2026 NFL Offseason Fantasy Football Predictions

January 16, 2026

Andy shares his predictions for the 2026 NFL offseason, spotlighting the top free agent landing spots and potential trade candidates relevant for fantasy football.

The fantasy football season is in the rearview mirror. While the NFL playoffs are still ongoing and many fantasy competitions are as well, let's take our first look ahead to the 2026 NFL offseason.

Last offseason, many major moves affected the fantasy landscape, such as Tee Higgins re-signing in Cincinnati and George Pickens being traded to the Cowboys.

In this piece, we will look into our crystal ball and predict some of the landing spots for the top free agents and potential trade candidates in 2026. Let's dive in!

A.J. Brown Traded to Buffalo

When looking at potential trade candidates, no name is more popular than Eagles WR A.J. Brown. Throughout his recent time with the Eagles, Brown has been no stranger to criticizing the play calling and offensive game plan. His boiling point with head coach Nick Sirianni may have hit a new high during their Wild Card loss to the 49ers.

In the opening quarter, Brown and Sirianni were seen having an aggressive argument on the sidelines. After this argument, Brown would not catch a single pass for the rest of the game and even dropped a pass on their final offensive drive as they looked for a late rally.

AJ Brown drops an open pass in the clutch! 😳#NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/pnB5diMEus

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 12, 2026

Following the game, QB Jalen Hurts told the media that he and his star wideout were "in a good place," but given their disappointing loss and the inconsistent offensive production they've shown this season, a change of scenery is likely.

Even though the Eagles opted to remove OC Kevin Patullo from his role, Brown could have very well played his final game in Philadelphia.

While the Eagles would not trade him within the NFC, his best landing spot for fantasy would likely be in the AFC East, serving as the WR1 for Josh Allen. Allen turned in another MVP-caliber season and did so with an even less impressive WR core than he typically has had in his career. When Stefon Diggs was serving as his WR1, Allen was throwing for over 4,000 yards in each season (2020-2023) and tallied 30 or more passing scores in all but one.

Since then, Allen has fallen under the 4,000-yard passing mark and is averaging just 26.5 passing scores per season, but has seen his rushing production increase.

Adding a legit WR1 to his offense would elevate the entire Buffalo offense. Despite the frustrations in Philadelphia, Brown has still posted back-to-back 1,000-yard campaigns and caught 14 passing scores over this two-year stretch.

Browns' departure would also finally pave the way for DeVonta Smith to take over the WR1 role for Hurts.

Breece Hall Returns to New York

Once the Jets traded top defensive back Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and defensive end Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys, running back Breece Hall (who is on an expiring contract) saw his name circulating around trade discussions. With several Super Bowl contenders eyeing an improvement in their backfield, Hall was a sure-fire to be traded from a rebuilding Jets squad.

However, the Jets opted to keep their franchise running back on the roster and have him spend the back half of the season in New York. While there is still a chance Hall chooses to pursue an outside suitor, given that the Jets opted to hold him through the deadline, suggests they see him as a key part of their future, alongside wideout Garrett Wilson.

Last summer, the Jets signed Wilson to a five-year extension, and managers should expect a similar extension for Hall. With the Jets owning the No. 2 pick in this year's draft and likely selecting their next franchise QB, having a top wide receiver and running back will ease many growing pains.

Despite playing for one of the league's worst offenses, Hall was a reliable RB2 for fantasy, totaling 1,065 rushing yards and adding 350 through the air. He scored just five TDs (which limited his ceiling) but flashed efficiency, averaging 4.4 YPC and 9.7 YPR.

Kenneth Walker Signs in Kansas City

Another running back that will be at the center of free agent talks is Seattle's Kenneth Walker III. Walker entered the 2025 NFL season as a top breakout pick for fantasy, as he was set to be the RB1 in the Klint Kubiak-led offense.

Unfortunately for Walker, he fell into a 50/50 committee alongside Zach Charbonnet. Both running backs significantly limited each other's ceiling, as neither was a bona fide must-start RB2 in most weeks. For most of the season, both were viewed as mid-tier FLEX options given their limited opportunities and inconsistent workloads.

Despite the split opportunities, Walker continued to showcase his high efficiency and upside. On 221 attempts, the Michigan State product posted a 4.6 YPC, which matched his career-high mark he set as a rookie in 2022. He totaled 10 runs of greater than 20 yards and looked just as productive as a pass catcher, posting a career-best 9.1 YPC.

According to PFF, Walker was borderline elite. His 88.4 Overall Grade placed him second in the entire position. He forced the ninth-most missed tackles and has the sixth-most explosive runs.

ALL EYES ON HIM. 55 yards to the house @Kenneth_Walker9 🗣️

📺: @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/I5qAjTWtfi

— xz* - Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 19, 2025

Walker would have an RB1 season if he were given a three-down role. That is likely to change in 2026 as he enters free agency. While the Seahawks will look to keep their two-headed monster together, as they played a major role in their claiming of the top seed in the NFC, they may look to save some cap space and let Charbonnet take over the backfield.

This would allow Walker to take on an RB1 role elsewhere, hopefully with the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2025, the Chiefs were one of the worst rushing teams in the sport, averaging a mere 106.6 yards per game. Isiah Pacheco averaged all of 3.9 YPC while 30-year-old Kareem Hunt posted an even lower 3.7 YPC.

With Patrick Mahomes (knee) likely to miss the start of the season, adding a legit RB1 to the offense would not only ease the stress of Mahomes when he does return but also add a much-needed spark to this offense.

Malik Willis Competes for QB1 Role in Minnesota

J.J. McCarthy had an underwhelming "debut" season. His actual rookie season was spent on the bench as he was recovering from a meniscus tear, which led to his 2026 season being his actual rookie season. Across 10 games, the former National Champion totaled just 1,632  yards with a 15:12 TD:INT (11 passing).

Over the last four games, he showed some progress, throwing only two interceptions compared to scoring seven total TDs. Despite the strong finish, Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell noted that the team plans to bring in QB competition to push McCarthy in training camp. While McCarthy will remain the favorite to start in Week 1, the competition could open the door for some interesting storylines. Enter Malik Willis.

J.J. McCarthy to Compete for QB Job in 2026? https://t.co/oDj7flH2G6

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) January 14, 2026

Willis was given the starting job in Week 17 with Jordan Love sidelined due to numerous injuries, including a concussion. In this spot-start, the former third-round pick flashed his raw upside, totaling 288 passing yards with one passing score and another 60 yards and two scores on the ground.

Willis would be the perfect complement to McCarthy. He would push McCarthy enough and would also be able to produce in a spot-start setting if McCarthy were to stumble once again. The former Liberty product is a sneaky buy-low target for those in dynasty leagues. Acquire him before he inks a contract.

Rachaad White Joins Jayden Daniels

While Rachaad White is not a major player hitting free agency, his skill set is conducive for fantasy, especially for those in PPR leagues. In 2025, White brought in 40 of his 45 targets for 218 yards and added 572 yards and four scores on the ground. He averaged 4.3 YPC, which matched his career-high he set in 2024.

Even though he shared time with second-year RB Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker, White produced viable value and even enjoyed two spike weeks, in Weeks 5 and 6, totaling 21.1 PPR points and 17.6 PPR points in those respective games.

With the Commanders needing a new pass-catching backfield specialist as Austin Ekeler will be working his way back from a torn Achilles, adding White would provide a major boost to this backfield and, more importantly, Jayden Daniels' production.

Rachaad White Unlikely to Return to Tampa? https://t.co/3Ww7gOakc7

— RotoBaller NFL (@RotoBallerNFL) January 9, 2026

During his impressive debut season, Daniels relied on his running backs to catch passes, preferably Ekeler. In 2024, Ekeler saw 3.4 targets per game (across 12 regular-season games) and saw four or more in four of them. In the postseason, Ekeler's usage increased even further, as he saw 5.0 targets per game during their run to the NFC Championship.

Seeing rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt be a non-factor as a pass-catcher in his debut season, drawing only 13 total targets, White could fill this role and succeed, especially if Ekeler is unable to return to his previous level of play.

White's departure would also pave the way for Irving to enjoy a massive bounce-back in 2026.

George Pickens Inks Massive Extension with Cowboys

Pickens smashed all expectations in his debut season in Dallas. The former Steeler brought in 93 passes for 1,429 yards and nine touchdowns. This production made him the WR5 in PPR scoring. On a point-per-game basis, he even outscored his teammate CeeDee Lamb by 3.0 PPR points.

However, with Micah Parsons no longer on the roster, the Cowboys have the cap space to not only franchise-tag Pickens but also extend him on a long-term offer to keep him in Dallas for the foreseeable future.

In fact, Jerry Jones even explained this during the team's exit meetings in January, showing how their current cap situation allows them the ability to sign a player like Pickens.

Jerry Jones on the possibility of offering George Pickens and contract long term with the Dallas Cowboys.

“It put us in the position to have the flexibility. Had we not had the room that we now have because of the parsons trade. There was no flexibly and not even an option to… pic.twitter.com/hYAZeKc66Z

— Abby Jones (@_abigaiiiil) January 7, 2026

While Pickens is looking for a massive extension that will likely put him among the highest-paid players at his position, pairing him with Lamb will keep their QB, Dak Prescott, playing at an MVP level. In fact, Jones even stated that he saw Prescott play the "best football of his career" this past season.

While it may be the unexciting conclusion to this prediction piece, it will be hard to believe that Jones would let Pickens walk out the door without a massive extension, especially after how the Parsons situation lingered during training camp.

If Pickens were to return to Dallas, he would carry low-end WR1 upside. His return would also keep Prescott in the high-floor QB1 range, and the Cowboys would once again project to have one of the league's highest-scoring offenses.

Jauan Jennings Signs with Titans

The Titans need proven pass-catching production, and they have the cap space to bring in a strong free agent class this offseason. The 49ers could be chomping at the bit to retain Jennings, but if he hits the open market, this move makes sense for both sides.

Cam Ward flashed in the second half of his rookie campaign, despite working with arguably the worst receiving group in the NFL. Jennings, a Tennessee native who played his high school ball 30 minutes from Nissan Stadium, has always done the dirty work as a blocker, but he's come on as a receiver over the last two seasons. After failing to reach 450 receiving yards in each of his first three NFL campaigns, Jennings has averaged 66 receptions for 809 yards and 7.5 touchdowns over his last two seasons, despite missing two games in each.

JAUAN JENNINGS TD PASS TO CMC

SFvsPHI on FOX/FOX One
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/18VxTpTKgj

— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2026

The future of 31-year-old Calvin Ridley (broken fibula) is unclear, but even if he's ready to go, Tennessee needs to add at least two wideouts with upside before taking the field in 2026. Jennings could immediately be Ward's go-to target in what could be a breakout sophomore season. With less target competition and a potentially higher pass rate, this could be a big win for Jennings' fantasy stock next season.

More Fantasy Football Analysis