This is the part of the offseason where we constantly look on our phones for updates surrounding free agency news. The Franchise Tag deadline recently passed, and we are inching closer to the start of free agency. No matter the time of the year, we must stay active in our dynasty leagues, as we look to re-tool and fine-craft our rosters. Below are two players who have been franchise tagged and two who weren’t, as well as a stock up, stock down analysis to follow.
Players Who Have Been Tagged
Tee Higgins – Cincinnati Bengals
| Year | Team | Games Played | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2020 | CIN | 16 | 108 | 67 | 908 | 13.6 | 6 |
| 2021 | CIN | 14 | 110 | 74 | 1,091 | 14.7 | 6 |
| 2022 | CIN | 16 | 109 | 74 | 1,029 | 13.9 | 7 |
| 2023 | CIN | 12 | 76 | 42 | 656 | 15.6 | 5 |
After three stellar seasons and one injury-riddled (but good) year, Tee Higgins found himself slated for free agency. There were a lot of talks surrounding a possible trade, but the Bengals ultimately decided to franchise tag the four-year pro. As the WR2 for this team, Higgins has finished as the WR28, WR24, WR18, and WR51 in that order (PPR). With Ja’Marr Chase ahead of him as the Bengals’ top receiver, Higgins’ ceiling is as a WR2 (top 24) right now. If he’s on your dynasty roster, he serves as a decent second starting receiver, but you should feel more comfortable with him as your WR3. He may be a trade asset right now, but if a long-term deal doesn’t get done before next offseason, he may turn into a “trade for” candidate.
Stock Up: Joe Burrow
If you are a Joe Burrow owner, you have to feel ecstatic about this news. With two dynamic weapons on the outside, Burrow’s fantasy value stays high. He may not be a surefire top-five dynasty quarterback right now, but he stays comfortably inside the top 10 with a top-five upside.
Stock Down: Joe Mixon
Mixon is already someone you can expect to lose value in the dynasty realm. Now that Higgins is back, Mixon’s chances of more opportunities as a receiver out of the backfield have diminished. You can expect Chase, Higgins, Tyler Boyd, and quite possibly Chase Brown to out-touch the veteran back in the receiving game this season.
Michael Pittman Jr. – Indianapolis Colts
| Year | Team | Games Played | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2020 | IND | 13 | 61 | 40 | 503 | 12.6 | 1 |
| 2021 | IND | 17 | 129 | 88 | 1,082 | 12.3 | 6 |
| 2022 | IND | 16 | 141 | 99 | 925 | 9.3 | 4 |
| 2023 | IND | 16 | 156 | 109 | 1,152 | 10.6 | 4 |
Michael Pittman Jr. seems to get better every year! He turned into one of the most consistent fantasy receivers last season, as he finished as the WR13 in PPR leagues. He turned in career highs in targets (156), receptions (109), and receiving yards (1,152). Not only did he prove that he can serve as a fringe WR1/reliable WR2 on your dynasty roster, but he also showcased that his ceiling is as high as ever. MPJ averaged 15.6 PPR points per game in 2023, and he finished with 11 PPR points or more in 12 of his 16 games played. Not only is he the focal point of Indianapolis’ pass attack, but he has turned into one of the more reliable and consistent receivers in dynasty leagues today.
Stock Up: Anthony Richardson
You have to love the move to keep Pittman Jr. if you’re an Anthony Richardson owner. Coming off a lost rookie season, it was uber-important to bring back the Colts’ top receiver. If Richardson is going to develop and mold into a high-caliber dynasty quarterback, he’s going to need a solid WR1 in his passing attack arsenal. With a healthy Richardson throwing to Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Jonathan Taylor, you should feel good about the signal-caller’s future.
Stock Down: Alec Pierce
If the Colts had decided to let Pittman Jr. go this offseason, Pierce would’ve been the biggest beneficiary. He’s a large-bodied receiver who has shown flashes on the outside. Now that Pittman Jr. is back, he’ll likely slide back as the team’s WR3 behind him and Downs. Taylor should also see heavy work as a receiver out of the backfield. Pierce, at best, will likely serve as a depth piece for dynasty rosters for now.
Players Who Weren’t Tagged
Saquon Barkley (RB) New York Giants
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2018 | NYG | 16 | 261 | 1,307 | 5.0 | 11 | 91 | 721 | 7.9 | 4 |
| 2019 | NYG | 13 | 217 | 1,003 | 4.6 | 6 | 52 | 438 | 8.4 | 2 |
| 2020 | NYG | 2 | 19 | 34 | 1.8 | 0 | 6 | 60 | 10.0 | 0 |
| 2021 | NYG | 13 | 162 | 593 | 3.7 | 2 | 41 | 263 | 6.4 | 2 |
| 2022 | NYG | 16 | 295 | 1,312 | 4.4 | 10 | 57 | 338 | 5.9 | 0 |
| 2023 | NYG | 14 | 247 | 962 | 3.9 | 6 | 41 | 280 | 6.8 | 4 |
One of the more dynamic running backs in recent years, Saquon Barkley will now likely find a new home. There were issues last season surrounding the Giants and Barkley when the team decided to franchise tag the back instead of extending him after a stellar 2022 season. The decision for the Giants looks to have paid off for now, as Barkley finished the 2023 season missing four games and falling short of 1,000 rushing yards with a mediocre 3.9 yards per attempt average. There is a plethora of teams interested in the veteran back, but it seems that his days as a New York Giant are all but over.
Stock Up: Wan’Dale Robinson
Typically, when a star running back leaves town, the biggest beneficiary is the team’s backup. But the only ones under contract are Eric Gray, Gary Brightwell, Deon Jackson, and Jashaun Corbin. The Giants surely will go out and sign a solid veteran or use a high draft pick on a rookie back in this year’s NFL Draft. For now, Wan’Dale Robinson should see more targets as the team’s starting slot receiver. He has shown great flashes in PPR leagues. Coming off a 60-reception season in 2023, expect Robinson to step up in a big way with Barkley likely leaving town.
Stock Down: Daniel Jones
There are already a bunch of concerns for the Giants to start Daniel Jones at quarterback heading into the 2024 season. Now that he likely lost his best offensive weapon, Jones should see a dip in value in the dynasty realm. No matter who comes in to serve as the Giants’ starting running back, the focus will likely shift more toward defending the passing game in 2024. For those of you who roster Jones as one of your dynasty quarterbacks, you should now feel worried about his future now more than ever.
Josh Jacobs (RB) Las Vegas Raiders
| Year | Team | Games Played | Carries | Yards | Yards/Carry | TDs | Receptions | Yards | Yards/Catch | TDs |
| 2019 | OAK | 13 | 242 | 1,150 | 4.8 | 7 | 20 | 166 | 8.3 | 0 |
| 2020 | LVR | 15 | 273 | 1,065 | 3.9 | 12 | 33 | 238 | 7.2 | 0 |
| 2021 | LVR | 15 | 217 | 872 | 4.0 | 9 | 54 | 348 | 6.4 | 0 |
| 2022 | LVR | 17 | 340 | 1,653 | 4.9 | 12 | 53 | 400 | 7.5 | 0 |
| 2023 | LVR | 13 | 233 | 805 | 3.5 | 6 | 37 | 296 | 8.0 | 0 |
Like Barkley above, Josh Jacobs has been one of the more prolific fantasy running backs in recent years. In his five seasons in the league, he has finished as an RB12 or better three times, including an RB3 finish in 2022. During that 2022 season, he finished first in the league in rushing yards (1,653) behind a mediocre offensive line. Not only is he a dynamic runner, Jacobs has been heavily involved as a receiver, accumulating 197 receptions in 73 career games. Now that he’s likely lacing up for a different team in 2024, there’s one player whose stock will likely rise tremendously.
Stock Up: Zamir White
That player is, of course, Zamir White. Since being selected 122nd overall out of Georgia in the 2022 NFL Draft, White has shown flashes of RB1 upside. In the four games Jacobs missed last season, White turned 84 carries into 397 rushing yards (4.7 per carry) and one touchdown. He also hauled in nine of his 13 targets for 60 yards. During that span, he served as the RB9 with all four contests resulting in 13 or more PPR points. Expect White to be the heavy favorite to serve as the team’s RB1 in 2024.
Stock Down: Davante Adams
Davante Adams is listed in this category only because defenses will hone in a lot more on him with Jacobs likely out of the equation. When you have a dynamic back like Jacobs to worry about, it takes more pressure off of the team’s top pass-catcher. Now that Jacobs will likely play elsewhere, it will be easier for defenses to focus more on the former All-Pro receiver. Expect a dip in production for Adams, but you should have already been concerned with the dynamic pass-catcher because of his age and the lack of star power from whoever is throwing him passes in 2024.
Honorable Mentions:
Austin Ekeler (LAC), Derrick Henry (TEN), Tony Pollard (DAL)
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