Rumors regarding which free agents will hit the market are trickling in. While we still need to make it through franchise tags, let’s discuss ideal landing spots for three players likely to part ways with their teams in 2024.
- Erickson’s Free Agency Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- 2024 Best Ball Fantasy Football Draft Kit
- Free Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Ideal Free Agency Landing Spots (2024 Fantasy Football)
Mike Evans (WR – TB)
Ideal landing spot – Baltimore Ravens
With the Cincinnati Bengals rumored to franchise tag Tee Higgins and the Indianapolis Colts likely tagging Michael Pittman Jr., Mike Evans will be the top receiver on the market. Evans and the Bucs are reportedly far apart on a potential extension.
The #Buccaneers had a soft deadline today to get an extension done with Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans, but both sides remain far apart, sources say. Tampa Bay is set to take on $7.4M in 2024 dead money by not getting a deal done today. @BleacherReport
Talks will continue, but my… pic.twitter.com/fNJJFuRceH
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 19, 2024
Staying in Tampa Bay would be the ideal situation, but if Evans hits free agency, he would be a perfect fit for Baltimore. Lamar Jackson saw a significant increase in attempts and passing yards while remaining flat on interceptions in fewer games. While his passing touchdowns increased, we’d love to see Jackson get back to the 30+ passing touchdowns we saw in 2019. Since that initial MVP season, Jackson has failed to exceed 26 passing touchdowns.
Insert Mike Evans! The 30-year-old has a minimum of 13 touchdowns in three of the past four years. He’s the big-bodied, deep-threat target that would help Jackson match his 2019 touchdown production. This landing spot is ideal for Evans because he has thrived off big-play production rather than high reception totals. Of the top-12 receivers in PPR scoring from 2023, Evans had the fewest receptions, the second-highest yards per reception and the highest receiving touchdowns. Evans is built to thrive with Jackson.
Kansas City is a popular landing spot for Evans, but the Chiefs have key free agents on defense to retain, likely preventing this dream scenario.
Saquon Barkley (RB – NYG)
Ideal landing spot – Dallas Cowboys
Saquon Barkley is the top running back on the market. While the Cowboys certainly aren’t the favorite to land Barkley from a financial perspective, Barkley in Dallas would be huge from a fantasy perspective.
When you think of the 2023 Cowboys, you likely think of the high passing volume from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb. However, the Cowboys weren’t a low-volume rushing team, and their offensive success through the air yielded ample rushing touchdown opportunities.
Tony Pollard had 57 attempts inside the 20, second to only Christian McCaffrey. Those 57 attempts yielded just four touchdowns. Inside the five-yard line, Pollard had 16 attempts that yielded just two touchdowns. For comparison, Kyren Williams and David Montgomery had 17 carries inside the five and had nine and eight touchdowns, respectively. Pollard woefully underperformed at the goal line.
Meanwhile, Barkley had just 38 attempts inside the 20, yielding four touchdowns, and just six attempts inside the five, yielding three touchdowns. Keep in mind, the Giants’ offensive line was graded 30th by PFF and the Giants were 30th in points scored in 2023. The Cowboys’ offense offers the perfect combination of volume and opportunity to capitalize in areas where Pollard failed.
Derrick Henry (RB – TEN)
Ideal landing spot – Baltimore Ravens
Perhaps I should’ve titled this article “ideal landing spots for the Baltimore Ravens” because Derrick Henry is the perfect addition to the Ravens’ backfield. The 2023 season was mildly disappointing for Henry. His workload was reduced to 280 carries, which resulted in 1,167 yards, an average of 4.17 yards per carry and 12 rushing touchdowns. For most running backs, that’s a career year, but for Henry, it’s a sign of age taking a toll. The 30-year-old back likely can’t sustain the volume he’d seen in prior years.
The Ravens led the league in rush attempts with 541 total attempts. A chunk of that is Jackson, but even if his attempts were reduced to that of a player like Patrick Mahomes, the Ravens would still be top 12 in rush attempts. They are a run-heavy team. The Ravens also had 26 rushing touchdowns, just one behind the league leaders. Jackson only accounted for five of those touchdowns, too. The Ravens are an ideal landing spot for a back like Henry. They will likely continue to utilize a committee to reduce the over-usage of Henry. Yet, the yardage and touchdown opportunities would give Henry continued RB1 upside with minimal wear and tear.
Early 2024 Fantasy Football Draft Prep
- Erickson’s Early Fantasy Football Rankings, Tiers & Notes: QB | WR
- Early Must-Have Running Backs: Feb
- Early Must-Have Wide Receivers: Feb
- Early Must-Have QBs & TEs: Feb
- Early Undervalued Players
- Early Overvalued Players: RB | WR
- QB2s With Top-5 Upside: Feb
- RB3s With RB1 Upside: Feb
- TE2s With Top-5 Upside: Feb
- Players to Avoid: QB | RB
- 3 Early Breakout Candidates
- 6 Early Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
- 7 Fantasy Football Draft Targets: Underrated Handcuffs
- Draft Values, Breakouts & Busts: RB | WR
- RB Dead Zone Running Backs: Draft or Fade?
- Most Polarizing Running Backs to Draft
- Tight End Draft Dart Throws
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