2026 NFL Free Agency Day 1 is in the books, and it was a hectic one! Dozens of signings have already taken place, and there are plenty more to come. I’ll be breaking down 5 fantasy risers & 5 fallers from the first day of free agency.
2026 NFL Free Agency Day 1: Fantasy Risers & Fallers
Fantasy Risers:
Ashton Jeanty, RB, Las Vegas Raiders
As a rookie, Ashton Jeanty struggled; he only finished with 975 yards on a below-average 3.7 YPC and finished as RB11 on the year. A major problem last year for the Raiders was the rest of the offense around him. Geno Smith was washed, Brock Bowers was injured, they traded Jakobi Meyers away, and the offensive line was among the league’s worst. Heading into this year with the #1 overall pick, Jeanty was already on my target list with all signs pointing to Fernando Mendoza being the new quarterback.
Most recently, the Raiders traded away Maxx Crosby for 2 first round picks, one of which they should use on a wide receiver. That still leaves the Raiders with the problem of their offensive line, and they started off free agency with a bang by signing Pro Bowl center Tyler Linderbaum to a record-shattering deal. Linderbaum will make an immediate impact on the interior line and allow Jeanty, a power back, to have more inside runs and start his carries, not in negative yardage. Jeanty’s value from the moves the Raiders are making around him has him entering the top-8 best dynasty backs.
Alec Pierce, WR, Indianapolis Colts
Opting to stay in Indianapolis instead of leaving for more money elsewhere, Alec Pierce still hauled in a massive payday of $116 million in a four-year deal. Moments after Pierce signed the deal,, the Colts then traded away fellow receiver Michael Pittman Jr to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Colts showed their commitment to Alec Pierce as their #1 receiver with the signing and trading of Pittman Jr. As a result, his fantasy value just catapulted as he should not just act as a serious threat, but also get more of the regular target share as well with Pittman Jr gone.
Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, Tennessee Titans
After Malik Nabers went down in week 4, Wan’Dale Robinson stepped up to the plate big-time with his first 1,000+ yard season. With the Giants opting not to retain Robinson, he took his talents to the Tennessee Titans, who needed a WR1. Robinson is on the smaller end at only 5 ft 8 inches, but he’s a target machine, racking up 140 targets each over the last two seasons. Staying in New York wouldn’t be ideal for Robinson, as he’d likely revert to the WR2 role with Nabers returning and with not many other teams in the league needing a WR1. Robinson might not put up 1k+ seasons, but I see him having 800+ yard seasons with Cam Ward.
Kenneth Walker III, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker III, couldn’t have landed in a better spot than Kansas City. If he stayed in Seattle, he’d continue to split carries with Zach Charbonnet and lose out on the goal-line touches to Charbonnet. Yes, Charbonnet is hurt and will start the 2026 season on the IR, but he’ll be back before you know it, and Walker III will feel the pain. KW3 now has the chance to be a true workhorse back by himself in Kansas City. The Chiefs will certainly use him like that, and he’ll also get the red zone touches where he missed out on in Seattle, giving him the opportunity to score more touchdowns and fantasy points.
Isaiah Likely, TE, New York Giants
If you read my article on players you need to trade for in fantasy before free agency kicked off, then you would know how high I am on Isaiah Likely. He just earned a nice payday, becoming the third-highest-paid tight end in the league after signing a three-year, $40 million deal with the New York Giants. This was a great landing spot for Likely as he reunites with John Harbaugh, gets into a more pass-heavy offense, and is the clear #1 TE on the team. The Giants are building up a team over in the Meadowlands, and Likely just went from outside the top-20 tight ends to a potential top-10 finish in 2026. He is still worth trading for now, even if you need to overpay. Likely to get targets and is the #2 receiving option in New York, behind wideout Malik Nabers.
Fantasy Fallers:
Kenneth Gainwell, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
From weeks 11 to 18, the RB6 was Kenneth Gainwell. During this time, he averaged nearly 18 points per game and was a PPR machine. Only Jahmyr Gibbs had more receptions for a running back during this span, with 45 compared to Gainwell’s 44. If Gainwell stayed in Pittsburgh, he would continue being in the 1-2 split with Jaylen Warren. This would’ve been ideal for him to just stay put, especially with the likelihood of having Aaron Rodgers or Will Howard as his quarterback.
Instead, Gainwell signed a deal to be a backup running back in Tampa Bay. He’s not going to eat into Bucky Irving’s carries, but will serve as a change of pace back and the receiving option. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers already have a deeper receiving room with Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka, Jalen McMillan, and Cade Otton, where it’s going to be harder to take touches away from them. I don’t like this spot at all for Gainwell and think it hurt his fantasy value pretty significantly.
De’Von Achane, RB, Miami Dolphins
With the Dolphins officially moving on from Tua Tagovailoa, it didn’t take long for them to find their replacement in Malik Willis. Willis is the better option for Miami with a stronger arm and rushing upside compared to Tua. Unfortunately, for fantasy owners of De’Von Achane, this isn’t something I’m thrilled about. Tua operated as a more traditional pocket passer with many screen passes to De’Von Achane. This play script was also drawn up by former head coach Mike McDaniel.
With a new quarterback and offensive coordinator in town with a completely different game style, I’m expecting fewer checkdown passes to Achane. With Willis’s ability to run the ball, this should also take some yards on the ground away from Achane, as they’ll opt for more option plays. He’s still a top running back, but his value just dipped a little bit, and I’m less likely to reach for him in 1st rounds anymore.
Travis Etienne, RB, New Orleans Saints
After a down year in 2024, Travis Etienne bounced back with a top-10 finish in fantasy in 2025. What helped him get there was how high-scoring the Jaguars offense was in 2025; they were the 6th-highest scoring unit in the league. He now goes to the New Orleans Saints, who were the 5th-lowest scoring team. This is quite a shift and not something I’m looking forward to as an Etienne owner. I’d much rather see him go to Seattle or the Broncos.
The Saints have a couple of budding players in Kendre Miller and Devin Neal in their running back room. This is going to be a bit too crowded a room for my liking, and that doesn’t even include Alvin Kamara, who still has a little bit left in the tank. I just don’t see Etienne finishing anywhere close to a top-10 back in the foreseeable future in New Orleans.
DK Metcalf, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
After the Colts signed Alec Pierce to a massive deal, the Indianapolis Colts traded Michael Pittman Jr to the Pittsburgh Steelers. For Pittman Jr, I have this as a near identical situation. He’ll have mediocre quarterback play and be in a wide receiver room competing to be the WR1. This is not great for DK Metcalf, as he had zero competition for targets in Pittsburgh. For the Steelers overall, this is a great move to complement Metcalf or even surpass Metcalf for the #1 option on the team. I like this move a lot for them, but for Metcalf, he’s going to be back competing for targets. His fantasy value, which has already been on the decline, just got worse. I’m trying to trade him away while he still has his name that carries some weight.
Ricky Pearsall, WR, San Francisco 49ers
With the San Francisco 49ers bringing in Mike Evans to be the new WR1 in town, this just demoted Ricky Pearsall to WR2. Pearsall finally had the opportunity to be the WR1 of the future with Jauan Jennings likely departing in free agency, but the 49ers didn’t feel confident in him to take that job over after he disappointed this past year. He was supposed to fill that role when Brandon Aiyuk went down, and Deebo Samuel was traded, but he failed to live up to the expectations. This led to Mike Evans being brought in and is the clear favorite for Brock Purdy and a great addition for the 49ers.
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