Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football Free Agency Preview: Will Allen Robinson, Leonard Fournette thrive?
QB Market
It’s extremely rare a true solution at the quarterback position is available in free agency. No such player exists in the 2022 pool.
That said, this year’s crop is rather robust with guys who you can “get by with” for a season.
Better said, the high-end backup quarterback free-agent market is awesome this offseason.
No one is kidding themselves that these passers are about to flip the switch from mostly former flameout status to franchise quarterback. But you could field a competent offense if you have to start any of these guys for a stretch and you’d be quite happy with them as a backup/placeholder for a rookie.
Top-5 available
Winston is the most enticing of these options, even if he’s coming off an injury. I don’t really see the difference between Winston and Carson Wentz … who the Washington Commanders just flipped multiple picks for and agreed to absorb his ridiculous contract. Winston is still not a real answer for any team but can keep a ship afloat with the added benefit of providing a little fantasy juice. It sounds like a return to New Orleans is in the cards.
Trubisky sounds like he’ll have a hot market. I feel like this is one big, elaborate practical joke on Bears fans. He’ll fit best competing with another guy for a starting spot on a one-year deal or serving as a passable bridge to a rookie. The Giants connection makes too much sense but they might be priced out.
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We’re well past the point where we can even feign excitement about the other three on this list. If a team has to get by with Bridgewater, Mariota or Dalton it wouldn’t be completely embarrassing, provided you have the right ecosystem around them. The good vibes just won’t last long.
Value option
I really don’t see much of a difference between Taylor and the final three guys on the top-five. He’s offered up surprisingly solid play in very short stints the last two seasons. He’s an ideal backup quarterback but can keep the train on the track as a starter. Teams should also check in with Ryan Fitzpatrick. My guess is he retires when no starting spots open up. I’m still bummed his 2021 chance ended in basically two seconds.
RB Market
We know running backs just don’t get paid on the open market these days. Almost anyone who makes it to free agency isn’t really worth going out on the limb for with a big contract to try and break recent trends, anyway. That tier of running backs often gets extended by their own teams.
There are backs available this year who could thrive in the right offense, however. In fact, three of them were top-10 fantasy producers at the position last season. The paydays won’t be there, but the fantasy appeal could be — in the right ecosystem.
Top-5 available
Melvin Gordon
Fournette will get to test the market after turning in a stellar season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He totaled 1,266 yards from scrimmage and finished third among running backs with 69 catches in just 14 games. Any team looking for a starter could probably get a nice year out of the one-time top-five pick.
Conner was a huge find for the Cardinals in free agency. They’d ideally like to have him back with Chase Edmonds also hitting the market but could easily get priced out. Conner’s durability questions are real but he offers goal-line juice and passing-down prowess. He should find a 1A/1B role in a split backfield.
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Patterson was electric as a multi-positional player for the Falcons. It took years but he finally found a coach who could find a real every-week role for his talents. It’s hard to imagine Patterson would want to fly the nest and leave Arthur Smith’s offense behind but a bigger payday could await him elsewhere. Guessing that hypothetical team beforehand is tough.
Penny and Gordon are good candidates to return to their old teams. Seattle finally got what they envisioned out of Penny when they took him in Round 1 many years ago. Pete Carroll is unlikely to want to give up on that dream and they have the cap room to burn now. Fantasy managers will be praying someone else offers Gordon good money so that he doesn’t return to nip into Javonte Williams’ workload.
Value option
Raheem Mostert/James White
I’m offering up an early-down option and a pass-game specialist. Mostert was likely in line for a monster season with the 49ers but got hurt right away. That specter will always cloud his appeal but it wouldn’t shock me if his speed caused him to have a solid run with a team. White is also coming off an injury but was set to turn in another nice season as a receiving back. Some team should kick the tires here.
WR Market
No position’s appeal has been ruined more by the franchise tag and re-signings than wide receiver. It was predictable. No one should have expected Davante Adams, Chris Godwin or even Mike Williams to ever sniff the open market.
There are a handful of good options still available for anyone to sign, however ... as long as you’re not looking for a clear-cut, featured No. 1 receiver.
Top 5 available
Allen Robinson
Odell Beckham
Michael Gallup
Christian Kirk
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Robinson is coming off a lost year due to injuries, COVID and the Bears' hideous offense/plans for their quarterbacks. On an individual basis, he didn’t play as well as usual — especially in contested situations — but you can see he’s still a great technician and reliable route-runner. No one should blame him if he wasn’t willing to go all-in on a team that was so flippant about their commitment to him either. Even if his future is as a really strong No. 2 wideout, for the love of God, let this man sign with a team that has a good quarterback.
Beckham should return to LA and not think twice about it. His Super Bowl ACL injury is likely to sideline him deep into 2022. The mercurial receiver was awesome with the Rams and became a crucial piece of their offense. Don’t mess with a good thing.
With Amari Cooper all but a lock to depart Dallas via a trade or release, it sounds like the Cowboys will work hard to bring back Gallup. He might not be ready to play Week 1 either. Still, if they can get a near 50-percent discount on Cooper’s $20-million salary by bringing back Gallup at $12-million or so per year, that’s a no-brainer to me.
Kirk is coming off a good season and unlike the rest of this cast of characters, doesn’t present a big injury question. He’d bring inside/outside versatility to the table and would be a nice secondary option to any team hurting at wide receiver.
Smith-Schuster is set to hit free agency once again. The Ravens and Chiefs were interested last year and I bet he regrets not bolting to either last year. He’s gone from being overrated to underrated. As long as he’s healthy, he can be a quality option for any team in the market for a big slot receiver.
Value option
D.J. Chark
He’s a tough guy to figure out right now. Chark’s 2019 season was really promising, his 2020 campaign extremely disappointing and his 2021 year ruined by an early injury. That said, he’s an outside wide receiver with size, and speed to burn. If he can be had at an injury discount, plenty of teams should be interested. Don’t be surprised to see Marquez Valdes-Scantling turn out to be a Plan B for teams that miss out on Chark.
TE Market
The franchise tag deadline saw three of the top tight ends available — Dalton Schultz, Mike Gesicki and David Njoku — get wiped off the board. There are some older options available for rentals but no sure things are left.
Top 5 available
Rob Gronkowski
Zach Ertz
Evan Engram
C.J. Uzomah
Jared Cook
If either Gronkowski or Ertz was going to retire, they’d have done it by now. I’d have thought he’d follow Tom Brady into the sunset but he’s been openly discussing other teams he wants to play with. Any contender should look to him as a rental. Gronk played well last year, as did Ertz once he got to Arizona; he should go back there.
Engram sounds like he’ll garner some interest. Tight ends tend to take a leap on their second contract and Engram has indeed enjoyed some moments in the league. Jason Garrett had this guy playing Jason Witten’s role in his offense; we can do better than that. The right landing spot could at least have me looking in Engram’s direction in 2022.
Uzomah and Cook can be low-end starters for someone but are far from solutions.
Value option
Robert Tonyan
Tonyan was electric for Green Bay in 2020 but fell off the map last year even prior to getting hurt. There might be nothing here but it’s worth exploring.
OL Market
High-quality offensive linemen are rarities in free agency. Not everyone here is a clean proposition but all five of these players would make a line better. That matters when projecting for fantasy football.
Top 5 available
Terron Armstead
Ryan Jensen
Duane Brown
Brandon Scherff
Morgan Moses
Guys of Armstead’s pedigree never hit the open market. It just doesn’t happen. A combination of his lingering injury issues and the Saints’ cap situation has made a rarity a reality. Despite his health concerns he’s going to make bank as just about any team with money to burn would be interested in securing the services of a (when healthy) top-five tackle.
Jensen should be interesting to just about any team with a young quarterback. We saw what Corey Linsley did for Justin Herbert in Year 2 and the 2021 rookie passers could greatly benefit from his services. Jensen is also a full-on tone-setter at the pivot point.
Brown and Scherff’s best days are behind them but either veteran would make for a solid rental. Scherff in particular could be about to cash in after two strong seasons playing under Washington’s franchise tag. There are health concerns here but someone will look past them.
Moses isn’t a star but he’s a capable right tackle. He’ll make someone happy as a hole-filler in 2022.
Value option
Ben Jones
Jones has been with the Titans since 2016 and considering they just cut Rodger Saffold, it’s hard to imagine they’ll let him walk without a fight. While he’s 32 years old and not a Pro Bowl-level player, he could be a finishing piece for a contender’s line.
