If you’re expecting the Fantasy Football landscape to change because of the caliber of free-agent receivers available this March, you’re sorely mistaken.
There will be more impactful receivers in the NFL Draft than in free agency, though it doesn’t mean the list of veterans up for grabs isn’t relevant. Teams looking for a quick fix at receiver should find someone to come in to help their offenses. Here’s a preview of who can be signed and where their skills would fit best for Fantasy.
Despite failing to play any more than 12 games in either of the past two seasons, Jeffery is poised to make the biggest splash in free agency among wideouts. Teams are expected to value his size and ability to play along the outside and overlook his injury history. His strong receiving average and 10-touchdown campaign in 2014 will also be attractive.
Best fit for Fantasy: Eagles -- Becoming the go-to guy for Carson Wentz in an offense that should continue to trend toward pass-heavy should yield some strong numbers.
Marshall, 33, might seem at the end of his career, but the hunch is that his poor 2016 was more about his circumstance than his talent. His quarterbacks were anywhere from average to pitiful and defenses started keying in on him once Eric Decker got hurt. It left the big wideout with minimal numbers in a fruitless season -- but it doesn’t mean he’s a has-been.
Best fit for Fantasy: Ravens -- There will be a lot of teams who come knocking on Marshall’s door, but Baltimore is a good fit for him. He’ll get a bunch of targets from a good quarterback and won’t have to be relied upon to carry the passing game like he has for much of his career. Marshall should be in a position to get close to 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns no matter where he plays, but he should match those numbers with the Ravens.
After picking up 1,000 yards with the Browns’ brutal quarterbacks in 2016, Pryor’s transformation to receiver is complete. His 6-foot-6 frame makes him an awfully attractive target for any quarterback, although his 164 yards after the catch (Gary Barnidge had more) seems to paint him as an oversized possession receiver and not a do-it-all No. 1 type of guy.
Best fit for Fantasy: Browns -- It’s borderline insane to suggest playing for the Browns is a good thing, but it would be for Pryor compared to other places. Hue Jackson is his biggest believer, has been a mentor to him going back to their days together in Oakland and already has Pryor comfortable in his offense. He’d remain Cleveland’s No. 1 receiver and would more than likely work with a better quarterback than what he dealt with in his breakout 2016. He should be expected to finish as a No. 2 receiver again, potentially with twice as many touchdowns.
Nothing’s going to change Jackson’s boom-or-bust reputation. He can still speed downfield and stretch defenses and can still catch the deep ball for touchdowns. Of course, he can also disappear for weeks at a time and can still get hobbled with injuries. But he topped 1,000 yards in 2016, his fifth such season, and will surely entice a team to get him on the field.
Best fit for Fantasy: Buccaneers -- While he has connections with Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco, he would have the combination of a large role and a very good passer in Tampa Bay. Defenses wouldn’t be able to double-team him with Mike Evans playing the other side of the field and no other receivers would threaten Jackson for playing time. His targets would more than likely rise with the Bucs than with any other team.
Britt capitalized on a make-or-break season with his first 1,000-yard effort in eight years. It was the by-product of being the only decent conventional receiver on a bad Rams team that had to throw the ball a lot. He’ll be 29 years old on Sept. 19, but has the ideal body to play along the outside and is capable of the occasional big play.
Best fit for Fantasy: Doesn’t matter -- Unless the Rams keep him, an NFL team will view Britt as a quick-fix perimeter receiver. If that’s the case, his targets are sure to shrink and his numbers will follow. Who would want to trust him for Fantasy?! He could stay with the Rams and theoretically be in the same situation as before, but the team doesn’t seem keen on keeping him and Fantasy owners wouldn’t prioritize him anyway.
Stills is a deep threat who has shown glimpses of being more than a one-trick pony. He’ll get lots of attention because of his speed, but also because he’s young (25 when the season starts) and only has one season as a regular starter under his belt. A coach somewhere will gush over his potential, even if he’s caught just 43.5 percent of the targets thrown his way over four seasons.
Best fit for Fantasy: 49ers -- If he’s going to put up career-highs, Stills has to end up on a team that’s thin at receiver and will play from behind a lot. Such a situation would give him a chance at climbing into a No. 3 role for Fantasy owners. The 49ers have tons of cap space to spend, not a lot of quality receivers and a head coach in Kyle Shanahan who would find plenty of ways to use Stills effectively.
Garcon’s second 1,000-yard season came in his ninth season, and just in time for free agency. He has averaged 116 targets and 70 grabs per year since 2009, creating consistency that Fantasy owners can count on. The typically underwhelming yardage and touchdown totals, however, have also created the kind of consistency that sends Fantasy types running far away.
Best fit for Fantasy: Redskins -- Truthfully, Garcon’s value is tied to his receptions and PPR leagues. So which team with a receiver need will give him the chance to land 70-plus catches? How about the team he’s been with since 2012? Kirk Cousins is clearly comfortable throwing to him, and Garcon might take on an even bigger role if the team loses DeSean Jackson in free agency.
Restricted free-agent receivers: Adam Thielen (MIN), Taylor Gabriel (ATL), Dontrelle Inman (SD)
Unrestricted free-agent receivers: Robert Woods, Ted Ginn, Brandon LaFell, Terrance Williams, Michael Floyd, Kamar Aiken, Anquan Boldin, Brice Butler, Marquess Wilson, Vincent Jackson, Victor Cruz
