Five NFL Free Agents to Watch

The point in the NFL calendar that we are currently sitting in is not an extremely exciting one for the Fantasy Football world, but that is not to say that it’s slow. As of the writing of this blog, the NFL Combine starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend. Outside of that, rumors are flying all over the place about potential free agent destinations, and where we as a Fantasy community would like those players to go. Free Agency begins on March 11th and the NFL Draft begins on April 23rd, so for now I’d like to spend a little bit of time talking about top NFL Free Agents, and where I would like to see them go for maximum Fantasy Football output.

Obviously, the players, coaches, agents and executives who are making these decisions are not going to be giving any thought towards Fantasy Football, nor should they. The coaches are thinking about getting the best possible additions to help their teams win, the players are focused on finding the best fit for their skillset that they can get, the agents are trying to make sure they get the most possible money for it, and the executives are trying to make sure they don’t. All of those people come together to create the ecosystem in which fantasy football is played, and we just do our best with what they give us. That said, a boy can dream.

For the purposes of efficiency, I am going to break down five players who I think can make the biggest impact on Fantasy Football by finding a new location. I may not predict that all of these players will be in new locations next year, just that I think their fantasy relevance could be increased if they do. I am not going to waste time talking about players who are likely to be franchise tagged, or players that aren’t likely to be fantasy relevant. That means I’m not going to spend much time on Daniel Jones, (hope the Achilles recovery is going well) or Malik Willis, who many consider to be the top free agent Quarterback, but isn’t likely to be helming a team that allows him to be a fantasy starter, if he even starts. As of today, here are the players who I would have talked about had we not already heard that they are going to be tagged:

• Breece Hall

• Kyle Pitts

• George Pickens (the Cowboys are allegedly “leaning toward” the tag)

• Alec Pierce (the Colts will use the tag on either him or Daniel Jones if they can’t get a deal done with either.)

And now, five free agents...

1. Kenneth Walker III - Seattle Seahawks

The Situation: The Seahawks have already said that they are unlikely to use the tag on Kenneth Walker III, which given the fact that he is the reigning Super Bowl MVP and was instrumental in their Championship run this season, I would consider that to mean that he is pretty likely to be staying put. However, given the number of free agents that Seattle has to sign in order to keep their Super Bowl winning core together, it’s possible that K9 could slip through the cracks and become a free agent if the money isn’t right.

Contenders: There are a lot of teams in the NFL that could benefit from the services of a player like Walker. Every running back on this list (and every incoming rookie running back for that matter) is going to be linked to the Chiefs because of their offense’s potential, but the Saints, Cardinals and Vikings all have aging stars in the backfield that may not be fantasy relevant ever again.

Crystal Ball: He should be staying in Seattle. If the Seahawks can make the money work, it’s where he belongs. We’ve seen what can happen when the ground game runs through him as a bellcow, and it’s exciting to say the least. The Super Bowl was an incredible example of this. Let’s not pretend that Zach Charbonnet doesn’t still have the ability to make this backfield a headache for managers, but hopefully he’s shown us and the Seahawks management that it’s a good idea to run it back.

2. Travis Etienne - Jacksonville Jaguars

The Situation: Travis Etienne has spent time as both fantasy football’s most and least exciting player. This time last year, his stock was so low we thought he might never start in the NFL again. Now, after a return to form under a new coaching staff that featured a career high in touchdowns, his stock is back up. With as versatile and dynamic a running back as Etienne is, he has the potential to be extremely impactful in the right system. It appears that the Jaguars are headed in the right direction, and it appeared that he was set to be a part of that, but a cap crunch this year may make it too difficult for Jacksonville to bring him back.

Contenders: Unlike with Kenneth Walker III, there actually is growing and vocal interest from other teams, with the Chiefs rumored to be the top contender with mutual interest. The Seahawks have also been linked, as has a potential return to Jacksonville.

Crystal Ball: For Travis Etienne’s second contract in the NFL, I expect he’ll get a big one, and I think it will be with the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City has had a revolving door of running backs since the end of Kareem Hunt’s first stint with the team, and Travis Etienne seems to be a great fit for Andy Reid’s offense. If the money is right (and if the Chiefs don’t end up landing Jeremiyah Love in the Draft), Etienne would be a great get.

3. Wan’Dale Robinson - New York Giants

The Situation: Wan’Dale Robinson enjoyed something of a breakout season in 2025 after spending most of his first three seasons in the NFL adjusting to the learning curve and playing with one of the least talented teams in the NFL. Actually, a lot of his stats from 2024 and 2025 were identical, with the major difference being Yards Per Reception. He upped his career high in yardage per season from 699 to 1015, and while you would think he did it thanks to the injury to Malik Nabers and the ascent of rookie Jaxson Dart, he actually did it with one less reception than he did the year prior. Playing for a franchise that is in an era of impotence tends to stunt the way people view an athlete’s attributes, but the Giants are actually going to have hype for the first time in a very long time, with the budding triplets of Jaxson Dart, Cam Skattebo, Malik Nabers and new coach John Harbaugh. You would think that Wan’Dale would be the perfect complement to this young and potentially exciting team, but despite the Giants claiming they want to bring him back, the $17.5 million per year contract he is projected to receive is something that the team can’t really afford with so many other holes to fill.

Contenders: Since Wan’Dale Robinson isn’t seen as an elite wide receiver (he was a high WR2 in fantasy in 2025), the kind of team he goes to is likely to have a lot to do with who is willing to throw money at a young and somewhat unproven commodity. The Tennessee Titans and New York Jets have been rumored to be the major contenders should the Giants not bring him back, and either of those squads would likely spell the end of Wan’Dale’s fantasy relevance. I would love to see him opposite a true WR1 where he can make hay against defenses that double-team his counterpart (sounds like the Giants huh), but I don’t know if that’s going to be in the cards.

Crystal Ball: I want him to stay wearing blue in New York on a club-friendly contract to see what this young and hungry team can do, but I think he’s going to get the most money from the Tennessee Titans. They have by far the most cap space in the NFL, and I expect them to be big spenders this offseason without much else available to lure elite players. For context, they are going to have over $105 million in available cap space (over a third of their total allotment), compared to the Giants $7 million. The Jets could also afford him, but if he’s going to play for a team with no hope of winning, he might as well do it closer to his old Kentucky home.

4. Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Situation: Mike Evans appears to be in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, having posted career lows in basically every statistical category imaginable. Injuries were the real reason for this, but it didn’t appear to actually be a loss of ability, so he may have one more real season of fantasy football left in him. Mike Evans has spent the last twelve seasons as one of the most dominant X receivers of his generation, and showed late in the season that his catching ability, route running and physicality is still good enough to compete at the highest level. He has “earned the right” to test free agency, but where he ends up could end up being a major decider in whether or not his last year(s) in the league matter to the fantasy community.

Contenders: The Bucs could retain him, but the money he would cost to sign might be better served in pursuing other players who could help rebuild the team now that Emeka Egbuka seems poised to take over the reins of the receiving corps. The Patriots, Ravens, and 49ers have been listed as the biggest contenders, with the Browns and Bills as outside smoke. The only thing that Mike Evans has really said on the matter (or rather his agent has said) is that he wants to win. The Patriots are fresh off of a Super Bowl appearance, the 49ers are perennially in the hunt and the Ravens and Bills have long been searching for that X-factor that is going to push them over the hump. Mike Evans may or may not be that guy for any of them.

Crystal Ball: The New England Patriots make a lot of sense to me in this one. They may already have a similar player in Stefon Diggs (who may or may not be playing in New England in 2026 despite being under contract), but the Patriots have the cap space (tenth most) to go in on a game-changing veteran and also address some of their other needs. Having an exciting QB to work with like Drake “Drake Maye” Maye might be enough to convince Mike Evans to go to the dark side and join the evil empire for one more chance at the big one.

5. Rico Dowdle - Carolina Panthers

The Situation: Many expected Rico Dowdle to take on a reduced role in Carolina compared to his solid fourth season with the Cowboys the year before, but what we got wasn’t quite what we were expecting. Rico Dowdle posted nearly identical numbers to what he did in Dallas in 2024, including another 1000 yard season and scoring a career high seven touchdowns, all while technically being the number two back behind Chuba Hubbard and starting four fewer games. A lot of us followed the Panthers backfield situation this season with a little bit of confusion, and it became clear down the stretch that Chuba was going to get the lion’s share of touches, but that shouldn’t preclude teams from taking a hard look at the production he had with the suboptimal situation he performed in. At 27 years old, Rico is projected to get a 2 to 3 year contract making about $6.5 million per year, which is a steal for a player of his caliber.

Contenders: The Panthers are interested in bringing Dowdle back, but the fact that they’re letting him test the open market likely means that they are satisfied with Chuba Hubbard leading the running game and aren’t going to spend more on the position than they need to. The Chiefs and the Broncos have been listed as teams who could go for a player like Dowdle for their existing systems, as have the Raiders to pair as a second punch to Ashton Jeanty.

Crystal Ball: This situation feels like a great fit for the Denver Broncos. Rico Dowdle has an opportunity to fill the void left by JK Dobbins while working alongside the young and promising RJ Harvey. I could see Rico stepping into a phenomenal situation in Denver for fantasy football if things go the way I think they could, and that would be made even better if Harvey isn’t able to take the next step in his sophomore season. This feels like a slam dunk.

In Conclusion: This is but a small taste of the free agents getting ready to hit the market. While the NFL’s Eye of Sauron is fixed in Indianapolis for the Combine, these guys will be looking to keep the new crop of dudes from stealing their jobs. We’ll be looking at those rookies plenty soon along with some other high profile free agents (like those listed below), but for now these are the five guys at the top of my mind.

Other Important Free Agents to Pay Attention to For Fantasy:

Rashid Shaheed

Cade Otton

Isaiah Likely

Romeo Doubs

Chigoziem Okonkwo

Jauan Jennings

Travis Kelce

Kirk Cousins

Aaron Rodgers

Kenneth Gainwell

Deebo Samuel

Rachaad White

Dallas Goedert

Darren Waller

David Njoku

Tyler Allgeier