The biggest stories each NFL offseason are usually centered around player movement. Whether it be through free agency or trades, we often see big names swap jerseys in the NFL. This offseason was no different. In fact, it might even be one of the biggest in recent memory when it comes to the number of impact players who’ll be wearing new uniforms during the 2024 NFL season.
 

 

 

You have your fantasy football player rankings, plus this year’s season-long fantasy football player projections, so you can see what to expect from these athletes with their new teams. But this article is here to organize and breakdown which players are in the best and worst landing spots when it comes to your fantasy football drafts. 

Players With The Best Fantasy Landing Spots

Quarterbacks On New Teams

Kirk Cousins, QB - Atlanta Falcons

Let’s kick this off right, shall we? The Atlanta Falcons made a splash this offseason, first by firing head coach Arthur Smith and then by signing free agent QB Kirk Cousins away from Minnesota. Cousins had a tremendous career with the Minnesota Vikings, averaging 4,186 yards and 30.6 touchdowns per year from 2018-to-2022 before injuries limited him to just eight games during his final season.

With his move from Minnesota to Atlanta, Cousins has quite the offensive weapons around him with first round picks Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson leading the way. The team also boosted their receiving depth chart by signing WR Darnell Mooney and trading for receiver Rondale Moore.

You also have to love this move for Cousins from a divisional standpoint as he will continue to play his home games in a dome but will no longer need to deal with the cold weather venues of Green Bay and Chicago, instead playing his road games in warm weather climates of Florida, Carolina and the dome in New Orleans. Our Fantasy Alarm fantasy football preseason projections have Cousins throwing for 4,125 yards with 29.6 touchdowns.

Gardner Minshew, QB - Las Vegas Raiders

The 2023 season gave us a good look at what a full season with Gardner Minshew as a starting QB would look like and it left a lot to be desired as he completed 62.2% of his passes for 3,305 yards and 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Colts. That said, this offseason the Las Vegas Raiders opted against drafting a QB and instead signed Minshew to compete for their starting job with last year’s rookie Aiden O’Connell.

This new opportunity for Minshew is certainly a bit enticing should he win the starting job with the Raiders passing offense centering around all-pro receiver Davante Adams. Also including the sure-handed Jakobi Meyers and rookie tight end Brock Bowers and he’s set up for success.

This receiving group serves as a nice upgrade from what he had in Indianapolis, but the offensive line is more than likely going to be an issue. If Minshew can get some time to throw, the receiving talent is more than good enough for him to put up some QB2 fantasy numbers for those in superflex and two-QB leagues.

Running Backs On New Teams

Saquon Barkley, RB - Philadelphia Eagles

I know there are some who are down on Barkley with his move to the Eagles from the Giants given how many rushing touchdowns Jalen Hurts gets thanks to the “tush push”, but that doesn’t mean there still can’t be value here for Barkley when it comes to fantasy football. Last season, we saw D’Andre Swift rush for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns while adding 39 catches for 214 yards and a score.

A deeper look shows that Swift was only able to convert two of his 10 rushing attempts from inside the five yard-line for touchdowns while Barkley converted four of his six attempts. With Barkley being a more physical runner, I’d be willing to bet that he converts more of his touches in the green area given the Eagles offensive line. 

Also, how soon we forget that Miles Sanders in 2022 had 1,200 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns and he converted only five of his 11 touches inside the five. For me, health is the only thing that would keep Barkley from putting up some strong numbers this season. The Eagles offense is going to score a ton of points and therefore put Barkley in plenty of spots where he can score fantasy points.

Derrick Henry, RB - Baltimore Ravens

For the fourth time in five seasons, Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing attempts, finishing with 280 carries for the Titans last season. His final season in Tennessee saw him rush for 1,162 yards and 12 touchdowns, marking his sixth straight season with 10+ touchdowns. 

Entering his age-30 season, many are once again calling for the downfall of Henry due to the heavy workload he has endured over the course of his career. That said, he now finds himself in a new situation on a winning team with a much better offensive line than he’s had in Tennessee over the past two years. 

Last season, the Ravens leaned on Gus Edwards, and he found a ton of success in the red zone, rushing for a career-best 13 touchdowns while finishing the year with 198 carries for 810 yards. Knowing the Ravens continue to use a run-heavy attack and, unlike the Eagles, look to feed their running back when in the red zone, another 10+ touchdowns feels like a lock for Henry here this season. 

When it comes to carries and yardage, I have to expect the Ravens to use him much as the Titans had: as their workhorse back in a run-first offense. If you want to bet on this being the beginning of the end for Henry, that’s fine, but I’d expect him to continue to be a low-end RB1 to high-end RB2.

Aaron Jones, RB - Minnesota Vikings

Jones goes from the Green Bay Packers to the divisional rival Minnesota Vikings in the offseason in a move that shouldn’t really impact him all too much. The Vikings, despite now having a rookie QB, still have a lot of the pieces in place which includes a really good offensive line.

Health is the only that will get in the way of Jones having a productive season, as with a rookie QB, you would expect the Vikings to lean on the veteran running back not just in the running game but the passing attack as well, which Jones is very useful in. Even with his on-and-off-again hamstring issues last season, Jones still averaged 4.6 yards per carry and finished with 30 catches on 43 targets over 11 games.

D'Andre Swift, RB - Chicago Bears

Swift goes from the Philadelphia Eagles to the Chicago Bears this offseason and finds himself in a spot for a featured role in this new-look Bears offense. With number one overall pick Caleb Williams under center, ninth overall pick Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen and DJ Moore in the passing offense, the Bears could be one explosive team this year on the offensive side of the football.

Swift has shown the ability to be a playmaker in both the running and passing game with only health standing in his way of being a consistent producer on the football field. A healthy season, however, is what we got last year and in turn we saw Swift rush for 1,049 yards and five touchdowns while adding 39 catches on 49 targets for 214 yards. If Caleb Williams ends up living up to the hype, Swift should benefit greatly with his new team.

Josh Jacobs, RB - Green Bay Packers

Another big name running back swapping teams this offseason as Josh Jacobs heads to Green Bay, a move that forced the exit of Aaron Jones. Jacobs is a year removed from being the NFL’s leading rusher, but his 2023 season was a less than memorable one with the Raiders offense struggling and offensive line woes.

Jacobs rushed for 805 yards and six touchdowns while averaging a career low 3.5 yards per carry. He did add 37 catches on 54 targets to help save his fantasy managers a bit in full-ppr formats. His involvement in the passing game and move to Green Bay should breathe new life into his fantasy value as many are high on the Packers offense coming into year two of the Jordan Love era.

Yes, AJ Dillon still exists, but if Jacobs is able to stay healthy, he should stave off much of a committee backfield here, especially given the amount of money the Packers are paying him to be their featured running back.

Joe Mixon, RB - Houston Texans

It wasn’t Dameon Pierce in 2023 that led the Texans backfield but instead it was Devin Singletary and, despite the poor offensive line, Singletary ran for 898 yards and four scores while adding 30 catches for 193 yards. With Houston looking to go “all in” this season, they went and signed Joe Mixon away from conference foe Cincinnati Bengals.

Mixon ran for 1,034 yards with nine touchdowns while adding 52 catches for 376 yards and three more scores. With the Texans offensive line back to full strength, they project to be one of the better units in the NFL this season, which will give Mixon plenty of opportunities to make plays this campaign with his new team.

Zack Moss, RB - Cincinnati Bengals

Well, this was certainly an unexpected change. The Bengals move on from Joe Mixon and decide to go with Zack Moss as his replacement. We saw how effective Mixon was in the Bengals passing offense and Moss is just as capable of filling that role in the offense as well. The real questions are whether or not Moss can hold up as an every down back? 

Last season, he had a career-best 183 carries for 794 yards and five touchdowns while adding 27 receptions on 37 targets for 192 yards and two more scores. Moss has been great as the change-of-pace running back over the past few seasons, and the former third round pick is now getting his chance to prove he can be the lead back for a really good offense.

Ezekiel Elliott, RB - Dallas Cowboys

I know, I know. Elliott was too old two years ago but somehow he finds himself back with the Dallas Cowboys after spending one season with the New England Patriots. This offseason, the Cowboys let Tony Pollard walk in free agency and didn’t bring in anyone else to compete for the starting running back job after deciding to bring Elliott back.

Yes, there is still Rico Dowdell, I guess, but Zeke should be the frontrunner to lead the carries even in a committee and, to add value, Elliott caught 51 passes last season on 65 targets. If he is going to get the majority of the touches, including the red zone work and be involved in the passing game, there is definitely fantasy value here, even if it looks ugly while doing so.

Wide Receivers On New Teams

Stefon Diggs, WR - Houston Texans

The biggest WR splash this offseason came when Stefon Diggs was traded from the Buffalo Bills to the Houston Texans. I know that some are a bit down on Diggs with this move as he now will be contending with Nico Collins and Tank Dell, but let’s make no mistake: Diggs is the top receiver in this offense, and we should expect C.J. Stroud to look his way on those “gotta have it” throws.

There was a definite disconnect with Diggs and Allen last season that was played out on the sidelines and through leaked sources on social media, but he still finished with 107 receptions for 1,183 yards and eight touchdowns. Yes, he is going to be turning 31 during this season, but there should be plenty of motivation here for Diggs to prove he can still be the top guy on a playoff contender.

Darnell Mooney, WR - Atlanta Falcons

The speedster is a few years removed from his breakout 2021 season where he finished with 81 catches on 140 targets for 1,055 yards but he gets new life in Atlanta after signing a big contract during the offseason. Yes, he joins a team that puts him likely third in the pecking order for targets, but without a doubt he will be playing with the most talented QB of his career with Kirk Cousins now under center for the Falcons.

Mooney should be the downfield threat for this Falcons offense while Drake London and Kyle Pitts run underneath and over-the-middle routes in this passing offense. If things click in Atlanta the way many are thinking they will, even as the third option, there is going to be room for Mooney to be a fantasy asset this season.

Curtis Samuel, WR - Buffalo Bills

The Bills went through a wide receiver overhaul this offseason with both Gabe Davis and Stefon Diggs now playing on new teams. Yes, they went and signed Marquez Valdes-Scantling and drafted Keon Coleman in the second round, but Samuel is the receiver that has caught my eye.

The slot receivers for the Bills have often gotten a large share of targets from Josh Allen going back to the Cole Beasley days and last year we saw rookie tight end Dalton Kincaid play some of that “big slot” role in the Buffalo offense. Samuel is a dynamic receiver that is great in space and has shown the ability to also make an impact in the running game when called up.

This move to play with Josh Allen will team Samuel up with the best QB he’s played with and, as long as he can stay healthy, he may be in for a career best year in targets.

Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR - Kansas City Chiefs

After two seasons with the Cardinals, Brown finds himself wearing a different shade of red in 2024 as he joins the Kansas City Chiefs. I don’t think I need to go into too much detail as to why Brown’s value is going to be near an all-time high going into this year as he gets to play with Patrick Mahomes, maybe the league's best QB and certainly the best pure QB that Brown has played with in his career. 

Add to the fact that right now, the Chiefs projected top wide receiver Rashee Rice is in some legal trouble and there may not be much talent there to compete with Brown for targets outside of Travis Kelce and rookie Xavier Worthy. 

We know Brown can stretch the field – he ran a 4.27 40-yard dash at the combine back in 2019, and that kind of speed plays with Mahomes as evidenced by his success with Tyreek Hill. As long as he can stay healthy, I see no reason why his season stats can’t closely resemble what we saw out of him back in 2021 where he had 91 catches for 1,008 yards with the Ravens.

Tight Ends On New Teams

Mike Gesicki, TE - Cincinnati Bengals

The list of tight ends that could actually make a passing game impact is a short one and the list of passing game tight ends that changed teams that could make an impact is even shorter. So, here we have Mike Gesicki fresh off two disappointing seasons with the New England Patriots and now playing with Joe Burrow and the Bengals.

The Bengals offense hasn’t really made stars out of their tight ends, but Gesicki is a true pass-catching tight end, and the Bengals could use him if Tee Higgins sits out and their pass catching depth is limited to Ja'Marr Chase, Trenton Irwin and rookie Jermaine Burton.

Zach Ertz, TE - Washington Commanders

How much does Ertz have left? Well, we are going to find out as he sits atop the Commanders depth chart at the position after playing in just seven games last year for the Cardinals following his season ending injury back in 2022.

Ertz, now 33, will provide a safety net for rookie QB Jayden Daniels and, before his injury in 2022, he was having a strong season for the Cardinals. There are certainly more questions than answers here but just given the expected role he has and the tight end position as a hole, there could be some value here.

Players With The Worst Fantasy Landing Spots

Quarterbacks Impacted

Russell Wilson/Justin Fields, QB - Pittsburgh Steelers

I mean, what do we even do here? Wilson is coming off two horrific seasons with the Denver Broncos and certainly looks like he may be cooked as he enters a season which will see him turn 36 in November. Breathing down his neck is Justin Fields, who had shown flashes of brilliance but far too much inconsistency during his tenure with the Chicago Bears.

The Steelers offense is nothing special here either. Yes, George Pickens looks like he can be an elite, “go get it” receiver that hasn’t had the QB yet to allow him to consistently make plays, but I’m not quite sure he has that in either of the two quarterbacks on the roster.

Wilson and Fields both are learning yet another new playbook in another new system which has seemingly been a problem over the past few years for both players. Going into a season with your receiver core consisting of Pickens, Van Jefferson and rookie third-rounder Roman Wilson doesn’t exactly make you jump for excitement.

Running Backs Impacted

Devin Singletary, RB - New York Giants

I mean, if Saquon Barkley couldn’t really get anything going in this offense, I’m not overly excited to see Singletary in New York here this season either. Daniel Jones is still the starting QB for this team and while it’s great that they addressed their issues at wide receiver by drafting Malik Nabers, they still have an average-to-below-average offensive line.

This is especially true if Andrew Thomas isn’t able to fully rebound from his knee injury from last season. This is not a team expected to win many games or score a ton of points so any value for Singletary in fantasy football will need to be in the passing game.

Austin Ekeler, RB - Washington Commanders

Is Ekeler simply a third-down back now? He went from being one of the best running backs in fantasy football for two straight seasons to suffering under a new offensive coordinator last year and now finds himself on a new team all together this season.

Brian Robinson has been far from spectacular for the Commanders but he still serves his purpose as a power back and even showed some ability to catch the football. At best, we find ourselves in a committee with Ekeler here when it comes to running the football and while I fully expect him to see all of the passing down work, that can really only take you so far. 

Gus Edwards/J.K. Dobbins, RB - Los Angeles Chargers

We know this song and dance already. The difference is now the QB is not a runner with Justin Herbert leading the Harbaugh/Roman offense in Los Angeles and not Lamar Jackson like they had in Baltimore. So, where does that leave Edwards and Dobbins?

Well, Dobbins is coming off of an Achilles’ tear which is never an easy injury to come back from and Edwards showed last season he was capable of being the lead back. The problem? Both are currently healthy and now likely stuck in a committee situation. If one was to get injured or take clear control of the lead role then I’d be far more enthusiastic knowing how much this team will want to run the football, but good luck figuring that out. 

Tony Pollard, RB - Tennessee Titans

It’s not that I’m 100% out on Pollard, but this Titans offense has a lot of question marks. First, the offensive line was horrible last season and didn’t do much to improve heading into 2024. Yes, the offense will be led by Will Levis this year, an improvement over what it looked like for most of last season, and yes, they added Calvin Ridley to help bolster the passing offense, but that doesn’t do much for Pollard.

He was OK at best as the lead back for the Cowboys last year but they didn’t think enough of him to bring him back this offseason. And, while Derrick Henry has continued to put up great numbers in Tennessee, Pollard is not Derrick Henry. The running back position isn’t great this year and Pollard is going to be a lead back but, if this offense struggles, he won’t be in many spots to provide high-end fantasy production.

Antonio Gibson, RB - New England Patriots

The Patriots signed Gibson this offseason to replace Ezekiel Elliott as the backup running back to Rhamondre Stevenson. We have a new era in New England with Jerod Mayo the new head coach and a new offensive coordinator in Alex Van Pelt coming over from Cleveland. 

We know Gibson can make plays in the passing game, and that is likely the role he is going to fill here in New England, but it will take an injury to Stevenson for him to have any real fantasy value here early on.

Wide Receivers Impacted

Odell Beckham., WR - Miami Dolphins

Let’s get the easy ones out of the way. OBJ is on his last legs, literally and figuratively here, as he barely made an impact as a member of the Ravens and is now just hanging onto a roster spot with Miami this season.

He is very clearly behind Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle in the pecking order for targets and it wouldn’t even shock me to see him lose playing time as the season progresses to someone like Braxton Berrios or River Cracraft.

Mike Williams, WR - New York Jets

We have a wide receiver with an extensive injury history coming off of a torn ACL going to play with a 40-year old QB who is coming off of a torn Achilles. I’d say the odds are not in Williams’ favor here for an impact season. 

The Jets have a Pro-Bowl caliber WR in Garrett Wilson as the top option in the passing game and Breece Hall at running back is shaping up to be among the league leaders in rushing yards. I just don’t see where Williams is worthy of being anything more than a WR3 in fantasy football this season as his absolute ceiling barring an injury to Garrett Wilson which forces him into a larger target share.

Jerry Jeudy, WR - Cleveland Browns

This one pains me. Nobody was a bigger believer in Jerry Jeudy coming out of college than I was, and unfortunately, he’s had to deal with horrible QB play and injuries which has mostly derailed his career. Now he has also had issues with drops, no question, but I don’t really see a move to Cleveland, given their depth chart and QB room, as a way for Jeudy to all of a sudden shine.

He is behind Amari Cooper in the pecking order of targets and the Browns passing offense really wasn’t that good until Joe Flacco stepped in as the starter. I have a lot of skepticism around this offense heading into the 2024 season.

Gabe Davis, WR - Jacksonville Jaguars

We aren’t done trying to make Gabe Davis a thing yet? Sure, he had his moments with Buffalo, but that is really all he had was moments. Trusting him on a week-to-week basis has been infuriating and I’m not sure going to Jacksonville with their inconsistent passing offense is really going to change any of that.

Sure, he is going to be a starting receiver for this team, but they also already have Christian Kirk and used a first round pick on Brian Thomas Draft Davis in best ball but that is about as far as I’d be willing to go.

Calvin Ridley, WR - Tennessee Titans

Ridley had an inconsistent return to football following his year-long suspension, but he still managed to finish with 76 catches for 1,016 yards and eight scores for the Jaguars.

This offseason, he opted to sign with the Titans in free agency which now puts him in an offense with Will Levis at QB and DeAndre Hopkins also vying for targets. I just don’t know if Ridley can repeat the same level of production in an offense we aren’t overly excited about this season.

Keenan Allen, WR - Chicago Bears

I’ll say this: you would be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of Keenan Allen than me, and his time in Los Angeles was a very productive one for fantasy players. His offseason move to the Bears could certainly lead to another solid season, but there is far more competition and he will be in a new offense with a rookie QB.

Sure, that rookie QB is the number one overall pick in Caleb Williams, but DJ Moore is still in Chicago and the team used the ninth overall pick on Rome Odunze. There is just too much competition for targets and uncertainty when it comes to Allen for me this season.

Diontae Johnson, WR - Carolina Panthers

Johnson leaves Pittsburgh and heads down the coast to Carolina where he will look to join a Panthers offense hoping to build with a new coach and system here with Bryce Young as their QB.

It’s not even that I dislike that talent, and heck, Adam Thielen was a fantasy star last season. But there is just so much uncertainty with this Panthers offense that I’m far from bullish on Diontae Johnson having himself a big year.

Tight Ends Impacted

Jonnu Smith, TE - Miami Dolphins

Smith had a decent season in Atlanta much to the dismay of fantasy managers who saw him making plays that should have been going to Kyle Pitts.

He changes teams this offseason and heads to Miami, a team that doesn’t really use its tight end in their passing offense. It’s very hard to imagine, barring any sort of injury, Smith having any fantasy relevance this year.