Free agency, at least the fun part, ended almost as quickly as it began. Within days, players got new addresses, teams got new depth charts, and Dynasty players had a wave of development to deal with.
Below are some of the big moves impacting all dynasty leagues.
atlanta campaign
I'm excited to come to Atlanta and be a part of this great organization. My sons and I are learning the Dirty Bird Dance as soon as possible. stand up! pic.twitter.com/kXLYw9PCLf
— Kirk Cousins (@KirkCousins8) March 14, 2024
As cheap as Kirk Cousins is, he's still in the top half of quarterbacks in the NFL and will make the Falcons better right away. Atlanta acquired Cousins after signing him to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed. In Cousins, the Falcons at least get a fantasy stallion. Prior to the 2023 season, he had thrown for over 4,000 yards in seven of the past eight seasons and scored at least 25 touchdowns in each season. As a result, he was a top-15 quarterback in every season from 2015 through the shortened 2023 season.
The Falcons have been in a quarterback wilderness since franchise legend Matt Ryan left after the 2021 season. Over the past two seasons, no Falcons quarterback has thrown for more than 2,300 yards or 15 touchdowns, as Atlanta has combined Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. And this includes top draft picks on offense, including former No. 4 overall pick Kyle Pitts at tight end, former No. 8 overall pick Drake Rondon at receiver, and former No. 8 overall pick Bijan Robinson at running back. This is despite having multiple .
We'll see how these quarterbacks drag down top draft picks during the 2023 season. But the pairing of Cousins with these players created a fantasy Twitter buzz. So what does that mean for them?
Dynasty influence: Starting with the running game, Bijan Robinson should at least match, if not surpass, what he did in his rookie season. Robinson totaled 1,400 yards and eight touchdowns, finishing as a top-12 fantasy running back. This means former Vikings running back Dalvin Cook has topped 1,300 yards and six touchdowns in each of the past four seasons when he paired with Cousins as quarterback in Minnesota. It is something.
Receiver Drake London has been consistent, but his performance has been a little lacking. He's averaged nearly 900 receiving yards a season in his first two years, but he's barely cracked the top 50 among fantasy receivers thus far. And while he now has a better quarterback, the Falcons signed receiver Darnell Mooney and also traded for Rondale Moore (while releasing Desmond Ridder). Mooney and Moore were needed to strengthen the receiver room, as the second-highest target total for a receiver (Mac Hollins) last year was just 30.
The biggest winner in all of this may be Kyle Pitts. He's also been a top-13 fantasy tight end in two of his last three seasons as a pro, although it's not overwhelming compared to his draft pedigree. And while Drake Rondon faces increased competition for targets, Atlanta released tight end Jonnu Smith in free agency and signed blocking tight end Charlie Warner. Pitts has that talent, and there is no longer any competition for targets from the deck.
Where there's a will, there's a way
Titans offense led by new HC Brian Callahan:
🏈QB Will Levis
🏈RB Tony Pollard
🏈RB Tije Spears
🏈WR Calvin Ridley
🏈WR DeAndre Hopkins
🏈TE Chigoziem Okonkwo https://t.co/Dqgj1JaTEz— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2024
If there's one player who won this offseason, it might be Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis. After surviving a free agency in which the Titans refused to attract competition, Tennessee continued to spend. They signed running back Tony Pollard to replace franchise legend Derrick Henry. They signed offensive lineman Lloyd Cushenberry to anchor the offensive line. And the big one is receiver Calvin Ridley, who signed a $92 million contract, with $50 million of that guaranteed. These players will join holdover players from the Titans' 2023 offense, including running back Tyjay Spears, receiver DeAndre Hopkins (for now), and tight end Chigoziem Okonkwo. Thanks to the reinforcements, the Titans set up Will Revis as well as possible.
Dynasty influence: According to our DLF rankings, Levi is currently the No. 20 quarterback, and this is before the draft adds three or four quarterbacks around him. Levi may not be a target yet in 1QB leagues, but he would be a great value in super flex leagues. His current ranking is equivalent to a mid-second round pick in the rookie draft. This draft is strong in terms of quarterbacks (and receivers), but mid-second is worth it for a starting quarterback with these weapons, especially for a superflex dynasty team that lacks a second quarterback. right.
eagle sign
Saquon Barkley hit the backfield on 46.6% of his carries in 2023, the third-highest percentage for a regular running back in a single year. @FTNFantasy.
D'Andre Swift was hit into the backfield on 27.9% of his carries in 2023, the lowest rate among regular running backs. https://t.co/MH2xvnS50H
— Scott Spratt (@Scott_Spratt) March 11, 2024
Two-time Pro Bowl running back Saquon Barkley has officially transferred from the New York Giants to the division rival Philadelphia Eagles. His tenure in New York ended on a high note. Selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, Barkley totaled over 2,000 yards in his rookie season and nearly 1,500 yards in his second year. He then suffered a catastrophic anterior cruciate ligament injury that took several years to recover, but he totaled 1,600 yards in 2022 and another 1,200 in 2023. He will now take his talents to Philadelphia and become a key member of Tash Push. crime.
Dynasty influence: As explained above, we know how good Berkeley is. But how will that translate to the Eagles' offense? In two seasons where Jalen Hurts and the Eagles performed as one of the better units, Miles Sanders and D'Andre Swift both rushed for 1,000 yards. spent the season. No one would mistake Sanders or Swift for Barkley, so there should be no problem with Barkley remaining a fantasy stallion.
However, caution should be taken before considering signing Barkley. He's entering his age-27 season and probably doesn't have many Pro Bowl seasons left as a running back. If you're the current manager of the Berkeley dynasty, you'll want to keep your hands on him to help propel you toward a league championship. If Barkley isn't the current coach, don't spend anything to get him because it's better to draft a younger model.
Michael has been playing fantasy football for over 20 years, with his mother funding his first team when he was in fourth grade. He has contributed to various fantasy football publications, most recently Pro Football, where he spent five years writing on the fantasy side.
