a playoff W:
Among 39 QBs with 200-plus dropbacks in 2023-24 (including postseason)
- EPA per dropback: +0.137 (No. 9)
- CPOE: -0.2% (No. 22)
- PFF pass grade: 74.8 (No. 18)
- Passer rating: 96 (No. 12)
- Yards per attempt: 7.4 (No. 12)
The reigning QB19 in fantasy points per game averaged a solid 16.1 fantasy points per contest in 2023 – less than one point removed from guys like Jared Goff (17), Trevor Lawrence (16.4) and Matthew Stafford (16.2).
And yet, early ADP has not given Baker the benefit of the doubt:
Underdog Fantasy QB18-24
- Jayden Daniels (QB18)
- Matthew Stafford (QB19)
- Kirk Cousins (QB20)
- Drake Maye (QB21)
- Aaron Rodgers (QB22)
- Deshaun Watson (QB23)
- Baker Mayfield (QB24)
In addition to the aforementioned continuity factor, another argument in favor of Mayfield taking another step forward in 2024 comes down to the reality that he was actually one of the league’s top-eight most-impacted QBs from drops last season. Evans had FAR more good than bad plays last season; just realize there were some pretty brutal near-miss TDs in there.
Ultimately, Mayfield’s lack of rushing upside inside of an offense that posted a middling +1% dropback rate over expected last regular season caps his fantasy upside, but he does present a bargain-based QB2 option in Superflex/2-QB formats relative to fellow pocket passers like Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford, who are each going more than two rounds ahead of him in early Underdog Drafts. Value, baby.
For more on Mayfield, click here.
Gardner Minshew
- Signed with the Raiders on a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million fully guaranteed (3/11)
The reigning Pro Bowler (lol, but true) led NFL’s 10th-ranked scoring offense in 2023 after being thrust into the starting role following Anthony Richardson’s season-ending shoulder injury. The efficiency numbers weren’t great (22nd in EPA per dropback, 31st in CPOE), but the money at hand makes him the Raiders' likely Week 1 starter at this point.
Raw counting numbers are hardly everything when evaluating QBs; just realize Minshew racked up as many games with 300-plus passing yards (3) as guys like Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson and Justin Herbert did last season, and more than Trevor Lawrence and Jordan Love. The man is probably a top-30 QB on planet Earth who now gets to throw the football to Davante Adams, Jakobi Meyers and Michael Mayer.
The presence of Minshew provides a nice floor for those pass-catchers, although it's hard to get overly excited about his own individual fantasy upside considering he ranks just 35th (13.4) in fantasy points per game among 52 qualified QBs over the past five seasons.
Nathan Peterman
- Signed with the Saints (3/18)
Peterman continues to bounce around the league despite, you know, having four career TDs vs. 13 INTs. He'll presumably compete with Jake Haener to serve as Derek Carr's backup in 2024.
Kenny Pickett
- Traded to the Eagles along with a fourth-round pick in exchange for a third-round compensatory pick and two 2025 seventh-round picks (3/15)
It’s easy to blame Matt Canada for everything, but Pickett’s lack of overall production is truly alarming. Pickett is the only QB in the Super Bowl Era with a passing TD rate under 2% among 335 dudes who attempted 500-plus career passes.
And it’s tough to really overly blame the environment. There are talented options available at WR, RB and TE alike; it was time for a true change under center in Pittsburgh – and they have it in the form of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
Desmond Ridder
- Traded to the Cardinals in exchange for WR Rondale Moore (3/15)
Film dudes were loving them some Desmond Ridder for portions of 2023 due to the fact that he did prove capable of making some big-time throws on occasion. The problem is that almost nobody threw more horrific INTs on the season. We’re talking about some BRUTAL throws in big moments of games, ultimately leading to a 5.6% turnover-worthy play rate – the second-highest mark in the NFL behind only Mac Jones (5.8%).
Ultimately, Ridder has accounted for 19 total TDs and 17 combined fumbles and interceptions in 17 career starts. Not great – and accordingly he's not expected to be anything other than a pure backup in the league for the foreseeable future.
Nathan Rourke (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Patriots (3/2)
Rourke has never played an NFL snap and profiles as the team's likely emergency QB4 if that ahead of 2024.
Mason Rudolph
- Signed with the Titans on a one-year deal worth up to $3.62 million (3/13)
This doesn't seem like starter-caliber money, indicating Rudolph might not be getting the chance to compete for a starting job with Will Levis.
That said: Kudos to Rudolph for playing the best football of his career down the stretch last season in essentially his first extended action since, well, you know. Rudolph was hardly leaned on (he threw just 27, 24, 20 and 39 pass attempts in his four starts), but the efficiency on hand was … really good?
Overall, only Brock Purdy (+0.204) had a better EPA + CPOE Composite score than Rudolph (+0.175) last season. Small-sample size be damned, Rudolph was better than Levis in essentially any meaningful passing efficiency metric.
Getting to throw to DeAndre Hopkins and Calvin Ridley doesn't hurt, but even then: Rudolph doesn't profile as more than a low-end QB2 streamer in fantasy land even if he gets the chance to start a few games in 2024.
Brett Rypien
- Signed with the Bears on a one-year deal (3/13)
Rypien will likely compete with Tyson Bagent AKA T-Bag for the opportunity to back up expected No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams. The fifth-year pro has horrific career numbers in completion rate (58.3%), yards per attempt (5.7) and TD:INT ratio (4:9). Otherwise, great signing!
Easton Stick
- Re-signed with the Chargers (3/16)
Stick performed admirably in place of Justin Herbert down the stretch of 2023 … wait, actually, no he didn't. The 2019 fifth-round pick ranked 38th in EPA per dropback (-0.098) among 45 qualified QBs and shouldn't be confused as a high-quality backup at this point in time.
Tyrod Taylor
- Signed with the Jets (3/11)
The artist known as TyGod presents a massive upgrade over the atrocities that the Jets were forced to trot out under center with Aaron Rodgers sidelined last season: Taylor truly made some awesome throws during his spot starts with the Giants in 2023 and made the most out of an offensive situation that largely ate 160 million dollar man Daniel Jones alive.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old veteran was one of the better pure backup QBs available in this free-agency cycle. The Jets are in moderately good shape if Rodgers is forced to miss a week or two in 2024. “Yay!” – Garrett Wilson fantasy managers.
Mitch Trubisky
- Signed with the Bills on a two-year, $5.25 million deal with $2.7 million guaranteed (3/7)
Trubisky will once again work as Josh Allen's backup. The NVP winner threw eight TDs vs. 10 INTs during seven starts with the Steelers over the past two seasons – but hey, at least this play was cool.
Russell Wilson
- Plans to sign a one-year, $1.2 million deal with the Steelers (3/10)
While nobody should expect the Steelers to get a prime version of Mr. Unlimited, he proved to still have a penchant for creating some off-script magic in 2023, and the man deserves credit for posting the NFL’s third-best mark in completion percentage over expected (+4.9%) last season.
Still, it’s tough to be overly enthralled with Wilson’s accuracy considering he hasn’t exactly made a habit of attacking all three levels of the field in recent years. Per Warren Sharp:
- Wilson threw 27% of his passes behind the line of scrimmage in 2023 – the HIGHEST mark among 509 QBs since 2005.
- Russ also threw just 26% of his passes between five and 15 yards downfield – the LOWEST mark during that period.
Still, working inside of Arthur Smith’s play-action-heavy scheme while throwing to the likes of George Pickens, Diontae Johnson (if he’s not traded) and Pat Freiermuth might be what’s best for Wilson at this point of his career. It’s been easy to say a lot of mean things about Smith in fantasy land for the better part of the last 36 months; just realize the Steelers’ new offensive coordinator does deserve credit for getting the very best out of Ryan Tannehill during their 2019 and 2020 seasons together.
Russ represents a solid bump for the pass-catchers at hand even if his presence under center doesn’t really move the needle all that much for this Steelers offense. Mason Rudolph was low-key playing some pretty damn efficient football down the stretch of 2023; it seems like wishful thinking to expect the 2024 Steelers to flirt with the game’s top-10 scoring offenses both due to their offensive philosophy and aging QB.
The reigning QB13 in fantasy points per game is certainly a solid second-QB value at his current QB30 ADP over at Underdog Fantasy, but it’ll be tough to warrant going out of your way to secure his services should that price tag creep up into the low-end QB2 range alongside fellow veterans in more pass-happy offenses like Jared Goff (QB17), Matthew Stafford (QB19) and Kirk Cousins (QB20). Wilson’s average of 22.7 rushing yards per game last year was his highest mark since 2020 (32.1); he’ll need to continue to tap into his previously sky-high rushing upside in order to get Father Time to f*ck off in fantasy land ahead of 2024.
For more on Wilson, click here.
Jameis Winston
- Signed with the Browns on a one-year deal worth up to $8.7 million (3/12)
Winston will serve as Deshaun Watson's backup, meaning Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco will presumably take his talents elsewhere in free agency.
Ultimately, Winston ranked outside the league’s top-30 QBs in PFF pass grade (63.9, 46th), passer rating (87.7, 38th), yards per attempt (7.1, 33rd) and adjusted completion rate (70.1%, 69th) during his four seasons with the Saints. His brand of football is a LOT of fun to watch for fans, albeit not exactly the style that many offensive coordinators sign up to deal with.
Fun preseason fireworks are probably the most we’re going to get from Famous Jameis in 2024 – but get your popcorn ready for better and (mostly) worse if Watson is forced to miss any time.
John Wolford
- Signed with the Buccaneers (3/15)
Wolford didn't throw a pass in 2023 and was generally mediocre at best with the Rams from 2020 to 2022. He's just here to serve as backup competition for Kyle Trask.
Ryan Tannehill
Carson Wentz
Kyle Allen
Matt Barkley
Jeff Driskel
Jacob Eason (ERFA)
Feleipe Franks (RFA)
Blaine Gabbert
Will Grier
A.J. McCarron
Trevor Siemian
Nate Sudfeld
Phillip Walker
Logan Woodside
Running Back
Ameer Abdullah
- Re-signed with the Raiders (3/8)
Abdullah has worked as the Raiders' scat back since coming to town, posting 25-211-1 and 19-131-1 receiving lines over the past two seasons. Of course, even a late-season injury to Josh Jacobs barely made a difference in Abdullah's overall usage down the stretch of last season; the soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran remains well off the fantasy radar.
Salvon Ahmed
- Re-signed with the Dolphins on a one-year deal (3/12)
Ahmed has handled just 51 total touches in his last 20 regular season games with the Dolphins. The 25-year-old veteran is regularly multiple injuries away from having a fantasy-relevant role; he's once again fully expected to work behind Raheem Mostert, De'Von Achane and Jeff Wilson.
Saquon Barkley
- Signed with the Eagles on a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $25.5 million guaranteed (3/11)
Barkley is the latest RB to find an unexpectedly large bag in free agency. The deal makes him the league's fourth-highest-paid RB, as only Alvin Kamara ($75 million), Christian McCaffrey ($64 million) and Jonathan Taylor ($42 million) have contracts with a higher total value.
However, it's worth wondering if the Eagles are signing up to pay the 2024 version of Barkley, or the ghost of years past. Don't get it twisted: Barkley has been solid over the past two seasons, but it's still been a far cry from the man who looked like the best player at the position back in 2018.
Of course, the Giants have hardly been a model offensive environment in recent years. PFF’s reigning 30th-ranked offensive line has largely been a liability outside of LT Andrew Thomas, while Daniel Jones hasn’t exactly helped decrease the amount of attention defenders can pay to the run game considering he joins retired NFL commentator Matt Ryan as the only two QBs with an average target depth south of seven yards over the past two seasons.
Barkley is still just 27 years young and has managed to play at least 13 games in all but one of his six career seasons. He certainly should represent an upgrade from the likes of D'Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell, although this Eagles offensive environment hasn't been all that conducive to high-end fantasy success for RBs due to Jalen Hurts' tendencies to:
- Scramble instead of checking down: Hurts has fed Eagles RBs just 246 total targets since taking over the starting job in 2021 – the eighth-lowest mark in the NFL.
- Take control of the offense at the opponent's goal line: Eagles RBs rank 30th in carries from the one-yard line (10) over the past three seasons.
Look for Barkley to still make some explosive plays and receive plenty of touches between the 20s, but his current standing as the RB8 over at Underdog seems awfully optimistic. Guys like James Cook (RB10), Isaiah Pacheco (RB11) and Rachaad White (RB12) are cheaper and could simply see more fantasy-friendly workloads than Barkley, even if they aren't quite as good “real-life” talents.
For more on Barkley, click here.
Raheem Blackshear (ERFA)
- Re-signed with the Panthers (3/13)
Has spent most of his two-year career on special teams. Blackshear isn't a guarantee to make the final roster and is multiple injuries away from having anything resembling a somewhat viable fantasy role.
Julius Chestnut (ERFA)
- Re-signed with the Titans (3/13)
Has spent most of his two-year career on special teams. Chestnut isn't a guarantee to make the final roster and is multiple injuries away from having anything resembling a somewhat viable fantasy role.
Yes, this is the exact same description as Blackshear above. Deal with it.
DeeJay Dallas
- Signed with the Cardinals (3/12)
Dallas has never handled more than 35 carries in a single season, as the rising fifth-year pro typically spent more time on special teams than offense during his years in Seattle.
Don't expect too much to change in Arizona. James Conner remains locked in as the offense's workhorse, while Michael Carter and even Emari Demercadob are probably safer handcuff bets than Dallas.
A.J. Dillon
- Re-signed with the Packers on a 4-Year Qualifying Offer of one year up to $2.6M
Sure. OK.
Now, to be fair, A.J. Dillon did deal with a couple of injuries to close out the season. But his performance throughout the year was sub-par at best.
Aaron Jones missed six games, leaving the backfield (mostly) to Dillon. Across those weeks, QuadZilla averaged just 9.1 PPR PPG. He's actually declined in multiple metrics over the last three years.
- Yards After Contact per Attempt: 3.1 (2021), 2.9 (2022), 2.7 (2023)
- Forced Missed Tackles: 31, 23, 21
- PFF Rushing Grade: 89.7, 88.1, 76.1
And on such a minimal offer, Dillon doesn't figure to have an active role in the offense outside of spelling Josh Jacobs. At best, he's an RB3 unless an injury occurs.
Chase Edmonds
- Re-signed with the Buccaneers on a one-year deal (3/11)
Edmonds served as Rachaad White's clear backup in 2023, but never played more than 32% of the offense's snaps in a single game. The ex-Cardinals/Dolphins/Broncos RB is theoretically the next-man-up should White miss any time, although it's hardly a given that the soon-to-be 28-year-old veteran would receive the same workhorse role if called upon.
Ultimately, Edmonds presents zero standalone value with middling handcuff upside due to the potential that he's typecast as more of a scat back as opposed to someone who can step in and handle every-down duties. Throw in the potential for the Buccaneers to add some competition to the RB room through the draft, and this deal doesn't really guarantee anything in the way of a fantasy-relevant role in 2024.
Gus Edwards
- Signed with the Chargers on a two-year, $6.5 million deal with $3.375 million guaranteed (3/11)
Wild but true: Gus Bus ranks 12th in yards per carry (4.9) among all RBs with 500-plus rush attempts in the Super Bowl Era. If anyone is aware of this, it's probably the Harbaugh brothers.
While Edwards doesn't exactly have the pass-down chops of a three-down back, his insertion into this wide-open backfield is bad news for any additional future parties. Gus himself is certainly a qualified early-down grinder and goal-line option; it's unlikely he took his talents to Los Angeles without some level of assurance that he'd at least be part of a committee.
Look for Edwards to work as more of a TD-dependent RB3 in fantasy land with the potential to boom if the Chargers:
- Manage to work as a high-end scoring offense.
- Run the hell out of the football like Jim Harbaugh has done in the past.
All in all, Gus helps shore up at least part of one of the most wide-open backfields out there, but his presence might wind up being more of a detriment to a future RB addition than someone to get overly excited about himself.
Austin Ekeler
- Signed with the Commanders on a two-year deal worth up to $11.4 million (3/11)
The softest contract of day one's big-name RB signings goes to Ekeler, although reuniting with former Chargers head coach/current Commanders run-game coordinator Anthony Lynn could have played a role in the discount.
Regardless, the fantasy football superstar finds himself in an offense absent of typical pass-down RB Antonio Gibson (Patriots). The Commanders' ex-scat back racked up 58 and 59 targets over the past three seasons while regularly mixing in alongside early-down grinder Brian Robinson.
The presence of B-Rob will likely limit Ekeler's touch count (head coach Dan Quinn is a fan), but then again, the longtime Chargers stud never had more than 206 rush attempts in a single season anyway. Ekeler's fantasy cheat code has always been his receiving volume and red zone usage – two features that seem to have as good a chance at persisting in Washington with Lynn as they would just about anywhere else.
While Ekeler didn't look great in 2023 (we've all seen the long run against the Packers when he reached just 13 miles per hour), the man did suffer a high ankle sprain in Week 1. He looked plenty spry before the injury, notably hitting 19.6 miles per hour on this screen.
Both Lynn (Melvin Gordon and Ekeler) as well as offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury (James Conner and Chase Edmonds) have a history with enabling multiple productive RBs inside of the same offense. Don't be surprised if Ekeler has a bounce-back campaign of sorts should the Injury Gods and Father Time look the other way for a bit – he's in play at his early RB23 ADP and could be leaned on while Washington inevitably breaks in a rookie QB.
For more on Ekeler, click here.
Antonio Gibson
- Signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $11.25 million deal with a maximum value of $17.25 million (3/11)
Gibson joins a backfield expected to still be headlined by Rhamondre Stevenson. Note that Ezekiel Elliott remains a free agent.
There has been a LOT of fantasy hype for Gibson over the years after the converted collegiate WR totaled 1,042 and 1,331 total yards during his first two seasons – racking up 21 total trips to the end zone along the way.
Unfortunately, sporadic cases of the butter-fingers (11 fumbles since 2021) never helped Gibson lock down a full-time role in Washington.
Good news: The early word out of New England seems to recognize that Gibson's best asset is his ability in the passing game. Per ace Patriots beat reporter Doug Kyed:
“Expect Gibson to take on a larger role in the passing game, per a source, where he’s a strong route-runner with dependable hands. He’s viewed by the team as fast, quick and a serviceable inside runner.”
This makes sense: Gibson has been making plays while lined up as a true WR as well as downfield throughout his short NFL career.
Still just 25 years old with minimal between-the-tackles wear-and-tear dating back to college, Gibson profiles as a PPR-friendly RB3/4 ahead of 2024 and continues to present tantalizing upside should a three-down role fall into his lap, although the Patriots' likely meh scoring environment won't do him any favors.
Derrick Henry
- Signed with the Ravens on a two-year, $16 million deal worth up to $20 million (3/12)
King Henry has officially taken his talents to Baltimore. The deal includes $9 million fully guaranteed in the first year and sets up the long-time monster as the Ravens' bell-cow back ahead of 2024.
On the one hand, Father Time is undefeated, and Henry turned 30 in January. This is historically about when RBs cease to be overly dominant in fantasy.
On the other, there actually hasn't been much on-field evidence of Henry's ability falling off. Sure, his raw yards per carry have dipped, but a lot of that has to do with PFF's reigning 32nd-ranked offensive line struggling mightily in the trenches in recent years.
Getting to run behind the Ravens' big uglies while benefiting from the gravity that Lamar Jackson has in the run game couldn't set up Henry better to dominate on the ground ahead of 2024.
It remains to be seen if the Ravens will be as steadfast about feeding the Big Dog 20-plus touches per game as the Titans were, although the essential one-year rental nature of his contract could help bust their previous committee-heavy tendencies.
Don't go crazy and treat Henry as a top-10 option at the position in the year 2024, but RB15 around guys like Kenneth Walker, Alvin Kamara and David Montgomery feels about right for the expected primary TD scorer inside of the league's reigning fourth-ranked scoring offense.
For more on Henry, click here.
Nyheim Hines
- Signed with the Browns on a one-year deal worth up to $3.5 million (3/12)
Hines missed all of 2023 due to a jet ski accident that resulted in a torn ACL. This deal hardly includes the sort of money to guarantee a big-time offensive role, but when healthy the ex-Colts/Bills talent provides a boost on passing downs and especially on special teams.
Don't expect Hines to challenge Nick Chubb for too many touches, although the 27-year-old veteran does profile as a potential target earner who could lower Jerome Ford's weekly ceiling.
Fantasy managers can deal with two-RB committees in the year 2024 – things get more complicated when three-plus bodies are involved. Even if Hines himself doesn't figure to be overly important in fantasy land, his potential to carve out a small role lowers the upside for all parties involved.
Josh Jacobs
- Signed with the Packers on a four-year, $48 million deal (3/11)
Green Bay released longtime stud RB Aaron Jones in a corresponding move.
On the one hand, Jacobs commonly found himself next to guys like Tony Pollard and Nick Chubb when looking at the league’s best rushers in forcing missed tackles and picking up yards after contact during the first four seasons of his career.
On the other, Jacobs was objectively one of the league’s least efficient-rushers last season.
Jacobs among 49 RBs with 90-plus carries in 2023
- PFF rush grade: 70.1 (No. 40)
- Explosive run play rate: 3.9% (No. 48)
- Yards per carry above expected: -0.37 (No. 41)
- Yards per carry: 3.5 (No. 44)
- Yards after contact per carry: 2.4 (No. 46)
- Missed tackles forced per carry: 0.12 (tied for No. 43)
Jacobs turned 26 in February and is just one year removed from working as the NFL’s leading rusher. He's certainly now in a more fantasy-friendly offensive environment overall and presumably set to handle a featured role with Jones and A.J. Dillon each out of the picture.
Maybe Jacobs was simply a helluva lot more injured throughout the season than anybody knew. Even then: His efficiency numbers have a long way to go before even approaching average, let alone returning to the upper tier of performers at the position. Sixth-year RBs haven’t been too dominant in fantasy land over the last decade's worth of action.
Head coach Matt LaFleur has been hesitant to overly lean on one single RB over the years; don't be surprised if Emmanuel Wilson, Patrick Taylor and/or an RB to be named later emerges with a solid enough backup role. Still, it's hard to not be intrigued with Jacobs' volume-based upside inside of a Packers offense that was as good as any group in the league down the stretch of 2021. Borderline RB1 treatment alongside guys like Rachaad White (RB12 ADP) and Kenneth Walker (RB13) feels warranted.
This also means Zamir White is the man in Las Vegas for now; just realize the Raiders were reluctant to feature him on passing downs last year. There's still a long way to go in free agency and the draft before White is truly in the clear.
For more on Jacobs, click here.
D'Ernest Johnson
- Re-signed with the Jaguars on a one-year deal (3/12)
Johnson averaged a career-low 2.6 yards per carry while splitting backup reps with Tank Bigsby throughout most of the season. The rising second-year back is tentatively expected to take on a larger role in 2024, making Johnson likely at least two injuries away from having any level of relevance in fantasy land.
Ty Johnson
- Re-signed with the Bills (3/14)
Buffalo leaned on Johnson ahead of Leonard Fournette and even Latavius Murray down the stretch of 2023. Hell, Johnson somehow racked up 19 combined carries and targets in the Bills' two playoff games last season.
While Johnson wasn't overly dynamic with his opportunities, the Bills seem to trust him as both a rusher and receiver. There's a non-zero chance the 26-year-old veteran opens up 2024 as James Cook's direct backup, although there's still plenty of time for Buffalo to add to their backfield in either free agency or the draft.
Johnson probably won't have a viable fantasy role in 2024, but he's someone to keep an eye on in the waiver wire rat race for larger leads should he make it out of training camp as the No. 2 RB.
Aaron Jones
- Signed with the Vikings on a one-year, $7 million deal (3/12)
Jones woke up and chose revenge.
Seeing the long-time Packers RB in purple will take some getting used to, but the landing spot should at least yield a pretty solid bell-cow role for the 29-year-old veteran.
Reminder: Jones ended his 2023 season with five consecutive 100-plus yard efforts and ranked eighth in EPA per rush among 62 qualified backs. The only sign of Father Time was Jones playing in a career-low 11 regular season games due to a hamstring injury.
Of course, going from an ascending Packers offense to the Sam Darnold-led Vikings isn't exactly what the cool kids would call an upgrade. Competition in the form of Ty Chandler shouldn't be much of a problem; just realize Jones will need to maintain his gaudy efficiency numbers in order to make up for the probable newfound lack of fantasy-friendly scoring opportunities.
For more on A-aron, click here.
Zonovan Knight (ERFA)
- Re-signed with the Lions on a one-year deal (3/7)
Knight is in the running for the No. 3 RB job behind David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. He's far from a lock to make the final roster.
Joe Mixon
- Traded to the Texans in exchange for a seventh-round pick (3/12)
Originally believed to be released, the Bengals managed to find a trade partner for their long-time veteran RB after all.
The landing spot is nothing short of ideal, as the Texans had a massive gap to fill at RB after letting Devin Singletary sign with the Giants on Monday.
If you read Matthew Berry’s 25 most interesting things he heard at the combine article then you would already know that the Bengals were planning on parting ways with the 27-year-old talent. While the veteran deserves credit for racking up 8,551 total yards and 62 TDs during his seven seasons in Cincinnati, he’s struggled to consistently crack four yards per carry over the years and has had some off-the-field issues of late.
And yet, volume is king in fantasy land, and there's more of it inside of an ascending Texans offense than just about anywhere else. This offense figures to continue leaning on C.J. Stroud and the passing game, but offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik did prove willing to largely lean on one single RB (Singletary) down the stretch of 2023 – something that bodes VERY well for Mixon's fantasy upside ahead of next season.
Don't get it twisted: Mixon won't be ranked as a top-12 option at the position anytime soon – but volume-based borderline RB2 treatment alongside guys like Najee Harris (RB24 APD), James Conner (RB25) and Brian Robinson (RB26)? That makes sense!
Zack Moss
- Signed with the Bengals on a two-year, $8 million deal (3/11)
The Bengals released longtime bell-cow RB Joe Mixon in a corresponding move, setting up Moss to work as their potential 1.A RB alongside rising second-year speedster Chase Brown.
The fit couldn't be better: Moss excelled in the Colts' 11-personnel, shotgun-heavy offense last season … and he now finds himself in another offense that loves to attack its opponents on the ground from the same look.
Santana and Sinorice's cousin certainly proved capable of handling a featured role on the ground during the first part of the 2023 season with Jonathan Taylor (back) sidelined:
- Week 2: 18-88-1 rushing, 4-19-0 receiving
- Week 3: 30-122-0, 2-23-1
- Week 4: 18-70-0, 0-0-0
- Week 5: 23-165-2, 2-30-0
Moss played well enough to actively eat into JT’s workload upon return, ultimately finishing the year as the league’s fifth-most efficient RB in rushing yards over expected per carry (Next-Gen Stats).
Don't expect Moss to steal Mixon's RB27 ADP immediately, but it'd make sense if the Bengals' newfound lead early-down back joins Brown (RB32) inside the position's top-36 options ahead of draft season. Note that the latter back never eclipsed even a 30% snap rate on offense last season, but man oh man can he fly.
Ultimately, Moss profiles as the lead early-down and short-yardage back inside of an offense that ranked seventh in scoring in both 2021 and 2022 with a fully healthy version of Joe Burrow under center. This is the profile of a TD-dependent RB2 – a discount David Montgomery or Najee Harris if you will.
Tony Pollard
- Signed with the Titans on a three-year deal worth up to $24 million (3/11)
The move comes as a bit of a surprise considering the Titans weren't willing to keep Derrick Henry around. It's not exactly a great landing spot for Pollard considering Tyjae Spears should still be involved; the offensive upside in Tennessee also doesn't quite match what he would have been looking at in Dallas or Philadelphia.
Still, it wasn't that long ago that Pollard was one of the game’s single-best RBs at creating yards after contact and ripping off explosive runs. Last season he at least proved capable of handling a career-high 307 touches and played in all 18 of the Cowboys’ regular season and playoff games. No RB scored more PPR points per game BELOW expected (-53.2) than Pollard last season, meaning he 1.) Sucked, and/or 2.) Was really unlucky.
Folks hoping the latter statement was more true can find solace in the fact that Pollard did indeed improve starting in Week 11 last season when he stated he finally felt fully healthy:
- Weeks 1-10: 3.9 yards per carry, 2.7 yards after contact per carry, 7.4% explosive run play rate, 0.93 yards per route run, PFF’s No. 39 graded rusher
- Weeks 11-WC: 4 yards per carry, 3 yards after contact per carry, 9% explosive run play rate, 0.64 yards per route run, PFF’s No. 1 graded rusher
Ultimately, both Spears (RB18 Underdog ADP) and Pollard (RB22) will likely struggle to find a spot inside the position's top-24 ahead of 2024. The likelihood for a committee inside of an unproven offense with PFF's reigning 32nd-ranked offensive line simply isn't all that appealing. EXTREME high-end efficiency will likely be needed for either to make up for the expected lack of elite volume and scoring opportunities at hand.
For more on Pollard, click here.
Ronnie Rivers (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Rams (2/23)
The front-runner for RB2 duties in Los Angeles at the moment behind Kyren Williams, although the Rams have proved more than willing to simply sign and start a veteran off the street when their lead RB has gone down in past years.
Still, Rivers did lead the way when Williams went down in the playoffs with a hand injury; at a minimum, the 25-year-old RB could see something close to a three-down role while leading the backup offense during the preseason.
Trey Sermon (RFA)
- Re-signed with the Colts (3/14)
The former third-round pick handled 38 touches in 14 games for the Colts last season, most notably converting 17 rush attempts into 88-scoreless yards during a blowout 30-13 win over the Steelers in Week 15. Still, Sermon struggled to displace Tyler Goodson behind Jonathan Taylor and isn't guaranteed to make the active roster in 2024.
Devin Singletary
- Signed with the Giants on a three-year, $16.5 million deal worth up to $19.5 million (3/11)
Well, that didn't take long for the Giants to find their replacement for Saquon Barkley: Singletary is reunited with Brian Daboll, who served as his offensive coordinator during the first three seasons of his career with the Bills.
While Daboll didn't exactly feed Singletary a massive workhorse role (180, 194 and 228 touches), he has proven more willing to leave a single RB on the field than most over the years. Look no further than last season when Barkley played 80% of the offense's snaps during the 14 games that he was healthy enough to suit up.
Only the Cowboys offered more available rush attempts than the Giants ahead of the free-agency cycle; this landing spot is about as good as Singletary could have hoped for. Credit to the veteran RB for joining Derrick Henry, David Montgomery, Alvin Kamara and Josh Jacobs as the league’s only five RBs with at least 900 total yards in each of the past five seasons.
It'd make sense if Singletary settles into the low-end RB2 range alongside fellow lead backs in meh offenses like Najee Harris (RB24), James Conner (RB25) and Brian Robinson (RB26). This means the ex-Bills/Texans RB has a LONG way to go up from his current RB40 ADP; don't be afraid to buy the current discounted afforded to the Giants' new featured RB.
D'Andre Swift
- Signed with the Bears on a three-year, $24 million deal with $14 million guaranteed (3/11)
It's one of the largest RB deals of the last nine free agency cycles. The 25-year-old talent has just 788 career touches, although injuries have led to Swift missing 11 games during his four-year career.
Kudos to Swift for racking up a career-high 1,263 yards in 2023, working as the Eagles’ lead back essentially all season after Kenneth Gainwell suffered a rib injury in Week 1. The ex-Lions talent posted above-average marks in most efficiency metrics and provided an early-season spark as a pass-catcher.
Two key problems:
- Swift was brutal at consistently picking up yards after contact. This is true in terms of raw yards after contact (2.42, 45th) and especially in terms of the percentage of carries to achieve at least two yards after contact (49%, last).
- The Eagles ignored him as a pass-catcher down the stretch. Largely believed to be one of the game’s better receiving backs, Swift’s average of 3.3 receptions for 19.7 yards per game in Weeks 1-11 sunk to 1.4 catches and seven yards per game during his final seven contests.
Of course, the tush push movement also hurt Swift’s overall counting numbers. Only Joe Mixon (7) was stopped at the one-yard line and failed to score on the same drive more than Swift (6) last season.
It'd make sense if the dollar amount afforded to Swift results in larger pass-down and goal-line roles in Chicago; just realize the continued presence of a dual-threat QB in Caleb Williams or Justin Fields might not lead to the best fantasy ceiling possible. Still, beggars can't be choosers – Swift's status as the Bears' undisputed lead back should lead to a warranted low-end RB2 ADP; he'll be in play next to guys like Aaron Jones (RB16), Alvin Kamara (RB17) and Tyjae Spears (RB18) if not higher.
For more on Swift, click here.
Trayveon Williams
- Re-signs with the Bengals on a one-year extension (3/11)
Trayveon Williams primarily worked on special teams with a limited role on offense. His inability to see more playing time has been curious as Samaje Perine left for Denver, and the team took Chase Brown in the fifth round of last year's draft. Joe Mixon's departure (and Zack Moss's entrance) does put the Bengals' backfield in flux. Let's let the summer play out to see if Williams has a shot at a worthwhile role for fantasy.
J.K. Dobbins
Ezekiel Elliott
Kareem Hunt
Dalvin Cook
Cam Akers (RFA)
Eno Benjamin
Brandon Bolden
Matt Breida
Rico Dowdle
Clyde Edwards-Helaire
D'Onta Foreman
Royce Freeman
Melvin Gordon (SFA)
Derrick Gore (RFA)
Damien Harris
Mohamed Ibrahim (SFA)
Joshua Kelley
Marlon Mack
Jerick McKinnon
Latavius Murray
Dare Ogunbowale
Cordarrelle Patterson
Rashaad Penny
Craig Reynolds
Boston Scott
Patrick Taylor (RFA)
Austin Walter (RFA)
Jonathan Ward
Dwayne Washington
Emanuel Wilson (ERFA)
Wide Receiver
Nelson Agholor
- Re-signed with the Ravens on a one-year deal (2/18)
Dropping babies memes aside: Agholor has been a solid complementary WR for the better part of his nine-year career. This included 2023, as Agholor actually averaged the second-most yards per target (8.5) of any Ravens WR.
Don't expect the soon-to-be 31-year-old WR to make much noise in fantasy land on his own accord, although there's a chance he limits the upside of his more fantasy-relevant teammates: Zay Flowers (87%) was the only Ravens WR to run a route on a higher percentage of Lamar Jackson's dropbacks than Agholor (66%) following the team's Week 13 bye.
Michael Bandy
- Re-signed with the Broncos (1/3)
Bandy only appeared in one game and didn't catch a pass for the Broncos in 2023; the 26-year-old former undrafted free agent is well off the fantasy grid at the moment.
Braxton Berrios
- Re-signed with the Dolphins on a one-year deal worth up to $3 million (3/16)
Currently the favorite to work as the No. 3 WR in Miami behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. The former Jets slot maven served in this role for chunks of 2023, but ultimately only wound up catching 27 passes for 238 yards and one TD last season.
Berrios also serves as the team's punt and kick returner; it's hardly a guarantee that he locks down a starting WR job here. The 28-year-old veteran is only a viable fantasy option in return-friendly formats.
Kendrick Bourne
- Re-signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $19.5 million deal with a maximum value of $33 million (3/10)
It’s realistic to believe Bourne will be ready for Week 1 considering he got his ACL surgery done in mid-November.
Here's to hoping the 28-year-old veteran manages to return to 100%; he's quietly made the most out of his opportunities since joining the Patriots back in 2021.
ESPN analytics best overall WRs ratings
- 2023: 68 (tied for No. 14)
- 2022: 56 (tied for No. 51)
- 2021: 83 (tied for No. 2)
This hasn't translated to much fantasy production – Bourne's average of nine PPR points per game since 2021 ranks just 58th among all WRs to play at least 16 games during that span – but he's flashed enough high-end target-earning ability to maintain some level of optimism ahead of 2024.
From Dwain McFarland's excellent free agency WR preview article:
“Bourne was on his way to a top-36 finish before an injury cost him his final eight games. His 23% TPRR was WR2-worthy, and his 1.73 YPRR was borderline WR3 material. However, his career-high TPRR before 2023 was 17%, and it is hard to find a more WR-needy team than last year’s Patriots.”
Don't expect Bourne to be flirting with a top-150 ADP anytime soon; just realize Bourne, Demario Douglas and Hunter Henry currently profile as the team's top-three pass-game options. Throw in the probable scenario where the Patriots use the No. 3 overall pick on a high-end rookie QB, and we could have a sneaky-solid late-round dart on our hands here.
Noah Brown
- Re-signed with the Texans on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million (3/11)
Brown was actually awesome for the Texans in 2023 when not injured, posting blowup 6-153-1, 7-172-0 and 8-82-1 receiving lines at various points throughout the season.
The ex-Cowboys talent wasn't consistently relied on as a starter when each of Nico Collins, Tank Dell and Robert Woods were healthy; just realize the 28-year-old veteran has streamer week upside when any of those parties miss time. Brown represents a potential handy bye-week filler down the road and someone C.J. Stroud-drafters could look to stack in the final round of a best-ball draft.
Chris Conley
- Re-signed with the 49ers on a one-year deal (3/16)
The 31-year-old veteran notably caught an 18-yard pass in the 49ers' most recent Super Bowl loss to the Chiefs. At best, Conley will work as San Fran's WR4 next season; he's not expected to garner a fantasy-relevant role either way.
Jamison Crowder
- Signed with the Commanders on a one-year, $1.2M deal (3/13)
Re-signing the soon-to-be 31-year-old slot receiver makes sense in theory. But results might not match expectations.
Per PFF, the 5'9"-177lb. receiver has spent 76.3% of his snaps in the slot over his nine-year career. So with Curtis Samuel (70.2% slot rate in '23) still adrift in the free agency pool, retaining an interior option for Sam How-, I mean, Marcus Mario-, I mean, Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels makes sense. But again, the on-field impact might not be the same.
Samuel's 4.2 YAC per reception was second-highest on the team. Plus, he was right behind Terry McLaurin in explosive catch rate. Crowder's only hit those marks in spurts over the years. Having two sturdy bookends like McLaurin and Jahan Dotson may be all Washington needs to field a competitive squad. But Crowder will need to force his way into the target tree to be fantasy relevant in 2024.
Gabe Davis
- Signed with the Jaguars on a three-year, $39 million deal with incentives that could reach $50 million (3/11)
The move seemingly means Calvin Ridley won't be returning to Jacksonville.
The good: Including playoffs, Davis has caught a whopping 33 TDs since entering the NFL back in 2020 – tied with CeeDee Lamb (!) for the 10th-highest mark in the league. Not too shabby, especially when considering Davis was regularly asked to be the No. 2 pass-game option behind Stefon Diggs.
The bad: The underlying efficiency numbers are … not great.
Davis among 95 WRs with 150-plus targets since 2020 (including playoffs)
- PFF receiving grade: 73.9 (No. 57)
- Yards per route run: 1.51 (No. 58)
- Targets per route run: 15.5% (No. 82)
Kudos to Davis for being second in yards per reception during this span, although that’s not entirely unexpected considering he also boasts the group’s second-highest average target depth. First in both categories? Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Going from Josh Allen to Trevor Lawrence isn't exactly an upgrade (to be fair, it's pretty damn hard to find an upgrade from Allen anywhere); warranting a top-36 ranking for Davis ahead of 2024 is going to be TOUGH. Think of the now ex-Bills veteran as a boom-or-bust WR4 who is suddenly inside of a passing attack that figures to not be achieving the former outcome as often as his last employer.
However, replacing Ridley with Davis represents a rather nice boost to the likes of Christian Kirk and Evan Engram, who both now seem cemented as T-Law's top-two pass-game options.
For more on Davis, click here.
Greg Dortch
- Tendered by the Cardinals (3/7)
Dortch supplied arguably the funniest moment of 2023 on his way to serving as a quietly solid complementary WR for the second season in a row. This pint-sized YAC-induced BEAST has made the very most out of his limited opportunities over the past two seasons. Seriously: These highlights are borderline erotic.
Fantasy Life's Matthew Freedman has them selecting Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr. with the fourth overall pick in his most recent mock draft; don't expect Dortch to take over this passing attack anytime soon, but at a minimum, he's capable of pushing for a full-time role in the slot now that Rondale Moore resides in Atlanta.
Devin Duvernay
- Signed with the Jaguars on a two-year, $8.5 million deal worth up to $12.5 million (3/11)
The former All-Pro special teamer is presumably a replacement for free agent Jamal Agnew. While Duvernay is capable on offense (94-898-5 receiving, 27-219-1 rushing in four career seasons), he's tentatively expected to work as the No. 4 WR at best behind the likes of Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis and Zay Jones.
This is a solid enough real-life signing, but not exactly a needle mover in fantasy land.
Mike Evans
- Re-signed with the Buccaneers on a two-year, $52 million deal with $35 million guaranteed (3/4)
Evans has gone a perfect 10-for-10 in logging 1,000-yard seasons since joining the Buccaneers in 2014, and neither his 2023 film nor his underlying efficiency numbers (2.23 yards per route run ranked 12th among 80 qualified WRs) showed any real signs of decline this past year.
Of course, Father Time is undefeated and Evans does turn 31 in August. There simply haven't been many WRs who have continued to post top-12 fantasy numbers into their 30s in recent history, but then again the likely future Hall of Famer isn't like most receivers.
The reigning WR10's consensus Fantasy Life Rankings could boost higher in a hurry should the Buccaneers lock down QB Baker Mayfield next.
K.J. Hamler
- Signed with the Bills (1/20)
Hamler has been limited to just 23 games since entering the league back in 2020 due to numerous hamstring issues as well as devasting season-ending ACL and chest injuries. His elite deep speed (4.32-second 40-yard dash) would help any offense in the league; here's to hoping the injury Gods chill out one of these years.
Tee Higgins
- Franchise tagged by the Bengals (2/26)
Higgins and the Bengals' failure to reach a long-term agreement means there's still a possibility that he's traded.
If he is not traded then Joe Burrow will have his overqualified No. 2 WR around for at least one more year. Higgins didn't live up to his usual lofty standards in 2023 on his way to setting career-low marks in receptions (42), yards (656) and TDs (5), but rib and hamstring injuries caused him to miss five games while exiting two additional contests early. Burrow's own injuries didn't help matters either.
There were still plenty of examples that the 25-year-old talent is still a force to be reckoned with on the gridiron. Boom performances against the Ravens (8-89-2, Bills (8-110-0), Vikings (4-61-2) and Steelers (5-140-1) demonstrated the reality that Higgins remains fully capable of single-handedly winning fantasy matchups.
Cris Collinsworth voice: We got a guy here who has put up HUGE fantasy numbers during his short career since joining forces with Burrow despite having to also share the field with Ja'Marr Chase:
- 2020: 12.2 PPR points per game (WR38)
- 2021: 15.7 (WR12)
- 2022: 13.8 (WR19)
- 2023: 11.5 (WR41)
Don't be surprised if Higgins' presently affordable average draft position (ADP) skyrockets should the Bengals refrain from trading him to a less fantasy-friendly offense.
Mack Hollins
- Signed with the Bills (3/13)
The outspoken hater of cats provides a big (literally) boost to the Bills' Gabe Davis-less WR room. Don't expect Hollins to emerge as Josh Allen's go-to target – his 251 receiving yards last season were the second most of his career – but the addition makes sense inside of a WR room with essentially no proven commodities other than Stefon Diggs and Khalil Shakir.
Fantasy Life's Matthew Freedman has the Bills selecting LSU WR Brian Thomas Jr. with the 28th overall pick in his latest mock draft. A move of this caliber would probably push Hollins out of starting three-WR sets. His fantasy ceiling is probably as a boom-or-bust WR4 type, while his floor is working as the team's fourth or fifth WR.
Lil'Jordan Humphrey
- Re-signed with the Broncos on a one-year deal (3/13)
One of Sean Payton's guys, Humphrey caught 13 of 19 targets for 162 yards and a trio of TDs as a backup WR for the Broncos in 2023. The Jerry Jeudy trade does leave an opening in three-WR sets, although Courtland Sutton, Tim Patrick and Marvin Mims are tentatively believed to be next in line ahead of Humphrey.
It's very unlikely Humphrey will carve out any level of fantasy relevance in 2024 and beyond.
Trenton Irwin
- Re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year, $2 million deal (3/15)
Served alongside Andrei Iosivas as the Bengals' top-two backup receivers in 2023. Of course, the eventual landing spot of Tyler Boyd (unrestricted free agent) and Tee Higgins (requested a trade) could elevate both Irwin and Iosivas into bigger roles ahead of 2024.
Ultimately, it'd still be surprising to see Irwin consistently out there in three WR sets. The former undrafted free agent has cleared the 50-yard mark in just three of his 27 career games; Irwin is more of a quality backup than someone fantasy managers should be overly interested in. I'd much rather throw a late-round dart at Iosivas.
Van Jefferson
- Agrees to a one-year deal with the Steelers. (3/15)
Are the Steelers turning into the mid-2010s Seahawks?
Are we going to see those classic moonballs from Russell Wilson?
It all seems possible now.
With Van Jefferson (14.8 career aDOT) and George Pickens (14.4) on either side of Wilson, safeties better back up a bit farther. And with Calvin Austin III (slot guy) and a gaggle of ancillary options as his competition, Jefferson may see significant work in this new Pittsburgh offense.
Jauan Jennings (RFA)
- Tendered by the 49ers (3/11)
Fun fact: I made a highlight mixtape of Jennings’ best blocks before the Super Bowl that got enough steam to be re-posted by none other than Christian McCaffrey, who has since refrained from doing much else on his X profile. This means CMC and I are best friends.
Back to reality (ope, there goes gravity): Only two WRs received a run-blocking grade of at least 80.0 in 2023 from PFF: Puka Nacua (80.4) and Jennings (80.1). Whether it’s leading up into the teeth of the defense, or putting in all the effort in the world to get his teammate an extra few yards of YAC: Jennings is a big reason why the 49ers ranked first and fourth in explosive pass and run play rate this season.
Jennings has only caught 25 total passes this season, but that’s mostly because Brock Purdy generally has a ton of other avenues to go with the football.
As the third-year receiver demonstrated in the playoffs: Jennings (5-61-0 vs. the Packers) is capable of making some big plays as a receiver when forced into a bigger role. His remarkable one-handed catch against the Lions reinforced the “3rd and Jauan” nickname, and there was a five-minute stretch of the Super Bowl where he unironically looked like the MVP frontrunner after making one helluva TD pass and also hauling in a short score.
Will Jennings be a fantasy-relevant WR in 2024? It's unlikely – but he could be a rare complementary option with the ability to rise into the FLEX conversation should one of the 49ers' top-two WRs miss any game action.
Jerry Jeudy
- Traded to the Browns for 2024 fifth and sixth-round picks (3/9)
The much-maligned former first-round pick finally has a new home after years of trade rumors. Jeudy is immediately expected to step into a starting spot in three-WR sets alongside Amari Cooper and (probably) Elijah Moore.
On one hand, Jeudy is an upgrade over the likes of Cedric Tillman and David Bell. On the other, the believed route-running savant simply hasn't been the same separator in recent seasons. Just look at his ESPN “Open” scores over the past three years:
- 2023: 60 (tied for No. 38 among qualified WRs)
- 2022: 80 (No. 11)
- 2021: 79 (No. 10)
Jeudy's 2023 campaign is mostly memorable because:
- Steve Smith Sr. brutally called him out on live television.
- One time the 24-year-old talent faked a forward pass downfield … and it worked!
Ultimately, Jeudy has reached 80 yards in just seven of his 57 career games. He now enters a passing attack that has been among the league's least-productive groups with Deshaun Watson under center. America loves a comeback, but it's tough to see Jeudy emerging as anything more than a boom-or-bust fantasy WR4 as the No. 2 pass-game option (at best) inside of an offense that ranks 28th (56.5%) in overall pass play rate over the past four seasons under head coach Kevin Stefanski.
Collin Johnson (RFA)
- Extended by the Bears (3/8)
The former fifth-round pick has just 30 receptions for 388 yards and a pair of scores since entering the league back in 2020. Johnson only received one target in three games with the Bears last season despite the WR room not exactly boasting a ton of competition other than D.J. Moore and Darnell Mooney.
It'd be surprising if Johnson earns a consistent offensive role in Chicago or anywhere else in 2024.
Diontae Johnson
- Traded to the Panthers with a seventh-round pick in exchange for CB Donte Jackson and a sixth-round pick (3/12)
The Panthers spent nine figures on Bryce Young's offensive line on Monday, and on Tuesday they got him a bona fide stud receiver.
Yes: Johnson is objectively a very good NFL WR. Drops have certainly occurred, but fun fact: Puka Nacua led the NFL in drops last season, and nobody cares! Because nobody should. Peep the statistic's leaderboard during any given season and you'll see a bunch of ballers who got open often enough to earn a bunch of targets that (unfortunately) led to quite a few drops along the way.
Ultimately, the one thing that Johnson does better than just about anyone: Separation. ESPN analytics' “Open Score” WR rating has does a good job of quantifying this in recent years:
- 2023: 78 (No. 11 among all qualified WRs)
- 2022: 99 (No. 1)
- 2021: 87 (No. 4)
- 2020: 92 (No. 3)
- 2019: 91 (No. 2)
The biggest issue most have with Johnson is that time he didn't realize a live fumble was rolling around by his feet. Not a great moment! That said: Johnson literally scored a TD the play before that was ultimately called incomplete despite rules expert Gene Steratore believing the play should have in fact yielded six points.
Overall, Johnson profiles as the new No. 1 target in Carolina ahead of soon-to-be 34-year-old WR Adam Thielen. Whether or not this amounts to boat load of fantasy production depends more so on if Young can prove his miserable rookie season was more due to his porous offensive environment as opposed to, you know, him just sucking.
Probable lack of scoring upside be damned: Johnson profiles as one of fantasy's cheapest WRs with the upside to EASILY command triple-digit targets. Is this Carolina passing game REALLY that much worse than the one he just left and previously posted WR29 production in PPR points per game over the past three years in?
Elsewhere: Wheels up, George Pickens managers. The rising third-year WR already looked like the best fit for Russell Wilson's moonball habits; now the contested-catch savant faces essentially zero target competition for the first time of his career.
Pickens in four games without Johnson over the past two seasons:
- Week 2, 2023: 4 receptions-127 yards-1 TD
- Week 3, 2023: 4-75-0
- Week 4, 2023: 3-25-0
- Week 5, 2023: 6-130-1
Look for Pickens to wind up in the low-end WR2 range alongside fellow No. 1 WR in somewhat questionable passing games like Michael Pittman (WR20 ADP), D.K. Metcalf (WR21) and Drake London (WR23). A third-year boom is plenty possible, if not expected.
Tim Jones (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Jaguars (3/8)
Jones has caught 14 passes in 34 games with the Jaguars over the past two seasons and remains well off the fantasy radar.
Ray-Ray McCloud
- Signed with the Falcons on a two-year deal (3/14)
Every team needs a gadget guy on their team. Not for any real reason, but having the title sounds cool. And Ray-Ray McCloud fits the bill.
At 5'9"-190lbs, McCloud hasn't seen more than 30 targets in a single season since 2021. Since then, he's played behind the trio of pass-catchers in San Francisco. He's played in the slot (34.8% snap rate), outside (64.5%) and taken a few handoffs from Brock Purdy. With his ability to work after the catch (7.3 YAC per reception in 2023), the Falcons will find something to do with him--much to the chagrin of fantasy managers.
Isaiah McKenzie
- Signed with the Giants (3/12)
McKenzie posted career-high marks in receptions (42), receiving yards (423) and receiving TDs (4) during his 2022 campaign with the Bills, but then struggled to get much of anything going with the Colts (11-82-0) in 2023.
This move feels like more of a “WR4 and returner” play than someone who is a serious threat to enter starting three-WR sets. Those duties are tentatively expected to be held by Wan'Dale Robinson, Darius Slayton and Jalin Hyatt – and Fantasy Life's Matthew Freedman has the Giants selecting stud LSU WR Malik Nabers with the sixth overall pick in his latest mock draft.
Darnell Mooney
- Signed with the Falcons on a three-year, $39 million deal with $26 million guaranteed (3/12)
The money seems high considering Mooney has posted mediocre 40-493-2 and 31-414-1 receiving lines over the past two seasons. That time he burnt Jalen Ramsey on a double move was cool and all; just realize his far more recent viral moment was kicking a would-be Hail Mary catch straight to the Browns defense.
Obviously, going from Justin Fields to Kirk Cousins is a solid upgrade, but there's also quite a bit of target competition here in the form of Drake London and Kyle Pitts. $39 million should guarantee Mooney a starting spot in three-WR sets; just realize there really isn't much history of the 26-year-old veteran making ALL that much noise in fantasy land:
- 2020: 9.5 PPR points per game (WR59)
- 2021: 12.9 (WR29)
- 2022: 8.5 (WR59)
- 2023: 5.3 (WR88)
Many expected Mooney to take his talents to Kansas City; this landing spot is a decent downgrade – especially if the Falcons add another WR to the group with one of their day one or day two draft picks.
Mooney isn't anything more than a boom-or-bust WR5 option and doesn't profile as someone fantasy managers should go out of their way to land this season.
Chris Moore
- Signed with the Cardinals (3/18)
While this is one of the weaker WR depth charts across the league at the moment, it's unlikely the soon-to-be 31-year-old veteran will make much of an impact here next season. Kudos to Moore for quietly posting 48-548-2 and 22-424-0 receiving lines with the Texans and Titans over the past two seasons, but Arizona is tentatively expected to roll with Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch in three-WR sets in 2024.
Rondale Moore
- Traded to the Falcons in exchange for QB Desmond Ridder (3/15)
The pint-sized speedster hasn't exactly been blessed with the best injury luck during his short three-year NFL career. This applies to both Moore personally and franchise Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
Still, the former 49th overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft has posted mediocre 54-435-1, 41-414-1 and 40-352-1 receiving lines since entering the league in 2021. There have been some splashes as a rusher; just realize expectations haven't exactly been met despite the Cardinals not offering all that much target competition in recent years.
It's not a guarantee Moore has a full-time role in the slot, but he does currently profile as that guy, pal, with Drake London and Darnell Mooney expected to serve as the starting outside WRs. Maybe this produces enough production to treat Moore as a full-PPR WR4 in fantasy land; it'll be a lot easier to feel better about Moore's 2024 upside after the draft.
Gunner Olszewski
- Re-signed with the Giants on a one-year deal (3/11)
Olszewski remains one of the league's better returners; he took a punt 94 yards back to the house last season with the Giants. Still, he's never quite caught on as a pass-catcher, failing to record a single offensive touch in 11 games with the Giants last season.
The former Patriots receiver only holds value in returner-focused fantasy leagues, which hey, maybe you're into that.
K.J. Osborn
- Signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $4 million deal (3/17)
It remains to be seen if Osborn will be able to leap the likes of Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, JuJu Smith-Schuster and/or Tyquan Thornton on the ole depth chart.
Credit to the ex-Vikings receiver for posting 50-655-7, 60-650-5 and 48-540-3 receiving lines over the past three seasons, although he ranks 98th in targets per route run (14%) and 96th in yards per route run (1.11) among 107 WRs with triple-digit targets over the past three seasons.
Osborn is an A+ human being and fine enough complementary receiver; just don't expect him to make too much noise in fantasy land inside of this likely meh rookie-led passing game.
DeVante Parker
- Signed with the Eagles on a one-year, $4.69 million deal (3/12)
Parker will compete to start in three WR sets alongside A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Last year this role was shared by the likes of Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus and Julio Jones ... and they combined for just 60 total targets on the season.
Dead last in Next-Gen Stats' separation rating for four consecutive seasons, Parker (31) hasn't cleared 40 receptions, 550 yards or three TDs in a single season since 2020. Don't be surprised if Parker flashes a few patented dope contested matches throughout 2024, but he profiles as a low-floor WR6/streamer option at best inside of this crowded passing game.
Donovan Peoples-Jones
- Re-signed with the Lions on a one-year, $2 million deal (3/16)
DPJ struggled to find a consistent offensive role with the Lions and was mostly used as a return specialist after Kalif Raymond got injured. The ex-Browns talent probably won't be a full-time player in 2024, although there is an opening in three-WR sets alongside Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams if current free agent Josh Reynolds doesn't return.
Even then, Peoples-Jones wouldn't be more than a late-round dart inside of an offense that loves to keep its high-end pass-catching TE and RB plenty involved on a weekly basis.
Michael Pittman, Jr.
- Re-signed with the Colts on a three-year deal worth up to $71.5 million with $46 million guaranteed (3/11)
The Colts were clear from the beginning about Pittman not going anywhere even if they failed to agree on a long-term deal.
From Fantasy Life's Dwain McFarland's free agency WR preview: Pittman had a career year in 2023, delivering his best marks in target share, TPRR, air yards share and YPRR. His target share, TPRR and air yards share were WR1-worthy, while his YPRR was at WR2 levels.
Dwain went on to explain that Pittman's closest historical comps are none other than Keenan Allen, Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Thomas and Robert Woods. Not too shabby!
It remains to be seen if the Colts will attempt to further spruce up their WR room — either way, Pittman is deserving of mid-tier WR2 treatment (especially in full-PPR scoring) coming off his 109-1,152-4 campaign. This is one of the game's best short-and-intermediate receivers at the moment.
Brandon Powell
- Re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year deal (3/12)
Powell posted career-high marks in receptions (29) and receiving yards (324) last season while playing at least 50% of the offense's snaps in nine separate games. The No. 4 WR behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn, Powell might have a chance to compete for the No. 3 job should the latter WR take his talents elsewhere in free agency.
Of course, there's still plenty of offseason to go; it wouldn't be surprising to see the Vikings utilize a draft pick on the position as well. It's unlikely Powell will be cracking fantasy's top-80 WRs when it comes time to finalize rankings in the Summer.
Jalen Reagor
- Re-signed with the Patriots on a one-year, $1.3 million deal with $442,500 guaranteed (3/11)
The former 21st overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft caught just seven of his 23 targets with the Patriots in 2023, although to be fair many of those were “prayer ball” looks considering Reagor's 17.1-yard average target depth was the ninth-highest mark among all WRs with at least 15 targets last season.
Ultimately, Reagor hasn't gained even 40 receiving yards in a game since 2021; he's not expected to have a fantasy-viable role in New England or anywhere else for that matter in 2024.
Calvin Ridley
- Signed with the Titans on a four-year, $92 million deal with $50 million guaranteed (3/13)
The move comes as a shock considering most reports indicated it was a two-team race featuring the Jaguars and Patriots vying for Ridley's services.
Good for Ridley on getting a bag! That said: These types of big-money free agency deals haven't exactly worked out all that great in recent years.
There's also the reality that most advanced metrics did not believe Ridley was a very good WR in 2023:
- ESPN Receiver Rating: 48 (No. 66 among qualified WRs)
- PFF Receiving Grade: 72.2 (No. 41)
- Yards per route run: 1.57 (No. 46)
- Targets per route run: 20.4% (No. 38)
It’d make sense if Ridley was dealing with some rust after missing the last season and a half of action; just realize he’ll be 30 by the time next season is over – and he left a LOT of yards and TDs on the field in 2023.
Maybe Ridley settles as an affordable WR3 alongside guys like Terry McLaurin (WR33 ADP), Jordan Addison (WR36) and Christian Kirk (WR37), but anything higher could be problematic considering the potential for this passing game to be:
- Not good.
- Fairly evenly split between DeAndre Hopkins and Ridley.
Throw in an unappealing QB situation between Will Levis and Mason Rudolph, and it's hard to be overly optimistic about Ridley's fantasy upside ahead of next season.
For more on Ridley, click here.
Demarcus Robinson
- Re-signed with the Rams on a one-year deal (2/28)
While Robinson will be 30 in September, the former Chiefs talent proved he was still capable of putting together some solid performances alongside Matthew Stafford and company in Los Angeles:
- Week 13: 4 receptions-55 yards-1 TD
- Week 14: 3-46-1
- Week 15: 2-44-1
- Week 16: 6-82-1
- Week 17: 6-92-0
- Wild Card: 3-44-0
D-Rob won on the outside against man coverage with regularity down the stretch and is currently the front-runner to work alongside Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp in three WR sets. We've heard of worse final-round dart throws in best ball land.
Rashid Shaheed (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Saints (3/8)
Shaheed is the only man to average north of 11 yards per target over the past two seasons with triple-digit pass-game opportunities and is fresh off earning first-team All-Pro honors as a returner. He's demonstrated the ability to win both deep downfield and after the catch, resulting in a startling amount of “wow” plays despite never exactly being overly leaned on in New Orleans.
However, the expected departure of Michael Thomas seemingly sets up Shaheed to work as the “Robin” to Chris Olave's “Batman” in 2024 and potentially beyond. Derek Carr is no stranger to enabling some solid fantasy seasons over the years; Shaheed remains a rock-solid later-round dart with the best-case potential to work as a WR3 in fantasy land this season.
Trent Sherfield
- Agreed to terms with the Vikings on a one-year deal worth $1.8M. (3/14)
Trent Sherfield's signing to Minnesota has some potential to be fantasy-relevant. But you have to squint to see it.
Per our Utilization Report, the Vikings ran with three WRs on the field on 64.7% of their plays, the 13th-highest rate in the league. And if that trend continues with HC Kevin O'Connell pulling the strings, we already know who two of the three WRs will be on the field: Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. That leaves Sherfield to battle with soon-to-be 29-year-old Brandon Powell who's played slot and mixed in on special teams. So, Sherfield could get the snaps, but until we know more about their QB situation (Sam Darnold? Ok…), it's hard to get interested in Minnesota's new slot man.
Ihmir Smith-Marsette (RFA)
- Agreed to terms with the Panthers on a one-year deal (3/12)
The return specialist has just 23 total offensive touches in 33 career games. Don't expect to see Smith-Marsette contribute much on offense other than the occasional gadgety-designed touch.
Deven Thompkins
- Tendered by the Buccaneers (3/5)
Gadget option with just 32 touches in 22 games over the past two seasons. Thompkins probably doesn't have the size (5'8", 155 pounds) to work as a full-time player, rendering him as a likely non-viable fantasy asset for the foreseeable future.
Jared Wayne
- Re-signed with the Texans (1/22)
Missed 2023 due to injury and is far from guaranteed to make the final roster in 2024.
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine
- Re-signed with the Titans (3/14)
The big-bodied receiver returns to Tennessee to work behind Calvin Ridley, DeAndre Hopkins and (presumably) Treylon Burks. Westbrook-Ikhine did connect with starting QB Will Levis in some obvious passing situations, as he tied for the second-most conversions among the WRs. Plus, the Indiana product could find space in the red zone. While his path looks muddled, don't be surprised to see him have a splash play or two in this new Derrick-Henry-less offense.
Cedrick Wilson Jr.
- Agreed to a two-year deal with the Saints (3/14)
Maybe now we can see Cedrick Wilson Jr. shine.
I've often put Wilson in the ‘Quez Watkins’ bucket of WRs. You know. The guys if their coaching staff gave them more work, fun things would happen. The ‘eff around and find out, guys.’ Because we've seen flashes from Wilson in the past.
Despite having just a 43.9% route rate, the former Cowboy had a higher explosive play rate (23.1%) than at-the-time teammate Jaylen Waddle (22.4%). Wilson earned more targets in obvious passing situations than any of the ancillary guys Miami tried to trot out (River Cracraft, Robbie Chosen, or Chase Claypool)
In New Orleans, Wilson goes to compete with Rashid Shaheed and sophomore A.T. Perry for looks from Derek Carr. While we all love Shaheed and Perry looked promising in his rookie year, it's a better situation for Wilson than being in the shadow of Waddle and Tyreek Hill.
Mike Williams
Odell Beckham Jr.
Josh Reynolds
Tyler Boyd
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Michael Thomas
D.J. Chark
Jamal Agnew
Devon Allen (SFA)
Lynn Bowden (RFA)
Miles Boykin
Lawrence Cager (RFA)
Parris Campbell
DeAndre Carter
Robbie Chosen
Chase Claypool
Randall Cobb
River Cracraft
Keelan Doss (ERFA)
Alex Erickson
Michael Gallup
Marquise Goodwin
Jakeem Grant
Javelin Guidry (RFA)
Jalen Guyton
Mecole Hardman
Deonte Harty
KhaDarel Hodge
Isaiah Hodgins (RFA)
Richie James
Tyler Johnson (RFA)
Julio Jones
Keith Kirkwood
Scott Miller
David Moore
Jaylon Moore (ERFA)
Tre Nixon (ERFA)
Byron Pringle
James Proche
Joe Reed (ERFA)
Hunter Renfrow
Allen Robinson
Laviska Shenault
Sterling Shepard
Steven Sims (RFA)
Matt Slater
Equanimeous St. Brown
Trent Taylor
Austin Trammell (ERFA)
Laquon Treadwell (SFA)
Quez Watkins
Derek Wright (SFA)
Olamide Zaccheaus
Tight End
Harrison Bryant
- Signed with the Raiders on a one-year, $3.25 million deal (3/13)
Bryant – a former M’Fing Mackey Award winner s/o Evan Silva – posted 3-37-0, 3-25-0, 4-56-2 and 3-15-1 receiving lines in his only four career games with a snap rate north of 75%.
The 25-year-old talent isn't expected to challenge Michael Mayer for a starting job; just realize it's understandable why he failed to see too much action in Cleveland considering how much money they’ve devoted to Austin Hooper and David Njoku over the years.
Bryant doesn't project to hold any standalone fantasy value in 2024, but he could be a sneaky low-priced DFS punt/re-draft streamer should Mayer be forced to miss any time.
Tyler Davis
- Re-signed with the Packers (3/11)
Davis is simply a backup TE option who shines on special teams. Here's to hoping the soon-to-be 27-year-old veteran gets back to 100% following last year's ACL tear, but he's not on the fantasy radar either way.
Will Dissly
- Signed with the Chargers on a three-year, $14 million deal with $10 million guaranteed (3/11)
Dissly’s average of 9.1 yards per target since entering the league in 2018 ranks fifth among 76 TEs with triple-digit targets during that span. Of course, father time and injuries led to career-low marks in yards per catch (10.1) and per target (7.8) in 2023; the porous athleticism on hand doesn’t exactly scream late-career breakout candidate – especially inside of a Chargers offense that seems ready to run the piss out of the football under new head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Zach Ertz
- Signed with the Commanders on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million (3/6)
Ertz will be 34 in November and has likely already played his best football, although the landing spot in Washington is pretty, pretty, pretty ideal:
- The Commanders are fully expected to use the NFL Draft's No. 2 overall pick on a high-profile QB.
- Head coach Kliff Kingsbury featured Ertz quite heavily during their time in Arizona. He scored the third-most fantasy points for a TE under Kingsbury during their first 365 days together (per PFF's Nathan Jahnke).
- Washington has a major hole at TE with Logan Thomas hitting free agency. Only the Bengals, Seahawks and Falcons have more available TE targets than the Commanders at the moment.
Of course, it's also been quite some time since Ertz has been, you know, even a little bit efficient. The long-time Eagle ranks 49th in yards per target (5.3) among 52 players at the position with at least 50 targets over the past two seasons.
The TE position historically ages better than most, but the floor is LOW for Ertz without a full-time, featured pass-game role – something that seems a bit unlikely to come to fruition on a weekly basis in 2024. It's difficult to find a way to squeeze him inside the position's top-20 options ahead of next season.
Gerald Everett
- Signed with the Bears on a two-year, $12 million deal with $6.1 million guaranteed (3/12)
It's a disappointing fantasy landing spot for one of the best remaining free-agent TEs considering 50 million-dollar man Cole Kmet is fully expected to keep on keeping on as the Bears' starting inline TE.
While Everett shouldn't be counted on to have a large enough role to muster much fantasy relevance, his YAC-friendly presence as the offense's “move” TE will certainly add a new dimension to this Bears offense. Just look at this man go after the catch.
Few players at the position have matched his consistent elite-ness with the football in his hands along the way.
- 2023: 5.4 yards after the catch per reception (No. 5 among all TEs with 50-plus targets)
- 2022: 5.8 (No. 7)
- 2021: 5.2 (No. 9)
- 2020: 5.9 (No. 3)
It’s also worth noting that Everett is a swagger hound, rocking a dark visor and No. 7 in recent years. Look good, feel good, play good, as they say.
If anything, Everett's presence should be a bit of a red flag for Kmet considering new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has regularly utilized committees at the position over the years … specifically with Everett in both Los Angeles and Seattle.
Noah Fant
- Re-signed with the Seahawks on a two-year, $21 million deal (3/11)
One of many highly-touted TEs to come out of Iowa, Fant was the 20th overall selection of the 2019 NFL Draft and quickly looked the part of the next big thing at the position with an efficient 40-562-3 receiving line as a rookie.
Unfortunately, porous QB play in Denver and a lack of true high-end target share in Seattle have prevented the athletically gifted talent from ever making a huge difference in fantasy land. Fant hasn’t been bad from an efficiency standpoint, although he never managed to really stand out in a Seahawks offense with plenty of additional high-end avenues to go with the football:
Fant among 27 TEs with 100-plus targets in 2022-23:
- PFF receiving grade: 68.0 (No. 18)
- Passer rating when targeted: 111.1 (No. 5)
- Yards per target: 8.5 (No. 4)
- Yards per reception: 11 (No. 10)
- Yards after the catch per reception: 5 (No. 11)
- Yards per route run: 1.34 (No. 18)
- Targets per route run: 15.7% (No. 23)
The yards per target number is especially intriguing: Only George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Dallas Goedert have managed to best Fant over the past two seasons.
The big question ahead of 2024: Will the Seahawks continue to rotate their TEs under new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb? Backups Will Dissly (Chargers) and Colby Parkinson (Rams) are both out of the picture, leaving Fant as the last man standing in this Geno Smith-led (for now) passing attack.
Ultimately, the money does bode well for Fant's chances of seeing a larger role than in past years. TEs generally take longer than other positions to boom in fantasy land; Fant profiles as a popular late-round upside option at the position should the Seahawks largely refrain from adding too much more competition throughout the rest of the offseason.
Jody Fortson (RFA)
- Signed with the Dolphins (3/15)
Fortson missed the entire 2023 season with a shoulder injury, but previously made the most out of his opportunities (8.6 yards per target) in two seasons as one of Travis Kelce's backups.
The 28-year-old veteran isn't expected to challenge Jonnu Smith for starting duties in Miami.
Cole Fotheringham
- Re-signed with the Raiders on a one-year deal (2/13)
Fotheringham has one career catch and is a clear backup behind Michael Mayer. He's well off the fantasy radar at the moment.
Mike Gesicki
- Signed with the Bengals on a one-year, $2.5 million deal with $400,000 guaranteed (3/12)
The league's best griddy-er finds a new home in Cincy after an underwhelming 2023 campaign in New England.
While Gesicki is still technically listed as a TE, the man doesn’t even celebrate National TE Day for crying out loud. The size (6'6", 247 pounds) and speed (4.54-second 40-yard dash) freak is a receiving weapon first and foremost; this could wind up being more of a replacement for Tyler Boyd than anything.
Of course, the former 42nd overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft hasn’t managed to clear even 400 receiving yards over the past two seasons after posting more than respectable 53-703-6 and 73-780-2 receiving lines in 2020 and 2021.
Truthers can always hope for a late-career turnaround, but at the end of the day Gesicki failed to lock down significant roles in offenses led by:
- Mike McDaniel, who had nobody of note to feature behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
- Former Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien, who REALLY had nobody to worry about overly prioritizing in that New England passing “attack.”
Good news: The Bengals largely have nobody to turn to at TE beyond Drew Sample at the moment. Don't expect Gesicki to earn an every-down role, but he offers extra size in the red zone and figures to be leaned on in obvious pass-first situations. Not a bad get considering the minimal money at hand, although it's unlikely the 28-year-old veteran carves too much of a fantasy-friendly role inside of a passing game that's fully expected to mostly flow through Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.
Hunter Henry
- Re-signed with the Patriots on a three-year, $27 million deal with $16 million guaranteed (3/8)
It's been a while since Henry has been someone fantasy managers have gotten overly excited about.
- 2019 (Chargers): 12.5 PPR points per game (TE8)
- 2020 (Chargers): 10.4 (TE10)
- 2021 (Patriots): 9.7 (TE15)
- 2022 (Patriots): 6.1 (TE27)
- 2023 (Patriots): 8.6 (TE15)
Of course, there wasn’t too much production through the air to go around in New England over the past few seasons, but Henry’s advanced metrics still paint a worrisome picture:
- The veteran TE ranked 15th, 26th and 21st in targets per route run over the past three seasons despite not exactly dealing with a ton of high-end target competition.
- ESPN’s “Open Score” receiver rating tabbed Henry as the league’s fifth-worst TE at creating separation among 44 qualified players at the position in 2023.
Henry won’t be 30 until December, and the TE position historically ages better than most. Still, expecting the veteran to emerge as a big-time producer on his own accord is probably unrealistic. A massive QB upgrade in New England would certainly help, but it remains tough to envision him emerging as more than a TD-dependent TE2 in the year 2024.
Austin Hooper
- Signed with the Patriots on a one-year deal worth up to $4.25 million (3/12)
The move reunites Hooper with Alex Van Pelt, who coached the veteran TE in Cleveland during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Of course, Van Pelt didn't exactly go out of his way to force-feed Hooper the football. David Njoku and Harrison Bryant regularly rotated with the veteran TE, leading to pedestrian (relative to his contract) 46-435-4 and 38-345-3 receiving lines during those two seasons.
Ultimately, Hooper's presence is more of a downgrade to Hunter Henry than anything. Failure for either to lock up a full-time role could render both obsolete in fantasy land considering this passing game also isn't exactly expected to be overflowing with production.
Tanner Hudson
- Re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year deal (3/15)
Hudson enjoyed career-best numbers across the board during his 39-352-1 campaign last season. Still, he regularly split snaps with Drew Sample and Irv Smith Jr., something that looks to be on the table again in 2024 except with Mike Gesicki subbing in for Irv.
As has been the case in recent years: It's unlikely any of the Bengals TEs emerge as overly reliable fantasy options as long as they continue to rotate multiple parties at the position on a weekly basis. eras
Hayden Hurst
- Expected to sign with the Chargers (3/14)
After moving on from Gerald Everett and Mike Williams, this move makes sense.
Hayden Hurst has played the ‘reliable pass-catching TE’ role in spurts throughout his career. He popped up with 85 targets in 2020 as a Falcon after Baltimore decided Mark Andrews was a better option. And spiked again with the Bengals as Joe Burrow's third-best option in obvious passing situations.
At this point, Justin Herbert could use reliable pass-catchers. And with OC Greg Roman likely cooking up a run-heavy scheme, Hurst's ability to play in line will earn him snaps in 2024.
Quintin Morris (ERFA)
- Re-signed with the Bills on a one-year deal (3/11)
Morris has 10 receptions for 110 yards and a pair of scores in 29 career games with the Bills. He's their clear No. 3 TE behind Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox and accordingly someone who is multiple injuries away from having any sort of relevance in fantasy land.
Johnny Mundt
- Re-signed with the Vikings on a one-year, $2.5 million deal (3/8)
Head coach Kevin O'Connell said last year he thinks Mundt is the NFL's best No. 3 TE, which is a pretty hilarious backhanded compliment. Of course, No. 3 TEs don't exactly get featured in their offense's passing game, rendering Mundt (again) as a non-viable fantasy option at the position in 2024 and probably beyond.
Nick Muse
- Tendered by the Vikings (3/5)
Muse is the Vikings' No. 4 TE at the moment, making him iffy to be active on gameday when everyone else is healthy. He remains well off the fantasy radar.
Albert Okwuegbunam
- Re-signed with the Eagles on a one-year deal (2/23)
Didn't record a catch with the Eagles in four games last season. The artist known as Albert O flashed during his first two seasons in Denver (44-451-3 receiving) and possesses the sort of size (6'6", 258 pounds) and speed (4.49-second 40-yard dash) combination to take a lonely fantasy analyst from six to midnight.
Of course, the Eagles remain well-represented at TE with Dallas Goedert, and Jack Stoll also regularly worked ahead of Okwuegbunam down the stretch of last season. Dynasty faithful probably shouldn't be holding out too much hope on Albert O at this point outside of leagues with DEEP benches.
Colby Parkinson
- Signed with the Rams on a three-year, $22.5 million deal with $15.5 million guaranteed (3/11)
It's a pretty hefty amount of money considering Parkinson has spent his entire career as a rotation piece in Seattle. Good on Colby for getting a bag; just realize high-priced free-agent TEs changing teams hasn't historically led to a bunch of fantasy production.
It'd make sense if Parkinson forms a rotation with Davis Allen while Tyler Higbee (ACL) recovers, although there's a chance the Rams move on from the latter veteran. Ultimately, Parkinson has never cleared 25 receptions, 325 yards or two TDs in four career seasons; he's unlikely to be more than a TD-dependent TE2 anytime soon.
Gerrit Prince
- Re-signed with the Chiefs (3/6)
Has never recorded an NFL catch while spending time on the Chiefs and Jaguars practice squads. Prince remains well off the fantasy radar.
Drew Sample
- Re-signed with the Bengals on a three-year, $10.5 million deal (3/11)
Sample now represents the only TE on the Cincy roster. The former second-round pick has averaged just 10.2 yards per game during his five seasons in Cincy, never emerging as a true go-to option at the position.
To be fair, Joe Burrow has largely refrained from featuring his TEs over the years. In terms of expected PPR points per game from Bengals TEs:
- 2021: 7.6 (No. 31)
- 2022: 9 (No. 27)
- 2023: 10.8 (No. 20)
Sample will likely rotate with another body or two in 2024 and isn't expected to emerge as a viable fantasy option anytime soon.
Dalton Schultz
- Re-signed with the Texans on a three-year, $36 million deal with $23.5 million guaranteed (3/5)
The ex-Cowboys veteran demonstrated immediate chemistry with C.J. Stroud in 2023, at one point catching a TD in five of seven games. Overall, Schultz averaged a career-high 10.8 yards per reception on his way to working as fantasy's TE11 in PPR points per game.
Schultz is a quality player – he wouldn't have received the deal he just got if he wasn't – but the larger allure here is simply having a full-time player attached to this prolific Stroud-led passing attack. Last year the Texans posted top-12 marks in total passing yards (4,173, No. 7) and passing TDs (27, No. 12), making it one of the more fantasy-friendly situations for any pass-catcher around the league.
Early Underdog ADP has Schultz sitting as the TE15 behind guys like T.J. Hockenson, Dallas Goedert and Cole Kmet. While each of those three talents are arguably better real-life players than Schultz, the former is coming off an ACL injury and is hardly guaranteed to be ready before midseason, while the latter two TEs might struggle to see the same sort of volume and/or efficiency inside of their respective (likely) more run-first offenses.
Schultz is setting up to be a rock-solid low-end TE1 for the second straight season and he has room to boom into the position's upper echelon should any of the Texans' top WRs miss time due to injury.
Irv Smith Jr.
- Signed with the Chiefs on a one-year, $1.3 million deal (3/12)
Smith has been a popular sleeper in fantasy circles ever since being selected with the 50th overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, but he never managed to gain even 400 yards in a season during three years in Minnesota and one in Cincinnati.
Obviously, Travis Kelce's playing time and role won't be impacted by this move; more than anything it's a good low-cost, decent-upside addition for an offense that needed to replace free agents Blake Bell and Jody Fortson.
Jonnu Smith
- Signed with the Dolphins on a two-year deal worth up to $10 million (3/7)
The 28-year-old veteran is coming off career-best marks in receptions (50) and receiving yards (582), showcasing plenty of his patented YAC ability along the way. Overall, only Isaiah Likely and George Kittle posted better ESPN YAC scores than Smith in 2023.
Any conversation surrounding Jonnu typically boils down to people being angry about Kyle Pitts not being utilized more, although at some point the former TE deserves credit for largely making the most out of his opportunities.
Smith among 24 TEs with 50-plus targets in 2023:
- Yards per route run: 1.55 (tied for No. 10)
- Yards per reception: 11.6 (No. 4)
- Targets per route run: 18.4% (No. 17)
- Yards per target: 8.3 (No. 3)
The fast get faster in Miami. Although, Smith’s fantasy ceiling isn’t all that high considering Dolphins TEs rank dead last in total targets (120) since Mike McDaniel got to town back in 2022. Wild but true: You can’t score fantasy points in the year 2024 without getting the football first.
Don't hate the player, hate the ADP: Smith is a fine enough late-round dart, but he doesn't profile as more than a TD-dependent TE2 option when Miami has healthy versions of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle available.
Jack Stoll (RFA)
- Reached an agreement for a one-year deal with the Giants (3/14)
So the Eagles get Saquon Barkley, and the Giants get Jack Stoll.
Seems fair. Let's see how this works out.
Stoll has amassed a whopping 29 targets in his three-year career. Unless Darren Waller is truly considering retirement, the Giants have enough pass-catchers at Stoll's position (and otherwise) to keep the 26-year-old TE from being a fantasy option in 2024.
Stephen Sullivan
- Re-signed with the Panthers on a one-year deal (1/8)
Caught a career-high 12 passes for 125 scoreless yards as a backup rotation piece in Carolina last season. Sullivan remains buried on the depth chart and isn't a realistic fantasy option ahead of 2024.
Adam Trautman
- Re-signed with the Broncos on a two-year deal (3/13)
Trautman played more of an F TE role, with 50.1% of his snaps lined up along the offensive line. However, the Dayton product had the highest route rate of the Broncos' TEs. Plus, his 35 targets were more than double the next closest competitor at his position (14). With Jerry Jeudy's exit, Trautman's (minor) fantasy role may have some appeal in best-ball drafts as a third TE.
Charlie Woerner
- Signed with the Falcons on a three-year, $12 million deal (3/11)
Move over Kyle Pitts: There's a new TE1 in Atlanta.
Just kidding. Woerner is the definition of a block-first TE, as evidenced by his 11 career receptions in 65 games with the 49ers. If anything, his presence as the offense's expected No. 2 TE is great news for Pitts considering the departed Jonnu Smith was a far more accomplished pass-catcher.
Don't expect any sort of fantasy relevance out of Woerner in 2024, but maybe, just maybe, this is the year it all clicks for Mr. Pitts.
Brock Wright (RFA)
- Tendered by the Lions (3/3)
The backup TE has a bit of a cult following in Detroit thanks to his penchant for pulling a few big plays out of his ass every season (7 career TDs on 43 catches). This game-winner against the Jets in 2022 was particularly awesome.
Of course, the main man in the Lions' TE room for the present and future remains Sam LaPorta, rendering Wright as a non-viable fantasy option in 2024 and (probably) beyond.
Shane Zylstra (ERFA)
- Tendered by the Lions (3/3)
Zylstra spent 2023 on the injured reserve list after somehow managing to catch four TDs on just 15 targets in 2022. He's a rotation backup option at best behind LaPorta and company ahead of 2024, rendering the 27-year-old veteran as a non-viable fantasy option.