Piece by: Tyler Deakin
The Free Agency Frenzy is over, as just 24 of the Top 101 NFL Free Agents are still available. Sammy Watkins, Antonio Brown, & James Conner are the last fantasy relevant players on the board. The fantasy football landscape has changed since free agency began. This article will focus on examining fantasy values for players who found new NFL homes. Players who re-signed with their teams & players whose fantasy value didn’t change won’t be discussed here.
Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph sign with NYG
Kenny Golladay was the premier WR1 in this free agent class. When healthy, he is a dynamic WR1 capable of anchoring an offense. Fantasy football value is about talent and opportunity though, and so his opportunities are likely to decrease by signing with the Giants. He is clearly the Giants WR1; however, he will compete for touches with Saquan Barkley, Sterling Shepard, Darius Slayton, Evan Engram, & Kyle Rudolph. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, so I expect Golladay’s fantasy value to slide from that of a WR1 to a WR2/3 in this offense. These same concepts apply to Kyle Rudolph, who is off the fantasy radar barring injuries. QB Daniel Jones is the one who stands to benefit from his new supporting cast.
Ryan Fitzpatrick, Curtis Samuel sign with WFT
Ryan Fitzpatrick’s fantasy value rises after signing with Washington. Fitzmagic is draftable as a backup in 2QB & Superflex leagues. Curtis Samuel’s fantasy value gets a boost as he won’t have much competition for touches this year in Washington. He’s on the WR2/3 radar.
Smith, Henry, Agholor sign with NE
These were all bad moves for fantasy purposes. Jonnu Smith & Hunter Henry are borderline TE1s; however, they will compete with each other for targets so consistency will be an issue for both players. Nelson Agholor belongs on the WR3/4 radar as the WR1 for the Pats.
Will Fuller signs with MIA
Fuller was the Texans WR1 last year, but he’s the Dolphins WR2 behind DeVante Parker this year. He’s on the WR2/3 radar for now, and that’s assuming the Dolphins don’t draft a WR.
Corey Davis signs with NYJ
Corey Davis is the Jets WR1 and should be in for a massive target share if the Jets don’t draft a WR. He’s on the WR2/3 radar this year, as the Jets will likely be in plenty of shootouts.
Kenyan Drake signs with LVR
Kenyan Drake teams up with Josh Jacobs to form the “Drake & Josh” backfield, which is a headache for fantasy purposes. I’m going to avoid drafting either player in fantasy this year.
Damien Williams signs with CHI
Damien Williams, David Montgomery, & Tarik Cohen will form another running back committee. This backfield is a headache, so I’m avoiding drafting these players on Draft Night.
Mike Davis signs with ATL
This was the best opportunity for Mike Davis to remain a starting RB, as the Falcons have only Ito Smith & Qadree Ollison behind him on the depth chart. I should be the one to know these things, as I’m a long-suffering Falcons fan. Anyway, it’s possible that the Falcons draft a RB for depth purposes; however, I believe Davis will return RB2 fantasy value this year.
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