NFL’s free agency season has been one of the most active in recent memory.
That creates plenty of question marks heading into not only the actual NFL season, but also the fantasy football one. Some players heightened their value by moving to new places, while others should be downgraded with their new uniforms.
Here’s three players who added value to their 2018 fantasy football draft stock through free agency.
Kirk Cousins, QB, Minnesota Vikings
This is the easy way out. The biggest free agency pickup of the offseason also is one of the biggest benefactors in terms of fantasy football stock.
Cousins has always been an odd fantasy option. He didn’t seem all that great, but his dink and dunk style with less-than-stellar offensive weapons worked in the fantasy football world. Now, he gets far more talent around him and will have the keys to an offense that should be one of the better units in the NFL.
Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen are a solid one-two punch to go along with Dalvin Cook, who should be rated as a first-round fantasy talent. If anyone should be jumping for joy, it’s Thielen, who fits perfectly in Cousins’ style of completing a high percentage of passes.
Cousins is easily a QB1 in Minnesota and his value should be heightened based on the upgrade of talent around him. Washington didn’t give him the offensive weapons necessary to be a consistent fantasy option. That won’t be a problem in Minnesota, where Case Keenum resurrected his career last year thanks to the offensive prowess being employed by the Vikings.
Allen Robinson, WR, Chicago Bears
Mitchell Trubisky isn’t the next Tom Brady. But he’s better than Blake Bortles.
And Chicago’s offense is going to be a lot more inventive than Jacksonville’s 1950s run, run, pass offensive gameplan.
Robinson is in a nice spot for the Bears as the clear-cut No 1 option. He has a young quarterback who will likely rely on Robinson’s talent to get him through most games. I expect Robinson’s targets to increase to double-digits on a weekly basis, making him an attractive WR1.
Trubisky is going to have some rough moments, so Robinson may have some up and down games in terms of production. However, look for Robinson to become a target hog similar to DeAndre Hopkins in Houston. And when there’s plenty of targets, there’s a greater chance for production.
Jimmy Graham, TE, Green Bay Packers
I’m intrigued. I don’t know if that means Graham should be on this list, but he definitely piques my interest.
Graham isn’t the target monster he was in New Orleans, or the yardage producer he once was. But he can still score touchdowns. And last time I checked, nobody throws touchdowns like Aaron Rodgers.
It creates an interesting partnership if the two can generate some chemistry.
Rodgers hasn’t utilized his tight ends like some quarterbacks do in the NFL. That doesn’t mean he won’t with Graham, especially considering Rodgers needs somebody to be his touchdown magnet like Jordy Nelson was in past seasons. Graham isn’t going to be the player he was with New Orleans, where he was being ranked with an early second-round grade in fantasy football drafts.
However, with Rodgers’ ability to throw touchdowns and Graham’s unique size, this combination could become a lethal unit on a weekly basis.
