Bookmark this page that will be updated as transactions change where notable players line up for new teams in 2024.
Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
2024 NFL off-season player movement tracker.
Bookmark this page that will be updated as transactions change where notable players line up for new teams in 2024.
2024 NFL offseason free-agent tracker.
Below are the best free agents in their position. Once again, running backs contain the most players with previous success but each position serves up at least a few fantasy-relevant players. Book mark this page for the latest updated list of free agent signings.
2023 NFL off-season player movement tracker.
Tracking the notable fantasy players changing teams.
2023 NFL offseason free-agent tracker.
Below are the best free agents in their position. There are fewer big name wide receivers up for grabs than last year, but each position contains notable players that will be on fantasy rosters this season.
2023 doesn’t look like a great year for fantasy football rookies, but there are always surprises.
Seven rounds later in Kansas City and we know where all those promising rookies start their careers and each NFL roster just became more defined. Needs were filled (or not), and now we get to mix new coaches and schemes, new players, and returning veterans for the next four months to prepare for the 2023 NFL season.
How did this draft compare to previous seasons?
Three quarterbacks were selected over the first ten picks, just like two of the previous three years. But it went cold after them, with only one more taken in each of the second and third rounds – again, about normal. Will Levis tumbled down to the 2.02 despite speculation he was a Top-10 pick, but he’ll compete to start in Tennessee. Hendon Hooker was the only third-rounder and likely won’t play until 2024 until he recovers from his torn ACL. Those first three selections – Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson – should all be Week 1 starters.
Fantasy football loves rookie running backs. No other position produces as many instantly relevant players, even if they don’t last as long. But the position has been devalued in the NFL and almost all backfields are shared between two and even three backs. That won’t stop the rampant optimism associated with rookie rushers – and it is often justified.
Despite two selected over the first twelve picks, the only other rusher drafted for almost two full rounds was Zach Charbonnet, who creates a committee in Seattle with Kenneth Walker. While only those first two backs are locks for high-volume workloads, there are always a few more that emerge during the season as fantasy starters.
This was considered a strong draft for the position. Dalton Kincaid was the first, but a total of six went in the first two rounds – normally just one or two are gone. The position does require time to develop fantasy-relevant production and even Kincaid ends up in Buffalo where they don’t throw often to their tight ends and already have Dawson Knox.
This year’s rookie crop isn’t quite as strong as recent years and while there were four first-rounders, the first one wasn’t chosen until the 1.20 pick. There wasn’t any “hot” wideout with expectations of becoming an immediate No. 1 wideout for their team. Each of those initial four picks went to teams that already have a star wideout, if not two. This group will produce fantasy-relevant receivers if only eventually, but this is one of the weakest looking classes in many years.
Overall, the draft looked weak for fantasy purposes. Two sure-hits on running backs and maybe none for the wide receivers with the high-talent players all landing in less advantageous situations. But – every year serves up a surprise or two.
Fantasy football reaction to Russell Wilson trade
Following endless speculation, Russell Wilson has been traded. The Seattle Seahawks couldn’t say no to a blockbuster offer from the Denver Broncos, despite recently declining a lucrative trade proposal from the Washington Commanders.
Before we dive into the fantasy football ramifications, the trade details:
Seattle receives: TE Noah Fant, DL Shelby Harris, QB Drew Lock, two first-round picks, two second-rounders, and a fifth-round choice
Denver receives: Wilson and a 2022 fourth-round pick
That’s a haul!
The primary focus today will be on Denver’s side, since the Broncos already have the majority of their pieces in place. Seattle’s quarterback situation is totally up in the air, even after acquiring Lock, so there’s a much greater degree of uncertainty from the prognosticative aspect.
Wilson gets a fresh start with a strong franchise built to compete right out of the gates. Seattle was in a quagmire. The offensive line was shaky, and the system wasn’t getting the most out of its best players.
Provided he picks up the system quickly — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t after having played in similar offenses already — Wilson is a surefire QB1. The depth of Denver’s receiving talent, even with all of their question marks, offers him mostly a push with Seattle’s targets as a whole.
Sure, individually, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are more talented than Sutton and Jeudy, but we’re not talking such a wide gap that it even really matters. If Sutton nears his past success and Jeudy performs up to his talent level, defenses will need to pick their poison in coverage. And that’s not to mention the blazing speed of Hamler out of the slot, provided his knee reconstruction is a success. Finally, dealing Fant shows the confidence Denver has in tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. He has all of the hallmarks of a genuine aerial threat.
Russ will be cooking up a fantasy feast in the Mile High City.
The backfield belongs to Javonte Williams and someone yet to be named. Melvin Gordon is a free agent, but both sides have expressed a desire for him to return. If not, finding a tandem back to pair with the 2021 rookie Williams is not going to be a problem. The North Carolina product is quality RB2 should Gordon return or someone similar be added, but it it looks like he’s in line to receive the vast majority of touches, only a handful of backs will outperform Williams in 2022. Adding a legit QB in Wilson entrenches this as one of the most promising running games in the NFL.
Of the aforementioned receivers, Sutton has proven himself the most, but a major injury in 2020 and an erratic ’21 campaign will have gamers questioning if he’s capable of repeating his WR2 fantasy succcess from his season a year prior to the ACL tear. Giving Sutton the benefit of the doubt, he’s a No. 2 receiver in PPR leagues and offers the most upside for a touchdown any given week.
Jeudy is an extremely gifted route-runner, and this offense requires such from the position if he’s to excel. While Sutton probably can offer slightly more on-field diversity with his route tree and size in the red zone, Jeudy should lead the team in targets and receptions if he plays every game. As in Seattle, for as explosive as Metcalf has been, the Wilson-Lockett connection was the engine in that passing game. Safely, Jeudy is a No. 2 receiver in all scoring systems. He comes with tremendous upside and won’t be a cheap investment in fantasy as drafters chase his WR1 potential. Few wideouts in the league offer this kind of upside, so recognize there’s definitely more reward potential than not, but you’ll have to pay a king’s ransom to find out.
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Hamler, as mentioned, is returning from an ACL tear of his own and probably won’t he 100 percent until later in the year. He’s dynamic from the slot and has world-class speed, so his game is all about making the most of limited opportunities. There will be fantasy utility for him in traditional setups, yet gamers are looking at a more profitable DFS scenario here. Knowing when to start him in weekly lineups will be a nightmare as long as the two guys ahead of him are alive and well.
Albert O. flashed a few times in 2021 as he, too, worked through the aftermath of knee reconstruction following a torn ACL suffered the previous season. Finally fully recovered, the athletic, 6-foot-6, 258-pounder should be unleashed in a major way. That said, most of his fantasy contributions figure to come in the red zone. He has a little bit of Dawson Knox going on here — big TD numbers, modest, if not even low, volume stats. There’s nothing wrong with volatility as long as owners are aware of it ahead of time. Okwuegbunam is a low-tier No. 1 but ideally a rotational tight end for those willing to play the matchups from week to week.
Finally, Denver’s defense should be consistently more effective in fantasy as it won’t be gassed as much. Wilson can sustain drives and puts his defense in a position to rest up between series.
On Seattle’s side of this transaction, the biggest losers are Metcalf and Lockett. Another player who has plenty of potential that is unlikely to be realized in 2022 is second-year receiver Dee Eskridge. Unless Seattle somehow pulls of another massive trade at quarterback, Lock will battle with someone for the job.
Not ideal.
It’s a flimsy rookie class, and the free-agent market isn’t looking so hot, either. The NFL’s oldest coach is in win-now mode at all times, so this could present a situation to go after Deshaun Watson. If that doesn’t happen, look for Seattle to inquire about whether Jordan Love is now available after Rodgers signed a record-breaking deal. Wouldn’t it be fun to watch Jameis Winston throwing deep balls to Lockett and DK?
For now, it’s time to remain patient as Seattle’s leadership navigates choppy seas. As previously addressed, the Seahawks have too many holes to fill at this time, so we’ll revisit the fantasy outlook after free agency and the upcoming NFL Draft come to pass.
2022 NFL off-season player movement tracker.
Tracking the notable fantasy players changing teams.
2020 NFL off-season free-agent tracker.
Below are the best free agents in their position. Adding in trades, this offseason projects to be one of the busiest years for players changing teams.
Which players are the biggest winners from the NFL’s roster cuts?
NFL cut-down day is a wild roller coaster of emotions for players and fans alike, but the unfortunate outcomes for some create huge opportunities for others. In fantasy football, it’s imperative to be able to take advantage of this cracked-open doors on draft day.
1) WR Marquez Callaway, New Orleans Saints: While it was already known for weeks that wide receiver Michael Thomas (ankle) wouldn’t be ready for Week 1, some reports gave an encouraging outlook for his return date. The Saints made it official by placing him on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, which guarantees he will miss the first six weeks. In this case, it will be only five games, since New Orleans is on its bye in the sixth week. Then Thomas has to shake off the rust. Callaway, who enjoyed a strong preseason, gets at least a five-game runway to show he can do it when games actually matter. Don’t be afraid to invest in the middle rounds of drafts.
It’s not too late to sign up for The Huddle and dominate!
2) RB Kenneth Gainwell, Philadelphia Eagles: The release of veteran Jordan Howard makes Gainwell the primary backup to Miles Sanders. Boston Scott showed last year he doesn’t have the chops to be a traditional rusher and should remain entrenched in a third-down role if something where to cost Sanders time. Gainwell figures to spell the former Penn Stater, whose resume over the past five years of combined NFL and collegiate ball shows one season with more than 180 carries and just two years with over 200 total touches. Handcuff the pair, and non-Sanders owners should treat Gainwell as a high-upside speculative buy early in the second half of their drafts.
3) QB Mac Jones, New England Patriots: The first-rounder outplayed Cam Newton in training camp and preseason action, so Bill Belichick rewarded him with the starting job by outright releasing Cam Newton. Jones isn’t likely to be a regular fantasy contributor, but he will stabilize the overall offense. It was the right decision, and gamers can treat him as a fringe matchup play. The honorable mention goes to this backfield, because Newton is no longer around to steal a dozen scores. Huge win for fantasy footballers!
Will Conner rebound his fantasy stock in the desert?
It didn’t take long for the Arizona Cardinals’ brass to decide it is pleased with the results from former Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner’s recent toe surgery. The injury — described as a moderate, turf toe-like situation — was suffered on a recreational vehicle and required an operation that is expected to have Conner back on the field in June.
This was enough for Cardinals general manager Steve Keim to give the thumbs up on inking Conner to a one-year deal.
Arizona lost running back Kenyan Drake to free agency, and No. 2 man Chase Edmonds needed a new partner in crime. Conner enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2018 when Le’Veon Bell chose to sit out over a contract dispute. The past two seasons have gone anything but great for the Pitt product, and there’s mutual hope between Conner and the Cards that his fortunes will turn around in the desert.
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Conner has yet to play a full season in four years, reaching 13 games twice, and his 13 offensive touchdowns in the past 23 games ties his 13-contest output from the ’18 season. Arizona likely expects the 2018 version of Conner, but fantasy footballers should fully brace for the 2019-20 iteration. In Conner’s defense, the Steelers were without Ben Roethlisberger most of 2019 and then had a disastrous offensive line and erratic play-calling issues last year. Pro Football Focus ranked the line’s run-blocking grade as the second worst in football.
A versatile back, Conner finds himself sharing time with a legitimate talent in Edmonds. While used sparingly over his first two NFL seasons, the Fordham back burst onto the scene in fantasy after a three-TD game in 2019, racking up 150 offensive yards along the way. Just when he started to get rolling, Edmonds’ season was derailed by injury.
In 2020, he split time with Drake, mainly as a receiving threat, as the third-year back hauled in 53 of 67 targets for 402 yard and four scores. He was hardly utilized as a rusher, carrying the ball more than eight times in two games, one of which Drake was absent.
The Cardinals of 2020 afforded Drake 239 carries, or 15.9 per game, over his 15 appearances. For as much passing as the Air Raid offense wants to do, and did in 2019, the reality is this was a run-positive system a season ago. Seven teams rushed with a higher frequency in 2020.
Drake found the end zone at the 12th-highest frequency among qualifying backs (150-plus attempts), and only six running backs toted the ball more on a weekly clip. He saw his receiving work dissipate from 2019’s second half, and Drake’s core fantasy worth came from scoring 10 times.
Conner showed a nose for the goal line of his own in 2018, and as long as he can remain healthy, a similar utilization plan should be in store. He enters Year 5 at age 26. Arizona offers little competition for touchdown thievery on the turf, outside of quarterback Kyler Murray. The Cardinals upgraded the offensive line in a significant fashion this offseason, trading for Las Vegas Raiders standout center Rodney Hudson.
There is potential for a value buy in fantasy football drafts. Conner’s past two seasons of mediocrity should have soured enough owners, and the perception that Arizona is extraordinarily pass-happy also could depress his stock.
Injuries come with the territory for Conner. Presuming he rebounds from this latest toe ailment — a scary one for a rusher — there’s still probably going to be more games missed in his future. The Cardinals should utilize him similarly to how Drake was featured, as long as Conner produces. Should his game never get off the ground or stagnate midseason, don’t discredit the idea of this offense being turned over to Edmonds.
Just to be safe, keep tabs on Conner’s recovery from the toe surgery. It appears we’re likely to see as close to a normal of an NFL offseason program as one should expect, and that means we will get to see some obvious signs of his health status play out on the practice field.
Giving Conner the benefit of the doubt by presuming he’s ready for training camp (and that there is one), fantasy footballers should treat him as a risky-reward RB2 candidate. It wouldn’t hurt to snag Edmonds later in the draft as insurance given Conner’s extensive injury background.