March 6, 2026
Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks that Jacksonville Jaguars impending free-agent running back
Travis Etienne Jr. could wind up at over $10 million per year in free agency, and he could be a good fit with a team like the New Orleans Saints. Long-time lead back
Alvin Kamara (knee) played in a career-low 11 games last year due to a knee injury, and the Saints restructured his contract on Friday with the potential to move on from the aging back. If the Saints were to move on from Kamara or he were to retire, Etienne would be firmly in play for Etienne and the other top RBs on the open market this offseason. The 27-year-old is the total package as a runner and receiver, having totaled 1,107 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 260 carries while adding 36 catches for 292 yards and another six TDs in 17 regular-season games with the Jags in 2025. Etienne's fantasy arrow is pointing up, but his final 2026 value will be determined once we know where he'll be playing.
--Keith HernandezSource: Sports Illustrated - Albert Breer
March 6, 2026
Denver Broncos free-agent running back
Tyler Badie plans to sign his one-year, $1.075 million tender "soon," according to Chris Tomasson of The Athletic. Badie could sign the tender as soon as Saturday. The Broncos are expected to explore the free-agent RB market, so at best, the 26-year-old could be relegated to RB3 duties again in Denver in 2026. In his third year in the NFL in 2025, the former sixth-rounder of the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 out of Missouri had carried the ball only eight times for 23 yards, adding 19 receptions on 31 targets for 141 yards and no touchdowns as a pass-catcher. Badie added 452 return yards on 17 attempts on special teams. There's a good chance both
J.K. Dobbins (foot) and
Jaleel McLaughlin won't be back in the Broncos' backfield next season. Badie is off the fantasy radar in the majority of leagues this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Gazette - Chris Tomasson
March 6, 2026
The Chicago Bears are acquiring center Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots on Friday, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. The deal won't officially be processed until the new league year begins next Wednesday. The move comes after former Bears center Drew Dalman surprisingly announced his retirement earlier this week. The 30-year-old veteran started all 17 regular-season games for the second straight year in 2025 and helped the Patriots get all the way to the Super Bowl, but he wasn't particularly effective as a run-blocker last season. He signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with New England in March of last year. Bradbury, a former 18th overall pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019 out of North Carolina State, could face competition at the center position in Chicago if the Bears add another center in free agency.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
March 6, 2026
The Athletic's Chad Graff thinks Indianapolis Colts impending free-agent wide receiver
Alec Pierce "fits a lot of what New England is likely to be looking for in a receiver" in free agency this offseason. Graff took it a step further and predicted that the Patriots would sign Pierce to a four-year, $104 million contract. The 25-year-old will be in high demand on the open market after posting his first 1,000-yard season in 2025 while catching 47 of his 84 targets for six touchdowns in 15 games. Pierce has led the league in yards per catch in each of the last two years in Indy. The second-round speedster and the Colts have mutual interest in a reunion, but Pierce could also bolt to the highest bidder, as long as they have a stable quarterback situation. Pats QB
Drake Maye was extremely accurate deep down the field, which would make Pierce an ideal fit after New England just cut their top wideout in
Stefon Diggs this week.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Chad Graff
March 6, 2026
The Athletic's James Boyd mentions Seattle Seahawks impending free-agent wide receiver
Rashid Shaheed as an option for the Indianapolis Colts in free agency if they cannot bring
Alec Pierce back. Shaheed torched the Colts a few years ago while playing with the New Orleans Saints and just helped the Seahawks win the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots. The 27-year-old former undrafted free agent out of Weber State was more productive on special teams as a kick returner for Seattle than on offense after he was acquired in a midseason trade from the Saints. Shaheed had 44 catches for 499 yards and two touchdowns with New Orleans in nine games, but caught just 15 passes for 188 yards and no TDs in nine regular-season games with the Seahawks. The speedy wideout would be a natural replacement for Pierce as a deep threat in Indy, though, perhaps improving Shaheed's fantasy upside in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - James Boyd
March 6, 2026
CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones reported this week that NFL teams will be calling the Atlanta Falcons to make trade offers for tight end
Kyle Pitts Sr., per The Athletic's Josh Kendall. "Whether or not they listen is another question," Kendall writes. He adds that new head coach Kevin Stefanski has sounded like he wants to coach Pitts this year, and he's the only real pass-catching TE on the roster. If the Falcons were to trade Pitts for a couple of mid-round draft picks, Kendall thinks they'd have to turn around and use the additional draft capital to take a rookie tight end in this year's NFL draft. The dynamic around trading Pitts could change if Atlanta is able to land a starting-caliber TE in free agency, such as
David Njoku or
Darren Waller. New general manager Ian Cunningham said recently the Falcons want another year to decide on whether Pitts is worth a long-term deal, which is why they placed the franchise tag on him. The former fourth overall pick broke out for 88 catches, 928 yards, and five touchdowns in 2025, but with potential issues at the QB position, Pitts could be a volatile TE1 in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Josh Kendall
March 6, 2026
The Houston Texans and tight end
Dalton Schultz agreed on a one-year contract extension worth $12.6 million on Friday, sources told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Schultz now has $17.6 million guaranteed in 2026 and 2027. The Texans will reward the 29-year-old after finishing up his third year with the team in 2025. The former fourth-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 2018 out of Stanford caught a career-high 82 passes on a career-high 106 targets for 777 yards and three touchdowns in 17 regular-season games last year in his eighth year in the league. Schultz's numbers made him the TE11 in half-PPR scoring in 2025, averaging 8.0 fantasy points per game. He is a trusted weapon over the middle for quarterback Dalton Schultz and should remain a low-end TE1/high-end TE2 target in fantasy football drafts this fall. Schultz has 194 grabs for 1,944 yards and 10 touchdowns in his three years in Houston.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
March 6, 2026
The Arizona Cardinals released defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson on Friday, according to Josh Weinfuss of ESPN. Tomlinson played his only season with the Cardinals in 2025 and had 26 tackles (13 solo) and one sack in 17 starts in his ninth year in the NFL. The 32-year-old former second-round pick back in 2017 out of Alabama by the New York Giants played the first four years of his career with the Giants before spending two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Tomlinson has been a durable and consistent defensive tackle in his nine years in the NFL, but he doesn't move the fantasy needle in IDP formats with only 20 total sacks through 142 games played (142 starts). The Cardinals will free up around $9.4 million in salary cap space this year by cutting Tomlinson, who signed a two-year, $29 million deal with Arizona last March.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
March 6, 2026
Former Las Vegas Raiders quarterback
Geno Smith and Arizona Cardinals QB
Jacoby Brissett are the front-runners to be the New York Jets' starting signal-caller in 2026, according to Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic. Smith was taken by the Jets in the second round in 2013 out of West Virginia, so it would be a homecoming after he spent the first four years of his career in New York. The 35-year-old was one of the worst QBs in the league in 2025, but he'll come cheap this offseason and has enough experience to be a one-year bridge option at the position. Brissett would be more expensive, and it's unclear if the Cardinals will even trade him this offseason. Reports on Friday suggested the Jets could add two veteran QBs in free agency, so if the team adds Smith or Brissett, they'd likely be competing for the starting role this summer. Most likely, the QB position will be one to avoid in fantasy leagues this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zack Rosenblatt
March 6, 2026
The New York Giants released veteran offensive tackle James Hudson on Friday, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post. Hudson will hit the open market this offseason after struggling in the 11 games (two starts) that he appeared in over the course of his only year with the team in 2025. The 26-year-old reached an agreement on a two-year, $12 million contract with the G-Men in March of last year. The former fourth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2021 out of Cincinnati only played in four games in his final season in Cleveland in 2024 due to a shoulder injury. Hudson will be searching for a depth role in free agency this offseason, as he has started just 19 of the 60 games he's appeared in over his five years in the NFL.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Post - Paul Schwartz
March 6, 2026
Center Ryan Kelly announced his retirement from professional football on X on Friday. Kelly was placed on Injured Reserve in late December of last year after suffering his third concussion of the year. His head injuries also prompted the 32-year-old veteran to hang up his cleats after playing 10 years in the league. Kelly was originally the 18th overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts out of Alabama. Nine of his 10 seasons in the NFL came in Indy, where he was named a Pro Bowler four times, including three straight seasons from 2019 to 2021. Kelly played in only eight games last year because of his head injuries, but when he was on the field, he was playing at a high level. With the announcement, the Vikings will most certainly be in the market for a center in free agency this offseason. Kelly started all 129 games that he appeared in over his 10-year career.
--Keith HernandezSource: Ryan Kelly on X
March 6, 2026
The Los Angeles Chargers announced on Friday that they placed an exclusive-rights tender on free-agent running back
Kimani Vidal to keep him around for the 2026 season. The Chargers also signed running back
Jaret Patterson and safety Kendall Williamson to contract extensions. The 24-year-old Vidal was thrust into a bigger role than anticipated last year when both
Najee Harris (Achilles) and rookie
Omarion Hampton (ankle) went down with injuries. The former sixth-rounder in 2024 out of Troy had 155 carries for 643 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and three touchdowns in 13 regular-season games, adding 16 catches for 136 yards and another score. Vidal proved to be a reliable plug-and-play RB3/flex option for fantasy managers, although with Hampton returning as the Bolts' clear lead back, it will be difficult for Vidal to improve on his numbers in 2026.
--Keith HernandezSource: Los Angeles Chargers
March 6, 2026
The Washington Commanders re-signed former first-round wide receiver
Treylon Burks to a one-year deal worth a maximum of $4 million on Friday, a source told Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Burks, who was taken 18th overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 out of Arkansas, was a bust in his three years in Nashville and was barely healthy, playing only 27 games (17 starts) and catching 53 of 92 targets for 699 yards and one touchdown. After being cut by the Titans, the Commanders scooped him up, and Burks had 10 receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown on 22 targets in eight games played last year in D.C. The 25-year-old obviously didn't do enough to be rostered in most fantasy leagues, but he could have a much bigger opportunity for Washington in 2026 with
Deebo Samuel Sr. hitting free agency this offseason. Burks is worth watching going into training camp this summer.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
March 6, 2026
The Houston Texans released running back
Joe Mixon (foot) on Friday, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN. We knew Mixon was expendable, especially after not playing at all last year due to an ankle/foot injury, when the Texans acquired
David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions this week. Details on the 29-year-old Mixon's injury last year were sparse, and it's unclear if he'll even be ready for the start of the 2026 campaign this fall. Because of that, Mixon could be greeted with a cold free-agent market upon his release. In fantasy football, the former second-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017 out of Oklahoma will be hard to gauge until he lands with a new team. The two-time Pro Bowler has five 1,000-rushing seasons in his eight years in the NFL and can do anything on the field when healthy, but his uncertain future and injury status have really cratered his fantasy value this offseason.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
March 6, 2026
SNY's Connor Hughes reports that the New York Jets could prefer to sign two veteran free-agent quarterbacks this offseason, and Minnesota Vikings impending free-agent QB
Carson Wentz could be high up on their wish list. Wentz is believed to be offensive coordinator Frank Reich's "preferred option," according to two sources. Reich was previously Wentz's offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2016 to 2017, and Wentz's best season came in his second year in the league under Reich, when he threw for 3,296 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. Wentz also played for Reich with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021, throwing for 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. "No one loves Wentz more than Frank," a third source said. The 33-year-old played through a shoulder injury in five starts in Minnesota last year, throwing for 1,216 yards, six TDs, and five picks. If Wentz were to land in New York, he'd most likely be battling another veteran for the starting gig. And with the Jets, that's about as gross as it gets for fantasy purposes.
--Keith HernandezSource: SNY - Connor Hughes
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