The Patriots are signing RB Antonio Gibson, according to multiple reports. Gibson primarily served as a receiving back for the Commanders the past two years, averaging 3.0 receptions across 31 games while sharing the backfield with Brian Robinson Jr. He arrives as a potential threat to RB Rhamondre Stevenson's upside. But Gibson's signing might sneakily be good news for the incumbent. Everyone should have expected New England to address a backfield that found Stevenson missing five games last year and Ezekiel Elliott leading the squad in carries and receptions. Gibson opened his career as Washington's lead back before steadily losing work over the past three years. We're not downgrading Stevenson for this addition. He might even turn into a sleeper for 2024 redraft and dynasty leagues, depending on how the market reacts to Gibson. As for Gibson himself, the former Commander remains a late option as a low RB3 to RB5.
The Eagles have agreed to a three-year contract with RB Saquon Barkley. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Barkley will get $37.75 million over three years, with $26 million of that fully guaranteed at signing. The pact could be worth up to $46.75 million. That money shows Philly plans to turn Barkley into the kind of lead back the franchise hasn't had for a long time. D'Andre Swfit ranked just 24th in PPR points per game at the position as Philly's top back last year. But he underperformed on TDs: five rushing scores vs. 8.2 expected, according to Pro Football Focus. Barkley should also do better than Swift's 3.06 targets per game. Philadelphia -- with QB Jalen Hurts -- isn't the optimal spot for Barkley's receiving volume. But it should present easily the best offense he's played in. No Giants offense has ranked higher than 15th in points or higher than 17th in yards since Barkley entered the league.
The Falcons have agreed to a four-year deal with QB Kirk Cousins, his agent announced Monday. That obviously gives Atlanta the best QB it has had since Matt Ryan left after the 2021 season. Cousins is coming off an Oct. 29 Achilles' tendon tear. We'll have to watch his progress through the summer. But the Falcons' commitment says they believe he'll be ready to lead the offense. Moving away from WR Justin Jefferson and TE T.J. Hockenson presents a challenge. But Cousins inherits arguably even more overall talent in Atlanta: WR Drake London, "TE" Kyle Pitts, and RB Bijan Robinson. As long as Cousins is physically ready, this will be an intriguing 2024 offense. London already landed among our fantasy football breakouts for 2024. Minnesota now has a big question to answer at QB, with Cousins and Baker Mayfield (who had been a potential free agent) off the market.
Former Seahawks TE Colby Parkinson will be signing with the Rams for three years, $22.5 million, according to NFL.com. That deal includes $15.5 million in guarantees and could void after two years if Parkinson reaches certain performance incentives. This pretty clearly positions Parkinson as the top pass-catching hope at the position for the Rams. So if you've been taking TE Davis Allen late in 2024 best ball drafts -- stop. And don't get your hopes up for Tyler Higbee's swift return from the double-ligament tear he suffered in the playoff loss to Detroit. Parkinson's interesting in the same range of best ball drafts as Allen's been going (TE28 in Underdog Fantasy ADP) -- especially if you already have QB Matthew Stafford.
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that the Packers are expected to sign RB Josh Jacobs. It's a surprising development. Green Bay has been set to let RB AJ Dillon walk in free agency but had been talking with RB Aaron Jones to adjust his contract. This move could signal those talks have broken down and Jones will move on. That said, the Packers might also envision a potential Jacobs-Jones backfield. Either way, a healthy Jacobs should rebound vs. last year's struggles -- especially in a better offense. He sports upside into the top 12 at the position. Whether Jacobs' Underdog Fantasy ADP rises higher than its current RB14 level will likely depend on Jones' situation. Jacobs is worth a look in best ball drafts right now while the market tries to sort all that out. The Raiders, meanwhile, appear to have Zamir White in line to take over the lead job. He filled in admirably over the final four games last season and would be a fine fantasy option if he reaches the regular season in that role. There's still, of course, room for the Raiders to address their backfield in free agency and/or the draft. And it's worth remembering that White was a fourth-round pick who barely saw the field until Week 15 of his second season. Gauge your dynasty league to see if there's excitement over his opportunity and consider trading White if you can get a good return.
The Jaguars are signing WR Gabe Davis to a three-year deal, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That could signal the team doesn't expect to be able to re-sign WR Calvin Ridley, who reached unrestricted free agency today. Jacksonville would have trouble fitting Ridley and Davis contracts under the cap, especially with Edge Josh Allen currently on the franchise tag ($24 million in 2024 salary). It also wouldn't make much sense for the team to pay both guys plus WRs Christian Kirk and Zay Jones, both of whom remain under contract. TE Evan Engram also got a hefty extension just before last season. There's room for Davis to earn at least as much target share as he found in Buffalo. The crowded Jacksonville corps could keep him frustrating as a fantasy option, though. Davis has been a nice best ball value so far this draft season, going 62nd among WRs. We'll see whether his new contract delivers a big boost. But we'll likely keep buying Davis in best ball. Check our best ball rankings to see how his new home affects him.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 in Houston reports that the Titans are expected to sign RB Tony Pollard. That'll be a surprising move for a team that drafted RB Tyjae Spears in Round 3 last year -- and a GM who talked him up at the Combine. Pollard's coming off a disappointing season in his first turn as Dallas' lead back. But it has since been reported that he spent much of 2023 still working back from his end-of-2022 leg injury. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Tennessee is giving Pollard a three-year, $24 million deal. That obviously positions Pollard as the Titans' new lead back and crushes Spears' 2024 upside. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to hang on to the second-year runner rather than sell low in dynasty. Pollard has been going RB22 in Underdog Fantasy ADP -- four spots behind Spears in positional ADP. Expect both those numbers to change. Pollard should remain a fine best ball target at least up to RB15 range. Check our updated RB rankings to see where he and Spears settle.
The Bears have agreed to a three-year deal with RB D'Andre Swift, according to multiple reports. Chicago will pay Swift $24 million over that span, with $15.3 million of that guaranteed. That should position Swift as the backfield leader for at least the next two seasons -- assuming he stays healthy, of course. Swift opened his lone Philly season barely playing behind Kenneth Gainwell but then exploded when Gainwell missed Week 2. Swift worked as the lead back the rest of the way, averaging a career-high 41.3 carries per game but a career-low 2.4 receptions per contest. He should immediately step ahead of Bears incumbents Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson as both a runner and receiver. If the QB shift to Caleb Williams comes to fruition, then Swift would gain target upside over what Philly presented (or what Justin Fields would present). Swift has been a solid-to-good value in early best ball drafting. Expect his ADP to rise now that he has found starter money on the market. Swift's RB31 position in Underdog Fantasy to date gives him plenty of room to move up the board and still be worth targeting. Check our RB rankings to see where he lands.
The Colts have agreed to a three-year deal with WR Michael Pittman Jr. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports it'll pay $70 million ($71.5 million max), with $46 million of that guaranteed. The contract gets rid of the franchise tag, which Indy had applied to ensure the wideout didn't reach free agency. Pittman looks like a top-20 dynasty WR for the next few years. We'll see what a full season of QB Anthony Richardson means for his production. Richardson got just two full games in his rookie campaign. Check our dynasty WR rankings to see where Pittman fits in your format.
Bengals WR Tee Higgins has requested a trade, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Cincinnati used its franchise tag to keep Higgins for 2024, but Higgins is reportedly disappointed that the team hasn't made an effort to sign him to a long-term deal. We'll see how interested the Bengals are in meeting Higgins' demand. There'd be no shortage of trade interest in the 25-year-old if he becomes available. This could also result in a Higgins holdout if the Bengals choose not to trade him. We'll keep you updated on the situation, but Higgins carries elevated risk in fantasy drafts until it's resolved.
QB Russell Wilson announced late Sunday night that he'll be signing with the Steelers after his release from Denver becomes official. The vet will be signing for just $1.2 million, thanks to the Broncos being on the hook for about $39 million. That Pittsburgh number is far from guaranteed-starter money. But Wilson's quick decision on the Steelers almost certainly means they guaranteed him at least a chance to compete for the starting job. If Wilson can't beat out Kenny Pickett this summer, it'd be either the worst sign yet for his career or a huge step forward for Pickett. We'll head toward summer assuming Wilson will emerge as the starter. The landing spot, though, isn't exciting for his fantasy outlook. And Wilson's arrival -- after the way he performed the past two years -- doesn't elevate Pittsburgh's pass-catchers.
The Patriots and WR Kendrick Bourne have agreed to a new three-year deal ahead of free agency. It's a $19.5 million contract with a maximum value of $33 million, according to The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan. Bourne is working his way back from a torn right ACL suffered this past October but should be ready for the start of the 2024 campaign. He averaged a career-best 50.8 receiving yards per game before going down last year, finishing 35th among WRs in PPR points per game. That feels like Bourne's ultimate fantasy upside this year. We'll see what else the Patriots do at WR this offseason, but Bourne is just a late-round option in early fantasy drafts.
The Buccaneers are finalizing a three-year extension with QB Baker Mayfield, according to multiple reports. The pact will reportedly pay him $100 million, with $50 million guaranteed and another $15 million available in incentives. The impact: Mayfield looks like the Tampa Bay QB for at least the next two years -- and probably the next three. He enjoyed a rebound 2023 and will continue to have Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as his top two wideouts. Mayfield delivered six top-12 fantasy finishes at the position last season and remains a nice value at his low draft cost. He should remain a solid late QB2 for 2024 redraft leagues.
The Bears have agreed to a two-year, $15 million deal with S Kevin Byard, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. That positions Byard to take over the starting spot vacated when the team released S Eddie Jackson in February. Byard, of course, spent the second half of 2023 in Philly after a trade from Tennessee. But the Eagles released him this offseason. Byard still finished among the top 15 fantasy DBs, his seventh straight year among the top 24. Byard should remain a solid bet to remain in that range heading into his age-31 campaign.
The Patriots are sending QB Mac Jones to the Jaguars for a sixth-round pick. That should be enough to set Jones as Trevor Lawrence's backup, given that he carries a $5 million cap number. It's also almost certainly just a one-year setup. Jacksonville must now decide this offseason on Jones' fifth-year option (for 2025) -- and that'll be an easy "no" on a year that would guarantee nearly $26 million in salary. We'll see whether Jones gets a shot to redeem himself in Jacksonville ... and where he lands in 2025. His only real dynasty value at this point is as a handcuff to Lawrence in superflex formats.
The Cowboys have given WR Michael Gallup permission to seek a trade, according to The Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins. Watkins adds that Gallup is unlikely to find much of a trade market because other teams expect Dallas to release him. That would save the Cowboys $9.5 million in 2024 cap space. Gallup has totaled just 842 yards on 11.5 yards per catch in 31 games since tearing an ACL late in the 2021 season. He ranked 77th out of 80 qualifying WRs in 2022 yards per route and then 70th out of 80 last year. We'll see where Gallup lands, but there's little reason to be optimistic for his 2024 fantasy value. His departure would leave opportunity in Dallas for WR Jalen Tolbert -- although we'd expect the Cowboys to add to the position in free agency and/or the draft.
The Seahawks and WR Tyler Lockett have agreed to a restructured deal that will pay $30 million over the next two years, with $13 million guaranteed and a max value of $34 million. That locks in the veteran wideout with Seattle in 2024. The biggest impact here might be on second-year WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba. He ranked a clear third among Seahawks in targets last season, drawing 5.5 per game to Lockett's 7.4 and D.K. Metcalf's 7.2. JSN will need to pass one of those guys to become truly fantasy relevant. A new coaching staff presents opportunity for offensive design to change. But the new regime clearly believes Lockett remains good. And Metcalf just turned 26 in December. Lockett's Underdog Fantasy ADP sits WR56 to date, compared with Smith-Njigba's WR38. That sure looks imbalanced in the veteran's favor from here. Keeping the WR trio together helps QB Geno Smith's outlook -- assuming he keeps the job, of course.
The Broncos are trading WR Jerry Jeudy to the Browns for fifth- and sixth-round picks in this year's draft, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. It's clearly a cost-cutting move for Denver, which avoids the nearly $13 million cap hit of the final season on Jeudy's contract. The move should allow second-year WR Marvin Mims to hit the starting lineup, though he'll have to compete with returning WR Tim Patrick. Jeudy arrives to a Cleveland corps that already sported WRs Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore. Right now we'd bet on Jeudy garnering more targets than Moore, who earned just 16.7% target share in his first year with the Browns. But it's certainly not an exciting landing spot for Jeudy's upside. That's magnified by QB Deshaun Watson's lackluster play in 2023 before his season-ending shoulder injury. Jeudy's fine to stack with Watson on best ball rosters at their respective prices: WR61 in Underdog Fantasy ADP for Jeudy; QB23 for Watson. Just don't expect either to be a championship winner. That said, Watson sports a nice crew of pass-catchers now, with the aforementioned wideouts and TE David Njoku. Cleveland second-year WR Cedric Tillman, meanwhile, looks blocked from relevance for at least one more year. He's not a must-hold in dynasty.
Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald stopped short of committing to QB Geno Smith as the 2024 starter in a Friday radio appearance. "We're always looking, always trying to figure out what’s best for the team all the time," Macdonald said. "I'm excited for Geno to come in here and start playing and start working. ... I don't want you to feel like I'm dodging this answer, but that's what I'm excited about, for him to come in here and start to build this team the way we envision building it." It's a rather cookie-cutter, coachspeak answer for early March -- but worth noting nonetheless. Smith is under contract for 2024 at a $26.4 million cap hit, and the Seahawks don't currently pick until 16th overall in this spring's draft. They'd likely need to trade up to land one of the top four QBs in the class. It's still more likely than not that Smith is under center for Seattle come Week 1, but don't consider him locked in at this point.
The Patriots and TE Hunter Henry have agreed to a new three-year contract, NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reports. Henry was scheduled to hit free agency next week but will now remain in New England under new HC Jerod Mayo and OC Alex Van Pelt. Henry posted a 42-419-6 line across 14 games last year, finishing 15th among TEs in PPR points per game. He ranked 14th in Pro Football Focus receiving grade and 26th in yards per route run among 33 qualifying TEs. The 29-year-old could still be a fantasy asset in 2024. His value will largely depend on what New England does at QB and WR this offseason.
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