Nearly two weeks after the Super Bowl, we are officially into the NFL offseason. Moves made over the forthcoming months are going to shape the league for years to come. More importantly for our purposes, offseason moves can have huge impacts on fantasy football.
Today, we’re going to take a look at 10 players who are set to shake up the fantasy landscape this offseason. The fates of these rookies, free agents, trade candidates and potential retirees will all have massive impacts on fantasy football drafts and production. Let’s dive in.
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The 10 Most Important Players of the Fantasy Offseason
1. Matthew Stafford (QB – LAR)
While they aren’t normally as impactful in fantasy football as in real life, this is going to be a quarterback-heavy list. When a quarterback changes teams, it doesn’t just change their fantasy value — it also massively impacts the outlook of every player in both their old home and their new landing spot.
This is especially true for above-average passers, which Matthew Stafford undeniably still is at 37 years old. Stafford and the Rams came the closest of any team to beating the Eagles in their dominant Super Bowl run, eventually falling 28-22 in a snowy loss. However, Stafford’s name has suddenly popped up in trade rumors, as he and the Rams are reportedly struggling to reach an agreement on a restructured contract.
If Stafford were to be traded, the fallout would be immense. Everyone on his new team would immediately see a boost in value, particularly because any team trading for the veteran almost certainly has a big question mark at quarterback right now.
Stafford’s new No. 1 WR, in particular, would shoot up draft boards and see their average draft position (ADP) increase, as the Super Bowl winner has an impressive track record of feeding elite fantasy receivers, including Calvin Johnson, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. Stafford even helped Kenny Golladay to a top-six finish.
Meanwhile, the Rams’ values would head in the opposite direction. The loss could be minimized (but still not zero) if L.A. replaces Stafford with another decent veteran (Aaron Rodgers?), but moving from Stafford to a rookie quarterback would be a huge downgrade for Nacua and the rest of the Rams’ weapons.
2. Sam Darnold (QB – FA)
After an impressive 2024 season with the Vikings, Sam Darnold is going to be a starting quarterback in 2025. The big question is who is going to pay him. At this point, it seems likely he will not be in Minnesota next season, but the former third-overall pick should have plenty of suitors. This year’s crop of rookie quarterbacks isn’t particularly impressive and there are more teams without clear QB1s than there are available free agents.
The fantasy impact Darnold will have on his new team isn’t quite as clear as it was for Stafford. The jury is still out on whether his breakout campaign was a Kevin O’Connell-based mirage, and he may not have as much success in a different system.
With that said, Darnold under center would still undeniably be an upgrade for nearly a dozen NFL teams, and he’s a safer fantasy fit for pass-catchers than any rookie in this class. As crazy as it sounds, we can expect prices to rise for the weapons on whichever team commits to Darnold as their quarterback of the future.
3. Ashton Jeanty (RB – Boise State)
If you don’t watch college football and only want to learn the name of one rookie before the NFL Draft, Ashton Jeanty is your guy. The 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up is one of the best running back prospects we have seen in years. He is essentially a lock to be selected in the first round.
The number of teams where he wouldn’t immediately be a bell-cow back can be counted on one hand. If Jeanty lands in a prime landing spot (Dallas?), he will push to be a first-round fantasy pick by the time draft season is in full swing. If he lands behind your favorite dynasty back, watch out.
4. Tee Higgins (WR – FA)
In a free agency class loaded with aging former All-Pros and role players, Tee Higgins stands out as a true alpha at just 26 years old. Normally, receivers this talented don’t hit the open market, but the Bengals have managed to bungle negotiations with their No. 2 WR so far.
With that said, the most likely outcome is still that Higgins remains in Cincinnati. Recent rumors indicate the Bengals plan to place the franchise tag on him — but will Higgins play on the tag for the second straight year? Cincinnati would likely have to pay up to keep the gang together for 2025.
Whether or not he stays in Cincinnati might not have that big of an impact on Higgins’ fantasy value. Last season, he was the WR3 in half-PPR points per game, so we know he can eat alongside Ja’Marr Chase. But breaking free from Chase’s shadow to rack up targets as the undisputed No. 1 WR on a new team wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, either. Instead, the impact of Higgins’ 2025 team is more on the players around him.
I’ve argued Joe Burrow is overvalued coming off his excellent 2024 season, but Higgins returning would certainly be the best-case scenario for Burrow’s value. On the other hand, Higgins finding a new home would be a large boost to whoever is lucky enough to be his new quarterback. Back in Cincinnati, his departure would also open up a hugely valuable role as the Bengals’ second option behind Chase.
5. Anthony Richardson (QB – IND)
The third quarterback on this list, Anthony Richardson, is a unique case. The 2023 fourth-overall pick is not a free agent like Darnold, nor is he in trade rumors like Stafford. Barring a truly shocking move, Richardson will be a Colt in 2025.
Instead, the question is whether he will be Indianapolis’ starting quarterback, coming off a year in which he was benched for 39-year-old Joe Flacco. This may be a classic case of fantasy Twitter overreacting, but it’s certainly not a good sign Richardson wasn’t featured in a graphic previewing the Colts’ 2025 game in Berlin. Richardson will probably still be the Colts’ starter in Week 1, but it’s certainly not guaranteed, and he may face some competition along the way.
How much the Colts commit to Richardson as their QB1 for 2025 will have massive fantasy ramifications. The most obvious player who will be impacted is Richardson himself, whose immense dual-threat upside means he is a tempting fantasy option whenever he is on the field.
If the Colts publically state confidence in their young passer and bring in negligible competition, his fantasy football ADP will skyrocket. If they do the opposite, he may be undraftable in 1-QB formats. Meanwhile, Richardson’s game also has another unique facet that has wider fantasy impacts: League-worst accuracy.
In 2024, Richardson posted an absurdly low 63.6% catchable target rate, per Fantasy Points Data. No other quarterback with at least 200 attempts was below 69% (Caleb Williams, who had accuracy issues of his own). Unless he takes a huge step forward in terms of accuracy over the offseason, having Richardson under center must be treated as a downgrade for Colts playmakers Josh Downs, Michael Pittman Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Alec Pierce and Jonathan Taylor.
6. Davante Adams (WR – NYJ)
Technically, Davante Adams is still under contract with the Jets. But he is theoretically due $35.6 million this season, none of which is guaranteed. Adams could agree to a reworked deal to stay in New York, but that seems unlikely now that his BFF Aaron Rodgers is out of town. Instead, the three-time All-Pro will likely be cut by the Jets, finding himself a free agent.
Although he is 32 years old, Adams showed enough juice in 2024 that his landing spot will have real fantasy implications. After all, he easily became the Jets’ No. 1 WR over Garrett Wilson last season, albeit probably partially thanks to the Rodgers BFF effect.
Adams arriving in town would be a boost to any quarterback’s value and a downgrade for the projectable volume of the rest of his new team’s pass-catchers. Of course, Adams himself will also have value. He also isn’t an elite enough talent at this point to be immune to the impact of landing in a bad situation.
7. Jaxson Dart (QB – Ole Miss)
If you’re reading fantasy football articles in February, you have probably already heard of Jeanty, but you may not have heard of the next rookie on this list. Jaxson Dart, a 21-year-old quarterback out of Ole Miss, is the consensus third quarterback in this draft class.
In some years, the consensus QB3 would be a lock to go within the first handful of picks on Draft Night, but this year’s class is particularly weak. Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are the only two quarterbacks who are consensus franchise prospects, and even they have their doubters. In mock drafts, Dart can be found anywhere from inside the top five picks to well outside of the first round.
Where Dart lands will have massive fantasy implications. If he sneaks into the top half of the first round, he will likely start the majority of the season and could be a surprise fantasy option a la Bo Nix (who was also drafted higher than many expected). If Dart doesn’t hear his name until Day 2, it becomes much more likely that he is simply a backup with no fantasy value.
Of course, this dichotomy doesn’t just affect Dart’s value. Having Dart (or any other rookie) throwing the ball would be a high-risk/high-reward option for any fantasy pass-catcher compared to a safer but lower-upside veteran option like Darnold.
For what it’s worth, all of these considerations don’t just apply to Dart. Jalen Milroe is just behind him in consensus rankings and could easily go earlier in the actual draft. The former Alabama quarterback brings more rushing upside than Dart (who does have a bit of that himself), which would make him an intriguing fantasy option if he was set to be a team’s Week 1 starter.
With so many teams desperate for hope at the quarterback position, we could even see players like Quinn Ewers, Will Howard or Dillon Gabriel taken well above consensus and thrust into starting roles.
8. Najee Harris (RB – FA)
As much as fantasy football players may be loath to admit it, Najee Harris is the top running back in this year’s free-agent class. Aaron Jones is 30 years old and injury-prone, and the next most exciting back is… Rico Dowdle?
Harris may not be a particularly exciting talent, but the 26-year-old back has proven he can handle a large workload, pass block effectively and take care of the ball. These are things NFL teams value.
Keeping this in mind, I’ve argued Harris is currently an undervalued dynasty asset. Whichever team signs him will likely do so to make him their RB1… but that’s certainly not guaranteed. If Harris lands on a team with an established option or even a highly drafted rookie, he may find himself locked in a committee.
Meanwhile, Harris’ arrival would be a huge blow to the fantasy value of many incumbent starters. Splitting time with a reliable veteran certainly wouldn’t be ideal for most rookies in this class.
9. Deebo Samuel (WR – SF)
Deebo Samuel’s 2024 was massively disappointing. Even after injuries to Brandon Aiyuk and Christian McCaffrey left him as the 49ers’ de facto top playmaker, he finished with an average of just 8.5 half-PPR points per game.
Perhaps thanks to dealing with health issues (injuries and a bout of pneumonia that left him hospitalized), Samuel was not the dynamic player of years past. Now, the 49ers have granted Samuel and his agent permission to seek a trade heading into the offseason.
The impact of a potential trade for Samuel depends on your opinion of him as a player. If you think the 29-year-old is completely washed, you may want to fade any reaction to his movement (or lack thereof). But there’s also a chance Samuel can bounce back with a full offseason to recover.
With that in mind, losing Samuel would be a boost to the value of the rest of the 49ers’ weapons — Jauan Jennings, Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle and Aiyuk (who will be returning from his ACL injury). The reverse would apply to any pass-catchers on his new team.
Samuel’s history of unique usage out of the backfield, especially in the red zone, means his arrival would represent a downgrade for his new team’s running backs, not just wide receivers and tight ends… assuming he still has the juice to play a dual-threat role.
10. Mark Andrews (TE – BAL)
I wanted to include one player from every position on this list, so let’s finish things off with a tight end. The obvious choice was Travis Kelce, who may make us wait for the entire Cruel Summer before announcing his retirement decision. But Andrews’ fate has more potential fantasy impacts.
The 29-year-old veteran is coming off a down year. His high 2025 cap hit with zero guaranteed money makes him a cut candidate. The most likely outcome may simply be a restructured contract, allowing Andrews to stay put as Baltimore makes another run at the Super Bowl berth that has so far eluded them.
Whether Andrews remains in Baltimore is particularly impactful from a fantasy perspective because the Ravens are the rare team with more than one fantasy-relevant tight end. In early best ball drafts on Underdog Fantasy, both Andrews (TE6) and Isaiah Likely (TE15) are being drafted in the first 150 picks of ADP.
If the veteran does leave Baltimore, Likely’s ADP would skyrocket, while Andrews’ value would depend greatly on his landing spot. If both tight ends stay put, we will likely be in for another frustrating season in which neither is a particularly reliable option.
Honorable Mentions: A Bunch of Free-Agent Quarterbacks
I didn’t want to make this article just a list of free-agent quarterbacks, but multiple currently jobless quarterbacks will likely be starters in 2025. Where those players land will have huge fantasy impacts. Veterans like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins are comparable to Darnold — they are upgrades over not having a replacement-level quarterback, but they certainly aren’t exciting.
The same can be said of Aaron Rodgers at this point, who may also choose to retire if he can’t find a home. Justin Fields also has a shot to land a starting gig, but he is more comparable to Richardson. Relying on Fields as a passer is a downgrade for any team’s weapons, but he will be an intriguing fantasy option.
Finally, we may also get a surprising starter, as there aren’t enough quarterbacks to go around. Jameis Winston could provide some fantasy goodness or we may see a full year of someone like Tyrod Taylor or Daniel Jones.
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Ted Chmyz is a fantasy football contributor for FantasyPros.com. Find him on Twitter @Tchmyz for more fantasy content or to ask questions.
