Fantasy Football Risers and Fallers in Free Agency

With the bulk of the NFL free agency behind us, it’s time to react. We have seen some significant movement at all the primary fantasy positions. Many questions have been answered, and the stage is set for the NFL Draft. Let’s take a moment to recap and do the one thing I know best: Adjust the ranks. Let’s focus on players playing in new uniforms in the 2025 season, including players who got traded.

Fantasy Football Risers Among Those Who Changed Teams

Quarterback

Justin Fields, New York Jets

Justin Fields is a riser because he presumably has a full-time job. Nobody has ever doubted Fields’ talent. The guy is an incredible athlete with a cannon for an arm and slate-breaking ability as a runner. The concern has always been his ability to process the game at NFL speeds. He showed that he can work through his reads at the college level, but he needs to take a step forward in that department if he can be the long-term answer under center for any team. Garrett Wilson’s fantasy stock should be fine — Fields has shown he can feed a WR1.

Daniel Jones, Indianapolis Colts

Similar to Fields, Daniel Jones slides up the ranks because he got a contract that suggests he will, at the very least, compete for playing time. I have been pretty vocal about Anthony Richardson being a much better athlete than an actual NFL quarterback. While I am not rooting against the guy, I’ve been right about that so far. The bottom line is the Colts can install an offense and run it very similarly with both players. Mark it down: Jones will be starting by Week 6. 

Running Back

Najee Harris, Los Angeles Chargers

Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman want to pound the rock, and everyone knows it. Najee Harris was easily the best mix of youth and talent on the market, making this a perfect match. His physical, downhill running style is exactly what this offense is built for. If you were looking for the ideal fantasy fit, this is it. He’ll aim to keep the streak alive and hit 1,000 rushing yards for the fifth straight season.

Javonte Williams, Dallas Cowboys

How the mighty have fallen. I am old enough to remember when Javonte Williams was a top-five dynasty running back. It’s a mix of serious injury and over-expectations that have led to Williams being a disappointment. He signed a one-year prove-it deal with the Dallas Cowboys, and now he has an opportunity to earn a decent role. It’s tough to see the Cowboys not addressing the running back position early in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Kenneth Gainwell, Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Bowl champion Kenneth Gainwell is taking his talents to Pittsburgh to compete with incumbent back Jaylen Warren. It’s a very intriguing move, as I see both players having similar skill sets as passing down backs while being subpar rushers. Everything is lining up for the Steelers to grab an early down thumper in the upcoming draft.

Elijah Mitchell, Kansas City Chiefs

Injuries have caused Elijah Mitchell to fade into the abyss. However, he is only a few years removed from looking like a pretty solid NFL running back. Was he a product of the Shanahan system with the 49ers? It is definitely possible, but he will get a legit shot to earn some touches on a pretty damn good offense. With Kareem Hunt playing ahead of Isiah Pacheco last year, it raises the question of whether the Chiefs have a clear starter. It could have easily been Pacheco’s injuries, but we must wait and see how this plays out. 

Wide Receiver

Christian Kirk, Houston Texans

Christian Kirk moved, which was absolutely no surprise. The play didn’t match the ridiculous contract. However, with Stefon Diggs more than likely out of town and Tank Dell looking to miss the entire 2025 season, there is a clear hole for Kirk to fill with the very talented C.J. Stroud. There is a real chance that Kirk produces enough to be a viable fantasy asset this year. 

Davante Adams, Los Angeles Rams

The Rams have made their decision on Cooper Kupp, and the replacement has arrived. Davante Adams joins forces with Puka Nacua to give Matthew Stafford a lethal one-two punch at receiver. These two guys could legitimately see 50% of the Stafford target share. Kyren is back, the offensive line is returning, and Tyler Higbee is healthy. The Rams were one play away from taking down the eventual Super Bowl champs in the playoffs. The Rams are making another run; make no doubt about it.

Joshua Palmer, Buffalo Bills

Sometimes, all a player needs is a fresh start. Usually, that hope fades when it means leaving a quarterback like Justin Herbert but landing with Josh Allen and plenty of available targets isn’t a bad consolation. The real question is, does this turn into another Gabe Davis situation where the hype doesn’t match the output? There’s upside here, but we’ve seen this story go both ways.

Tight End

Evan Engram, Denver Broncos

This is likely the best landing spot we could have imagined for Evan Engram. This is the best-case scenario. There will be conversations about Engram and Sean Payton’s “Joker” role all over Twitter and articles, but I am not sure I am buying into that. I would much prefer to think of Engram as a slot wide receiver simply in this ascending offense. With nothing outside of Courtland Sutton, Engram has plenty of meat on the bone. I can picture Bo Nix peppering Engram short to intermediate targets now. 

Fantasy Football Fallers Among Those Who Changed Teams

Quarterback

Geno Smith, Las Vegas Raiders

I didn’t think this one would happen — Geno Smith is a top-18 quarterback in the NFL who often plays better than that. While it took him a while to get to this point, he provides a franchise with stability that many teams have chased for years. Geno does not get enough credit for what he was able to do last year behind a bottom-five offensive line. The real reason for the downgrade here is the weapons. Brock Bowers is a superstar, but beyond that, it’s very underwhelming, even at running back. While this certainly can be addressed via the draft, it won’t come close to the talent he had in Seattle.

Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

After shipping Smith off to the Raiders, the Seahawks wasted no time bringing in his replacement. Enter Sam Darnold, who will take the reins under new OC Klint Kubiak. You may see Kubiak’s offense from last year as it came out of the gates hot and relied on heavy pre-snap motion. But let’s not ignore the obvious. Darnold had everything set up in his favor last season. The weapons, the system, the playcalling. It was all set up for Darnold to succeed. Seattle? Now, that’s a different story; his days as a top-10 fantasy option are behind him.

Wide Receiver

Deebo Samuel Sr., Washington Commanders

The Commanders have a decent hole at their WR2 position, and Jayden Daniels took the world by storm in 2024. Deebo Samuel Sr., on paper, should be a riser. I’m not buying it; there are legit concerns that Deebo’s best days are behind him, and he has always had issues staying healthy. Wishing Deebo the best, but his days as a fantasy football contributor are over.

DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers

While things were not great for DK Metcalf last year, they just got substantially worse. For starters, who will play quarterback for the Steelers in 2025? Certainly nobody better than Geno Smith — and that’s a problem. His skill set is also very similar to that of his new teammate, George Pickens. Not to mention, this is a team that prefers to run first. Some poor soul rosters Metcalf and Pickens on their dynasty team and is set up for a year of disappointment. 

DeAndre Hopkins, Baltimore Ravens

DeAndre Hopkins has taken on more of a rotational role in recent years with the Titans and Chiefs, but that hasn’t stopped him from making clutch plays when it matters. Just don’t expect him to be a fantasy football gold mine. The Ravens love to mix and match their personnel, making this a great landing spot for what he brings at this stage of his career as he chases a ring.