The Steelers signed WR Cordarrelle Patterson to a two-year, $6 million deal, NFL Network reports. He's reuniting with OC Arthur Smith, who coached Patterson in Atlanta the past three seasons. Patterson averaged 10.2 carries and 3.4 targets per game across his first two years with Smith but just 3.6 carries and 0.9 targets per game last year. That was largely due to the arrival of RB Bijan Robinson -- but Patterson also struggled to just 3.6 yards per carry and 4.2 yards per catch. He turned 33 earlier this month. Patterson is unlikely to be a fantasy asset this season, although he could siphon some work from RB Najee Harris and especially RB Jaylen Warren in the passing game.
Raiders HC Antonio Pierce called newly signed RB Alexander Mattison and TE Harrison Bryant depth pieces. "We’re talking about guys that could come in and, at some point — don’t know when it’s gonna happen — but, give us that starter, that little jolt or juice that we can use," Pierce added. Bryant was never a legitimate threat to 2023 second-rounder Michael Mayer. The bigger takeaway here is that the Raiders evidently don't view Mattison as a competitor for the starting RB job. Mattison's play could change throughout the offseason, of course. And Vegas could still add a RB in the draft. But Zamir White's odds of opening the season as the starter continue to climb. He remains a solid value in early best-ball drafts. For more on White, check out 2024 Fantasy Football Breakouts.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson (shoulder) "should be" ready for the start of OTAs next month, HC Shane Steichen said. Richardson underwent surgery on October 24 to repair a severe AC joint injury and was cleared to resume throwing in February. “I think what happened to him is gonna make him stronger,” Steichen said. “I know he’s super fired up and ready to roll through the spring practice and training camp and this season. ... I couldn’t be more excited to get him back going again. His limited sample size that he had in those first five weeks was impressive. He hit some plays I’ve never seen guys make.” Steichen added that keeping Richardson healthy is a priority but that he won't limit him as a runner. Richardson said earlier this offseason that he won't change his playing style, despite last year's injuries. There remains top-5 fantasy upside here.
Former Patriots and Bills RB Damien Harris announced his retirement Monday. Harris signed with Buffalo last offseason but appeared in just six games before suffering a neck injury. Although not deemed season-ending at the time, it wound up sidelining him the rest of the year. We're guessing that injury also factored into his retirement (at age 27), though that hasn't been reported as of this writing. There's no fantasy impact here unless you have Harris on your dynasty roster. (Feel free to release.) The Bills sport only James Cook and Ty Johnson at RB on their current roster (plus Darrynton Evans on a Futures contract). We'd bet on at least one upcoming RB addition -- and quite possibly more.
It was reported when the Steelers traded for QB Justin Fields that he was coming in to back up QB Russell Wilson. HC Mike Tomlin clarified the situation over the weekend, calling Wilson the favorite for the starting job but adding that Fields is in the mix, too. "When it's time to compete, Justin will given an opportunity to compete," Tomlin said. "But I thought it was appropriate to describe it in a way for when we get started. Russell's in pole position, and I think his body of work justifies that." Wilson was decent last year, completing 66.4% of his passes, averaging 6.9 yards per attempt, and ranking 19th among 30 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus' passing grades. It's certainly possible that he plays well enough throughout 2024 to keep Fields on the bench. But fantasy drafters should not be treating Wilson as a locked-in starter at this point. Fields, meanwhile, is tough to spend a pick on in early best-ball drafts. But this could be a nice time to buy low in dynasty leagues.
Texans HC Demeco Ryan expects WR Tank Dell (leg) to be ready for the offseason program. Dell fractured a fibula in early December, but the injury shouldn't be an issue for his 2024 fantasy value. He, of course, was excellent before going down, finishing 12th among WRs in PPR points per game as a rookie. Dell returns to the same offense (OC Bobby Slowik) with the same QB (C.J. Stroud) this year. See where Dell sits in our early 2024 fantasy football WR rankings.
Giants HC Brian Daboll would not commit to QB Daniel Jones (knee) being ready for the start of the 2024 season. He's working his way back from a torn right ACL suffered in early November. Jones said in February that his goal is to be back for the start of training camp, but his progress will be worth watching closely this spring and summer. Daboll added that Jones remains the starter when healthy, despite the addition of QB Drew Lock and the Giants holding the sixth overall pick of next month's draft. "When he gets back he'll be the guy," Daboll said.
The Browns signed RB D'Onta Foreman to a one-year deal. Although he averaged just 3.9 yards per carry in Chicago last year, Foreman ranked 22nd in Pro Football Focus rushing grade, 22nd in Elusive Rating, and 26th in Rush Yards Over Expected Per Attempt among 49 qualifying RBs. That followed a career-high 914 rushing yards on 4.5 yards per attempt for the Panthers in 2022. Foreman is a quality depth addition for a Browns team that has RB Nick Chubb working his way back from a significant knee injury that will likely cost him at least part of the 2024 season. Foreman will team up with RB Jerome Ford for however long Chubb is sidelined.
The Jets are signing WR Mike Williams to a one-year deal worth "up to" $15 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. It's a desperately needed addition for the Jets, who were trotting out guys like Allen Lazard, Xavier Gipson, and Randall Cobb behind Garrett Wilson last year. Williams is coming off a late-September ACL tear but should be ready in plenty of time for the start of the 2024 campaign. He racked up 19 catches and 249 yards in just three games last year and averaged over 68 yards per game in both 2021 and 2022. The 29-year-old should still have plenty of gas left in the tank -- especially as New York's No. 2 WR. Williams should find enough volume even behind Wilson to have a shot at WR3-level fantasy production. And his arrival is excellent news for QB Aaron Rodgers, who's also seen his team bolster its offensive line this offseason.
The Patriots are signing WR K.J. Osborn to a one-year deal worth $4 million, with a top value of $6 million. That's not enough to guarantee a significant role. But Osborn clearly lands in a place with opportunity. WR Demario Douglas led the team in targets last year as a late-round rookie who played just 14 games. RB Ezekiel Elliott led the team in receptions as a 28-year-old addition averaging just 6.1 yards per catch. And TE Hunter Henry was the only other Patriot to reach 40 catches. We'll see how this year's pass-catching corps sorts out and who's throwing passes. Osborn arrives as an unexciting option, topping out at 3.5 receptions per game in 2022.
The Rams signed QB Jimmy Garoppolo to a one-year deal. He was decent for the Raiders early last season but then suffered a back injury and struggled when he returned, eventually getting benched. Garoppolo is a subpar NFL starter but a quality backup for the Rams behind 36-year-old Matt Stafford.
The Bears are sending QB Justin Fields to the Steelers for a low-level draft pick. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Chicago gets only a sixth-rounder in 2025 that will become a fourth-rounder if he plays at least 51% of Pittsburgh's offensive snaps this year. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that a source told him "Russ is the starter." That, of course, refers to Russell Wilson, also recently acquired. It's a steep fall for Fields but a decent landing, behind a 35-year-old starter in clear decline. Fields is also unlikely to have his fifth-year option picked up this offseason. So we're betting he'll hit unrestricted free agency ahead of the 2025 season. We'll see about Fields' status at that point. For now, hold him if you can in dynasty -- just in case he finds a starting opportunity this year. We've seen that Fields can deliver fantasy points even while playing iffy-to-poor football. But Fields isn't a must-hold in shallower formats.
The Steelers traded QB Kenny Pickett and the 120th overall pick of this spring's draft to the Eagles in exchange for pick No. 98 and a pair of 2025 seventh-rounders, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Pickett wanted out of Pittsburgh after the arrival of QB Russell Wilson, according to Schefter. So Pickett goes from Wilson's backup ... to Jalen Hurts' backup. He still has two years left on his current contract, so it'll be at least 2026 before Pickett has a chance to sniff a starting job. Considering his lackluster play in Pittsburgh, it's more likely that Pickett settles in as a career backup.
Rams DL Aaron Donald has announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons. He won three defensive player of the year awards, 2014 defensive rookie of the year, and eight first-team All-Pro honors. The coming season will be the Rams' first without Donald in the lineup since 2013. From 2014-2023, he missed just nine total regular-season games. L.A. will obviously be hard-pressed to ever find another D-lineman near Donald's level. Expect them to look for help in that area with the 19th pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, though.
The Giants signed QB Drew Lock to a one-year, $5 million contract. Seahawks GM John Schneider said shortly after the deal was announced that he was hoping to bring Lock back but that the Giants promised him a shot at the starting job. "They basically sold him on the opportunity to compete to be the starter," Schneider said. "And he felt like it was the right opportunity. He looked at Baker Mayfield’s opportunity last year and felt that this could be something similar." The New York Post's Paul Schwartz has since countered that idea, reporting that the Giants signed Lock as a strict backup. Schwartz adds that Lock "could get plenty of action with the first-team offense in the spring and summer" as QB Daniel Jones works back from his torn ACL but that the Giants expect Jones to be ready for the start of the season. We'll keep you updated on this situation. Neither Jones nor Lock are worth targeting in early best-ball drafts.
The Seahawks shipped 2024 third- and fifth-round picks to the Commanders for QB Sam Howell. GM John Schneider said shortly after making the trade that QB Geno Smith remains the starter. "Geno's the guy and Sam will be backing him up," Schneider said. We're buying that considering Smith still played quality football last year, ranking 12th among 30 qualifiers in Pro Football Focus passing grades. Smith, of course, is 33 now and carries a big $38.5 million cap hit in 2025. So there's a chance that Howell replaces him then. "We were just really excited to be able to acquire him," Schneider said of Howell. "We know he's a serious dude. He's into it, he works his tail off. We got great reviews on him and we loved him coming out of college. So yeah, we're happy to get him in the mix." Howell is worth keeping stashed in most dynasty leagues.
The Texans and RB Joe Mixon agreed to a three-year extension worth $27 million total with $13 million guaranteed, according to insider Jordan Schultz. If there was any doubt that Mixon will be Houston's clear lead back at least this coming season, this deal should erase it. The 27-year-old is on the downside of his career but can still carry a load on the ground and is reliable in the passing game. Set to see nice volume in an ascending Texans offense, Mixon has a shot to turn in another RB1 fantasy season in 2024.
The Packers re-signed RB A.J. Dillon to a one-year deal, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. Dillon didn't seem to garner much interest on the open market after averaging a career-low 3.4 yards per carry last year. He'll return to Green Bay as a clear backup behind RB Josh Jacobs, who inked a four-year, $48 million deal earlier this week.
The Vikings acquired the 23rd overall pick of this year's draft -- plus pick No. 232 -- from the Texans in exchange for picks 42, 188, and a 2025 second-rounder. Minnesota now holds the 11th and 23rd overall picks in the draft. The obvious conclusion here is that the Vikings are stockpiling ammo to make a move up for a QB. They'd likely need to trade into the top three to land Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, or Drake Maye. Or they could make a smaller move up for J.J. McCarthy. Any of those guys would be good news for the short and long-term fantasy outlooks of WR Justin Jefferson, WR Jordan Addison, and TE T.J. Hockenson. QB Sam Darnold currently tops Minnesota's depth chart.
The Chiefs are signing WR Marquise Brown to a one-year deal worth "up to" $11 million, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. If you have to settle for a "prove it" deal, it's tough to imagine a much better place to do it. The Chiefs return TE Travis Kelce as the most likely top target. WR Rashee Rice seized a large role late in the season and appears likely to hit 2024 as at least the lead wideout -- maybe a challenger to Kelce. But last year's No. 3 in targets was WR Justin Watson, whose 53 checked in 49 behind Rice. Brown obviously gets a boost to his weekly upside by joining QB Patrick Mahomes. He might have a tough time finding consistent targets. But he should easily emerge as at least the clear No. 3 target. We'll see where Brown lands in ADP before judging how good a draft value he is. "Mahomes WRs" often get pushed up the board a little too much. If Brown can stay outside the top 36 in ADP, he'll be fine to target. Climbing high into WR3 range would start to add more risk. Check our best ball rankings to see where Brown lands post-signing.
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