Sat Jan 24th 2026

2026 Free Agent Watch

The last thing I do after the season ends, before studying the rookie class, is check out the free-agent class. It’s important for dynasty managers to know which players are free agents and could be on new teams next year. If you have free agents on your rosters, you have to be aware that their dynasty value could rise or fall next season, depending on whether they are re-signed by their teams or signed by another team.  At the same time, if you roster players who could step into new roles once a starter signs with a new team, young players can get an immediate boost in their dynasty value.

 

It feels like each of the last few seasons, there have been fewer and fewer big-name moves in free agency, but every year, there are still a few players who benefit greatly by changing teams or having a player leave to sign with another team.  Consider Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones switching teams last year and how their dynasty value increased, and how J.J. McCarthy had every opportunity to succeed but did not this season. Consider Javonte Williams and Rico Dowdle and how their move to Dallas and from Dallas radically impacted their dynasty value, even though they both trailed off to end the season. They are both free agents again this season. Or consider the league-winning success of George Pickens after signing with Dallas and the modest success Stefon Diggs had in New England.

 

All of that to say, free agency matters, and savvy dynasty managers are wise to pay attention to it now so they can consider how this year’s free agency class and their landing spots will help or hurt their teams. I’ll cover all of the free agency moves after the free agency period opens, March 11th, but for now, it’s important to know who the key players are, and it’s fun to speculate on where they may land next year.

 

In this article, I am only writing about players who are true free agents this year, meaning they do not have contracts. There are many other players who may become free agents if teams void their 2026 contracts, so this list will grow as we head into the offseason. For now, these are the key players that do not have contracts in 2026, but are likely to start or have significant fantasy production next season with whichever team they play for.

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Malik Willis

• Willis is my most-added player this offseason. I added him to all but one of my one-quarterback leagues, and surprisingly, even to a ten-team superflex league. I am supremely confident that he will be a starter next season from day one. He could follow his Green Bay coach, Jeff Hafley, to Miami to replace Tua Tagovailoa as the starter. He could also sign as a starter for the Steelers, Jets, Cardinals, or Browns. I predict that he will be next season’s Daniel Jones or Sam Darnold, who each rehabilitated their careers to become NFL starters again in each of the last two years. Willis is next!

Daniel Jones

 

 

• Even though Jones tore his Achilles tendon midseason last year, I am confident he will re-sign with the Colts, who intend to give him the starting role again after such an impressive start to last season. I expect the Colts to either rely on Riley Leonard or sign a veteran quarterback as a bridge to Jones once he is healthy enough to play. Jones’s incredible bounce-back season that rose his dynasty value from the ashes is not over yet. He will return to a starting role and have one last chance to be an NFL starting quarterback. I just can’t imagine another team signing him, or him wanting to play for another team, given the Colts' strong belief in him last season.

Aaron Rodgers

• Rodgers is most likely to retire, in my opinion. I can’t imagine the Steelers’ new coach wanting to run the terrible dink-and-dunk offense they ran last season. That’s the best that Rodgers offers a team at this point. The only other landing spot that could draw Rodgers to play one more season would be in Minnesota, but I’m too concerned that his inability to move at his age will prevent him from being the downfield passer that the Vikings need in their system.  If he’s a Viking next season, McCathry’s dynasty value will take another hit. If he’s not a Steeler, I think they have to look for a bridge quarterback because Mason Rudolf and Will Howard are not starting-caliber quarterbacks.

Russell Wilson

• Wilson will certainly not be back with the Giants next season, but he has a chance to sign with a new team as a backup or bridge quarterback. The only question is whether he has enough humility to sign with a team with that role in mind. He could be the bridge quarterback for the Colts or Chiefs as they wait for their starters, Daniel Jones and Patrick Mahomes, to get healthy. Or, he could sign as a backup for most any team that lacks a quality backup.

Marcus Mariota

• If I am most confident in Willis to become this year’s reclamation project, my second-most confident is in Mariota.  I don’t think he will be guaranteed a starting role like Willis will, but he could be brought in to compete for a starting spot with teams like the Browns, Vikings, Dolphins, Jets, Steelers, and Cardinals. It all depends on the rest of these free agent quarterbacks and where they land. If I were the Commanders, I would prioritize signing him to remain their backup to Jayden Daniels, where he has performed well over the last two seasons.  

Breece Hall

• Hall does not need to be part of the Jets' enormous rebuilding efforts. I am confident that he will sign with a new team this season and offseason and see his dynasty value rise tremendously, no matter where he signs. When he does sign with another team, Braelon Allen’s dynasty stock will rise tremendously, too, since he will move into the starting role for the Jets. The opportunities are plentiful for Hall, who would thrive if he signed with the Chiefs, Texans, Vikings, Commanders, Saints, or Cardinals. No matter where he lands, he will stifle the dynasty value of the running backs on that team, much to the chagrin of their dynasty managers. Hall’s dynasty stock will rise this offseason for sure.

Travis Etienne

• I wish the Jaguars would keep Etienne as their one-two punch with Bhayshul Tuten, but I am not confident that they will. The future might belong to Tuten, who looked great this season, as did Etienne, who still has a lot left in the tank. Like Hall, he’s a candidate to fill a starting role immediately with the same set of running-back needy teams, but he could step into the leading role of a committee backfield, more than earning a backfield to himself. I think he would thrive best in a system like the Saints' or the Chiefs', but I still hope he re-signs with the Jaguars, who are an even better fit. Tuten has the most value to gain if Etienne does sign with another team, though.

Kenneth Walker

• The hopes of my dynasty teams were crushed last week after learning that Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL. I have five shares of Charbonnet and was so excited at the opportunity next season of a starting role in Seattle after Walker was let go in free agency. Now, I think the Seahawks need to re-sign Walker. If they don’t, they need to sign Hall or Etienne instead. It may very well come down to how Walker plays in the championship game or Super Bowl. Walker, like Etienne and Hall, will have a starting role or at least a lead role in a committee next year. It just depends on whether it’s with Seattle or another team. Personally, I am not a fan of Walker and do not think his dynasty value will rise no matter where he signs. I’m just sad that my Charbonnet stock is down, yet again.

Javonte Williams

• I sure hope the Cowboys re-sign Williams. They put their trust in him, and he repaid them in the biggest of ways. I hope that Williams feels some loyalty to the team as a result. Staying with the Cowboys is in the best interest of his dynasty managers, too. If he were to sign with another team, he would need as wide-open a backfield as he had in Dallas last year to become the sure-fire lead back.  The only backfields that fit that bill right now are the Commanders and possibly the Saints and Texans, depending on what the teams do with Alvin Kamara and Joe Mixon this offseason. If he stays with the Cowboys, his stock will remain high after his incredible bounce-back season, but if he signs with another team, his dynasty value will drop.

Rico Dowdle

• Dowdle stated very publicly that he wants a leading role next season, even though he showed he could not hold onto one this season. He had a few incredible games midseason, but by the end, Chuba Hubbard looked like the better back as he did at the start of the season. Hubbard’s managers, who sadly say his dynasty stock tumbled after Dowdle appeared to capture the leading role midseason, have reason to hope his dynasty stock will rise again if Dowdle signs with another team. The wildcard factor is still Jonathan Brooks, who, after consecutive season-ending injuries, could compete for a role again and bring his dynasty value from the ashes. I hope Dowdle signs with a new team for the sake of my Hubbard and Brooks shares, and I think he will. I just don’t think he will be given a leading role with a team as he demands. Dowdle will continue to be a great RB-2 to have on rosters, becoming startable when situations make him a leading back for a time. I think that’s what his role is destined to be in the NFL and on dynasty rosters.

JK Dobbins

• Dobbins gets injured every year, but he looks great before he does. I am sure an NFL team will take a chance on him again next season, and I predict he will sign again with the Broncos, who demonstrated such faith in him.  If he signs with another team, he will be a committee back. That’s the best he can hope for at this point in his career. In fact, it could easily be argued that his only problem is that he gets too much work, and this hurts him. I don’t imagine him ever getting the amount of touches he did at the beginning of this season again, no matter which team he signs with, including Denver, who, now that R.J. Harvey is acclimated into the NFL, can carry more of the load and be the RB-1 in their committee next season, if he re-signs as a Bronco.

George Pickens

• The odds are very high, no matter how much Pickens likes it, that the Cowboys put the franchise tag on Pickens. I’m supremely confident that he will be a Cowboy again next season and would not be surprised if they lock him up to a long-term contract. What else can be said about how Pickens flourished in the Cowboys' system? I can’t imagine him being as productive or as happy as the leading receiver for the Patriots, Bills, Raiders, or Titans, who all desperately need a WR-1. As a Cowboy fan, with only one share of Pickens on my dynasty rosters, I sure as heck hope Pickens and Jerry Jones can work out a long-term deal.  I’d rather have that than the franchise tag and a disgruntled Pickens all season.  

Alec Piece

• Pierce had an incredible breakout season in the final year of his contract with the Colts. He was even impressive after they lost Daniel Jones. His late breakout and somewhat limited ability as a mostly downfield weapon make me think teams will be less likely to pursue him in free agency unless they have a specific role in mind for him and an offensive system to complement it. Dynasty managers would benefit most by having him re-sign with the team. I’ve heard some NFL insiders suggest that the Colts cut Michael Pittman to sign Pierce. I suppose that’s possible. I think Pittman, Pierce, and Josh Downs are very complementary receivers, and the Colts have a great thing going when they all play together. I hope they find a way to keep them all, but Pierce could easily sign with a higher-paying team, like the Browns, Steelers, Saints, Jets, Dolphins, or Commanders, who, among other teams, could use a complementary WR-2 in their lineups.

Wan'Dale Robinson

• Robinson had one of the most surprising seasons of the year. To be sure, he greatly benefited from the loss of Malik Nabers. Even so, he proved that he can be a highly targeted, highly productive receiver in the NFL. I trade for Robinson in two of my dynasty leagues, so I have a lot riding on where he lands next season. While I could see him as a productive WR-2 on a team besides the Giants, I think they would need to have an above-average quarterback. That would mean he’d only maintain his dynasty value if he signed with a team like the Commanders, Saints, or Patriots. Anywhere else, and his dynasty value would take a dip, in my opinion. I sure hope he stays with the Giants.

Romeo Doubs

• Doubs is highly underrated as an NFL receiver and a dynasty receiver. Every year, he outproduces what dynasty managers expect from him. Unlike the other free agent wide receivers listed here, I want to see Doubs on another team next season, and I have four shares of Doubs on my dynasty rosters. I want him out of Green Bay so that Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden get more opportunities, and I want him out of Green Bay to become a more reliable WR-2, on a team that distributes the ball less evenly than the Packers have. He could easily step into a starting role with the Steelers, Browns, Dolphins, Saints, Patriots, or Bills.  I hope he signs with a team that gives him a chance to make his second contract his most productive.

Travis Kelce

 

 

• Kelce could easily retire, and it would not be a surprise. Still, I am hopeful that he wants to play the last game of his career with Patrick Maholmes on the field, something he did not get to do last year. Even though he’s been one of the most traded players at the trade deadline in my leagues the last few years, he continues to produce for dynasty managers in his old age. He seemed excited to hear that Eric Bieniemy was back as the team’s offensive coordinator. That excitement also makes me think he will play one more year. There’s absolutely no chance that he will sign with another team. In fact, he will be play for a discounted rate if the Chiefs need him next season. My bet is that he’s back for a final season next year.

Kyle Pitts 

• Like George Pickens, Pitts is almost certainly facing the franchise tag next season. He broke out in the last year of his rookie contract to become the second-highest scoring tight end of the season. His dynasty managers rejoice, “Finally!” He played even better with Kirk Cousins, who is likely the team’s starter to begin the season next year since Michael Penix was injured mid-season. Pitts would be an awesome addition to a number of tight-end-needy teams, but I would be very surprised if the Falcons let him go. I think staying in Atlanta will be the best thing for his dynasty managers, too. Kevin Stefanski’s offenses have always featured tight ends. Believe it or not, Pitts could even improve on his 2025 season next year in Atlanta! That would be amazing.

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