Although a number of players with name value are still available in free agency, the fact that many haven't gotten offers speaks to their perceived value. In many cases, the unsigned players are simply asking for too much money, and teams are no longer looking to spend the big bucks. Teams looking to spend typically do so in early March. For the most part, all of the potential impact signings are in the books, so this article will look at the moves that could have the biggest impact for fantasy football. For a more detailed writeup of the players listed in this article, be sure to check out the three previous articles in this series at the following links:
Day One Recap
Update 2.0
The Third Wave
DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This signing has the potential to make the biggest fantasy impact for 2017, as it could change the entire face of the Bucs' offense. Jackson brings an element of speed that opposing defenses must account for by shading a safety toward his side of the field. His addition should place every other skill position player on this unit in a better situation. Both Doug Martin and Charles Sims should face lighter boxes, as defenses rarely will have the ability to cheat a safety into the box, especially when the Bucs are in their base personnel with two receivers on the field. Jameis Winston will see more clearly defined coverages, especially since teams won't be able to sell
Although a number of players with name value are still available in free agency, the fact that many haven't gotten offers speaks to their perceived value. In many cases, the unsigned players are simply asking for too much money, and teams are no longer looking to spend the big bucks. Teams looking to spend typically do so in early March. For the most part, all of the potential impact signings are in the books, so this article will look at the moves that could have the biggest impact for fantasy football. For a more detailed writeup of the players listed in this article, be sure to check out the three previous articles in this series at the following links:
Day One Recap
Update 2.0
The Third Wave
DeSean Jackson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This signing has the potential to make the biggest fantasy impact for 2017, as it could change the entire face of the Bucs' offense. Jackson brings an element of speed that opposing defenses must account for by shading a safety toward his side of the field. His addition should place every other skill position player on this unit in a better situation. Both Doug Martin and Charles Sims should face lighter boxes, as defenses rarely will have the ability to cheat a safety into the box, especially when the Bucs are in their base personnel with two receivers on the field. Jameis Winston will see more clearly defined coverages, especially since teams won't be able to sell out to throw constant double (or even triple) teams at Mike Evans, which should lead to more consistency and more explosive plays through the air. In addition, tight end Cameron Brate, who performed well down the stretch last year, should find plenty of room to operate in the middle of the field, which potentially raises his weekly floor. And finally, the aforementioned Evans will see far less attention than he saw at the end of the 2016 season.
Alshon Jeffery, Philadelphia Eagles
The best thing about Jeffery's situation is that he had to settle for a one-year deal. Should he have a big season, he'll look to cash in on a long-term contract next offseason. His addition provides a boost to the Eagles' offense, which was sorely lacked a playmaker on the perimeter. Philly has solid inside receivers in Zach Ertz and Jordan Matthews. Defenses likely will look to roll coverage toward Jeffery on obvious passing downs, so his presence could make provide lighter coverage for the other receivers. Carson Wentz will now have weapons that cover all areas of the field, so he shouldn't face defenses that are compacted close to the line of scrimmage as he often saw as a rookie. Despite the overall potential for this to be a more explosive offense, Wentz needs to improve from what he showed in the second half of 2016 to be a legitimate fantasy option. The addition of Jeffery will take volume from what Matthews and Ertz saw last year, so the fantasy value of the receivers should be similar to what it was last year. Wentz is the one who becomes worth gambling on as an upside QB2 option.
Terrelle Pryor, Washington Redskins
The addition of Pryor won't likely make the entire Washington offense better, as the team lost both DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon in free agency, so adding Pryor doesn't look like a net win for the franchise. However, this is a much better spot for the emerging receiver. He'll go from marginal quarterback play to Kirk Cousins as his signal-caller. Despite the presence of Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder, Pryor could easily find himself in a high-volume role in the offense, and he should improve in his second year at his new position. Although his ceiling is uncertain, he's the type of player to select in fantasy drafts because of his potential to enhance a solid floor with league-winning upside. Of course, this entire plan could go up in smoke if the team trades Cousins before training camp and Colt McCoy becomes the team's starting quarterback. But for now, this is a good landing spot for Pryor.
Pierre Garcon, San Francisco 49ers
Similar to the Terrelle Pryor situation, Garcon won't elevate the offense around him, but he'll be in position to have one of the better seasons of his career, as he'll be the de-facto No. 1 receiver in an offense that'll likely find itself having to the throw frequently in most games. In addition, Brian Hoyer has proven to be quite adept at feeding the ball top his top targets the last few years. That meshes well with Garcon's ability to create space in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field with his excellent route-running, and he should see extremely high target volume. In PPR leagues, he'll likely be undervalued, but he's an outstanding upside option, especially for owners who go heavy on running backs early in draft.
J.C. Tretter, Kevin Zeitler, Cleveland Browns
The Browns will go from having a terrible offensive line at the end of 2016 to potentially having one of the better lines entering 2017. The interior line will have three excellent options to go with long-time superstar Joe Thomas at left tackle. The primary beneficiary should be Isaiah Crowell. The Browns placed a second-round tender on their emerging running back, and he's the type of grinder coach Hue Jackson covets for his power-rushing attack. After rushing for 952 yards last season, he looks like a player who can easily smash that total behind the revamped line. He'll likely be drafted as a RB3, but it would be no surprise if he finished the season as one of the biggest fantasy bargains of the year. Despite Crowell's positive outlook, it might not be quite as rosy at quarterback. Should the team fail to upgrade the quarterback situation, it will go with Cody Kessler. The second-year signal caller won't likely put much juice into a passing attack that will be without Terrelle Pryor, who bolted in free agency.
Calais Campbell, A.J. Bouye, Barry Church, Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars have stockpiled talent on defense through the draft and free agency the last few years, but this could be the type of talent infusion that allows them to take a massive leap. This unit improved throughout 2016, and by adding this trio of players, not only will it realize a talent upgrade, but it will also make the emerging players better. The Jaguars likely will be selected as a borderline starting unit. However, it looks like they could be a unit that makes the jump toward being the surprise fantasy defense of 2017.
