2026 Fantasy Football Free Agency Primer: Every potential signing, what to watch for, top prospects, more

There were some huge changes in the NFL in 2025, starting with the teams that made the playoffs. Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs? Out. Lamar Jackson's Ravens? Out. Jared Goff's Lions? Baker Mayfield's Buccaneers? Out and out.

Change is constant in our favorite sports league, and it doesn't just happen from September to January. It definitely happens during the offseason when teams go through the processes of free agency, acquiring players through trade, settling their respective salary caps, and drafting new players.

It has long been a core belief of mine that staying on top of offseason moves is a must for serious Fantasy Football managers. Casuals will save some articles or swipe through social media threads and think they're up to speed on all that goes on during an offseason, but die-hard managers will keep tabs on every team and every player with the intention of understanding what it means for the upcoming season. At minimum, paying attention during the offseason will make drafting a heck of a lot easier.

This is the first step. Each position will have all the players who could change teams this offseason, along with the guys who will have some major incentive to earn a fresh new deal, plus a short list of 2026 draft prospects. It's a lot of names, which is why saving the list and keeping tabs on them is what will help you be ready for drafts many, many, many months from now. 

Quarterbacks

Eight teams with expected QB changes and/or competitions as of now: 

Browns, Cardinals, Dolphins, Falcons, Jets, Raiders*, Steelers, Vikings

Biggest names to watch for: Daniel Jones, Kyler Murray, Fernando Mendoza 

Jones figures to rehab his torn right Achilles this offseason, and given the high price of the transition tag placed on him by the Colts, that's probably the team he'll play for on another prove-it deal. Murray will be popular as a stop-gap option who, with a solid 2026, could earn a new contract. Mendoza is a mortal lock to be the Raiders pick at No. 1 overall. Chances are only Murray would receive some attention in typical redraft leagues, and that's contingent on him finding an offense that fits his current skill-set well. 

Keep an eye out for: Malik Willis 

The fifth-year passer will draw attention as a starter because of his own dual-threat skill set and because of the lack of other viable starting QBs. In three starts with Green Bay, he went 2-1 and scored 15, 27.4, and 33.5 Fantasy points. Willis is going to be a trendy late-rounder in one-QB leagues and a top-of-mind No. 2 QB in Superflex/two-QB formats. 

Keep an eye out for: Mac Jones

I'm certain the 49ers value having a good backup quarterback, but teams are going to get desperate for quarterback solutions and could dangle a top-50 pick in the draft for Jones. He played really well in his eight starts with the 49ers last year (5-3) and also had some big games with the Jaguars the year before. At minimum, the soon-to-be 28-year-old could be a team's starter for this year with his future dependent on how he plays. The Dolphins, Jets and especially the Vikings make a ton of sense as options for Jones, who had at least 19.8 Fantasy points in 5 of 8 starts. He'll get picked in Superflex leagues if he's not a Niner. 

Running backs

Nine teams with expected starting job competitions as of now: 

Cardinals, Chiefs, Commanders, Jaguars, Panthers, Saints, Seahawks, Titans, Vikings

12 teams with expected No. 2 RB job competitions as of now: 

49ers, Bengals, Broncos, Buccaneers, Chargers, Cowboys, Falcons, Giants, Lions, Packers, Raiders, Steelers

Biggest names to watch for: Breece Hall, Kenneth Walker III, Travis Etienne  

Hall has been franchise tagged by the Jets and figures to play on a one-year deal in 2026. Walker and Etienne were not tagged by their teams and could easily be on the move. It was Etienne who led all three in PPR per game last year at 14.9 with Hall not too far behind at 13.0 and Walker at 11.3. Are any of them in line to land a deal equal to what Kyren Williams signed last August (three years, $11 million per year on average, $23 million guaranteed)?

Biggest name to already change teams: David Montgomery to the Texans

Houston needed to give its backfield a facelift after last season. They not only needed a trustworthy runner and pass protector but also winner in short-yardage situations. Montgomery is a short-term fix for the Texans, who might either give him Woody Marks as a running mate or draft someone else to share with. Montgomery is close to the top-24 range at running back. 

Biggest name to already re-sign: Javonte Williams with the Cowboys

Touchdowns really buoyed Williams' Fantasy numbers through the first half of the season -- once those slipped in the second half his average went in the tank. He also was really inefficient as a pass-catcher (worst among qualifying RBs with a 3.9 yard average) and was 23rd out of 26 qualifying running backs in explosive play rate (5.6%). Here's hoping he recoups some explosiveness while still handling nearly 300 touches in 2026. 

Keep an eye out for: Alvin Kamara and Tony Pollard

Both Kamara and Pollard are entering contract years with high salary cap numbers. If the Saints opted to move on from Kamara they could save $8.5 million in space by designating him a June 1 cut, something they may do given their salary cap situation. Pollard would save the Titans $7.25 million, but Tennessee is in the opposite cap situation as the Saints, so they might keep Pollard. Both are interesting to keep tabs on as the TItans (4th) and Saints (8th) are both potential destinations for Notre Dame rookie RB Jeremiyah Love, who figures to be a top-10 pick in the draft. 

Keep an eye out for: What the Giants and Commanders do

2025 rookies Cam Skattebo and Jacory Croskey-Merritt each had their moments with their respective teams, but it doesn't mean they'll get more of those moments in 2026. You could sort of see it coming with Croskey-Merritt, who was already wedged into a strict running downs-only role with Washington because of his shortcomings as a pass blocker and receiver. Skattebo was awesome when he played, but his overly physical style put him on the shelf with an injury. The new Giants coaching staff might not be inclined to give Skattebo a lot of work and could create a tandem by adding depth to their room. There could be a lot of change with both of the teams that leaned on Day 3 running backs for stretches of last season. 

Keep an eye out for: Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason 

Jones is expected to be on a different team as his release will save the cap-strapped Vikings $7.75 million in space. The savings Mason would give is much much smaller, so it's possible he ends up staying with the Vikings as part of a duo or potentially their lead back. Jones could be part of a committee backfield also, just not in Minnesota. Both could qualify as really good Fantasy depth.

Wide receivers

Five teams that could use a No. 1 wide receiver as of now: 

49ers, Browns, Patriots, Raiders, Titans

12 teams that could use a really good No. 2 wide receiver as of now: 

Commanders, Dolphins, Falcons, Giants, Jets, Ravens, Saints, Steelers plus all the teams listed above except the 49ers

Biggest names to watch for: Alec Pierce, Mike Evans, Jauan Jennings, Wan'Dale Robinson 

Pierce sizes up as the big prize for a team looking for long-term help at wide receiver. He's 26, he's established as a rangy downfield threat and he's got skills to be utilized on shorter targets as well. He's going to get picked within the top 65 picks in PPR leagues assuming he has a good landing spot. Evans might get taken before him if he also gets a good landing spot. Jennings and Robinson are names we know and will be drafted within the first nine or so rounds, but neither figures to be in a massive role. 

Biggest name who might get traded: A.J. Brown

The Eagles season ended with Brown on shaky ground because of his not-so-private frustrations with the team's playcalling. He might need a new culture and situation to refresh his game, and the Eagles might love to find a place for him if it means not having to deal with the salary cap ramifications of his contract. A reunion with Mike Vrabel in New England has been floated as a possible option, something that gained steam once the Patriots released Stefon Diggs from his contract.

Biggest name to already change teams: D.J. Moore to the Bills

Two schools of thought on Moore's arrival to Buffalo: One, he's clearly in line to be over-fed targets from Josh Allen, and the last guy who did that, Stefon Diggs, had some massive Fantasy seasons. The other, Josh Allen's top receivers haven't been particularly good since Joe Brady took over playcalling in Buffalo, partially because the Bills have played at a slow pace and with a run-first mentality. Will Moore's arrival change the tenor of how the Bills offense will operate? And is Moore still capable of being a difference-making No. 1 type of receiver? No doubt Moore's expectations will be high again, but he will be one of the more polarizing players Fantasy managers will have to take a stand on when drafts start in August. 

Keep an eye out for: Tyreek Hill 

32-year-old receivers coming off an ACL injury typically don't bounce back, but if Hill somehow retains his ludicrous speed, then teams will give him a chance. Some intriguing possibilities: The 49ers, Bills, Commanders and Ravens all make sense as teams looking to juice up their passing games, but a reunion with the Chiefs could also be very interesting.

Tight ends

Nearly half the league is expected to have some sort of competition for their respective TE1 jobs 

No point in listing them all.

Biggest names to watch for: Kyle Pitts, Isaiah Likely, Dallas Goedert 

Pitts showed enough in the second half of 2025 to make the new Falcons coaching staff commit to him for at least one more year on the franchise tag at $15 million. Has Likely shown enough outside of a few splash games to warrant a fat contract on a new team? Does a 31-year-old Goedert have enough left in the tank to contribute anywhere?