After a wild first wave of free agency deals, it’s time to take inventory of the players who changed teams and how those moves will impact the fantasy landscape.
Here’s a quick rundown of the biggest risers in terms of fantasy value following the legal tampering window.
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Risers
Ashton Jeanty, Raiders, RB
As a rookie, Jeanty finished as the RB17 in fantasy points per game with 1,321 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns, while dealing with a subpar supporting cast, an injured/hampered Brock Bowers and a coordinator change part way through the season. Wisely, the Raiders are spending money to upgrade the offense, starting with the top center on the market in Tyler Linderbaum. When you factor in the arrival of offensive-minded head coach Klint Kubiak and the expected addition of the No. 1 QB in this draft class Fernando Mendoza, you immediately get a better environment for Jeanty. The path is laid out for a high-end fantasy campaign.
Fantasy outlook: Top-5 RB
Redraft value: Late 1st to early 2nd round
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Omarion Hampton, Chargers, RB
Hampton missed nearly half his rookie season due to injury, but still flashed a solid fantasy ceiling as the RB16 averaging 13.3 fppg. That included double digit fantasy points in six of his last seven outings, despite playing behind a decimated offensive line. Bringing in new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel is a huge step in the right direction, but the Chargers early free agency additions of center Tyler Biadasz, guard Cole Strange, fullback Alec Ingold and tight end Charlie Kolar are just as exciting. On top of the blocking upgrade they’ll provide, their presence will also allow McDaniel to successfully implement his system immediately — making Hampton a second-round pick to target in fantasy.
Fantasy outlook: Top-7 RB
Redraft value: Late 1st to mid-2nd round
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Kenneth Walker III, Chiefs, RB
Walker ended up in one of the ideal landing spots for a running back, joining a Chiefs’ offense that’s been in desperate need of a playmaker who could elevate their ground attack. Walker also escapes the timeshare backfield in Seattle and won’t face anywhere near the same competition for touches in Kansas City. While I don’t expect him to ever catch enough passes to flirt with a top-five season-long finish at his position, this move definitely puts him in consideration as a potential fantasy RB1 in 2026.
Fantasy outlook: Top-12 RB
Redraft value: 2nd round
Cam Skattebo, Giants, RB
After reportedly being in the market for help at running back, the G-Men didn’t come away with one of the top free-agent ball carriers. Instead, they elected to keep veteran Devin Singletary on a reworked contract. That’s big news for Skattebo who was on his way to a breakout season as a rookie, before suffering a tibia fracture, ruptured deltoid ligament and dislocated ankle in October. Prior to the injury, he was the RB6 in fppg over his last six outings and saw bell-cow usage with 22 touches per game over his final four starts. With no major names left to threaten him on the free-agent market, Skattebo will now just need to survive the draft in April. It’s a weak crop of rookie RBs this year, but it’s not impossible that the Giants could be in the mix for top prospect Jeremiyah Love at fifth overall.
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Fantasy outlook: Low-end RB2 with RB1 upside
Redraft value: 4th to 5th round
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Buccaneers WRs Emeka Egbuka, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan
While Mike Evans leaving the organization marks a sad day for everyone associated with the Bucs, it creates a window of opportunity for the remaining members of the receiving corps. The fantasy stock for Egbuka, Godwin and McMillan all get bumps to varying degrees as their target shares and red-zone chances should all increase. We’ll see where their ADPs settle in the coming weeks, but I’d expect all three players will be values in this year’s drafts as fantasy managers uncertain of how to project what this offense will look like without Evans.
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Egbuka’s fantasy outlook: Low-end WR2/high-end WR3
Redraft value: 4th to 5th round
Godwin’s fantasy outlook: Mid-range WR3 with upside
Redraft value: 7th round
McMillan’s fantasy outlook: WR5/flex option with significant upside
Redraft value: Late-round stash
49ers WR Mike Evans and QB Brock Purdy
Evans is heading to San Francisco and the friendly confines of Kyle Shanahan’s offense. We’ve seen a variety of journeyman types from Jauan Jennings to Kendrick Bourne to Demarcus Robinson all post big games when asked to be a meaningful part of the passing attack. Evans is more talented than all of them, even with question marks around his durability entering his age-33 season. If he can avoid another hamstring issue, which has been a recurring problem for six straight years, Evans has a chance to be a strong fantasy WR3 with a much higher ceiling. Meanwhile, Purdy gets a much-needed addition to his receiver room, especially with George Kittle recovering from an Achilles’ tear and Brandon Aiyuk and Jennings likely departing. That moves Purdy back into the fantasy QB1 range.
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Evans’ fantasy outlook: WR3 with WR2 upside
Redraft value: 6th round
Purdy’s fantasy outlook: Low-end QB1
Redraft value: 8th to 9th round
Broncos RBs R.J. Harvey and JK Dobbins
On the surface, the return of Dobbins to Denver on a two-year contract seems like a bad thing for Harvey’s fantasy future. However, I’d argue it could have been much worse. If the Broncos had invested in a bigger name back, it might have relegated Harvey to a change-of-pace role. As it stands, Harvey only has to contend with Dobbins who has yet to complete a full NFL campaign without an injury costing him significant time. So, while this does lower Harvey’s projection for the start of the season, the odds are against Dobbins making it into November and December. That means Harvey could once again be a key piece on fantasy title rosters, like he was last year when he broke out as the RB9 in fppg with four top-12 weekly results over his last six outings.
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Harvey’s fantasy outlook: RB3 with upside (especially later in the year)
Redraft value: 6th to 7th round
Dobbins’ fantasy outlook: RB3/flex option (focus on early-season production)
Redraft value: 9th to 10th round
Bhayshul Tuten, Jaguars, RB
Tuten is another name in the collection of running backs who are in the risers for the time being, but will need to survive the rest of free agency as well as the NFL Draft before we can anoint them as potential fantasy starters in 2026. The departure of Travis Etienne Jr. opens the door for Tuten, who is one of my favorite Day 3 backs in recent memory. He flashed on limited opportunities as a rookie and now has a chance to fight for the starting job — if the team doesn’t make a major move at the position. In that scenario, Tuten would be a potential fantasy RB2, after we saw Etienne finish as the RB10 on a per game basis last year.
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Fantasy outlook: High-end RB3 with RB2 upside
Redraft value: 6th round
Chuba Hubbard, Panthers, RB
Though Rico Dowdle temporarily took over the starting job in Carolina last season en route to a 1,000-yard campaign, let’s not forget that Hubbard was just as successful in that same role the year before. In 2024, Hubbard finished as the RB12 in fppg with 1,195 rushing yards, 43 receptions, 171 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. With Dowdle landing in Pittsburgh, Hubbard is the favorite to return to the top of the depth chart with his main competition being Jonathon Brooks, who is trying to work his way back from multiple serious knee injuries. We’re all rooting for Brooks to get back to his previous form, but at the moment Hubbard is the most likely to lead this backfield once again.
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Fantasy outlook: Low-end RB2
Redraft value: 4th to 5th round
Colts WRs Alec Pierce and Josh Downs along with TE Tyler Warren
The Michael Pittman Jr. trade frees up 111 targets from the Colts’ passing attack without anyone new arriving to fill the void. Instead, the bulk of the volume will be scattered amongst three players. The first is Pierce, whose massive new contract positions him as the No. 1 receiver in Indy. While I have my doubts about him living up to that role, the team believes he can be that player. The 25-year-old was a top-25 fantasy WR over the final 11 games last year and while his incredible efficiency is likely to regress, it should be offset by an uptick in targets — making him an upside WR3. The second is Downs, who has flashed over short stretches but has mostly been deployed as a No. 3 option. I believe he can be used more on the outside, but time will tell if the Colts are willing to expand his playing time. The third is Warren, who was the TE6 in fppg through Week 10 last year and has the talent to be one of the few fantasy difference-makers at his position.
Pierce’s fantasy outlook: High-end WR3 with massive weekly ceiling
Redraft value: 7th round
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Downs’ fantasy outlook: WR4/flex
Redraft value: 11th round
Warren’s fantasy outlook: Top-6 TE with an elite ceiling
Redraft value: 6th round
Wan’Dale Robinson, Titans , WR
Robinson is coming off a career-year with 92 catches for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns, which made him the WR21 in fppg. More importantly, the Giants showed a willingness to expand his usage and target him downfield, resulting in three 100-yard games. Now he heads to the Titans, who don’t have anything resembling a No. 1 receiver. And though Robinson shouldn’t be deployed that way either, he’s about to get all the volume he can handle from Cam Ward. The sophomore QB played better than his stats show last year and the arrival of OC Brian Daboll is a serious boon to the outlook of this entire offense. Daboll also has a history with Robinson dating back to their time in New York, so you can be sure they signed him with intent. Fantasy managers shouldn’t view Robinson as a league-winner, but rather a value add as a fantasy WR3 with WR2 potential.
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Fantasy outlook: WR3 with volume-based WR2 upside
Redraft value: 8th round
Jordan Mason, Vikings , RB
Mason gets a bump with Minnesota with the pending release of Aaron Jones Sr. and not making any moves as of yet in free agency. They’re almost a lock to bring someone in before the season, but right now Mason is the leader in the clubhouse to be their starter in Week 1. Despite the struggles of the Vikings’ offense as a whole last year, Mason had stretches of quality production. When Jones was out of the lineup for over a month early in the season (Week 3 to Week 7), Mason was the RB16 in fppg. When Jones sat out Week 18, Mason had his second highest yardage total of the season with 94 yards on 14 carries versus the Packers. If he’s given the chance and the offensive line isn’t overcome by injuries again, Mason could be a surprising fantasy RB2, especially if Kyler Murray ends up on the roster.
Fantasy outlook: RB3 with RB2 upside if serious competition isn’t added
Redraft value: 8th to 9th round
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Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks , RB
It’s hard to mention Charbonnet here after Kenneth Walker III left in free agency. The move means in the long term Charbonnet will have an opportunity to take over lead back duties in Seattle. However, the 25-year-old suffered a torn ACL in January that is likely to keep him out for some (maybe even most) of the 2026 campaign. It’s almost guaranteed that the Seahawks will address the position in free agency or the draft, even if most of the remaining options are less than ideal. So for redraft, Charbonnet will be an injured reserve stash who could make an impact in November or December, but in dynasty he’s likely the future star of this backfield. We just might have to wait until 2027 to see that happen.
Fantasy outlook: Injury stash who won’t return value until late in the season
Redraft value: 11th or 12th round
Honorable Mentions
Malik Willis, Dolphins, QB: Whenever a career backup gets a starting opportunity in free agency, fantasy managers should take notice because it often represents an opportunity for value. That’s especially true in Willis’ case with his rushing ability alone giving him a chance to return low-end QB1 fantasy stats.
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Isaiah Likely, Giants, TE: Likely bided his time waiting for an opportunity that never came with the Ravens. Now he follows head coach John Harbaugh to New York, where he’ll get a chance to start for the Giants. Though Likely still has a lot to prove, he’ll be welcomed as a playmaker in a passing game that lacks many weapons behind star wideout Malik Nabers, who’s recovering from a torn ACL. There’s definitely a path for Likely to become a top-12 fantasy tight end in 2026.
Mark Andrews, Ravens, TE: It was surprising that Baltimore’s front office chose to extend Andrews and let their younger tight ends Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar walk in free agency. While I still view Andrews as a TD-dependent TE2, until the Ravens add more playmakers to their receiving corps, the veteran tight end will have fantasy value.
Travis Kelce, Chiefs, TE: Kelce is a riser because he decided not to retire and returned to Kansas City where we know he can still be productive as a low-end fantasy starter. However, he no longer possesses a high-end ceiling entering his age-37 season. While he can be a serviceable option, you should be aiming for a tight end who at least has an elite season in his range of outcomes. Don’t let yourself overpay for Kelce’s past production.
Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals , QB: Brissett was the QB9 in fppg once he took over as Arizona’s starter in Week 6. Just don’t confuse fantasy results with quality play. This offense thrived on volume and trailing game scripts. Whether lighting can strike twice under new head coach Mike LaFleur remains to be seen, but staying with the Cardinals gives his best chance to remain fantasy relevant.
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