Get ready, folks. This is going to be a busy week. Below is a rolling list of NFL signings and trades and what they might mean for fantasy football purposes in 2026.
This list will be updated as transactions are made across the league.
👉 Keep up to date with free agency news on the Rotoworld player news page.
Daniel Jones, Tyler Linderbaum, Devin Lloyd and Trey Hendrickson round out the top five.
Quarterback Moves
Falcons agreed to deal with QB Tua Tagovailoa, formerly of the Dolphins, on a one-year contract.
The question for the Falcons now becomes: Does anyone really win a training camp battle between Tagovailoa and Michael Penix, Jr.?
Atlanta will kick Tua’s tires after the Dolphins on Monday release the quarterback and absorbed an NFL record $99 million dead salary cap hit. Tagovailoa will join a Falcons QB room that for now includes Penix, who last season threw nine touchdowns and three interceptions over nine starts for the Falcons. Penix was 22nd out of 36 qualifying QBs in EPA per drop back and 18th in drop back success rate before going down with a season ending ACL injury.
While Tua is the far more accurate of the two Atlanta quarterbacks, he lacks Penix’s arm strength. It’s going to be a matter of what head coach Kevin Stefanski prioritizes headed into the 2026 season: Safe, accurate, short throws or downfield shots to Drake London and others.
Dolphins agreed to terms with QB Malik Willis, formerly of the Packers, on a three-year, $67.5 million contract.
Intent on creating a tough-nosed, cold weather team in South Florida, the Dolphins are going all in on former Packers coaches and players, including Willis, who last season led all quarterbacks in EPA per drop back, small samples being what they are.
The signing of Willis means the Dolphins will be one of the run heaviest offenses in the NFL next season. Willis’ mobility and improved intermediate accuracy should make him sneakily interesting for fantasy while De’Von Achane functions as the unquestioned centerpiece of the Miami offense.
If Jayden Waddle can manage to dominate targets thoroughly enough, he could suffice as a top-15 or top-20 fantasy wideout with Willis under center. I have my doubts about Waddle’s ability to gobble up targets as he’s never been a great target commander in the NFL. Last year he saw a target on 25 percent of his pass routes. With some good touchdown luck (variance) that would deliver WR2 numbers in a Willis-led offense.
-Denny Carter
Dolphins release QB Tua Tagovailoa.
Congratulations to the Broncos (and Russell Wilson), who no longer have the NFL record for biggest dead salary cap hit. The Dolphins absorb a $99 million dead cap hit — split over two years — with the unceremonious release of their one-time franchise quarterback. Tagovailoa’s 2024 contract extension will go down as one of the worst in the history of American pro sports.
Now Tagovailoa will hope to catch on with a quarterback-needy team that will offer him a short-term deal that will likely be incentive laden. Over his six seasons with the Dolphins, Tagovailoa ranked 17th out of 44 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per drop back, alongside Justin Herbert and Jared Goff. Tua was 13th in drop back success rate, just below Lamar Jackson and just above Herbert. His career season came in 2023 when he threw for 4,623 yards and 29 touchdowns along with 14 interceptions.
Tagovailoa was fine for a while as the point guard in Mike McDaniel’s forward-looking offense, a system that curdled after NFL defenses made necessary adjustments to end the era of cutesie pass-first offenses. A string of frightening brain injuries led to missed games and speculation that the head injuries might have affected Tagovailoa’s on-field performance. Headed into 2026, Tagovailoa profiles as a solid backup QB option for a team with an established starter, or a quarterback who will be rotated in and out of a starting job for a while until he begins the second part of his NFL career as a journeyman backup.
-Denny Carter
Running Back Moves
Chiefs signed RB Kenneth Walker III to a three-year contract worth $43 million.
The deal includes nearly $29 million in guaranteed money and officially ends any ideas about Walker somehow returning to Seattle after finally having a chance to operate as a featured back in the postseason and earning Super Bowl MVP honors.
You could try to exaggerate how bad the Kansas City backfield was in 2025 and you would probably fail. The metrics were unkind to Chiefs running backs Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined for the lowest rate of missed tackles of any backfield in the NFL last season and the fifth lowest rate of yards after contact per carry. They were abysmal. The Chiefs have moved on from Pacheco’s high-knees stomping bit in hopes of having a viable rushing attack to complement Patrick Mahomes and the passing offense.
Walker’s explosiveness should add a much-needed element to a stale KC offense in 2026. Eight percent of Walker’s rushing yards in 2025 came on runs of at least 15 yards; that was the fourth highest rate in the NFL behind De’Von Achane, Keaton Mitchell, and Emario Demercado. If Walker sees at least some involvement in the pass game, he has every chance to be a top-three fantasy back in 2026. Defenses respecting Mahomes and unable to use stacked boxes should create plenty of running lanes for Walker.
-Denny Carter
Bucs agreed to terms with RB Kenneth Gainwell, formerly of the Steelers, on a two-year, $14 million contract.
That sound you heard were the wails of Bucky Irving truthers who know their guy just lost most or all of targets coming out of the Tampa Bay backfield.
Gainwell would seem to be the replacement of Rachaad White. Unlike White, Gainwell is actually good and has been efficient as a pass catcher over his five NFL seasons. That includes 2025, when he ranked sixth in running backs targets and fourth in receptions. Only four backs had more receiving yards than Gainwell, who saw a target on 27 percent of his routes, in line with Jahmyr Gibbs and De’Von Achane.
There’s certainly a scenario in which the ever-reliable Gainwell takes on Tampa’s RB1 role and leaves Irving as a fantasy option dependent on explosive rushes and touchdowns. The Bucs in 2025 had the fifth most screen pass completions to running backs. It’s a nice fit for Gainwell.
Cardinals signed RB Tyler Allgeier, formerly of the Falcons, to a two-year contract worth $12.25 million.
At first blush it is far from an ideal landing spot for fantasy purposes. Allgeier lands in a crowded Arizona backfield alongside Trey Benson and James Conner, who recently took a pay cut to remain with the Cardinals in 2026. Allgeier rushed 210 times for 1,035 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie in 2022 before being replaced as the Falcons’ lead back by Bijan Robinson in 2023.
His peripherals fell off a cliff in 2025, as he averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry and average 0.11 broken tackles per rush, which ranked 49th out of 66 qualifying running backs.
Allgeier will likely split backfield duties in Arizona and will remain as touchdown dependent as any back in fantasy football.
-Denny Carter
Steelers signed RB Rico Dowdle, formerly of the Panthers.
Dowdle landing with the Steelers could be a problem for Jaylen Warren.
Dowdle with join Warren in the Pittsburgh backfield after Kenneth Gainwell signed with the Bucs on Monday in a move that could gash Bucky Irving’s fantasy upside. Dowdle was good in 2025. At times he was legendary: In Weeks 5-6, Dowdle went for a cool 289 rushing yards and a touchdown as Carolina’s lead back. It was one of the greatest heaters in fantasy football history.
Warren was still more efficient as a rusher though. His yards after contact per rush was tenth best among running backs while Dowdle ranked 13th. Warren in 2025 averaged 0.21 broken tackles per carry; Dowdle was at 0.17.
Last year Warren was a more efficient pass catcher than Dowdle; Dylan Sampson and Bijan Robinson were the only running backs with a higher yards per route run than Warren. Dowdle, meanwhile, ranked 21st out of 78 qualifying backs in yards per route — hardly hateful but not even close to elite.
There will be a million Steelers coach quotes this summer about who Dowdle and Warren will be used in the backfield. Every Steelers beat writer will parse every word about these backs. Hopefully this gives us a decent idea about their usage. It might be a situation in which drafting the cheaper of the two runners makes the most sense, however.
-Denny Carter
Saints agreed to terms with RB Travis Etienne, formerly of the Jaguars, on a four-year, $52 million contract.
Etienne in 2025 benefited from plenty of neutral and positive game script in the Jacksonville offense (the Jags ranked fifth in offensive snaps with a lead). Etienne last season rushed 260 times for 1,107 yards last season while scoring seven times on the ground. He added 36 catches for 292 yards and six receiving touchdowns, averaging a solid 8,2 yards per reception, 23rd best out of 77 qualifying running backs.
Etienne now enters a New Orleans backfield that will likely be without Alvin Kamara. Unlike the Jaguars, the Saints won’t generate the sort of neutral and positive script that generates rushing attempts. Last year only the Jets had fewer offensive snaps with a lead than the Saints. The Saints had the sixth fewest offensive snaps with neutral script (when the game was within one score).
Tyler Shough in 2025 had a 9.2 percent check down rate, smack dab in the middle of 44 qualifying quarterbacks. If Etienne has a locked-in role as the Saints’ main backfield pass catcher he could be a surprisingly productive RB2 option in 2026.
-Denny Carter
Broncos re-signed RB J.K. Dobbins.
Dobbins was the Broncos’ clear lead back for much of the 2025 season before a foot injury ended his season in Week 10. Dobbins before the injury had logged 153 rushes to just 50 carries for rookie RJ Harvey.
Dobbins had a far higher explosive run rate than Harvey and functioned as Denver’s primary inside-the-ten back. Dobbins was, in short, the more effective rushing option for Sean Payton’s offense in 2025. His 54 percent rushing success rate was miles ahead of Harvey’s 34 percent success rate through ten games.
Harvey was the team’s pass catching back. He had 29 targets to 14 targets for Dobbins before Dobbins’ season ending injury. Harvey was targeted on 28 percent of his routes, one of the highest rate in the league among running backs in 2025.
Assuming he’s back at full health, Dobbins should have a shot to serve as Denver’s lead back in 2026 under new offensive coordinator Davis Webb, though he’ll miss out on most or all of the pass-catching work out of the Broncos backfield.
-Denny Carter
Wide Receiver Moves
49ers signed Mike Evans, formerly of the Bucs.
Evans, entering his 13th NFL season, joins the Super Bowl contending Niners and fills a need at a vacant WR1 spot for QB Brock Purdy.
Evans managed a mere 30 receptions for 368 yards and three touchdowns during his final, injury-marred season in Tampa. Evans had solid peripheral and usage numbers from Week 14 to Week 17 after returning from a collar bone injury, commanding a team-high 44 percent of the Bucs’ air yards and seeing a target on 30 percent of his pass routes. Evans accounted for nearly 26 percent of the Bucs’ receiving yards over that stretch.
In signing with the 49ers, Evans is joining a more pass-heavy offense: The 49ers in 2025 ranked ninth in pass rate over expected while the Bucs ranked 18th. The Niners were above their expected pass rate in 13 of 17 regular season games. Evans goes from a Bucs offense averaging 258 total air yards per game to a more run-centric San Francisco offense that last year averaged 234 air yards per game. Both Baker Mayfield and Brock Purdy last season had a downfield pass rate of around 11 percent. In San Francisco, Evans could benefit from a better quality of deep shot: Purdy in 2025 was the NFL’s second most accurate downfield passer — trailing only Sam Darnold — while Mayfield ranked 35th out of 43 qualifying QBs.
With decent health — perhaps a Big If as he enters his age-33 season — Evans could be a top-12 wideout in Kyle Shanahan’s hyper-efficient offense.
Losing Evans should be a big blow to Mayfield in 2026. It leaves hum with Emeka Egbuka as his primary downfield threat a year after Egbuka’s 37 percent air yards conversion rate was among the lowest in the NFL among wideouts who had at least 40 targets. Egbuka was 104th out of 110 qualifying wideouts in ESPN’s open score, which measures how much separation a pass catcher gets. Xavier Legette and Adam Thielen were among the receivers with a higher open score than Egbuka. He’s (very) unlikely to fill in for Evans as a deep ball specialist.
-Denny Carter
Titans agreed to terms with WR Wan’Dale Robinson, formerly of the Giants, on a four-year, $78 million contract.
Fresh off a 2025 campaign in which he was ninth in receiver receptions and 18th in wideout receiving yards, Robinson joins what should be a revamped Tennessee offense headed by a second-year quarterback desperate for viable pass-catching options.
Robinson for now is likely to operate as the Titans’ No. 1 wideout in an offense coordinated by his former head coach in New York, Brian Daboll. Even if Ward doesn’t show drastic signs of improvement in 2026, Robinson proved last season that he can fill the stat sheet despite poor quarterback play.
Robinson last season in New York saw a target on 25 percent of his pass routes, a rate that jumped to 30 percent over the season’s final six weeks when he accounted for an impressive 34 percent of the Giants’ receiving yardage. His 8.7 average depth of target was a career high and suggests he’s something more than the gadget player. The hope is that Daboll agrees with this assessment and gives Robinson a shot to be a top-20 fantasy receiver.
-Denny Carter
Raiders agreed to terms with WR Jalen Nailor, formerly of the Vikings, on a three-year, $35 million contract.
Nailor cashes in on 29 receptions, 444 yards, and four touchdowns last season as Minnesota’s WR3 and could contend for WR1 duties in Vegas depending on what the Raiders do in the NFL Draft.
Nailor ranked 76th among NFL receivers in yards per route last season, alongside Marvin Mims and Tre Tucker. With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison hogging targets, Nailor saw a target on a mere 13 percent of his pass routes. He popped off against the Ravens in Week 10 to the tune of five catches, 124 yards, and a touchdown. He also had a two touchdown outing against the Cowboys in Week 15.
Nailor will be a deep league name worth monitoring in what should be an improved Vegas offense.
-Denny Carter
Steelers acquired WR Michael Pittman Jr. from the Colts for a late-round pick swap.
Pittman will move on from the Colts after recording more than 5,200 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns over six seasons as the team’s de facto No. 1 wideout.
A good-if-not-great intermediate-area pass catcher with reliable hands, Pittman could make for a solid WR2 behind DK Metcalf in Pittsburgh. The two wideouts could be more of a 1a-1b pairing depending on the nature of the Steelers offense and who’s taking snaps at quarterback in 2026.
Pittman’s final season in Indy was certainly not his best. He ranked 55th among wideouts in yards per route run and 77th in yards per target as Alec Pierce emerged as the Colts’ top wideout. Pittman had just 13 red zone targets in 2025 thanks in large part to the Colts’ run heaviness inside the 20 and Tyler Warren’s role in that area of the field. Pittman would seem to be something around a WR4 option in PPR formats for 2026.
-Denny Carter
Tight End Moves
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reports Travis Kelce is expected to return to the Chiefs in 2026.
Another will-he-won’t-he back and forth for Kelce once again ends with him returning to Kansas City to try to win one more championship with Patrick Mahomes, who is coming off a late-season knee injury in what amounted to a lost season for the Chiefs.
Kelce, 36, maintained a healthy 21 percent target per route rate in 2025 and had the sixth most receptions among tight ends, suggesting he’s not totally washed. Only three tight ends had more receiving yards than the wily veteran in 2025. His peripheral numbers tell a clear story of a player who is no longer a hyper efficient tight end functioning as a mismatch for safeties and linebackers alike.
Kelce in 2026 will profile as a reliable-if-unexciting fantasy option if he retains his every-down role in the pass-first KC offense.
-Denny Carter
Dolphins re-signed TE Greg Dulcich to a one-year, $3.25 million contract.
Maybe there’s a fantasy football bro in the Miami front office because teams usually waste no time dispatching with Dulcich after seeing him play for a few games.
Dulcich, who entered the NFL with an intriguing receiving profile, has bounced around a bit after Sean Payton soured on him in Denver. Last year in Miami Dulcich had 26 grabs for 335 yards and a touchdown over ten games, only three of which he started. Dulcich, as I wrote about last month, commanded targets at a high per-route rate while playing behind Darren Waller in 2025.
His 2.7 yards per route run last season was among the highest in the NFL. Waller headed out of town could mean something close to a full-time role for the speedy Dulcich. How he’ll mesh with a flat top-wearing tough guy head coach in Miami, a coach who might expect his tight ends to occasionally throw a block, remains to be seen.
-Denny Carter