- Deep Dive Fantasy
- Posts
- 🛒 Free Agency Frenzy
Happy Wednesday folks and welcome to this week’s Deep Dive Fantasy Newsletter. I sort through the free-agent chaos and we get some dynasty nuggets from Ryan McDowell of Dynasty League Football.
The legal tampering period between free agents and their prospective teams began on March 11th and got off to a very hot start. Here’s a look at who signed where and what it all means for fantasy football.
Top Free Agent Signings in Fantasy Football Terms
🟡⚫️ QB Russell Wilson → Steelers (1-year, $1.2 million)
It will likely be very run-heavy in Pittsburgh and Diontae Johnson’s presence is still a question mark, but George Pickens should benefit from Wilson’s deep ball. Consider Wilson himself a QB2/3 for fantasy purposes.
🪺 QB Kirk Cousins → Falcons (4-years, $180 million)
He’s coming off a torn Achilles but should be good to go in Atlanta. Arthur Smith is gone and they now have former Rams’ Swiss Army knife Zac Robinson running the offense, and coupled with Cousins should see a new life in 2024. All pieces (Bijan Robsinson, Drake London & Kyle Pitts) get an upgrade and Cousins will likely be a low-end QB1/2.
🐻 RB D’Andre Swift → Bears (3-years, $24 million)
Based on the contract, it appears Swift will be the lead back in Chicago with Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson competing for RB2 duties. The former Lion and Eagle should see an uptick in targets from last year and is considered a fantasy RB2 heading in 2024.
🧀 RB Josh Jacobs → Packers (4-years, $48 million)
With both Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon gone from the backfield, Jacobs will likely see a large volume of touches which is familiar territory for the RB. Since 2019 he’s behind only Derrick Henry in rushing attempts, yards, and touchdowns, and sits ninth in both targets and receptions among RBs in that time frame. Jacobs should be valued as a fantasy RB1 in Green Bay.
🛡️ RB Tony Pollard → Titans (3-years, $24 million)
Pollard was a disappointment last season in both real and fake football but will have another shot in 2024 as a Titan. Tyjae Spears' value now takes a hit as these two will likely split backfield duties, leaving Pollard in the low-end RB2 range with Spears right behind him.
🦅 RB Saquon Barkley → Eagles (3-years, $38 million)
Barkley should fit in well with the Philly offense, although his receptions may decline and goal-line usage could take a hit with Jalen Hurts at the helm and their propensity to engage the Tush Push. He gets a better offense and an upgrade at offensive line, with a bell-cow role on tap. Barkley is 4for4’s RB8 in early rankings and should be drafted in the early second round.
🪖 RB Austin Ekeler → Commanders (2-years, $8.3 million)
Coming off a down year and entering his age-29 season, Ekeler isn’t likely to snag the RB1 role from Brian Robinson for Washington, but he should be heavily involved on passing downs. Ekeler is ranked as the RB29 in 4for4’s early rankings and could be more valuable in PPR formats.
🪺 RB Derrick Henry → Ravens (2-years, $16 million)
Age is a concern (30), but Henry could have a monster season in Baltimore paired with QB Lamar Jackson. He’s been a fantasy RB1 in four out of five seasons and baking in his age and Jackson’s rushing prowess, consider Henry an RB2 heading into 2024.
🐂 RB Joe Mixon Traded to Houston
Mixon is coming off a fairly quiet 2023 in which he was the RB12 in half-PPR points per contest. He’ll likely replace Devin Singletary who is expected to sign with the Giants. On this young and emerging offense, consider Mixon a fantasy RB2.
🐈⬛ WR Diontae Johnson Traded to Panthers
Johnson is an immediate upgrade to the Carolina WR corps and should see plenty of targets from sophomore QB Bryce Young. At just 28 years old he has plenty left in the tank and should be considered in the WR3 range.
The Rest
🧢 RB Devin Singletary → Giants (3-years, $16.5 million)
🐯 RB Zack Moss → Bengals (2-years, $8 million)
😈 RB Aaron Jones → Vikings (1-year, $7 million)
🏴☠️ QB Gardner Minshew → Raiders (2-years, $25 million)
🎖️ RB Antonio Gibson → Patriots (3-years, $11.2 million)
⚡️ RB Gus Edwards → Chargers (2-years, $6.5 million)
🐆 WR Gabe Davis → Jaguars (3-years, $39 million)
🪺 WR Darnell Mooney → Falcons (3-years, $39 million)
As the weather gets warmer, Pick6 offers are heating up! New Customers Get An Instant 100% Deposit Match Up To $100 In Pick6 Credits!
Ready to dominate the competition with DraftKings' newest peer-to-peer game - Pick6?
Play now and score an Instant 100% Deposit match up to $100 in Pick6 Credits with just a $5 entry!
Don't miss out – claim your credits and start playing today!
Welcome to DLF Roundup. Each week, Ryan McDowell brings you a quick look at some of the dynasty happenings taking place over at Dynasty League Football.
NFL free agency is well under way and it seems like more players than ever are finding new teams. The dynasty impact has been huge as managers debate which players have gained or lost value as a result of their newly found home. The team at DLF will continue to cover free agency in the coming days and weeks but here’s an early look at thoughts from Ken Kelly on some key players.
In short, Saquon is going to have a chance at a banner season. While Jalen Hurts is bound to take some of his touchdown potential away, Barkley is likely going to find space to run like he never has before. His days as a bona fide top-ten dynasty pick are likely over but there’s a real chance he could post a career-best season and be a real difference-maker in fantasy football this year as this was one of the single best places he could land in free agency.
Pollard finds himself in a very interesting position. With Derrick Henry on the move, it looks like he has a decent path to relevance. Pollard’s deal is for three years and $24 million, so it’s also clear the Titans see him as a starting-caliber player. However, dynasty managers should be pretty concerned here. Pollard set career lows in most metrics last year, is playing behind a poor offensive line, has Tyjae Spears to fend off, and suddenly finds himself smack in the middle of a rebuilding situation. This just looks like a signing that could be a disappointing one in dynasty leagues and his ADP shouldn’t rise much based on his new landing spot.
With the Eagles moving in a different direction (more on that later), Swift was able to hit free agency and unsurprisingly found a pretty hot market. In the end, he signed with Chicago on a three-year, $24.5 million contract. It’s a curious landing spot for Swift, who will now need to contend with the likes of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson for carries. While he’s certainly going to be the favorite for touches, Johnson and Herbert have both proven to be more than capable, making this signing look like one that’s again better in real life than in dynasty leagues, It seems likely Swift will get most of the work but he’s clearly not going to be someone who is relied upon to be a workhorse for the Bears. In short, he is currently our RB16 but his ranking may slip a bit with this landing spot. Dynasty managers were likely hoping he would end up with a team featuring a depth chart with a little less talent, like Houston.
Stick with DLF for the next few weeks and months and we’ll continue to churn out rookie content to help you crush your dynasty drafts.
Still not a 4for4 subscriber? Our new packages are out for the 2024/2025 season so take advantage of early bird pricing for access to award-winning rankings, highly actionable content for redraft, DFS and betting, and much more. Head to 4for4 and check it all out!
Here are the latest articles to drop on the site.