The NFL Free Agent frenzy got underway this week. Here are 10 of our winners and losers, Rapid Fire style. Let’s not mess around and get right into it.
CAUTION: The 2025 NFL Draft is loaded at running back, so the running backs on this list still have some landmines to avoid in a few weeks.
1. Winner: J.J. McCarthy
“Per ESPN sources: Former Vikings QB Sam Darnold reached an agreement today on a three-year, $110.5 million contract, including $55 million guaranteed with the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has its successor to Geno Smith.”
Dynasty Impact: Our biggest Dynasty winner so far in free agency is J.J. McCarthy. He is QB16 in Dynasty value, but this instantly vaults him into the top 10 as the new Vikings starter. The Vikings have finished sixth in pass yards per game for three straight seasons despite starting Kirk Cousins, Nick Mullens, Joshua Dobbs, and Sam Darnold in that time. The receiving group of Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson is one of the game’s best passing attacks.
2. Winner: Josh Palmer
“Per Ian Rappaport, Former #Chargers WR Josh Palmer, who has been a big name in free agency, lands with the #Bills. A new weapon for the MVP. It’s a 3-year deal worth $36M.”
Dynasty Impact: Per Fantasy Points Data, Josh Palmer had the 12th-best average separation score of 77 wide receivers in 2024. Keon Coleman is not a separator, and Khalil Shakir mans the slot. Palmer has a clear path to targets in Buffalo and is incredibly cheap in Dynasty with a WR78 overall price tag on KeepTradeCut.
3. Winner: Justin Fields
“Per Tom Pelissero, Jets signing QB Justin Fields to two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed.”
Dynasty Impact: It was far from a lock that Fields would get a starting job in the NFL. This appears to indicate he will be the starter for the Jets as a bridge quarterback with a one or two-year chance to prove himself. Tyrod Taylor has long been one of the best backups in football, so the Jets could turn to him in the event of a Fields failure. He would be a cheap handcuff to Fields. Fields is a far better fantasy asset than a real-life QB. He has two top-ten 10 fantasy QB point-per-game finishes under his belt already.
4. Loser: Garrett Wilson
“Per Tom Pelissero, Jets signing QB Justin Fields to two-year, $40M deal with $30M guaranteed.”
Dynasty Impact: Fields has never been able to support a high-end pass game, ranking outside the top 20 QBs in pass yards per game every year. Chris Olave led Ohio State in receiving yards per game both years at Ohio State when Fields was the starter and Wilson the receiver. I have concerns about their skill sets meshing well.
5. Winner: Aaron Jones
“Per Ian Rappaport, RB Aaron Jones, Vikings agree to 2-year, $20M deal with $13M guaranteed.”
Dynasty Impact: Jones’s fantasy impact has been tepid the last 2 years, finishing as the RB20 and RB26 in fantasy points per game. That said, he is cheap, coming in at RB42 on KeepTradeCut. He is an easy target for a contender.
6. Winner: Najee Harris
“Per Adam Schefter, the Chargers have signed Najee Harris on a one-year, $9.25 million deal.”
Dynasty Impact: No one loves a big-bodied running back more than Jim Harbaugh, and he gets one here. Harris is a fine back, but I would not rule out the Chargers adding another big-bodied running back in the draft, like Omarion Hampton, Kaleb Johnson, or Damien Martinez. Per Josh Norris, the Chargers RB group in 2024 was 12th in carries and 7th in TDs, and Najee Harris’s 63 missed tackles forced ranked 5th among all RBs last season. Harris currently has a reasonable price tag of RB32 on KeepTradeCut.
7. Loser: C.J. Stroud
“Per NFL.com, Texans trading LT Laremy Tunsil and a fourth-round pick to the Commanders for second, third and fourth-round picks.”
Dynasty Impact: Stroud thrived in 2023 when he had an offensive line that gave him time to process. In 2024, it was the exact opposite, and Stroud struggled. The Texans need to focus much of their draft assets on the offensive line to improve this unit and help Stroud return to his rookie-year form.
8. Winner: Jaylen Warren
“The #Steelers placed the second-round restricted tender on RB Jaylen Warren, per his agents @davidcanter and @NessMugrabi at @aurasportsgroup. It’s worth $5.346 million.”
Dynasty Impact: With Najee Harris gone to the Chargers, the runway is clear for Warren to see RB1 touches for at least a month. As we alluded to earlier, this draft is loaded at running back. Warren has always been a solid running back but has never shown he could be a workhorse, and he is entering year 4. Look for the Steelers to add to the running back room in the draft. You may want to consider selling high on Warren.
9. Winner: Chris Godwin
“Per Ian Rappaport, WR Chris Godwin re-signs with Buccaneers on 3-year, $66M deal with $44M guaranteed.”
Dynasty Impact: Chris Godwin was the WR 3 overall in fantasy points per game last year. He has been one of the best buys in Dynasty since his injury. That window is closing fast, if not shut, now that he is back in Tampa. He is valued as the WR36 on KeepTradeCut by the Dynasty community.
10. Winner: Davante Adams
“Per Ian Rappaport, Rams signing WR Davante Adams to 2-year, $46M deal with $26M guaranteed.”
Dynasty Impact: Davante Adams will be able to move to the slot with Puka Nacua manning the X. It’s a time-proven method to transition older wide receivers to the slot to extend their career.
I hope you enjoyed reading my article. All of my articles have one goal in common. That goal is to provide you, our member, with actionable advice that can improve your Dynasty team. You can follow me on Twitter @force_fantasy or Blue Sky @forcefantasy.bsky.social. #DFFArmy #FantasyFootball #AlwaysBeBuilding #NFL #NFLDraft #NFLTransactions #NFLTrades #AlwaysBeScouting
Click here for a 12-month DFF Membership.
