Free Agent Watch for Dynasty Fantasy Football

We’re still closing out the 2021 NFL season, but it’s never too early to start improving your dynasty squads for the future. Today, we’ll peer beyond the playoffs and into free agency to get an early read on the potential moves with big fantasy implications.

There are a lot of upcoming free agents, and this article is going to just focus on the ones that have the biggest dynasty impact.

Quarterback

Jameis Winston (current team: New Orleans Saints)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Up

Jameis Winston seems like the best bet to be New Orleans’ starter. He’s not exactly valuable in dynasty, but the arrow is pointing up.

Teddy Bridgewater (current team: Denver Broncos)

Age: 29
Dynasty arrow: Down

It’s feeling increasingly unlikely Teddy Bridgewater will be given more starting opportunities.

Andy Dalton (current team: Chicago Bears)

Age: 34
Dynasty arrow: Down

Andy Dalton leaving Chicago will fully open the door for Justin Fields.

Running Back

Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones (current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Age: 27 (Fournette) and 24 (Jones)
Dynasty arrows: Sideways

One of these RBs may stick around with the Bucs, but probably not both. Ronald Jones is significantly younger with less wear, but he’s also flopped so far in his career. Leonard Fournette would retain high value if he sticks around in Tampa for another year or two, but beyond that, the cliff awaits.

James Conner and Chase Edmonds (current team: Arizona Cardinals)

Age: 27 (Conner) and 26 (Edmonds)
Dynasty arrows: Sideways or Up

Both players would be fantasy RB1s if they land in a spot where they get to be the featured back. Their arrows could shoot up. Or they could be sideways. The arrows probably won’t go down.

Sony Michel (current team: Los Angeles Rams)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Up

Sony Michel’s dynasty value was non-existent, but he played shockingly well in LA and likely earned himself more playing time moving forward with some team.

Rashaad Penny (current team: Seattle Seahawks)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

You can argue no player earned more money for himself over the final month of the season than Rashaad Penny. He played well enough to get a shot at a featured role.

Melvin Gordon (current team: Denver Broncos)

Age: 29
Dynasty arrow: Down

2021 felt like Melvin Gordon’s last hurrah. Javonte Williams will be unleashed, and Gordon will finish out his career as a true backup rather than 1B option. His best hope is to have Mark Ingram-like staying power somewhere.

Cordarrelle Patterson (current team: Atlanta Falcons)

Age: 31
Dynasty arrow: Up

Cordarrelle Patterson will be 31 next year, but his dynasty value was virtually non-existent, but now it has some appeal for win-now teams.

Raheem Mostert (current team: San Francisco 49ers)

Age: 30
Dynasty arrow: Down

Injury history plus the dreaded 3-0 birthday drives Raheem Mostert’s dynasty appeal into the ground.

J.D. McKissic (current team: Washington Football Team)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

If J.D. McKissic leaves Washington, the biggest dynasty impact is a plus for Antonio Gibson. McKissic seems likely to land somewhere and be a pestering third-down presence with no major value of his own.

James White (current team: New England Patriots)

Age: 30
Dynasty arrow: Down

James White’s value plummeted when Tom Brady skipped town. Then he got hurt.

Boston Scott (current team: Philadelphia Eagles)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

If Boston Scott leaves Philadelphia, it opens the door for Kenneth Gainwell. Nothing really happens to Scott’s dynasty value.

David Johnson (current team: Houston Texans)

Age: 30
Dynasty arrow: Down

It seems unlikely David Johnson will make an impact with any team ever again.

Wide Receiver

Davante Adams (current team: Green Bay Packers)

Age: 29
Dynasty arrow: Down

Davante Adams feels neatly tied to whatever Aaron Rodgers decides to do with his Packers future. If both stay in Green Bay, Adams’ dynasty value remains neutral. If they go somewhere together, his value remains neutral. If he plays with anyone other than Rodgers, his value goes down.

Chris Godwin (current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

Chris Godwin is young and a tremendous slot receiver, and he may just now be hitting his prime. But he’s enjoyed a stellar early career with Jameis Winston going YOLO every game followed by a few years with the GOAT, Tom Brady. It’s difficult to see his situation improving somewhere else, outside of perhaps getting more opportunity. So his dynasty value is neutral for now.

Mike Williams (current team: Los Angeles Chargers)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Up

Mike Williams picked his contract year to break out. He clearly has the tools to be a team’s WR1. His dynasty value is going up heading into free agency.

Odell Beckham (current team: Los Angeles Rams)

Age: 29
Dynasty arrow: Sideways or Down

Odell Beckham saw his dynasty value increase when he went to the Rams, but it’s impossible to say if he’ll go up or down heading into free agency. The most likely case is that his value just stays its course — which is heading down in the long run.

Michael Gallup (current team: Dallas Cowboys)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

Michael Gallup’s arrow is pointing up, as he’s flashed brilliance but has never had the opportunity to be a team’s primary target.

D.J. Chark (current team: Jacksonville Jaguars)

Age: 25
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

D.J. Chark lost his 2021 season and now hits free agency. He’s young and has flashed top fantasy talent, but he’s also been inconsistent. Moving away from Jacksonville might help — but it also might not, if Trevor Lawrence can develop. Chark gets a “hold” for now.

Allen Robinson (current team: Chicago Bears)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Down

It was impossible to watch Allen Robinson play football in 2021 and think his dynasty stock was going anywhere but down, even with a new home. At least there’s optimism he’ll be better somewhere new.

Christian Kirk (current team: Arizona Cardinals)

Age: 25
Dynasty arrow: Up

Christian Kirk has shown he can handle a big role. His dynasty arrow is pointing up, but it may not be stronger outside of Arizona.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (current team: Green Bay Packers)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

Marquez Valdes-Scantling had a good year, but it’s hard to see him thriving more without Aaron Rodgers.

Jakobi Meyers (current team: New England Patriots)

Age: 25
Dynasty arrow: Up

Jakobi Meyers is only 25. He has been like a Jarvis Landry light. The floor is there, the ceiling is unknown. But that makes him very interesting.

Byron Pringle (current team: Kansas City Chiefs)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

Byron Pringle has emerged as KC’s long-awaited WR2. But he’s sneaky old (28) and very unproven on the whole.

James Washington (current team: Pittsburgh Steelers)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

James Washington has looked solid at times, but he’s been blocked by JuJu Smith-Schuster, Diontae Johnson and Chase Claypool. A new home may see him get a chance as a true WR2.

Russell Gage (current team: Atlanta Falcons)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

Russell Gage had his best season in 2021. He’ll have a market for sure.

Zay Jones (current team: Las Vegas Raiders)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

Zay Jones had his best season, earning a bigger role in Vegas’ starting offense over the final weeks of the season. He’ll likely get a chance as a WR2 somewhere after free agency, but it’s hard to say his arrow is really up after a few weeks of decent play.

Jamison Crowder and Braxton Berrios (current team: New York Jets)

Ages: 29 (Crowder) and 26 (Berrios)
Dynasty arrow: Down (Crowder) and Up (Berrios)

It will be full Elijah Moore time in New York next year. Jamison Crowder’s fantasy value may have reached its end. Braxton Berrios may get a shot as some team’s primary slot man, giving him the up arrow in dynasty.

Tight End

Rob Gronkowski (current team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Age: 33
Dynasty arrow: Sideways

Rob Gronkowski will either retire or keep playing until Tom Brady retires. His dynasty arrow is down (on a career arc) but sideways in terms of upcoming free agency impact.

Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams (current team: Arizona Cardinals)

Ages: 31 (Ertz) and 28 (Williams)
Dynasty arrow: Sideways (Ertz) and Down (Williams)

Zach Ertz found new life in 2021 and will likely be some team’s starting TE next year. Maxx Williams was moving up until his injury, then Ertz’s arrival, and now he enters free agency will too many questions to be considered a riser.

Mike Gesicki (current team: Miami Dolphins)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

Mike Gesicki has shown that he can be a fantasy TE1. If he lands in a good spot, he could really get the opportunity to be just that more consistently.

Dalton Schultz (current team: Dallas Cowboys)

Age: 25
Dynasty arrow: Up

Dalton Schultz broke out in 2021 and his dynasty arrow is firmly up leading into free agency, especially if he ends up staying in Dallas.

Evan Engram (current team: New York Giants)

Age: 27
Dynasty arrow: Down

Getting out of New York would technically be an up move, but it’s also safe to say we’ve seen enough of Evan Engram so far in his career to not be too excited wherever he goes.

Gerald Everett (current team: Seattle Seahawks)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Down

Gerald Everett had some good games, but it’s hard to see him landing somewhere with a more open target tree than Seattle — and even in Seattle he was only ever a streaming option.

David Njoku (current team: Cleveland Browns)

Age: 26
Dynasty arrow: Up

Getting out of Cleveland’s three-headed TE crew may give David Njoku new life. His arrow is slightly up.

Robert Tonyan (current team: Green Bay Packers)

Age: 28
Dynasty arrow: Down

Robert Tonyan flopped in 2021 and showed that his TD-breakout season of 2020 was just a byproduct of Aaron Rodgers’ awesomeness.