NFL Free Agency is almost here! Let’s dive into this year’s class of NFL Free Agents as well as their fantasy football outlook.
- Erickson’s Free Agency Primers: QB | RB | WR | TE
- NFL Free Agent & Draft Needs for Every Team
- 2024 NFL Draft Guide
- 2024 Dynasty Fantasy Football Draft Kit
2024 NFL Free Agents
Tony Pollard
Tony Pollard drafters had high hopes for 2023 after a breakout season. But alas, to no avail.
Nobody can be sure whether Dallas will bring back Pollard as RB1 in 2024 after they franchised him this past season. The decrease in rushing efficiency and lack of TDs made Pollard an overall disappointment in fantasy football, but there’s reason to believe he can bounce back should he return to Dallas.
He is vastly overdue for positive TD regression after finishing second in the NFL in red-zone touches (71). He scored 5 red-zone TDs. Woof.
I’d leave the light on for a Pollard rebound in 2024. He will be turning 27 years old and won’t be rehabbing a broken leg as he did last year at this time.
Pollard said he started to feel ‘back to normal’ during the Carolina Panthers game (Week 11).
PFF’s highest-graded rusher from Week 11 onward…Tony Pollard.
We could easily see the NFC East play musical chairs with their RBs, with the following outcomes not too farfetched…
- Pollard – Philadelphia
- Barkley – Dallas
- Swift – New York
Derrick Henry
What do Derrick Henry and I have in common? We will both be 30 by the time 2024 kicks off.
Henry is coming off his lowest rushing yards per game of his career (68.6) as he enters the back-9 of his NFL career as a free agent for the first time. Well, at least if you ask anybody off the street.
With a new coaching staff under Brian Callahan coming in for Tennessee, the Titans will surely be looking ahead to their backfield with Tyjae Spears at the forefront alongside Will Levis at quarterback.
I don’t expect Henry to return, which makes him extremely tough to rank in 2024. If he lands in the right situation, we could easily see the Big Dog continue to feast. Even if he had a “down” year by his own high standards, he was still a top-10 RB across several advanced metrics such as yards after contact per attempt, PFF rushing grade and breakaway run rate. And that was while facing the league’s second-highest 8-man front box rate. Also finished 2nd in the NFL in rushing yards – 1,167 yards.
If Henry lands on the Baltimore Ravens – whom he has been connected to before as part of a trade last season – oh baby. The Heisman backfield is back. Dallas would be another great spot with the potential for him to see double-digit TDs and plenty of positive game scripts.
Current betting odds have Henry listed at +200 to be a Raven, followed by Eagles (+500), Cowboys (+550) and Texans (+750).
Keep in mind that Henry is a situational-dependent RB. If a team commits to him in certain game scripts with leads, he can be an absolute monster. Henry was the reason why the Titans were averaging 140 rushing yards per game at home in 2023.
Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler’s season was frustrating due to injuries and declining production. His yards per carry and total touchdowns dropped significantly.
It was a sour way for Austin Ekeler to end his career in LA, 4th-worst rushing EPA among all ball carriers and RB31 overall, averaging fewer than 10 points per game.
The year was a disaster for Ekeler, and I can’t help but think he is on the major downswing of his football career. He is going to be a free agent after career lows across the board. We saw the cliff hit REAL quick for Dalvin Cook. Ekeler might be next. Be wary even if he “projects” well on a new team.
Keep an eye out for Ekeler ending up in the nation’s capital. The Commanders just hired former Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn, as their new run-game coordinator.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio