NFL free agency has been in full swing for a week, and it has been quite a ride for many fantasy-relevant players. From the Falcons securing a competent QB to the Steelers securing two QBs with plenty of question marks, fantasy managers will need to sort through the changes in preparation for the 2024 fantasy football season.
We asked several experts which players have seen their stock go up after free agency as well as whose has gone down. Here are each of their 20 Fantasy Football Draft Risers & Fallers. Below we dive into a few notable names.
- 2024 NFL Mock Drafts
- Expert Consensus 2024 NFL Mock Draft
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 NFL Draft Prospect Profiles
NFL Free Agency Stock Down
Dak Prescott (QB – DAL)
“Dak Prescott. It’s always a good process to fade pocket quarterbacks coming off great seasons, but we have a couple more reasons to do so in Dallas. Tyron Smith just left in free agency. He was PFF’s highest-graded pass blocker in 2023. And unsung hero Tony Pollard. He was impressively inefficient with his goal-line work in 2023. It’s a number that should regress regardless of the running back in 2024. When that causes Dak’s TDs to fall from the mid-30s to the 20-30 range, he becomes a non-difference maker at a cost in 2024 drafts.”
– Seth Miller (Crossroads Fantasy Football)
Justin Herbert (QB – LAC)
“Justin Herbert’s fantasy value has tanked over the past few weeks, with Jim Harbaugh reshaping the roster to fit Greg Roman’s offense. The Los Angeles Chargers traded away Keenan Allen, released Mike Williams, and let Austin Ekeler walk in free agency. They have replaced the three star players with a pair of blocking tight ends and Gus Edwards. While the Chargers could add a wide receiver with their first-round pick in the NFL Draft, Quentin Johnston or Joshua Palmer currently is Herbert’s No. 1 pass catcher.”
– Mike Fanelli (FantasyPros)
Justin Jefferson (WR – MIN)
“For me, this is a tie between the Justin Fields and Justin Jefferson. I guess you could say Ringo thinks their fantasy outlooks are “Just-in” trouble haha! Anyway, I digress, Jefferson lost his QB, Kirk Cousins, to free agency and for the time being, it’s Sam Darnold throwing him the rock (*note- the most TDs Darnold has ever thrown in a season is 19!). However, if Minnesota drafts highly regarded rookie Drake Maye or even Michigan star J.J. McCarthy, that changes things. I’ll reconsider if either QB has a solid preseason and starts sooner rather than later, but until then, I’m not as confident in Sam Darnold running the Vikings’ offense as my peers in the fantasy industry are. As for Fields, Steelers’ head coach, Mike Tomlin, was adamant that Russell Wilson is the starter and Fields is the backup, which kills Fields’ value unless this situation changes.”
– Mark Ringo (Sleepers and Busts)
Jordan Addison (WR – MIN)
“Jordan Addison – A bad quarterback does not always sink a No. 1 receiver in fantasy, and I suspect Justin Jefferson will balance fewer on-target team pass attempts with a higher target share and survive the downgrade from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold. I’m less confident about Addison. The sophomore receiver excelled despite Cousins’ injury in 2023, but he enjoyed much of his second-half success as a temporary No. 1 with Jefferson also injured. I’m skeptical Darnold can keep the chains moving and rack up 600-plus pass attempts to support two different receivers in fantasy.”
– Scott Spratt (FTN)
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