Now that NFL free agency is upon us, here is where we’ll run through the fantasy football outlooks for trades, re-signings, midrange players, and tag recipients.
This analysis will be updated as players sign/re-sign in free agency, so be sure to check back regularly.
Signed with new team or traded
RB Mark Ingram, Houston Texans: The 31-year-old inked a one-year, $2.5 million deal in Houston to pair with fellow well-aged runner David Johnson. The duo will create a one-two punch, so long as what we saw from Baltimore making Ingram a healthy scratch late last year wasn’t foreshadowing. Some of that was due to him not playing special teams and the team wanting to get a closer look at rookie J.K. Dobbins. Presuming quarterback Deshaun Watson returns, Ingram still has a dicey outlook. The Texans’ porous defense has so many needs that it’s tough to see the offense being able to consistently run the ball if the other side cannot contain opposing offenses. Ingram needs bulk to make a mark in fantasy lineups, which rarely will be the case, unless he finds regular success around the goal line, consider the veteran merely roster depth or a handcuff to Johnson.
Re-signed/extensions
QB Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: There’s no surprise associated with the four-year, $160 million extension Prescott signed prior to free agency opening. He wasn’t ever going to be allowed to leave the building, as evidenced by a formality of being tagged again. As long as his ankle rehab goes according to plan, this potential No. 1 overall fantasy quarterback has the tools to pick up where he left off.
QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers:While it’s technically an extension, Big Ben’s deal was reworked to provide cap relief for the Steelers and keep him in a black-and-yellow uni for one last go of it. Roethlisberger will almost assuredly be without WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Pittsburgh has a new offensive coordinator in Matt Canada, but there’s still enough to like about the situation for Roethlisberger to be in the conversation of a low-tier rotational starter.
QB Cam Newton, New England Patriots: The knee-jerk reaction is to scoff at Newton getting a one-year, $14 million deal to re-sign with the Pats. A closer look should elicit a more measured response. Last year, just about everything worked against Cam finding success. He signed late (June 28), there was no offseason program, the offensive system is intricate, New England lost several key players to the opt-out, the offensive line had to shuffle talent several times, no receivers to speak of, zero tight ends of consequence, an erratic rushing attack, and Newton was returning from foot surgery prior to joining New England. Excuses, you may say … perhaps, but all of those factors are undeniable reality. Newton is finally healthy after three straight offseasons of rehabbing from surgery. Wait to see how the Patriots address wide receiver and tight end concerns, but it’s unwise to entirely dismiss a rebound by Newton.
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QB Taylor Heinicke, Washington Football Team: The former Panther parlayed an admirable playoff start into a two-year extension in Washington. He knows the system and the brain trust’s nucleus from his time in Carolina. Alex Smith’s release opens the door for Heinicke to compete for a starting job while having the upper hand against a newcomer who won’t be as familiar with the playbook. It’s unlikely, however, Heinicke is the season-long starter for this offense as an incoming rookie or free-agent acquisition will have that momentum on his side.
Franchise/transition tagged
WR Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: No one paying attention expected the Buccaneers to allow Godwin to walk into free agency. Look for a stronger showing in 2021 after an injury-pocked season a year ago derailed Godwin’s campaign from nearly the onset. He’s a legit WR2 in all settings, but his upside is capped at that position overall with the bevy of talent around him in the passing game.
WR Allen Robinson, Chicago Bears: It seemed for quite some time that Chicago wouldn’t have the cap space to tag Robinson, but he was indeed slapped with the tender of $17-plus million for 2021. While he would like a long-term deal, and the team may still yet find a way to meet his demands by July 15, there also remains a chance this could get ugly. Robinson doesn’t want to play on the tag, nor must he sign the tender. He then wouldn’t play or get paid, so there’s that, and $17.89 mill is nothing to sneeze at during an offseason in which the salary cap actually goes down. At 27, Robinson could put his John Hancock on the offer sheet and still hit free agency in 2022 young enough to get one last shot at a huge deal when teams will have more money to throw around. Long story short, he mostly is quarterback-proof, but Chicago still needs to put a better product on the field. Whether it is Nick Foles or someone else under center in 2021, A-Rob is a viable PPR WR1 with a hint of downside.
Remains unsigned
- Quarterbacks: Alex Smith, Mitchell Trubisky, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett
- Running backs: Aaron Jones, Chris Carson, Kenyan Drake, Todd Gurley, Duke Johnson, Tevin Coleman, James White, Matt Breida, Brian Hill, Leonard Fournette, Malcolm Brown, Jerick McKinnon, Adrian Peterson, Le’Veon Bell, Kalen Ballage, James Conner, Marlon Mack, Wayne Gallman, Jamaal Williams, Mike Davis
- Wide receivers: A.J. Green, T.Y. Hilton, Emmanuel Sanders, Larry Fitzgerald, Golden Tate, DeSean Jackson, Adam Humphries, Sammy Watkins, Marvin Jones, John Brown, Breshad Perriman, Corey Davis, Willie Snead, John Ross, Keelan Cole, Kendrick Bourne, Will Fuller, Demarcus Robinson, Antonio Brown, Curtis Samuel, Damiere Byrd, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Nelson Agholor, Rashard Higgins, David Moore, Kenny Golladay
- Tight ends: Hunter Henry, Rob Gronkowski, Kyle Rudolph, Jared Cook, Tyler Eifert, Gerald Everett, Jordan Reed, Jonnu Smith, Trey Burton
