Kenneth Walker III, Alec Pierce Among Fantasy Football Free Agency Winners and Losers

The first day of the first week of the 2026 new league year was wild to say the least.

Kenneth Walker III is a fantasy football winner after signing with the Kansas City Chiefs. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The first day of the first week of the 2026 new league year was wild to say the least. News came fast and furious as big-name players changed teams and, in many respects, had their fantasy values altered for the 2026 NFL season. 

With that said, let’s look at the current winners and losers from the free-agency frenzy, including players who will be wearing new uniforms and those incumbents who will see their fantasy value rise or fall based on recent player moves.

Alec Pierce signed a huge deal to remain in Indianapolis. Find out why staying home vaulted his fantasy football value for 2026 and beyond. @SInow pic.twitter.com/tpWNML1bdx

— Michael Fabiano (@Michael_Fabiano) March 9, 2026

Fantasy free agency winners

Malik Willis, QB, Dolphins: Willis will be one of the top sleepers in fantasy football next season with his move to Miami. He’ll be the team’s new starting quarterback, replacing Tua Tagovailoa, and his rushing chops will make Willis a potential fantasy asset. In fact, he could push for QB2 value based on his rushing skills alone. 

Kenneth Walker III, RB, Chiefs: Walker’s move from Seattle (and Zach Charbonnet) and into a featured role in Kansas City is a win. Coach Andy Reid hasn’t been shy about using a featured back when he’s had one on the roster, and Walker’s contract (three years, $43 million) screams big workload. Playing in an offense led by Patrick Mahomes is a win, too, so Walker will push for low RB1 value in most 2026 fantasy drafts. 

Travis Etienne Jr., RB, Saints: Etienne signed a four-year, $52 million contract and will serve as the new featured back for coach Kellen Moore. While Alvin Kamara is still on the roster, he’s very likely to be released this offseason. Moore has had success with running backs in his offenses, and Etienne’s full projected workload will keep him in the low-end RB1 conversation for next season.

Chuba Hubbard, RB, Panthers: Hubbard appears to be in line to get his starting job back after Rico Dowdle signed with the Steelers. We’re still waiting to hear news about Jonathan Brooks’s status coming back from a second ACL tear, but at this point, Hubbard is looking like the best fantasy option out of the Panthers backfield.

Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Jaguars: The loss of Etienne puts Tuten squarely in the catbird’s seat in Jacksonville’s backfield, at least for now. I’d be surprised if the Jaguars didn’t add a back as a free agent or via the NFL draft, however. With that said, Tuten’s fantasy stock has risen for the time being. Just keep tabs on this situation. 

Emeka Egbuka, WR, Buccaneers: The departure of Mike Evans opens the door for Egbuka to bust out in the stat sheets next season. He appeared poised to break out early in his rookie year, but injuries and the healthy return of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin hurt Egbuka’s stock. Now the top option in the Buccaneers' passing attack for Baker Mayfield, at least in my opinion, Egbuka has a real shot to become a fantasy superstar. 

Alec Pierce, WR, Colts: Pierce signed a massive four-year, $114 million deal to stay with the Colts. That kind of deal coupled with Michael Pittman Jr. being traded to the Steelers, makes Pierce a huge winner from a fantasy standpoint. He’s now the top wideout in Indianapolis, both based on contract and depth chart, so his target share and fantasy production is guaranteed to rise. He’ll push for WR2 value in fantasy drafts. 

Mike Evans, WR, 49ers: Evans isn’t going to re-emerge into a fantasy star heading into this age-33 season, but he will be the top option in the 49ers' passing game. That will allow him to at least retain his value as a WR2/flex option in fantasy drafts, assuming the Niners don’t make any other major additions to its offense.

Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Titans: Robinson is a winner for two reasons. First, he’ll be entering an offensive system that he has done well in under coordinator Brian Daboll. Second, he should be a high-volume player in the passing game for Cam Ward. That’s not to say this is a better situation than the one he left in New York (it’s mostly a lateral move), but it should give Robinson a shot to retain his WR2/WR3 fantasy value.

Isaiah Likely, TE, Giants: Likely inked a three-year, $40 million deal with New York, where he will be reunited with head coach John Harbaugh. He should immediately move ahead of Theo Johnson on the depth chart, and the departure of Robinson leaves behind 140 targets for next season. I’m not sure this makes Likely a surefire No. 1 fantasy tight end, but he will be much more startable than he was in Baltimore.

Fantasy free agency losers

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Falcons: The Falcons signed veteran Tua Tagovailoa, who I project to open next season as their starting quarterback. Regardless, Penix has competition for the top spot on the depth chart once he returns from yet another ACL tear. There’s a world where he ends up being a backup next season, too. 

Bucky Irving, RB, Buccaneers: The Buccaneers won’t bring back Rachaad White or Sean Tucker, but signing a pass-catching runner like Kenneth Gainwell hurts Irving’s value. He put up 73 catches for the Steelers a season ago, and I expect the Buccaneers to use him in a similar fashion. That sort of scenario would limit Irving’s overall ceiling, making him a less attractive No. 2 fantasy running back in 2026 drafts. 

RJ Harvey, RB, Broncos: Fantasy managers who were hoping that Harvey would be the lead back in Denver’s offense have to be disappointed, as the team re-signed J.K. Dobbins for two years. The veteran was on pace to rush for 1,000-plus yards before he got hurt, so he clearly is a good fit for coach Sean Payton’s system. Dobbins has been very injury prone, but this will be a backfield committee while he’s healthy.

James Conner, RB, Cardinals: The Cardinals backfield could be one for fantasy fans to avoid. Shortly after retaining Conner for next season, they signed Tyler Allgeier to a two-year, $12.5 million contract. Arizona also has Trey Benson on the roster, so this could end up being a hard situation to predict on a weekly basis. Regardless, you have to think Allgeier, not Conner, will lead this committee. Entering his age-31 season and coming off an injury-shortened 2025, Conner will be a tough sell in drafts. 

Cam Skattebo, RB, Giants: The Giants didn’t make any splash moves on offense, but there have been reports that they’re enamored with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the fifth overall pick. The Saints and Chiefs were also connected to Love, but they both added featured backs in Walker and Etienne. Does that mean they knew Love would be off the board before the eighth (Saints) and ninth (Chiefs) overall picks? It’s possible. If the G-Men do decide to take Love, Skattebo’s stock will fall. 

Rico Dowdle, RB, Steelers: Dowdle has put together a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons and will be reunited with head coach Mike McCarthy, but landing in Pittsburgh means that a committee role with Jaylen Warren is imminent. I’d prefer the latter in PPR leagues because of his pass-catching prowess, leaving Dowdle as a RB4/RB5 with limited fantasy appeal unless Warren suffers a long-term ailment. 

Michael Pittman Jr., WR, Steelers: The trade sending Pittman to Pittsburgh will hurt his ceiling from a fantasy standpoint. He’ll go from being the top option in the Colts pass attack to second with the Steelers behind DK Metcalf. Fantasy fans also have to wonder what type of pass volume will come with this offense, as the team still doesn’t have a quarterback. This won’t be as much of a “loss” if Aaron Rodgers returns, however. 

Isiah Pacheco, RB, Lions: Pacheco will replace David Montgomery as the secondary option in the Lions backfield, behind Jahmyr Gibbs. He'll have little chance to make much of a fantasy impact in that role, as Montgomery received fewer and fewer touches down the stretch in favor of Gibbs in 2025. At best, Pacheco will be a late-round, fantasy handcuff in drafts.

Chimere Dike, WR, Titans: The addition of Robinson as the Titans’ new slot man likely means Dike will be pushed outside. He ran just 32.4 percent of his routes on the perimeter a year ago, however, and most of his fantasy production came when he was on the inside. Also, keep in mind that Calvin Ridley will be back from a fractured fibula, so there could be more mouths to feed in Tennessee’s pass attack.

Theo Johnson, TE, Giants: Johnson has shown flashes of potential at times, but he won’t get a chance to build on that with the addition of Likely. He’ll usurp Johnson on the Giants tight end depth chart immediately, leaving the former Nittany Lion to play more of a secondary role in the offense. New coordinator Matt Nagy does like using 12 personnel, but Johnson’s target share still won’t be enough for fantasy fans. 

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