The Chicago Bears have selected QB Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Fantasy Impact: This was the expectation all offseason and it is now official. With the Bears trading Justin Fields, Williams is expected to step in as the Week 1 starter for Chicago. He'll have Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Cole Kmet to throw to, as well as D'Andre Swift out of the backfield and a potential rookie receiver if they don't trade out of the No. 9 pick. With his offensive weapons and rushing ability, Williams should be fantasy relevant right away. The biggest question will be the offensive line he is playing behind.
DE Trey Hendrickson has requested a trade out of Cincinnati. The three-time pro-bowler is looking for a long-term deal and it appears as though negotiations with the Bengals were unsuccessful. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The loss of Hendrickson would be a huge blow for the Bengals' defence. He's been this unit's most consistent performer over the years. The news will perhaps force the Bengals to address the DE position in the draft.
The Bengals exercised the fifth-year option on WR Ja'Marr Chase's contract. The expectation is that contract talks will begin soon. (Source: Cincinnati Bengals)
Fantasy Impact: It's not surprising that the Bengals picked up Chase's option. The former top-five pick has been a massive piece of Cincinnati's offense whenever he plays and figures to reset the WR market, whenever he signs his new contract.
Amon-Ra St. Brown has signed a contract extension with the Detroit Lions. This new deal is for four years and $120 million, making him the highest-paid WR in the NFL. (Source: Ian Rapoport)
Fantasy Impact: St. Brown is coming off a season where he ranked as the WR4 in fantasy points per game. This new deal keeps him as a Lion for the long haul, and ensures that you can feel comfortable picking him as a top-seven pick in your drafts this year.
The NFL reinstated the Eagles' Isaiah Rodgers from his yearlong suspension for gambling, and he may participate in team activities right away. (Source: Adam Schefter)
Fantasy Impact: Rodgers is a welcome sight to the Eagles' cornerback room that was mauled by opposing offenses last season. He could push for meaningful snaps very quickly.
J.K. Dobbins is expected to sign with the Los Angeles Chargers. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Dobbins suffered a torn Achilles at the start of the 2023 season that left him with a limited market in free agency, but now he is expected to sign with the Chargers. He will reunite with his former offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who helped him find stretches of success in Baltimore. His fantasy value will largely hinge on how well his recovery goes this offseason, but the starting spot is ripe for the taking with Gus Edwards being the only other notably RB on the roster currently.
The Bills are trading WR Stefon Diggs to the Texans in exchange for draft picks, including a 2025 second-round. The Bills are also sending a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. (Source: Adam Schefter)
Fantasy Impact: After an underwhelming 2023 fantasy season, the four-time Pro Bowl receiver now lands with the Texans to play with C.J. Stroud and alongside Nico Collins and Tank Dell. The concern for fantasy managers is that Diggs is entering his age-31 season, and the drop in production could be a harbinger for things to come. Additionally, with Collins and Dell in the mix, there are a lot of mouths to feed in what should be an outstanding passing game. The change of scenery might benefit Stroud's fantasy managers more than Diggs's at this point in his career.
Rashee Rice is being sought by Dallas police in connection to a car accident that occurred Saturday evening. Rice has not been arrested or charged as of writing. (Source: The Dallas Morning News)
Fantasy Impact: Details are limited right now, and the only information we have is a police call sheet and a report from the Dallas Morning News that police are seeking Rice in connection to a crash that took place early Saturday evening. The report indicates that a vehicle registered to Rice was involved in a crash, but it isn't known if Rice himself was involved or if he is facing any charges. As of early Sunday morning, there were no publicly available records indicating Rice had appeared at the Dallas County jail. Rice had a breakout rookie season with the Chiefs, catching 79 of his 102 targets for 938 yards and seven touchdowns. It's too early to speculate on any potential discipline from the NFL, but more details will likely be available soon.
The Bears are trading QB Justin Fields to the Steelers for a 2025 6th-round pick that goes to a 4th-round pick, depending on the amount of time played. (Source: Ian Rapoport)
Fantasy Impact: Fields had been the focus of much speculation regarding his landing spot following Chicago's activity in the free agent and trade markets. He now joins newly-acquired Russell Wilson in the Pittsburgh QB room. Fields's fantasy value will depend on whether he is named the starter, which remains to be seen at this point. In three years with Chicago, the 25-year-old threw for 6,674 yards and a 16:9 TD:INT ratio. He also rushed for 2,220 yards and 14 TD.
Former Cardinals WR Marquise Brown has agreed to a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs worth up to $11M, according to multiple reports. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Brown, who turns 27 years old this summer, has flashed his potential and big-play ability in the NFL but has also dealt with injuries the last two seasons. In 2023, playing for a rebuilding Cardinals team, he caught 51 of his 101 targets for 574 yards and four touchdowns. In Kansas City, he's penciled into a starting WR spot across from second-year WR Rashee Rice and TE Travis Kelce to catch passes from Patrick Mahomes in an offense designed by Andy Reid. It would be hard to find a better landing spot for Brown.
The Los Angeles Chargers are trading WR Keenan Allen to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fourth-round pick, according to multiple reports. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The Chargers entered free agency wildly over the NFL salary cap and have been making moves throughout the week to clear space. WR Mike Williams was released, edge rushers Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa agreed to restructured contracts, and now Allen has been traded. For the Chargers, their WR room is suddenly without its top two pass catchers, and new HC Jim Harbaugh will certainly want to bring in some competition for WRs Joshua Palmer and Quentin Johnston. In Chicago, Allen joins a revamped offense that has added RB D'Andre Swift and TE Gerald Everett to go with WR DJ Moore, TE Cole Kmet, and, presumably, QB Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Thu, Mar 14th 2:39pm EDT
By Mike Maher
Earlier this week, reports came out that Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was filing a civil lawsuit against a woman who was accusing him of sexual assault. Prescott stated he was the victim of an extortion attempt. On Thursday, the Dallas Morning News reports that authorities in Prosper, Texas are looking into the extortion claim and the alleged sexual assault incident, meaning a criminal investigation has been opened. The alleged assault took place in February of 2017 in the parking lot of a Dallas strip club. Authorities have not shared specifics but explained that the case is in preliminary stages and is considered an active investigation. Prescott's accuser is also reportedly filing a counterclaim against him. (Source: Dallas Morning News)
Fantasy Impact: It goes without saying (but we'll say it here anyway) that the NFL will monitor this situation and likely launch its own investigation. The league has shown in the past that the results of criminal or civil investigations don't necessarily impact the punishment they hand out themselves. That isn't to say Prescott is definitely in danger of being suspended or punished by the league in any way. We still don't know many details about this case. This alleged incident is from several years ago, and Prescott has been aggressive in proclaiming his innocence, going so far as to file a civil suit against the woman before any investigation was opened. For now, there is no fantasy impact. But this situation is at least worth monitoring in the coming weeks and months. In dynasty leagues, it might be worth seeing if you can trade for Cowboys backup QB Trey Lance, just in case.
The Atlanta Falcons are trading QB Desmond Ridder to the Arizona Cardinals as a part of a player-for-player swap. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Ridder went 6-7 as the Falcons' starter in 2023, but Atlanta brought in Kirk Cousins to take over. Heading into his third season, the former Cincinnati product will get a change of scenery, backing up QB Kyler Murray. He will likely compete for the QB2 gig with Clayton Tune. Ridder threw for 2,836 yards with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season.
The Los Angeles Chargers intend to release WR Mike Williams. They would like to bring him back, but he will explore the open market. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Williams, who was set to have a cap hit of $32 million, will save the Chargers about $20 million with his release. He's coming off of a season-ending injury and will be heading into Year 8 in the NFL. He will turn 30 in October but has multiple 1,000-yard campaigns and is a boundary receiver who can threaten defenses on the outside and in the red zone. There was speculation he could be traded but will be cut instead, and the Chargers could be in on WR in this year's NFL Draft.
Joe Mixon will be traded to the Houston Texans rather than being released by the Bengals. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: In a shocking twist, the Bengals have changed gears and are trading Mixon to Houston instead of releasing him. It appears that instead of letting him test free angency, the Texans wanted to get their hands on the talented running back and secure him. He joins a great young core of CJ Stroud, Nico Collins, and Tank Dell. Their offense is taking shape and Mixon should be a big part of it in 2024. An RB1 finish should easily be in the cards.
Aaron Jones will sign a one-year, $7 million contract with Minnesota when the new league year opens up. (Source: Adam Schefter via Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Jones coming to Minnesota hurts the potential breakout of Ty Chandler, who was talked up by coaches during the 2024 combine. Jones addition doesn’t put Minnesota out of the running for adding depth via the draft, but he does give them a nice veteran option who still shows some explosiveness compared to a running back class that is largely lackluster.
The Carolina Panthers are trading Brian Burns to the New York Giants for a second and fifth-round pick. (Source: Ralph Vacchiano on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: There had been trade rumors surrounding Burns dating back to last season. He recorded at least 7.5 sacks in all five seasons of his career in Carolina, including a career-high 12.5 sacks two years ago. He'll be a huge boost to the pass rush for the Giants.
The Eagles and RB Saquon Barkley have agreed to terms on a three-year, $37.75M contract. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: The deal is worth up to $47.65M and includes $26M fully guaranteed. Barkley spent six years with the Giants and will now move to the division rival in Philadelphia as the team’s RB1. The veteran running back will be a highly sought after player in 2024 fantasy drafts.
Veteran QB Kirk Cousins is signing a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons, per his agent. (Source: Mike McCartney on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Cousins was arguably the biggest domino that needed to fall in this free agency period, and with the Falcons getting a deal done, they are secure at the position for now. The Vikings will suddenly become players in the QB market with plenty of options to chase after in free agency or the draft. Cousins has averaged 4,602 yards and 33 touchdowns to 11 interceptions per 17 games over his last three seasons, pairing him with WR Drake London, TE Kyle Pitts and RB Bijan Robinson.
The Packers are expected to sign RB Josh Jacobs. (Source: Ian Rapoport on Twitter )
Fantasy Impact: The move will pair Josh Jacobs with Aaron Jones in the Packers’ backfield. This will definitely impact both of their fantasy values in 2024 as fantasy managers will likely have to wait to see how Matt LaFleur chooses to deploy both running backs.
