Fantasy Football News

The chances of a Le'Veon Bell trade are currently "remote" according to ESPN. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: The Jets are hoping to cut salary to rebuild their roster, but Bell's contract is prohibitive in either cutting him or likely trading him given the amount remaining on his contract. ESPN concludes that Bell will most likely remain with the Jets for at least one more season. Bell has already fallen off a cliff in terms of value over the last two seasons, but he did continue to see consistent volume in 2019. Given the fact that, if he remains with the team in 2020, the Jets have a lot of incentive to drive Bell as much as they can, he is currently still considered an RB2 (RB20 overall) by our early expert consensus rankings.

The Lions have approached several teams about a trade involving CB Darius Slay. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: If the Lions trade Slay, the acquiring team would not only need to send Detroit compensation, but they'd be expected to sign Slay to a new contract. It's been said that the Lions are looking for a Jalen Ramsey type of haul for Slay, but sources remain confident that he will be traded this offseason.

Teddy Bridgewater is expected to command a "strong market" during free agency this offseason. Bridgewater is expected to move on from the Saints now that Drew Brees has declared he's returning to New Orleans. (Source: Jeremy Fowler on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: The Saints said early that they expect Bridgewater back, but it seems like the former backup QB could command upwards of $30 million per year and even a multi-year deal depending on how his market develops. At those numbers, it will be hard for Bridgewater to return to a reserve role behind Brees despite the appeal of being the team's QB of the future under offensive guru Sean Payton. Bridgewater has a large range of outcomes this offseason, making him an interesting target in dynasty leagues, specifically 2QB or Superflex.

The Buccaneers have still not made a decision on whether or not they will retain QB Jameis Winston. (Source: Tampa Bay Times)

Fantasy Impact: Head coach Bruce Arians said that team remains undecided as they will continue to review what else happens around the league before deciding on Winston's future. While Winston was one of the most prolific fantasy signal callers of 2019, he struggled with turnovers and consistency on the field which makes him not as highly regarded as a real-life quarterback. His value will ultimately be determined by his role and team in 2020.

Antonio Brown told TMZ that he hopes to meet with NFL teams at the 2020 NFL Combine. (Source: TMZ)

Fantasy Impact: Brown continues to issue apologies regarding his behavior. While he could be too toxic for an NFL team to touch, he continued to show last season that he has a lot left on the field despite his off-the-field issues. It will be interesting to see if he's able to find a home in 2020, but at this point he's not someone that's more than a flier in dynasty or best ball leagues.

The have been "no movements" in contract talks between Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, according to ESPN. (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: This isn't surprising as there is still a lot of time for this to play out. There continue to be rumors that tie Brady to other teams, including the Chargers and Raiders. However, the Patriots return the odds-on favorite to retain the veteran signal caller. Brady's fantasy value will be largely impacted by the team he's playing for in 2020.

According to the Miami Herald, The Dolphins don't view former Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa as "a slam-dunk pick near the top the draft." Also, the team has been getting an "increasingly positive view" on former Oregon QB Justin Herbert.

Fantasy Impact: The thought has been in NFL mock drafts that Tua would be taken by the Dolphins at the No. 5 pick, as Miami needs a quarterback of the future. While this could be posturing, this would seem to indicate that the Dolphins could be more interested in Herbert than Tua. This situation will continue to change as we get through the NFL Combine and pro days, but it seems like both quarterbacks should be selected early in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports the Cardinals are interested in keeping Kenyan Drake. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Rapoport adds that the franchise tag is an option. Drake, who is a free agent, could also wind up signing a long-term deal with Arizona. Complicating the issue is David Johnson's massive contract, which makes him impossible to cut. Ultimately if Drake winds up with the backfield to himself then he will be a very exciting fantasy asset entering 2020. Stay tuned.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank says he "loves" Devonta Freeman but acknowledged the team's salary cap isn't "unlimited". (Source: ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: The Falcons have some salary cap issues this off-season and releasing Freeman would certainly open up some financial flexibility. The 27-year-old played in 14 games last year, rushing for 656 yards and scoring six touchdowns. His status will be one to monitor this off-season.

Cardinals GM Steve Keim said Friday morning that cutting David Johnson "is not an option". (Source: Darren Urban on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Keim added that in the backfield "you can't have just one back". Johnson performed considerably worse lat year than mid-season acquisition Kenyan Drake, which has led to questions about his place on the Arizona roster. Drake is currently a free agent, so perhaps the Cardinals will try to re-sign him and then trade DJ. Time will tell but there are obviously major fantasy implications here.

Sammy Watkins made shocking news on Thursday. When asked about returning to the Chiefs in 2020 he stated "I don't know what I'm going to do. If we win it… I might sit out a year." Watkins later made it clear that he is not considering retirement, but resting. The Clemson-product went on to finish the interview saying, "As long as we're winning games and I stay healthy and I'm having fun, I'm willing to stay." After Sunday, Watkins still has one-year remaining on his deal with Kansas City. (Source: Adam Teicher on ESPN)

Fantasy Impact: Watkins' comments won't affect anything heading into Sunday's contest. Dynasty leagues will be the most affected from this development as Watkins' future is up in the air. There really is not much from this for fantasy managers to make a decision so keep checking in on Watson once the off-season begins. Lastly, this update is too premature for anything in regards to season-long leagues. Watkins' decision should be known prior to kicking off 2020's fantasy season.

The Chargers have “moved on Philip Rivers,” per Jay Glazer of Fox Sports. He is set to become a free agent in March. (Source: Jay Glazer of Fox Sports)

Fantasy Impact: Rivers is coming off a (5-11) record as a starter last season, where his 23 touchdowns thrown were the fewest since 2007. He also threw 20 interceptions for the third time in his career. Rivers recently moved his family from California to Florida, hinting he might sign with an East Coast team. The Chargers have Tyrod Taylor signed for 2020, and could be looking at other options to further bolster their quarterback situation. Rivers will become a free agent in March, and will look to latch onto another team.

Drew Brees informed the NFL Network's Jane Slater that if he returns for his 20th season it would be as member of the New Orleans Saints. He did mention that given his age (41) retirement can no longer be ruled out. (Source: Rotowire)

Fantasy Impact: Drew Brees had another strong campaign in 2019, completing 74.3% of his passes for 2,979 yards with 27 touchdowns with only 4 interceptions. He finished the fantasy season as the QB22 after missing five games in the middle of the season with a hand injury. In the 11 games he did play he averaged 20.8 fantasy points; which was the eight highest average among quarterbacks. It is not unreasonable to consider Brees a low end QB1, high end QB2 heading into the 2020 season. His likely return to the Saints is a positive for the all of the team's offensive weapons, most notably Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara.

When asked about Graham's future, general manager Brian Gutekunst stated it's "understanding" he wants to play next season. What he failed to mention was where exactly. (Source: ProFootballTalk)

Fantasy Impact: Graham still has another year on his current contract and is scheduled to make $11.67 million in 2020. Should the Packers decide to release him, they would be saving $8 million of cap space. He had 38 receptions for 447 yards and three touchdowns in 2019 with Green Bay. The soon-to-be 34-year old tight end has certainly seen better days and has lost a significant step from where he once was back in New Orleans.

Re-signing linebacker Bud Dupree is a "top priority" for the Steelers this offseason according to the team. (Source: Gerry Dulac on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact: Both the owner and head coach have said this, so it appears that something will likely get done, either a long-term contract or the franchise tag. Dupree was one of the top players on the Steelers' 2019 defense which picked up steam as the season progressed and turned into one of the best units in the league. They figure to be a popular D/ST in 2020 fantasy football drafts.