The NFL free agency frenzy period is nearly in the books, and we now have a clearer picture of how all 32 rosters will look heading into the NFL draft. I’ve already examined the free-agent winners and losers, but we also have to look at how player movement has impacted the value of players who didn't change teams in a virtual domino effect of sorts. Let's start with the positives and the players whose fantasy appeal experienced an increase on some level due to roster moves over the last few weeks.
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Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow needed better protection from his offensive line, and he got it in the form of new signings Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins. That should help a unit that allowed the third-most sacks (55) in the regular season and another 19 in the postseason. Nurrow also has a new weapon in Hayden Hurst, who caught 56 passes two seasons ago and will replace C.J. Uzomah as the Bengals' new No. 1 tight end.
Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders
Carr, who threw for a career-best 4,804 yards and finished as the QB14 a season ago based on fantasy points, could push his way into the top 10 with the addition of Davante Adams. The superstar wide receiver has posted over 1,300 yards in three straight years in which he’s played at least 14 games, and he and Carr put up bananas numbers in their time together at Fresno State. Expect Carr’s touchdown totals to rise.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
Tagovailoa has a lot to prove both on the field and from a fantasy perspective, but you can’t argue that his value hasn’t increased this offseason. Not only did the Dolphins add the lightning-fast Tyreek Hill to play alongside Jaylen Waddle, but the team also signed a pair of running backs in Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert and offensive line help in the form of Terron Armstead. With all those weapons, Tua should improve.
Elijah Mitchell, RB, San Francisco 49ers
During his rookie year, Mitchell finished just 26th in fantasy points among running backs, but he averaged a solid 15 points in his 11 games. The Niners let Mostert walk as a free agent, leaving Mitchell the unquestioned top option in the backfield for coach Kyle Shanahan. The 2021 sixth-round pick will come with some risk due to questions about his durability, but no one can question his skills and role in the Niners' run game.
CeeDee Lamb, WR, Dallas Cowboys
Lamb is coming off a 1,100-yard season for the Cowboys, but he still hasn’t reached his statistical ceiling in the NFL. In fact, 18 wideouts had more points than him in 2021. Lamb should see an uptick in targets moving forward, though, as the Cowboys traded Amari Cooper and his 6.9 targets per game to the Browns. That should mean a bigger role in the passing attack for Lamb, who could become a top-10 fantasy wide receiver.
Terry McLaurin, WR, Washington Commanders
McLaurin took a slight step back in the stat sheets last season, posting fewer targets, catches and yards compared to 2020. Still, the acquisition of new starting quarterback Carson Wentz should be a positive for McLaurin’s stock. Wentz will be playing for his third team in three seasons, but he’s finished with decent numbers and has helped the likes of Zach Ertz and Michael Pittman Jr. produce for fantasy fans in his NFL career.
Courtland Sutton, WR, Denver Broncos
This might include Jerry Jeudy, Tim Patrick, K.J. Hamler and all of the Broncos' fantasy-relevant players, as the team made a huge trade to acquire Russell Wilson from Seattle. He’s a big upgrade over Teddy Bridgewater and Drew Lock, and new coach Nathanial Hackett will undoubtedly "let Russ cook" in the passing game. That's especially good news for Sutton and Jeudy, whose value is rising heading into next season.
Darnell Mooney, WR, Chicago Bears
Mooney is coming off a relatively quiet but solid 1,000-yard campaign for the Bears, as he became the top option in the passing game for Justin Fields. He was effective over his final seven games, posting 479 yards and averaging 13.4 fantasy points in that time. With Allen Robinson no longer in the mix, Mooney will open next season with limited competition for targets among Bears wideouts. In fact, he could push for WR2 value.
Rondale Moore, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have lost Edmonds and Christian Kirk as free agents, and A.J. Green is still unsigned as a free agent. That leaves DeAndre Hopkins, who will remain the team’s No. 1 wideout, and Moore as the top target options for Kyler Murray. Arizona could (and likely will) add more wide receivers either via free agency or the NFL draft, but for now, it looks like we’ll see Moore of Rondale in 2022. That’s good news for his draft value.
David Njoku, TE, Cleveland Browns
The Browns added Amari Cooper in the offseason, but the team also cut Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper. Those two players made up nearly 30 percent of the offensive target share a season ago, so plenty of opportunities are available. That's good for the value of Njoku, who figures to be the top tight end in an offense that likes to utilize the position. Njoku’s value will rise further with Deshaun Watson under center.
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Michael Fabiano is an award-winning fantasy football analyst on Sports Illustrated and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association (FSWA) Hall of Fame. Click here to read all his articles here on SI Fantasy. You can follow Michael on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for your late-breaking fantasy news and the best analysis in the business!
