Dynasty Fantasy Football Fallout From NFL Free Agency: Christian Watson Is Packers WR1
Sam Wallace designated the winners and losers from NFL Free Agency for dynasty fantasy football, including Christian Watson now being WR1 in Green Bay.
The initial wave of free agency is now behind us. As the dust settles over the league and a multitude of key players find themselves in different uniforms, let's take a look at the fallout of some of these moves. Some of the biggest winners (and losers) didn't even have to change teams to be impacted by free agency. Here's a few highlights for managers to be aware of.
NFL Free Agency Winners for Dynasty Fantasy Football
Christian Watson | WR | Packers
After a few seasons of not having a true No. 1 wideout, the Packers might finally have someone who can officially claim the mantle—Christian Watson.
Watson has always had the talent and profile for such a title, but the team's desire to feature anyone and everyone on a given week has been frustrating for dynasty managers. The departure of Romeo Doubs and the pending recovery timeline of Tucker Kraft (torn ACL) means that Watson should become the undisputed No. 1 option for Jordan Love.
Last season, Doubs led the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards. As for Watson, he really turned it on down the stretch. Over his final seven games, he averaged:
- 6.1 targets
- 60 receiving yards
- 15.1 PPR
While the Packers offense is pretty much set for next season, it remains to be seen how the defense will look come Week 1. In a division featuring Caleb Williams, Jared Goff, and now Kyler Murray, Green Bay will continue to need to put up points on a weekly basis. Expect more big performances from Watson, who has certainly developed into a more well-rounded wideout and not just a pure deep threat.
Some will push for Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden can't be any less involved in Year 2 (I hope), and Kraft will command his own share once he's fully healthy. Even so, Watson should be treated as the WR1 for the Green and Gold moving forward.
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Bhayshul Tuten | RB | Jaguars
It's easy to forget just how exciting of a prospect Bhayshul Tuten was coming into the league last season. Selected by the Jaguars in Round 4, Tuten dominated his position group at the combine. Among all RBs:
- 40-Yard Dash—4.32 (1st)
- Vertical Jump—40.5 (1st)
- Broad Jump—130 (2nd)
While I would have liked him to have been drafted on Day 2, it's not as big of a knock on RBs once they have an opportunity ahead of them and Tuten certainly has an opportunity now.
Travis Etienne signed with the New Orleans Saints, which totally opened up the RB position in Jacksonville. The Jags did bring over Chris Rodriguez, but they needed another body in that backfield anyways. As long as they don't bring in a tantalizing rookie next month, Tuten should be the top-option for the Jaguars (and dynasty managers).
The one downside is going to be his cost. Tuten's ADP is already rocketing up the boards in early drafts. You will likely have to spend a premium pick on him if you want him, and he could certainly pay off, but he's still on track to have a solid sophomore season regardless.
NFL Free Agency Losers for Dynasty Fantasy Football
Trey Benson | RB | Cardinals
The 2024 RB Class was lacking in clear-cut, top-end talent (at least early on), but it did ultimately give us Bucky Irving.
In addition to Irving, it gave us a plethora of "maybe" prospects in guys like:
Talk about a weirdly deep class without much to show after two seasons.
Highlighting Benson, I was somewhat optimistic even after the Cardinals restructured the contract of James Conner to keep the veteran in Arizona for another season. However, that optimism quickly vanished when they brought over Tyler Allgeier.
Once a thorn in the side of Bijan Robinson managers everywhere, Allgeier is a more than capable backfield option. He was supremely durable throughout his four seasons with the Falcons and averaged 169 rushing attempts per season during those years.
Reliability has been an issue for Benson and the signing of Allgeier does nothing to give me any hope. Other than a slew of potential injuries in front of him, there's nothing to get excited about regarding Benson in dynasty fantasy football leagues.
Theo Johnson | TE | Giants
The mini-breakout enjoyed by Theo Johnson and his dynasty managers last season is going to be short-lived. In a season that saw Malik Nabers play in just four games due to injury, Johnson was second in targets behind only Wan'Dale Robinson. Even with Nabers' projected return this season, the loss of Robinson to the Titans would surely open things up for Johnson, right?
Enter, Isaiah Likely.
Done with ruining things for Mark Andrews managers, Likely joins a Giants team looking to build around second-year QB Jaxson Dart. Likely also reunites with John Harbaugh, who will absolutely know how to best deploy this rising star at the TE position.
With Likely being the winner of this transaction, that leaves Johnson as the unfortunate loser. He reached 528 receiving yards and scored 5 TDs, but Likely signed a three-year deal worth $40 million. That matters a lot, especially at the TE position.
At this point, if your bench is deep enough, Johnson is worth a stash/hold. Otherwise, if you need to make roster decisions, he's someone you can safely drop if you have alternative options at the TE position.
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