The NFL’s free agency period still doesn’t officially begin until Wednesday, but that’s just a technicality. As of Monday, when the league’s two-day legal tampering period kicked off, plenty of deals were struck.
Even with the NFL draft still more than a month away, it’s not too early to make judgments about how some players in previously uncertain situations are set to fare this fall. Let’s go ahead and look at some of the biggest winners thus far when it comes to boosting their fantasy football value.
Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
Both money and timing talk here. By luring Barkley away from the Giants with a contract reportedly worth $37.75 million over three seasons, including $26 million in guaranteed money, Philadelphia ensured he will be one of the league’s highest-paid running backs. Locking him up right away, rather than waiting to see how the running back market shook out, also indicates Barkley was a priority for the Eagles. Oh, and Philly waved goodbye Monday to its top in-house back, D’Andre Swift, who joined the Bears.
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Add it all up, and Barkley figures to get fed in an attack that, very much unlike the Giants’ offense, features a terrific offensive line. Sure, the Eagles’ line may take a step back with the retirement of star center Jason Kelce, and New York made moves Monday to improve in that regard. In addition, Barkley could get touchdowns siphoned off by serial tush-pushee Jalen Hurts, whose mobility also keeps him from dumping off the ball to running backs as often as many other quarterbacks. Then there’s the fact that Barkley is 27, a dangerously advanced age for a running back, and has had his share of injuries.
So let’s not get carried away by assuming Barkley’s star power and exciting new situation will vault him back to the very top of fantasy draft lists. But he appears locked into the top 10 at his position, cementing him as, at worst, a mid-second round pick with all sorts of upside
Josh Jacobs, RB, Packers
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We just saw a major changing of the guard in Green Bay, which is reportedly releasing stalwart Aaron Jones and has been expected for weeks to part ways with fellow running back A.J. Dillon. In comes Jacobs, who fell off sharply last season from his eye-popping 2022 campaign but now joins a team on the rise.
Even if Jacobs’s reported contract — $48 million over four years — is one of those funny-money deals in which he’ll never see that full amount, we can be sure he’s getting paid a lot this year. We can also be confident that his new environment, featuring quarterback Jordan Love, a bevy of talented young wide receivers and a sharp offensive mind in Coach Matt LaFleur, will set up Jacobs for double-digit touchdowns.
Gus Edwards, RB, Chargers
Did someone say “touchdowns”? Having landed in Los Angeles, Edwards could use his bulk to fall into the end zone on a regular basis. The former Ravens back, who scored 13 times last season, apparently came well-recommended by Baltimore Coach John Harbaugh to his brother and new Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh.
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Meanwhile, the former Michigan coach let Austin Ekeler join with the Commanders. Edwards may not get many of the pass targets Ekeler left behind, and he may well get some competition for touches in the draft, but Edwards is set up for a steady diet of carries in an offense that will want to run, run and then, just for kicks, run some more.
Falcons’ pass-catchers
Yes, it’s safe to be intrigued again by Kyle Pitts. The Atlanta tight end, who just lost a major thorn in the side with Jonnu Smith’s move to the Dolphins, figures to benefit greatly from his team’s offseason overhaul. The latest piece of good news for Pitts — as well as wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson — came Monday when the Falcons landed Kirk Cousins. It’s just hard to overstate how much of an upgrade the former Vikings quarterback, who finished third last season in completion percentage above expectation, represents in comparison to the woefully inaccurate Desmond Ridder and Marcus Mariota, Atlanta’s primary passers for the past two seasons.
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Already gone is former Falcons coach Arthur Smith and his frustrating, decidedly fantasy-unfriendly preferences in terms of player usage and scheme. He was replaced by former Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who made sure to bring over with him an offensive coordinator (Zac Robinson) steeped in Sean McVay’s proven system. With Robinson drawing up plays and Cousins at the helm, Atlanta should pass the ball more frequently and efficiently, boosting the prospects for everyone at the head of the line for targets.
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