Free agency is upon us as the NFL’s legal tampering window — AKA, the start of actual free agency — begins on Monday next week. We have only a few more days to make some fan fiction about where these guys will land. With that, here you’ll find my game of matchmaker between upcoming free agents and an ideal landing spot for fantasy football.
Note, I tried to be realistic from a cap, need and fit standpoint with these. I can’t send all your favorite players to elite landing spots.
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Quarterbacks
Malik Willis – Atlanta Falcons
The Cardinals’ landing spot is probably the most realistic, and while it makes sense, it’s become so chalky I want to find a way to pivot. The Falcons have made some statements of commitment to Michael Penix Jr. but the reality is that he’s coming back from a major injury and was an (over)drafted player from the previous powerbroker in Atlanta. This crew might be willing to hold out hope on Penix and pair him with a placeholder veteran like Joe Flacco, but I’ll take the long-shot diceroll that they’re the Willis team.
The player Willis has flashed in Green Bay would be a strong fit in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. He takes shots downfield and would be a weapon in the bootleg game. Bijan Robinson is my 1.01 pick in fantasy this year and his placement alongside Willis in the backfield would form a lethal run game. Drake London would dominate targets in this scenario as the clear No. 1 read for a run-heavy quarterback — that would present fewer pass-volume fantasy concerns than if he were in Arizona for a more spread-out target tree. Maybe I’m just being selfish.
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Kyler Murray – Pittsburgh Steelers
This was my dark-horse pairing for Murray when he was a trade candidate. Now that he’s available for the veteran minimum, I love it.
Aaron Rodgers said on The Pat McAfee Show — this is the one and only time I will have the stomach to reference that song and dance — that he hadn’t made a decision on whether to play this season. If I’m the Steelers, that makes the decision for me. Waiting around for Rodgers in 2026 after the offense he put together last season is simply unserious, as is pitching former sixth-rounder Will Howard as a serious placeholder if Rodgers spurns you. Sub out Howard for Mason Rodulph and this is literally the same story as last year. That tale ended with the Steelers ranking 25th-best in EPA per dropback, and Rodgers offering you the worst quarterback stat line in a playoff game since 2007.
Murray represents a different bet from the veteran retreads the Steelers cycled through the last couple of years. He played at an above-average starting-quarterback level for multiple years, including 2024, even if he wasn’t a fit in Drew Petzing’s offense. I think he fits well in a more spread-out Mike McCarthy West Coast offense that emphasizes static perimeter routes. Murray would make for an interesting bounce-back candidate on a team that had a solid enough roster to keep pushing in the AFC North.
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Marcus Mariota – Miami Dolphins
It’s gone a little underrated how well Mariota played in spurts when he had to start in place of Jayden Daniels in Washington. Among quarterbacks with 200-plus pass attempts the last two years, he ranks 13th in EPA per dropback, one spot behind Daniels. Signing Mariota would give Miami an acceptable starter in a year they’re mostly looking to rebuild anyway. Mariota is an asset as a rusher and had strong chemistry with Terry McLaurin as a premier receiver. Hopefully, he can bring some stability to De’Von Achane and Jaylen Waddle in Miami’s offense.
Geno Smith – Minnesota Vikings (if released)
My sense after talking to folks at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis and reading through reports is that the Vikings are more than likely done with J.J. McCarthy as an option to start in 2026, if not altogether. Kevin O’Connell clearly didn’t love having to slash parts of his playbook out to make McCarthy comfortable and is pining to return to the confines of a veteran quarterback. Smith isn’t a free agent but he’s my favorite option for this team if they don’t pursue Murray, so we’ll cheat and add him to the article.
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I’m not here to tell you Smith was anything but a poor starter last season. However, we can all acknowledge that the Raiders’ situation was a disaster. Adding Smith if he’s released on a likely minimum deal with the Raiders paying his 2026 salary would allow Minnesota to frame this as mere competition for McCarthy, even if he’s likely their plan to start all 17 games. Smith may not be good enough to take Minnesota to the playoffs — the roster is a little bit overrated at this point, in my opinion — but he’s good enough to push the ball downfield as O’Connell desires and feed Justin Jefferson 150-plus aggressive targets. That’s really all I’m interested in seeing out of Minnesota’s offense in 2026.
Running Backs
Kenneth Walker III – Washington Commanders
The Commanders want to move away from some of the shotgun and spread-based concepts that Kliff Kingsbury brought to the table and install more under-center, play-action layers. They will need an infusion of talent at the running back position to move into that world under new OC David Blough. Walker brings explosive rushing ability and would be a dynamic threat in a backfield with Daniels. Those who took Walker in fantasy last year likely feel burned but this would present him with a nice rebound opportunity.
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Travis Etienne Jr. – Kansas City Chiefs
There will be some teams that just don’t make sense for Etienne but he fits quite well for the Chiefs. That’s why there has already been some smoke about this pairing.
Etienne is useful as a receiver, especially in the screen game, and did well in a zone-based rushing scheme with the Jaguars last year. The Chiefs have run both for years now. Landing in Kansas City would be a huge win for Etienne individually and bring some explosive potential to a Chiefs backfield that has been in dire need of it the last two seasons.
Tyler Allgeier – Seattle Seahawks
With Walker out, Tyler Allgeier comes in to replace him. Allgeier is not as explosive as Walker but he brings more juice than Zach Charbonnet, who won’t be available until the middle of next season at the earliest, and is a similar style of rugged zone-based runner. He’s an ideal fit for the system that they want to keep rolling in Seattle.
I’d be first in line to overhype him as a sleeper in this scenario. I’m a big fan of his game.
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Rico Dowdle – Denver Broncos
Entering the market coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, Dowdle is clearly a good and capable back who can play on all three downs. He wants to head into a situation where he can be more of a clear starter than he was in Carolina. That spot will be tough to find but Denver at least presents a clear opening as the base-down back, complementing R.J. Harvey as the change-of-pace receiving specialist. Dowdle would be in for another solid season behind a great Broncos offensive line. Harvey is going to get a backfield mate added this offseason, so at least this would be a committee that’s relatively easy to figure out.
Kenneth Gainwell – New Orleans Saints
Gainwell finished with a 25.8% targets per route run rate, finishing 12th in the NFL overall and just ahead of CeeDee Lamb. Gainwell was used in the passing game like an alpha wide receiver, which says plenty about both his receiving skills and the Steelers’ low-octane offense last season. If Rodgers is back in Pittsburgh, he likely lobbies for his pet favorite player from 2025 to return, as well. However, should he retire, Gainwell makes sense as a free agent for a team looking to add some pop to the running back room. New Orleans has an opening and plays a spread-out, uptempo offense. He’d make for a reliable outlet receiver for Tyler Shough and could even become a PPR scam fantasy option once again in what I think is a well-designed Kellen Moore offense.
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Rachaad White – Arizona Cardinals
Arizona is likely looking for insurance on Trey Benson but should still leave the candle lit for him to be a contributor for this team. White gives them a guy who has started previously and is a capable pass-catcher and protector. If they find themselves in pass-heavy scripts, he can be reliable for whoever is starting at quarterback for Arizona in 2026.
Wide Receivers
Jauan Jennings – Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens have really lacked a receiver with size over the last few seasons and that will be even more true with a new offense under Declan Doyle coming in. Jauan Jennings brings a rugged, physical approach to the position. He can beat zone coverage in the intermediate area, win in tight coverage and block in the run game. The Ravens typically bet on free agent wideouts past their prime but this would be a safer range to shop.
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The more I thought about this fit, the more I liked it. Jennings would not be a major fantasy producer but he’d allow Zay Flowers to move around the formation and increase the potency of the offense overall.
Alec Pierce – Las Vegas Raiders
With Alec Pierce saying on the Kay Adams Show that he’s “earned the right to explore free agency,” the odds he leaves the Colts just went way up.
The Colts certainly would like to have him back and he may well want to return. However, there are way too many receiver-needy teams with ungodly amounts of cap space ready to overpay for a size and speed combination X-receiver who can actually beat press coverage. One of those teams is the Raiders and they’re an operation that would actually get the most out of his game. Pierce benefited from playing in more condensed formations last year with the Colts and Klint Kubiak will be bringing a similar design to Las Vegas. Fernando Mendoza was a pristine back-shoulder thrower in college last season and will be ready to push the ball deep and outside the numbers, where Pierce wins. His vertical ability will also clear space for Brock Bowers underneath and Ashton Jeanty in the run game — everyone wins here.
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Romeo Doubs – San Francisco 49ers
Sneakily, this is one of my favorite fits of the bunch. Romeo Doubs has turned into a rock-solid starting X-receiver the last two seasons with the Packers. He wins on dig routes that are key to this system, one he should be able to transition well into after his time playing under Matt LaFleur. The 49ers are desperate for a metronome presence at wideout and Doubs would bring them help on the perimeter. This addition also has the benefit of allowing them to use Ricky Pearsall off the line of scrimmage to move him around the formation even more than he did, when rarely healthy, in 2025.
Rashid Shaheed – Buffalo Bills
If Shaheed had never been traded to the Seahawks and just played out his year in New Orleans, he likely would be heading into free agency with better production. I’d like to see him head back into an offense that is more spread out and uses motion at the snap so he can be weaponized as both a speed receiver and create leverage for other pass-catchers. Buffalo ranked first in motion at the snap last year on its dropbacks and Joe Brady is back in control of the offense. Shaheed might get overhyped in fantasy with this landing spot but he’d be a quality addition for the scoring unit.
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Mike Evans – Kansas City Chiefs
I will take the layup line on this one. The Chiefs have desperately needed three things in their receiver room the last few years: Size, professionalism and the ability to beat man coverage. Mike Evans brings you all three, even if it’s for just one season. Evans took a small step back on film last year but still popped up for big moments. He would be a lock for 100-plus targets if he stayed healthy in Kansas City. My gut says he returns to Tampa Bay but this might be enough of a temptation to fly the nest.
Deebo Samuel Sr. – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers have a bare-bones wide receiver room beyond DK Metcalf and will need to make multiple additions. Adding Samuel wouldn’t take them out of the mix for an early receiver pick in the draft but it gives them an option. Samuel played solid football for stretches last season and would fit into a more spread-out offense under McCarthy with Murray, as paired above. Samuel wouldn’t be anything more than a fantasy flier but he’d add a needed target to the offense.
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Wan’Dale Robinson – Tennessee Titans
The former coach (Brian Daboll) connection, positional need and the Titans leading the NFL in cap space make this marriage all too obvious. Robinson’s pre-snap role overlaps big with 2025 rookie fourth-rounder Chimere Dike but the Titans aren’t in a position to cross off options at pass-catcher — they need to throw resources at this.
Robinson was used on more downfield routes in 2025 and that allowed him to springboard up to a much more efficient season than his 93-catch, sub-700-yard 2024 campaign. He gives Cam Ward a layup target and could be in line for decent volume in this spot. Tennessee would just need to add a perimeter option in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Tight Ends
Isaiah Likely – New York Jets
The Jets have money to spend in free agency and just need more potency in the passing game. Likely would allow them to get into 12-personnel looks with Mason Taylor serving as the more traditional in-line option.
Likely is a big receiver who gets downfield. You can’t frame this as a fantasy win but I just see the Jets coming away with some relatively big-name player at the end of next week.
David Njoku – Atlanta Falcons
I am aware they just put the franchise tag on Kyle Pitts Sr.. Atlanta already leaned a ton into 12-personnel last season and will now be welcoming a new coach in Stefanski, who made it the identity of his attacks several times over the years in Cleveland. David Njoku can follow his coach down south and create a nice tandem with Pitts. Njoku is a better in-line player than Pitts, who can play as a detached move tight end. This would maximize his fantasy outlook, as we saw down the stretch in 2025.
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Cade Otton – Washington Commanders
Again, the Commanders make another move to transition their offense into a new world. Otton is a legitimate in-line tight end who has popped up for big games when the Bucs wideouts have been injured. Daniels has had a steady connection with Zach Ertz on layup targets the last couple of seasons but Ertz is coming off a major injury deep into his career. Otton is a younger player who can win in similar areas of the field and boost the run game.
