{"id":551041,"date":"2026-03-19T18:01:12","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/551041\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T18:01:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T18:01:12","slug":"matthew-berrys-love-hate-from-2026-nfl-free-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/551041\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Berry\u2019s Love\/Hate from 2026 NFL free agency"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s not back. <\/p>\n<p>I mean, obviously, it is, but it\u2019s not, you know what I mean?<\/p>\n<p>I get the eye rolling. \u201cHey Berry,\u201d I can actually hear you as you roll your eyes, \u201cDidn\u2019t you do a big whiny goodbye to Love\/Hate last year?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And the answer is why yes, yes, I did. And it\u2019s still gone. The regular season version of \u201cLove\/Hate\u201d is retired and unlike Derek Carr (allegedly!) is planning on staying that way. When I announced the end of the column I did say I would do a preseason version, so yeah, there should be one of those in August and I mentioned there would be one-offs here and there but that, for all intents and purposes, it was done. <\/p>\n<p>Except today when it is most clearly not. For sure, this is one of those one-offs. There will be another one after the NFL draft. (Speaking of the NFL draft, have you seen the massive FantasyLife.com NFL Draft preview? It\u2019s RE-DIC-ULOUS. Insanely comprehensive and 100% free. You have to see this layout. Check it out <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fantasylife.com\/nfl-draft\/2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">right here<\/a>. Between Fantasy Life and my guy Connor Rogers\u2019 new <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/nfl\/news\/2026-nfl-draft-big-board-jeremiyah-love-leads-class-caleb-downs-best-defender-in-connor-rogers-rankings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">draft rankings<\/a>, you should be very well prepared for the 2026 NFL Draft and your dynasty league drafts.<\/p>\n<p>But, back to this column, where, as I have done for many, many years\u2026 welcome to the 2026 free agency edition of \u201cLove\/Hate.\u201d The premise of this version of the column is simple, but different than normal. Here, this is just about players who, after the first two weeks or so of free agency, have either improved their fantasy value (\u201cLoves\u201d) or have lost fantasy value (\u201cHates\u201d). That\u2019s it. <\/p>\n<p>If you want to see how I feel about each player relative to others, be sure to check out Fantasy Football Happy Hour which we do once a week in the offseason <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLg_zWg4J_TUDoTBwZ6yyo0oUw9F49Il47\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">LIVE on YouTube<\/a> and my updated rankings, which will be coming out next week.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks as always to my producer Damian Dabrowski for his help at various points in this column. Let\u2019s get to it:<\/p>\n<p>Quarterbacks I Love After Free AgencyKyler Murray, Minnesota<\/p>\n<p>The Kyler Murray-Arizona Cardinals breakup was a long time coming. But as rebound relationships go, Murray landing in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and a great chance to start means he won\u2019t spend his nights sadly scrolling through the Cardinals\u2019 Instagram. Don\u2019t forget, Murray has finished as a top 12 QB in PPG in all six seasons in which he\u2019s played at least eight games (even his Ride or Die year, dammit), and he should be plenty motivated to perform well on a one-year contract. Plus, he\u2019ll play over half his games indoors on turf and will be another year removed from injury, so he should run more. Of course, there\u2019s also the fact that Murray will now be coached by noted QB whisperer and friend of the podcast Kevin O\u2019Connell. Minnesota has ranked top 10 in QB PPG in three of O\u2019Connell\u2019s four seasons as head coach. The only season they didn\u2019t? Last year with J.J. McCarthy. (Note: KOC\u2019s quarterback whispering offer not valid in Hawaii, Alaska, and if your name is J.J. McCarthy.) If, as most expect, Murray is the starter in Minnesota this season, he\u2019s a top 12 fantasy QB.<\/p>\n<p>Malik Willis, Miami <\/p>\n<p>Like an elderly couple with arthritis, Malik Willis has moved from Green Bay to Miami. But unlike an elderly couple from Wisconsin, Willis is great with his legs. No word yet on his shuffleboard skills but in his six career starts, Willis has averaged 44.8 rush yards (he also had 40-plus rush yards in five of those games). And while Willis\u2019 three starts with the Packers is a small sample size, it\u2019s hard not to be excited by Willis averaging 23.3 FPPG in those starts. Oh, and back to our elderly and arthritic elderly Wisconsin couple \u2014 let\u2019s call them Cliff and Phyllis Flenderson \u2014 I\u2019m confident the Flendersons could earn some playing time this season on what is projected to be an atrocious Miami defense. But the good news is that a bad Miami defense should lead to positive game scripts for Willis. The loss of Jaylen Waddle to Denver isn\u2019t ideal but given Willis\u2019 skill set, it likely means even more plays where no one is open, and Willis just keeps the ball and runs like he\u2019s late for bingo. I have Willis as a high-end QB2 entering the 2026 season. <\/p>\n<p>Others receiving votes: Look, if we were ranking NFL agents, the crew that has now landed Daniel Jones nearly $300 million over his career would be going 1.01 in every sports agent league. But let\u2019s focus on Jones as a fantasy QB right now. While he\u2019s not 1.01, I still like him. Remember, before his injury last season, Jones was QB7 in PPG. He also posted career highs in passing yards per game, yards per attempt, passer rating, and the Colts led the league in yards per play with Jones under center. Yes, I expect Jones\u2019 running to be limited when he initially returns to action this season, but being in the second year of a system designed for him, he\u2019ll still be a mid-tier QB2. \u2026 The year is 2044. The NFL is playing a 26-game season, most on the moon, with games on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and the newly christened NFLsday. The No. 1 overall pick is an AI energy drink that also is the lead singer of a K-pop band. And Jacoby Brissett is still a journeyman starter. I\u2019m not sure where he\u2019ll be starting in 2044 (The favorite on most prediction markets are the Dubai Chocolate Pandas), but in 2026 it looks like it will definitely be with the Arizona Cardinals. Widely expected by many (sheepishly raises hand) to be replaced by Malik Willis or some other free agent, the fact that Jacoby Brissett is going into a year as a team\u2019s starter, on purpose no less, helps him make this list. As does the fact that Gardner Minshew is his only competition. But mostly because Brissett produced last year as the starter. Yes, it was junktime-ish and yes, he has a new offense this year, but I don\u2019t see the defense getting a lot better or the play calling getting worse. And after taking over the job in Week 6, Brissett was QB8 in PPG (18.9) and finished as a top 12 QB in 10 of his 12 starts. Brissett also led the league in pass attempts per game (40.3) and was second in passing yards per game (280.5). I like him as a low-end QB2 in 2026.<\/p>\n<p>Quarterbacks I Hate After Free AgencyJayden Daniels, Washington<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s be VERY clear. Jayden is my guy. You know I love him. I have, and will always have, Faith in Five. And as a lifelong Commanders fan, I actually like a lot of our free agency moves as we\u2019ve remade the defense, something that was sorely needed. That said, with the bulk of free agency movement over, Washington\u2019s WR depth chart after Terry McLaurin reads: Treylon Burks, Luke McCaffrey, Van Jefferson, and Dyami Brown. Oofa. According to reports, the Commanders tried with Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs, but both players chose other teams. But maybe Washington is playing chess while I\u2019m just thinking about checkers. Because the Commanders also lost their starting center, Tyler Biadasz, in free agency. So, if Washington doesn\u2019t even have anyone to snap the ball to Daniels, they definitely don\u2019t need people for him to throw to. See? It all makes sense. I\u2019m not sad at all. No, really, everything is fine. (Dog at table surrounded by fire meme). So, while I will still rank Daniels as a mid-tier fantasy QB1 this season due to his many talents and I will talk myself into believing Chig Okonkwo will be an elite NFL TE now that he\u2019s escaped Tennessee, Daniels\u2019 supporting cast and injury concerns mean many will understandably have more names before him on their personal ranks than you\u2019d have thought before free agency.<\/p>\n<p>J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota<\/p>\n<p>You can re-read the Kyler Murray section to see what McCarthy is here. But just to put a point on it: last season McCarthy ranked dead-last among qualified QBs in passer rating and completion percentage. Minnesota\u2019s open pursuit of a veteran QB this offseason wasn\u2019t just to give McCarthy a little motivation. It was to give him a little headset and a clipboard on the sidelines. All signs point to Murray as the 2026 starter in Minnesota. Which means I have McCarthy unranked heading into 2026. <\/p>\n<p>Running Backs I Love After Free AgencyKenneth Walker, Kansas City<\/p>\n<p>For everyone who said that they got sick of seeing the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, maybe letting them snatch up the reigning Super Bowl MVP in free agency wasn\u2019t the brightest idea. But there\u2019s nothing to do about that now. What you can do is draft Kenneth Walker in fantasy. He\u2019s Kansas City\u2019s clear RB1. In Walker\u2019s 24 career games with 18-plus touches, he\u2019s averaging 108 scrimmage yards. A lot of those touches should come with an opportunity to score, too, as KC has ranked top 10 in red zone drives in all but one season under Mahomes. After ranking dead-last in explosive run rate and second to last in RB YPC over the past two seasons, the Chiefs were desperate to land a back with Walker\u2019s ability. Get this: since Walker entered the NFL, the only backs with more runs of 20-plus yards are Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, and Jahmyr Gibbs. (Sorry, Chiefs haters.). With no Zach Charbonnet to steal touches and Andy Reid, who has as good of an offensive mind as there is in the NFL, in charge, look for Walker to be a low-end RB1 with weekly overall RB1 upside in the KC offense.<\/p>\n<p>Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas<\/p>\n<p>Ashton Jeanty wasn\u2019t the world beater we hoped he\u2019d be as a rookie but, in fairness, you have to consider [literally every single thing about the 2025 Las Vegas Raiders, reduced to this one line for brevity]. And not for nothing, in games in which Jeanty got 18-plus touches last season, he averaged 18.5 PPG, including two games with 30-plus fantasy points. Now, he enters a Klint Kubiak offense that should be much more efficient and also run-heavy. (Last season, Kubiak\u2019s Seattle offense ranked 30th in pass rate over expected.) And that Vegas run game should be bolstered by the additions of center Tyler Linderbaum and fullback Connor Heyward. Jeanty\u2019s a mid-tier RB1 on the new-look Raiders.<\/p>\n<p>Omarion Hampton, Los Angeles Chargers<\/p>\n<p>Omarion Hampton wasn\u2019t the world beater we hoped he\u2019d be as a rookie but, in fairness, you have to consider [his injury and literally every single snap played by the 2025 Chargers offensive line, reduced to this one line for brevity]. But the Chargers used free agency to address their line issues head on, signing linemen Tyler Biadasz, Cole Strange, and Alex Ingold, as well as adding blocking TE Charlie Kolar. Behind that improved line, Hampton will be featured in a Chargers offense led by new OC Mike McDaniel, who is widely considered to be one of the best run game coordinators in the NFL. I\u2019m confident projecting Hampton as a low-end RB1 in 2026. <\/p>\n<p>Others receiving votes: Going out on a limb for you here, but I really like Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs. Sorry, I just think they\u2019re good at football and I\u2019m not ashamed to say it. But for real, with Tyler Allgeier and David Montgomery out of the picture, both Robinson and Gibbs somehow picked up EVEN more fantasy value and further separated themselves from the rest of the pack as the 1.01 and 1.02 this year. \u2026 Rico Dowdle is off to the Steelers (#FreeJaylenWarren!), which means Chuba Hubbard retains his lead back role in Carolina. Hubbard finished RB13 in PPG when he was the starter in 2024 and, over the past two seasons, is averaging 18.2 PPG when seeing 15-plus touches. Yes, offseason reports on Jonathan Brooks have been positive, but he\u2019s now torn the same ACL twice and has played a total of three games across his first two NFL seasons. I hope he\u2019s healthy, but I\u2019m still rolling with Hubbard. \u2026 The Giants didn\u2019t sign any running backs in free agency, and John Harbaugh brought his old Ravens fullback \u2013 Patrick Ricard \u2013 with him from Baltimore. That\u2019s all great news for Cam Skattebo in 2026. Over Skattebo\u2019s final six full games last season (Weeks 2-7), he was RB8 in PPG (19.1). \u2026 I\u2019m tootin\u2019 the horn for Bhayshul Tuten. (Important note: these are offseason-quality jokes. Additional important note: the in-season jokes aren\u2019t that much better. You get what you pay for.) Anyway, with Travis Etienne now in New Orleans, Tuten and Chris Rodriguez will split a backfield that averaged over 21 fantasy points per game in Liam Coen\u2019s first season. Rodriguez should see some early down work, but he\u2019s never averaged more than nine touches per game and has a career target share below 1%. So, even if Tuten only sees 12-15 touches, his big-play ability and passing game usage are enough to give him low-end RB2 or FLEX value. \u2026 The Texans ranked 8th in RB rush attempts last season. The bulk of that work (especially in close) will now go to David Montgomery, who now gets to compete with Not Jahmyr Gibbs for touches . \u2026 With Kenneth Walker gone and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a late-season ACL tear, Emanuel Wilson and George Holani sit atop the RB depth chart for a Seahawks team that had the third-highest rush rate last season. \u2026 The Commanders added Rachaad White and Jerome Ford, but both profile more as third down\/receiving options. That means Jacory Croskey-Meritt should have a valuable early-down\/goal-line role in the Washington offense. That means \u201cBill\u201d \u2013 or \u201cDeeper league, low-end RB3\/FLEX option,\u201d as I\u2019ve nicknamed him (you decide which nickname is catchier) \u2013 maintains fantasy value as the current lead of a RBBC.<\/p>\n<p>Running Backs I Hate After Free AgencyDe\u2019Von Achane, Miami<\/p>\n<p>Will the last one in Miami turn the lights off? It seems the Fins are trading everything that isn\u2019t locked down\u2026 except De\u2019Von Achane. And while last year\u2019s version of Miami did not love the idea of Tua Tagovailoa running around for obvious reasons, there won\u2019t be those limitations on Malik Willis. In his three starts with the Packers, Willis saw 20% of Green Bay\u2019s rush attempts and 42% of its red zone attempts. That likely means a reduction in Achane\u2019s workload. And not just in the run game. Only nine of Willis\u2019 89 pass attempts over the past two seasons went to running backs (10%), while FIFTY PERCENT of Achane\u2019s fantasy points over the past two seasons came as a receiver. Is that a lot? Because it feels like a lot. And while all of my dynasty teams hold onto a flicker of hope for Malik Washington, the truth is with no Jaylen Waddle, I worry about teams stacking the box to stop the run and Miami\u2019s ability to keep drives alive and be in scoring position often. Now, I still have Achane as an RB1. But both his floor and ceiling are a little lower than they would be with a non-mobile QB and literally any other skill player that scared you out there to help stretch the field. <\/p>\n<p>Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay<\/p>\n<p>The Buccaneers went out and signed Kenneth Gainwell coming off a season in which he set career highs in touches (187) and scrimmage yards (1,023)) on his way finishing top five among RBs in targets, receptions, and receiving yards. You don\u2019t get a guy performing that well to not play him. Gainwell\u2019s pass-catching ability is the biggest concern for Bucky Irving\u2019s fantasy prospects. Over Irving\u2019s career, in games in which he saw a single-digit target share, he averaged just 11.8 PPG, compared to 17.1 PPG in games in which he has a double-digit target share. And in addition to signing Gainwell, the Bucs also brought back Sean Tucker who finished last season as their preferred goal-line option. It\u2019s hard for me to see Irving ending up as anything more than a mid-tier RB2 in 2026. <\/p>\n<p>RJ Harvey, Denver<\/p>\n<p>The Broncos were reportedly in the mix with multiple running backs during the early days of free agency and then \u2013 when they didn\u2019t land any of them \u2013 they decided to bring back JK Dobbins. The Broncos like RJ Harvey \u2026 but they clearly don\u2019t want to settle down with him. They\u2019re into more of what you might call a polyamorous RB situationship. They want the football touched? Carried? Let\u2019s say carried by many people. And really, you can\u2019t blame Denver for not committing to something exclusive. Last season Harvey ranked 43rd out of 49 qualified backs in rushing success rate, and he averaged just 3.3 YPC in his nine games as a starter after Dobbins was injured (including playoffs). And get this: In the 10 games Dobbins was active, Harvey averaged only 7.5 touches. Considering Dobbins\u2019 injury history, I still think Harvey has some upside \u2013 especially in best ball leagues \u2013 but as things stand now, he\u2019s little more than a low-end RB3 in re-draft leagues.<\/p>\n<p>Woody Marks, Texans <\/p>\n<p>David Montgomery will handle most of the early-down carries, which leaves the third down\/receiving role to Woody Marks. Except, Houston didn\u2019t throw to backs much last season. (And really, considering how C.J. Stroud played down the stretch, they may decide to never throw to anyone again.) In 2025, Houston ranked 26th in RB target share. And despite the hype last year, when you look closer you understand the Texans desire to bring in a productive veteran. Of backs with 100-plus rushes last season, Marks had the second-lowest YPC and was bottom five in yards after contact. Not great! Marks\u2019 value in 2026 is really only as an insurance option for Montgomery.<\/p>\n<p>Pass Catchers I Love After Free AgencyGeorge Pickens, Dallas<\/p>\n<p>Jerry Jones said this week that if the Cowboys had \u201cplayed a lick of defense last year, we would\u2019ve had ourselves, I think, a real playoff run.\u201d So, take that, Seahawks. You are paper champions. But while we wait to see if Dallas has fixed its defense and is on the cusp of an unprecedented run of championships, I can say with confidence that bringing George Pickens back will be great for their offense \u2026 and for Pickens\u2019 fantasy value. Last season, Pickens finished third in the NFL in receiving yards and saw the second-most end zone targets on the way to being WR6 in PPG. He also averaged 16.1 PPG in games in which CeeDee Lamb was active, thanks in no small part to the pass-heavy Dallas offense that threw the third-most passes in the NFL. Coming back to Dallas was the best possible outcome for Pickens\u2019 fantasy value as is the fact that almost every other aspect of last year\u2019s offense is back as well. I have Pickens inside my top 12 WRs this year, and the Cowboys inside my top 32 defenses.<\/p>\n<p>Mike Evans, San Francisco <\/p>\n<p>It will be weird to see Mike Evans in a 49ers uniform. But it will not be weird to see him make great catches and score touchdowns, two things he should do lots of with San Francisco. Landing in a Kyle Shanahan offense with Brock Purdy at QB is a great fit for Evans. He should also see a lot of targets, too, considering George Kittle is coming off an Achilles tear, Jauan Jennings remains a free agent, and Ricky Pearsall has struggled to stay on the field consistently. Evans should immediately become the top end zone target on the Niners. And that, as they say, is a good gig. Over the past three seasons, San Francisco ranks third in red zone passing touchdowns, while \u2013 over the same period \u2013 Evans ranks second in end zone targets per game. Sounds like a perfect fit to me. I have Evans as a low-end WR2. <\/p>\n<p>Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay<\/p>\n<p>Tampa ranked second in cumulative WR target share last season (67.1%), while Mike Evans \u2013 in his seven full games \u2013 had a 26% target share, as well as 44% of team end zone targets. That\u2019s a lot of work coming the way of Emeka Egbuka and Chris Godwin. Egbuka had a 28% target share in the nine games Evans missed. And Godwin? He was targeted on 22% of his routes with Evans OFF the field last season, compared to just 16% with Evans ON the field. I have Egbuka slotted as a high-end WR3 in 2026, with Godwin just behind as a low-end WR3. <\/p>\n<p>Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Michael Wilson, Arizona<\/p>\n<p>Montana and Rice. Manning and Harrison. Brady and Moss. Brissett and Harrison, Jr. and Wilson. Okay, maybe not \u2026 but also \u2026 kinda \u2026 maybe? Get this: After becoming the starter last season, Jacoby Brissett led the NFL in pass attempts per game and was second in passing yards per game. In Brissett\u2019s 12 starts, Wilson was WR11 in PPG (16.7). Meanwhile, in his four games with Brissett in which he played at least 60% of the snaps, Harrison, Jr. averaged 14.4 PPG with a 24% target share and 44% of team end zone targets. So, yeah \u2026 pretty good. But fine, maybe they don\u2019t all get inducted into Canton together. But that\u2019s only because Brissett will still be playing for the NFL\u2019s team in Dubai long after Harrison, Jr. and Wilson retire. I have both Harrison, Jr. and Wilson as mid to low-end WR3s. <\/p>\n<p>Others receiving votes: Geno Smith isn\u2019t the Jets\u2019 savior any more than he was the Jets savior back in 2013. But he\u2019s a competent NFL quarterback whose tape last year was better than his numbers suggest and who can get the ball to his receivers. With Geno under center, Tyler Lockett was WR16 in 2022 and DK Metcalf finished as a top 25 WR in both 2022 and 2023. That means Garrett Wilson will see a significant bump in production over what we saw last year. \u2026 Considering they gave up a second-round pick to get him, the Bills clearly like DJ Moore. (Well, assuming the Bills don\u2019t openly dislike all of the receivers they go out of their way to acquire. See: Coleman, Keon. And Cooper, Amari. And Palmer, Josh. Let\u2019s move on.) Look, Moore isn\u2019t the player he used to be, but he did score 20-plus fantasy points in three of the five games in which he saw at least six targets last season, and he will be a bigger part of the offense in Buffalo than he was in Chicago. \u2026 With Moore no longer on the Bears, that means more opportunities are available for Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland. It\u2019s particularly exciting for Burden and Loveland, given the efficiency they showed as rookies. Among wide receivers who saw at least 60 targets, Burden ranked top five in both yards per target and yards per route run. He\u2019s got a massive ceiling if given a full-time role. And the same is true for Loveland. Including the playoffs, Loveland had five games last season where he saw at least a 20% target share, and he scored over 20 fantasy points in four of them. He\u2019s locked in as a top five TE for me in 2026. \u2026 Romeo Doubs signing with the Patriots opens up even more targets for Chrisitan Watson in Green Bay. Over his final seven games last season, Watson was a top 15 WR. If Watson can stay healthy and see a 20% target share, he\u2019s in position to have a career year in 2026. \u2026 With Alec Pierce back as the deep threat in Indy and Michael Pittman and his 8.2 aDOT now in Pittsburgh, Josh Downs and Tyler Warren will see far more short area targets \u2013 and usage in general \u2013 this season in Indianapolis. \u2026 Look, as a Commanders fan, do I love that Chig Okonkwo might be the No. 2 pass-catching option in the Washington offense behind Terry McLaurin? I do not. I mean, Okonkwo is a fine tight end, but what if the Commanders also had \u2013 just spitballing here \u2013 more than one decent WR? Sorry, sorry. Don\u2019t mean to be greedy and unreasonable. I\u2019ll try to see the silver lining. For example, Okonkwo is coming off three straight seasons with at least 50 receptions. See? That\u2019s good? And considering 35-year-old Zach Ertz averaged over five targets per game in this offense, you can do worse than Chig as a late-round dart throw in deeper leagues. Okay, great. I\u2019m feeling better. My Commanders are clearly winning the Super Bowl. <\/p>\n<p>Pass Catchers I Hate After Free AgencyDK Metcalf, Pittsburgh <\/p>\n<p>Michael Pittman\u2019s arrival in Pittsburgh is good for the Steelers, but bad for DK Metcalf\u2019s target share in what is already a rather ground-based attack. Considering how quick and short (presumed Steelers quarterback) Aaron Rodgers throws these days, Pittman\u2019s skill set fits that style well. He will likely become Rodgers\u2019 preferred target. And heck, maybe even Rodgers will throw it deep to Pittman sometimes. (Note: \u201cdeep\u201d for the Steelers these days means a pass that travels more than seven yards.). Considering, Rodgers was dead-last among qualified QB\u2019s in aDOT and percentage of passes that went 15+ air yards last year, Pittman is a much better fit for the team. Add in the fact that, despite being their only real WR last year, Metcalf still only saw 21% of his team\u2019s red zone targets (ranking 29th at the position). I have Metcalf on the WR3\/WR4 cusp. <\/p>\n<p>Brian Thomas, Jacksonville<\/p>\n<p>Brian Thomas didn\u2019t get traded \u2013 or at least he hasn\u2019t yet \u2013 and now it\u2019s hard to see him having a huge target share in an offense that also features quality pass catchers in Jakobi Meyers, Parker Washington, Travis Hunter, and Brenton Strange. If only Thomas was 350 miles south of Jacksonville and on the Dolphins, considering their current wide receiver depth chart includes an old DVD copy of \u201cCSI: Miami, Season 3,\u201d a 16-ounce bag of sand, and the period that follows this sentence. But alas, Thomas remains on the Jaguars and from Week 10 on last year (after the Meyers trade), Thomas earned just a 16.6% target share, which was fourth on the team behind the newly acquired Meyers, Washington, and Strange. And that was WITH Hunter on IR. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s not back. I mean, obviously, it is, but it\u2019s not, you know what I mean? I get&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":551042,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[64,63,593,85],"class_list":["post-551041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nfl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-nfl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=551041"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/551041\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/551042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=551041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=551041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=551041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}