2024 NFL Free Agents: Kirk Cousins, Calvin Ridley, Austin Ekeler (Fantasy Football)

While the key dates and events of the NFL offseason remain the same, the cast is always changing. And this year’s cast of characters could make for an awfully dramatic offseason. Here are the most important players to keep an eye on during the offseason for fantasy football purposes.

Erickson’s Free Agency Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
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Most Important Offseason Players for Fantasy Football

Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN)

I’m pretty intrigued to see where Kirk Cousins lands this offseason. The most likely scenario is a short-term contract with the Vikings, especially after he torn his Achilles last season. But reports are the Vikings won’t give Cousins a fully-guaranteed deal, which opens up the possibility of him leaving Minnesota.

The problem is some of the most QB-needy teams are already expected to find their quarterback of the future via the draft. But we could see teams like Atlanta or Denver pursue Cousins as a stop-gap option. And you could argue both teams are a competent QB away from being playoff contenders. Cousins remains a likely low-end QB1 wherever he winds up, assuming his recovery goes as planned.

Calvin Ridley (WR – JAX)

I considered Michael Pittman for this list but anticipate he’ll re-sign with Indianapolis. That makes Ridley one of the more intriguing wide receivers who could hit the open market. Ridley’s return season was a truly a mixed bag as his brilliant moments were often outweighed by disappearing acts and dropped passes. Plus, Ridley is already 29 years old, although he most likely doesn’t have the mileage of a typical receiver entering his 30s. The Jaguars will likely re-sign Ridley, as they’d be rather thin on the outside without him. But either way, Ridley is probably an untrustworthy, boom-or-bust WR2.

Austin Ekeler (RB – LAC)

A lot went wrong for Austin Ekeler last season. The Chargers’ offensive line hardly gave him any room to run. But it also looked like Ekeler had potentially lost a step in what was another injury-impacted season. The question heading into this offseason is whether the Chargers, or another suitor, still view Ekeler as a three-down back, or as more of a weapon in the passing game. Ekeler’s only 28 but it feels like the peak of his fantasy powers might be behind him. He almost certainly won’t be getting drafted in the first round of fantasy drafts unless his landing spot shows a massive commitment to featuring him.

Early 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Prep