The Broncos acquired QB Zach Wilson from the Jets. Denver is sending just a sixth-round pick to New York and getting a seventh-round pick back. That measly return tells you all you need to know about Wilson's trade value. The second overall pick of the 2021 draft was a colossal bust for the Jets, completing just 57.0% of his passes at 6.3 yards per attempt with 23 TDs vs. 25 INTs. Wilson's 5.67 adjusted yards per pass attempt ranks 39th among 41 qualifying QBs over the last three seasons. He joins Jarrett Stidham in Denver to give the Broncos one of the least inspiring QB rooms in the league. Denver remains a candidate to add a QB in this week's draft. The team has commonly been linked to Oregon's Bo Nix.
ESPN's Adam Schefter writes that Chiefs WR Rashee Rice "is expected to be disciplined by the NFL, resulting in at least a multi-game suspension.” The line came in a much larger piece about NFL Draft rumors, with Schefter pegging the Chiefs as a candidate to add a WR in Round 1. But he wouldn't write that about Rice if he didn't have good intel. Rice is facing eight charges after his involvement in a street-racing crash in Dallas in late March. The league tends to wait for the legal process to play out, so it's unclear exactly when any potential Rice suspension would come. We'll continue to keep a close eye on the situation but are docking two games from Rice's 2024 projections for now. That has him falling in the 2024 WR Rankings.
Former Ravens RB J.K. Dobbins plans to sign a one-year contract with the Chargers, according to multiple reports. This comes after Dobbins visited several teams. He lands with the franchise that already signed his former teammate Gus Edwards. We'll see about the specific terms of Dobbins' deal, but Edwards landed a two-year pact worth $6.5 million total, with $3.375 million in guarantees. We'll bet that Dobbins gets significantly less coming off his September Achilles' tear (and checkered injury history). The former second-round pick will be interesting to watch this summer, especially in a backfield that could present open competition for touches. But Edwards stands as the better bet for work right now. And we'd bet on the Chargers adding a RB in the draft. For now, don't let Chargers RBs factor heavily into your draft plans -- despite their modest best ball ADP numbers.
Browns HC Kevin Stefanski refused to give a timetable for RB Nick Chubb's return as OTAs kicked off on Monday. “I don’t know that we’ll go past today and this week at least that’s the way I’m looking at it,” Stefanski said. “I can promise you he’s working very hard early in the morning. He’s here, he’s attacking his rehab. That’s the best way I can put it. When he’s ready, he’ll be ready.” Chubb is working back from a nasty multi-ligament left knee injury that required two surgeries -- one in September and one in November. Stefanski's comments don't necessarily mean that Chubb is behind schedule in his rehab, but they're a reminder that his status for the 2024 campaign remains a major question mark. Chubb is a fairly easy avoid at his current RB27 best ball ADP. He sits 35th in our current RB rankings.
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton is skipping voluntary OTAs as he angles for a new contract, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. Sutton has just $2 million guaranteed left on his current deal. The 28-year-old is coming off a solid 2023 season, leading the Broncos with 59 catches, 772 yards, and 10 TDs. Sutton has been rumored as a trade candidate for multiple years now, but it's tough to imagine Denver trading him after shipping WR Jerry Jeudy to Cleveland earlier this offseason. We'll see where the contract situation goes, but it's far too early to worry about Sutton's holdout extending into the regular season. The bigger concern for his 2024 fantasy value is Denver's QB situation. Jarrett Stidham currently tops the depth chart.
The Cowboys signed RB Royce Freeman to a one-year deal. It's the 28-year-old's fourth different team in the last three years. Freeman was decent for the Rams last year, rushing 77 times for 319 yards (4.1 YPC) and two TDs. He ranked 21st in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, 29th in yards after contact per attempt, and 16th in PFF Elusive Rating among 69 RBs with 50+ carries. Freeman joins Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, and Malik Davis in a Cowboys backfield that still looks like a prime spot for a Day 2 rookie. We'll see exactly what the draft brings, but Freeman is not a good bet for 2024 fantasy value.
Asked this week about the Panthers' RB depth chart, new OC Brad Idzik didn't name a starter. "I think that kinda sorts itself out ... and you let them compete right up until Game 1," he said. Idzik added that "we have a lot of good runners" -- so it's possible he's been accidentally watching 2023 film of the wrong team. Carolina, of course, watched Chuba Hubbard and his 3.8 yards per carry (plus 6.0 per catch) seize the backfield lead from Miles Sanders. That came after Sanders signed one of the market's biggest RB free-agent deals last offseason. Don't be surprised if the Panthers add a RB in the draft or another source. As it stands, Hubbard has to be the favorite for work over Sanders. But the latter has enjoyed the more productive career to date. Heading into just his age-27 season, Sanders is capable of rebounding at least ahead of Hubbard. Neither should excite you for fantasy right now. Best ball ADP positions Sanders (RB59, Round 17) as the better value than Hubbard (RB39, Round 11).
WR Tee Higgins said Monday that he expects to remain with the Bengals for the 2024 campaign. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported back in March that Higgins requested a trade after getting the franchise tag, but he's evidently backed off those demands. We'll see if there's any movement during the draft later this month, but the most likely scenario has Higgins playing in Cincinnati for at least one more year. He dealt with numerous injuries last season, playing more than two-thirds of the offensive snaps in just nine games. But he averaged 66 yards and 0.6 TDs across those nine games -- after finishing as a top-14 WR in PPR points per game in both 2021 and 2022. Higgins is an easy bounce-back candidate this season.
Vikings WR Justin Jefferson did not report for the start of the team's offseason program on Monday. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal and is (rightfully) looking for a big contract extension. “I’ve had a lot of great dialogue with Justin throughout even the early part of this offseason and leading up,” HC Kevin O’Connell said. “My hope is we can get him around the team. Obviously such a special player, but it goes beyond that this time of year because of just the energy and flat-out way he goes to work.” We'll see where these contract negotiations go and how long Jefferson stays away from the team. We'll also see if the Vikings add a QB early in the draft later this month. Despite those issues, Jefferson still sits fourth among WRs in our current 2024 fantasy football rankings.
Giants QB Daniel Jones' goal is to be medically cleared for the start of training camp, he told the media on Monday. That'd be about nine months after tearing his right ACL on November 5. "Rehab’s going well," Jones said. "Making good progress. Coming along. I feel like things are going well." He added that he's now able to throw while doing "some QB movements," per Newsday's Tom Rock. We'll continue to keep an eye on Jones' rehab. But the knee is just one issue for a guy coming off an ugly 2023 campaign that saw him average just 5.7 yards per pass attempt while taking a sack on 15.8% of his dropbacks. Jones is no better than a QB3 in early best-ball drafts.
The Eagles and WR DeVonta Smith agreed to a three-year $75 million contract extension with $51 million guaranteed, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. Smith had two years remaining on his rookie deal but is now signed with Philadelphia through the 2028 campaign. The 2021 first-round pick has opened his NFL career with WR29, WR9, and WR16 PPR finishes. The presence of WR A.J. Brown (signed through 2026) caps Smith's upside a tad. But he's a rock-solid fantasy WR2 in the short and long term. The contract extension is also excellent news for QB Jalen Hurts' dynasty value.
The Jets are "extremely high" on WR Xavier Gipson, The Athletic's Zack Rosenblatt writes. Rosenblatt projects Gipson as New York's starting slot receiver between Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams -- although he concedes that the Jets could take a WR early in the draft. Gipson went undrafted last year but captured a significant role over the second half of the season. We'll see what the draft brings and still wouldn't recommend rostering Gipson in any redraft league. But he might be worth stashing in deeper dynasty formats.
The Browns and RB Nick Chubb have agreed to a salary adjustment for 2024, the final year on his contract. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the change drops Chubb's cap hit from $15.85 million to $6.275 million -- with incentives that could bring his salary back up to $12.2 million. You could read this several different ways. It's positive that Cleveland didn't simply cut Chubb, which would have cost just $4 million in dead cap space, according to Spotrac. But Chubb's new salary knocks him to 11th among RBs in total money for 2024, behind Tony Pollard and Aaron Jones; barely ahead of Devin Singletary and Miles Sanders. Chubb no doubt believes he can achieve at least some of the performance incentives and drive that number back up. But it also appears he wasn't willing to test the open market for higher 2024 earnings. Ultimately, it's way too early for fantasy managers to know what we can expect from the veteran RB. Chubb's multi-ligament knee injury in September has required surgeries then and in November. We haven't seen much on his return timeline. The Browns, meanwhile, have added RBs D'Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines this offseason. Both signed small, one-year deals that don't come close to guaranteeing offensive roles. (Hines probably arrives to primarily return kicks.) But they join Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong as backfield insurance. We're staying away from Chubb at his RB27 best ball ADP, which still has him ahead of Javonte Williams, Austin Ekeler, and Zamir White, among others. The crowded depth chart behind Chubb also makes it a risky backfield for investing in backups.
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb is skipping voluntary workouts and might hold out of mandatory work in June, according to The Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken. Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is rightfully looking for a big raise. He's coming off a massive 2023 season, posting a 135-1,749-12 line and leading all WRs in fantasy points. Lamb will undoubtedly get a new deal from the Cowboys, but we'll see how long it takes owner Jerry Jones to open up his wallet. For now, consider Lamb's short- and long-term fantasy value unaffected. He sits atop our redraft and dynasty WR rankings.
According to multiple reports, the Bills are sending WR Stefon Diggs to the Texans. Buffalo is also sending a 2024 sixth-round pick and 2025 fifth-rounder to Houston, while getting back only a second-round pick in 2025. Diggs' production fell off late last season after the Bills switched offensive coordinators. Now 30 and in a new offense, Diggs will have to show he's not in decline. He'll add the challenge of splitting targets with Houston's emergent young wideouts. Nico Collins (seventh) and Tank Dell (12th) both ranked among the top 12 WRs in PPR points per game last season, with rookie QB C.J. Stroud. The Diggs addition obviously lowers the target-share ceiling for all three wideouts. We'll also have to see exactly how Houston plans to deploy them. Diggs spent 35.7% of his pass snaps in the slot last year; 34.2% the year before. He topped 30% in that category for three of his four Buffalo seasons, surpassed only by his 2016 sophomore season (62.9%). Collins spent 20.1% of his time in the slot last year; Dell 28.7%. We'd bet on all three moving around the formation some. But Diggs could wind up primarily replacing Robert Woods (55.5% slot) and Noah Brown (39.3%). The trio gives Stroud one of the league's best WR groups and boosts his fantasy upside. The QB already sat sixth at the position in Underdog Fantasy ADP, though. That adds risk to Stroud as a draft target and gives him little room to move up. QB Josh Allen, meanwhile, has lost his top two wideouts (Gabe Davis the other) while adding only WR Curtis Samuel this offseason. The dearth of remaining talent adds risk to his fantasy outlook, though you shouldn't expect the high-level rusher to move significantly down our rankings. As for other affected players: Diggs' departure leaves target share available for TE Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir. His arrival in Houston makes life tougher for TE Dalton Schultz. He already sat just 13th among TEs in best ball ADP, though, and will likely fall further following this trade. Be sure to check our rankings for your format to see all the effects of this high-impact deal.
The Chiefs re-signed RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. CEH drew very little interest in free agency after setting career lows last year with 223 rushing yards and 3.2 yards per carry. He'll be no higher than No. 2 on Kansas City's depth chart behind Isiah Pacheco. We'll see if the Chiefs add to the backfield in the draft. Edwards-Helaire is not worth a pick in early best-ball drafts.
Chiefs WR Rashee Rice allegedly fled the scene of a serious accident in Dallas on Saturday night. He's believed to have been driving a Corvette that was racing a Lamborghini. The Lamborghini lost control, hit a median wall, and caused "a chain reaction collision involving four other vehicles," according to the Dallas police. Four people suffered minor injuries, including two who were taken to the hospital. We'll keep you updated on the situation, but Rice comes with at least some suspension risk if you're drafting right now.
The Dolphins and RB Raheem Mostert agreed to a one-year extension. He's now signed through the 2025 season on a deal that could be worth up to $9 million. It's a well-deserved raise for Mostert after an impressive 2023 campaign that saw him finish third among RBs in PPR points per game. That was fueled largely by his 21 total TDs -- but Mostert also ranked top eight in Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt, Elusive Rating, and Pro Football Focus rushing grade. He's a long shot to score as many TDs this season, and RB De'Von Achane could take more work. But this contract extension confirms that Mostert will remain a big part of Miami's offense. He's a solid value at his RB28 ADP.
The Broncos signed WR Josh Reynolds to a two-year, $14 million deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Reynolds ranked third among Lions last year in both receiving yards (608) and TDs (5), fending off Jameson Williams for the No. 2 WR job. He's developed into a reliable receiver. But he's also never topped 618 yards across his seven NFL seasons. Reynolds should find plenty of snaps for a Broncos team with Marvin Mims, Tim Patrick, Brandon Johnson, and Phillip Dorsett behind No. 1 WR Courtland Sutton. But he's not an exciting fantasy option. If Reynolds is the most significant WR addition Denver makes this offseason, Mims will have every chance to earn a major role in his second season.
RB J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) has been cleared for football activities, his surgeon wrote in a letter to teams on Tuesday. Dobbins looks “outstanding” after his rehab from September Achilles surgery, Dr. Neal ElAttrache said. Dobbins is expected to begin taking free-agent visits soon, according to NFL Network's Pelissero. A torn ACL and torn Achilles have limited Dobbins to just nine games over the past three seasons, and it's fair to wonder if the 25-year-old can regain pre-injury form. He's no more than a late-round flier in early fantasy drafts. We'll see where he lands in free agency.
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