Dynasty Implications for the 2019 Free Agent Class
March 13th began the new league year for the NFL, and with it free agency. Always an important time of the year for dynasty fantasy football leagues, this year has been no different, as many key role players have moved teams. Here are some key free agency signings, the grades for their respective teams, as well as some trade equivalents for acquiring these players in your dynasty leagues.
AFC EAST
New England Patriots – B+
Notable additions: Bruce Ellington (WR) & Matt Lacosse (TE)
The Patriots have not added any huge names so far this offseason. What they have added, however, are two solid role players who should help keep the Super Bowl window open for at least one more season with Tom Brady at the helm. Ellington is an explosive receiver who could push his way into a regular rotational role. Lacosse is an underrated tight end who played behind several other options in Denver and could be a serviceable replacement for Rob Gronkowski.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Bruce Ellington – Third-round rookie pick, Taywan Taylor
Matt Lacosse – Fourth-round rookie pick, Blake Jarwin, C.J. Uzomah
Miami Dolphins – C
Notable additions: Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB)
Miami found their short-term replacement for Ryan Tannehill in Fitzpatrick, which is not the ideal scenario for a team devoid of offensive success in the past few years. The positive is that they did not add at the running back position, perhaps finally signaling some belief in Kenyan Drake. The team has a slew of wide receivers coming back from injuries, so there was no need to add there. They also signed Dwayne Allen to back up Mike Gesicki at tight end, which was a strange signing, as they need more receiving talent going into the upcoming season, and Allen is primarily a blocker.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Ryan Fitzpatrick – Nick Foles
Buffalo Bills – B+
Notable additions: Frank Gore (RB), John Brown (WR), Cole Beasley (WR), Andre Roberts (WR), & Tyler Kroft (TE)
At least the Bills have added weapons for Josh Allen. That seems to have been their primary goal during this year’s free agency. Brown provides some much-needed speed, and Beasley will provide a safety blanket who can get open between the numbers. Kroft should be a solid replacement option for recently departed Charles Clay, as he had seven touchdowns during his last healthy season in 2017 as the lead tight end in Cincinnati.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Frank Gore – Fifth-round rookie pick
John Brown – Early second-round rookie pick, Tyrell Williams, Golden Tate
Cole Beasley – Late third-round rookie pick, Seth Roberts
Tyler Kroft – Third-round rookie pick, Seth DeValve
New York Jets – A
Notable additions: LeVeon Bell (RB), Josh Bellamy (WR), & Jamison Crowder (WR)
The Jets went out and blew open their window of opportunity. The division still may be the New England’s to lose, but they could seriously contend for a playoff spot this year. Bell will have fresh legs afters sitting out all of 2018, and Crowder and Bellamy will provide depth and dependability with the occasional big play.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
LeVeon Bell – First-round rookie pick, Alvin Kamara
Jamison Crowder – Third-round rookie pick, Nelson Agholor
AFC NORTH
Baltimore Ravens – B-
Notable additions: Mark Ingram (RB)
The Ravens have taken a completely different approach to building their team around Lamar Jackson. They get high marks for not going out and replacing departing receivers with the same type of guys they got last year in free agency to build around Joe Flacco. Given what Jackson brings to the table as a runner, adding a bruising back like Ingram was a shrewd decision. It will be interesting to see how the team approaches the upcoming draft.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Mark Ingram – Latavius Murray
Carlos Hyde – Jerick McKinnon, Jaylen Samuels
Pittsburgh Steelers – F
Notable additions: Donte Moncrief (WR)
The Steelers have not done much in the way of restocking the receiving talent for their team. Pittsburgh will clearly be looking to replace Antonio Brown with Juju Smith-Schuster and then fill in the rest of the team from there. To date, they have only added the routinely over-hyped Montcrief. Perhaps in Pittsburgh, he may finally carve out a nice role opposite Smith-Schuster.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Donte Moncrief – Taylor Gabriel, Mohamed Sanu
Cleveland Browns – A
Notable additions: Odell Beckham (WR), Kareem Hunt (RB), & Jaelen Strong (WR)
The Browns have made great talent acquisitions this offseason. Beckham adds a bona fide number one receiver, and Strong adds much-needed depth at the position. With these additions, the Browns now boast one the top trio of wide receivers in the league. Signing Hunt, while a surprising move, is also a low-risk, high-reward move that should pay dividends late in the season, even if Hunt remains a change-of-pace back as a complement to Nick Chubb.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Odell Beckham – DeAndre Hopkins
Kareem Hunt – Aaron Jones
Jaelen Strong – fourth-round rookie pick, Chester Rogers
Cincinnati Bengals – N/A
Notable additions: None
The Bengals retained tights ends Tyler Eifert and C.J. Uzomah. It’s been an underwhelming free agency period for the team on offense, and Andy Dalton‘s future in Cincinnati is unclear, as much will depend on the team’s performance in 2019.
AFC SOUTH
Houston Texans – D
Notable additions: Darren Fells (TE)
The Texans haven’t made many moves on the offensive side of the ball to begin the new year. Fells provides some depth at tight end but hardly moves the needle. For a team that is looking to replace Demaryius Thomas and add some insurance for an oft-injured Will Fuller, it’s been an underwhelming free agency so far.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Darren Fells – Seth DeValve
Indianapolis Colts – F
Notable additions: Devin Funchess (WR)
The Colts needed to add offensive talent, which would have really opened the window for them to contend in the AFC. Instead, they just added a decent route runner with a history of drops. If Funchess can get past the drops, this may still help the Colts keep up with other strong offensive teams in their division and conference.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Devin Funchess – Nelson Agholor, Jamison Crowder
Tennessee Titans – B
Notable additions: Adam Humphries (WR)
Humphries departs Tampa Bay for a team that has not had much recent success at the wide receiver position. The move was good, however, as there was no team in the NFL worse than the Titans from the slot in 2018. Humphries is a big upgrade at the position and will assist in making a stagnant offense more dynamic, maybe even taking some pressure off of Corey Davis having to carry the offense.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Adam Humphries – Cole Beasley
Jacksonville Jaguars – B
Notable additions: Nick Foles (QB) & Chris Conley (WR)
The Jaguars upgraded two positions at which they desperately needed help. For dynasty purposes, you can expect a couple of solid seasons from Foles, as he has proven he can carry a team. Conley joins a team where he can shine, as he was hampered by the depth chart the last few seasons in Kansas City. Conley is a big athletic receiver who has made clutch plays in the past, and he contributed five scores for the Chiefs in 2018.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Nick Foles – Derek Carr
Chris Conley – Taylor Gabriel, Jaron Brown
AFC WEST
Kansas City Chiefs – B
Notable additions: Carlos Hyde (RB)
The Chiefs needed to shore up their backfield. Yes, Damien Williams was productive down the stretch last season and in the playoffs, but adding a proven veteran to the mix will help ensure a balanced approach to the running back spot. Hyde won’t have a ton of dynasty value in a committee with Williams, but he is one injury away from perhaps making a huge impact.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Carlos Hyde – Jerick McKinnon, Jaylen Samuels
Los Angeles Chargers – D
Notable additions: Tyrod Taylor (QB)
The Chargers have done little thus far in free agency. They lost Tyrell Williams to the Raiders and could could be doing more to bolster their offense, though they may make some additions during the upcoming draft.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Tyrod Taylor – Chase Daniel
Denver Broncos – F
Notable additions: Joe Flacco (QB)
The Broncos made their move for a quarterback. Unfortunately for them, Flacco is aging and among the worst quarterbacks in the league, and he should hardly be considered a significant upgrade over Case Keenum.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Joe Flacco – Eli Manning
Oakland Raiders – B
Notable additions: Isaiah Crowell (RB), Antonio Brown (WR), Tyrell Williams (WR), & JJ Nelson (WR)
The Raiders made a huge trade to acquire Brown and are poised to add more talent in the upcoming draft. In the meantime, Williams and Nelson are serviceable deep threats, and both will be role players opposite the newly-acquired Brown and could have some success with opposing coverage likely focused on stopping Brown. And while Isaiah Crowell is no Marshawn Lynch, he should be productive with Brown and company keeping safeties honest and Trent Brown leading the way.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Isaiah Crowell – Latavius Murray, Devin Funchess
Antonio Brown – David Johnson, Mike Evans
Tyrell Williams – Second-round rookie pick, Antonio Callaway
JJ Nelson – Fifth-round rookie pick, Ryan Switzer
NFC EAST
Dallas Cowboys – C
Notable additions: Randall Cobb (WR) & Jason Witten (TE)
The Cowboys went out and replaced Cole Beasley with Cobb. Assuming that Cobb splits reps in the slot with Allen Hurns, he could have some upside in 2019. Witten also returns from retirement and is put into a position where he can make an immediate impact as Dak Prescott‘s safety blanket. However, Witten looked slow toward the end in 2017, even painful to watch at times, and provides little dynasty value.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Randall Cobb – Cole Beasley
Jason Witten – Austin Seferian-Jenkins
Philadelphia Eagles – C-
Notable additions: Jordan Howard (RB) & DeSean Jackson (WR)
Philadelphia went out and made some trades to upgrade their offense. Howard isn’t a huge upgrade over Jay Ajayi, but he does provide the Eagles with a straight power running back. Jackson give the Eagles the deep threat needed for explosive plays and should be a good complement to Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Jordan Howard – Lamar Miller
DeSean Jackson – Third-round rookie pick, Tyrell Williams
Washington Redskins – D
Notable additions: Case Keenum (QB)
Washington hasn’t made many noteworthy moves so far in free agency outside of acquiring Keenum from Denver. As we move closer to the season, it looks more and more like the Redskins are already writing off 2019 and looking to 2020.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Case Keenum – Fourth-round rookie pick
New York Giants – C
Notable additions: Golden Tate (WR)
New York moves into draft season without former star wide receiver Odell Beckham on the roster, but they do have additional draft capital. To replace Beckham, the Giants overpaid an aging Tate and have not added much more of note. Beckham’s departure primarily helps the dynasty value of Sterling Shepard and Evan Engram, and Tate’s signing does little to impact this. Of course you still have another year of Eli Manning, which helps no one.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Golden Tate – Jamison Crowder
NFC NORTH
Chicago Bears – C+
Notable additions: Mike Davis (RB) & Cordarrelle Patterson (RB/WR)
The Bears added during free agency more on defense than offense this year, which was expected going in. They will likely add a few offensive pieces in the draft but did a fair job of securing depth at running back. Davis is a fine compliment to Tarik Cohen if Jordan Howard ends up getting traded or injured, while Patterson provides explosiveness and agility, allowing head coach Matt Nagy to use him in creative offensive plays.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Mike Davis – Fourth-round rookie pick
Cordarrelle Patterson – Jordan Wilkins
Minnesota Vikings – N/A
Notable additions: None
The Vikings have not added anyone of note in free agency. Currently, their salary cap is weighed down by Kirk Cousins‘s bulky contract. The team is in desperate need of a back-up running back given Dalvin Cook‘s injury history, and unfortunately re-signing Ameer Abdullah doesn’t count.
Green Bay Packers – N/A
Notable additions: None
Green Bay has made a flurry of signings on defense but have yet to add any offensive players worth noting. They will likely look to add depth at various offensive positions via the draft.
Detroit Lions – D
Notable additions: Danny Amendola (WR) & Jesse James (TE)
Detroit has a real need for any offensive talent to keep the window open for Matthew Stafford. A backup running back and a better wide receiver would have been ideal. Instead, the Lions went with the aging Amendola and a less-than-stellar James. Amendola has never had over 700 receiving yards in a season during his ten-year career, and James has never had over 450 receiving yards in a season over his first four years in the league. Neither is likely to make a major impact in Detroit.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Danny Amendola – Fifth-round rookie pick
Jesse James – Third-round rookie pick
NFC SOUTH
New Orleans Saints – C
Notable additions: Latavius Murray (RB)
The Saints are pushing all-in, as both Michael Thomas and Drew Brees are both only under contract for one more year. They are in talks with tight end Jared Cook to help bolster their receiving corps, but New Orleans has yet to add anyone. Adding Murray to complement Alvin Kamara in the backfield was a great signing as a cheap replacement for the departed Mark Ingram.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Latavius Murray – Tevin Coleman, Jordan Howard
Atlanta Falcons – F
Notable additions: Kenjon Barner (RB)
In an offseason where Atlanta should be adding talent to reopen their swiftly closing competitive window, the Falcons have not added any weapons of note for Matt Ryan so far in free agency. Barner adds some depth, but he provides little fantasy value in a backfield that that will likely be headed by Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith. Barner will likely contribute more on special teams.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Kenjon Barner – Fifth-round rookie pick
Carolina Panthers – N/A
Notable additions: None
The Panthers retained back-up running back Cameron Artis-Payne but lost Devin Funchess to the Colts in free agency, but with little wide receiver depth in this free agent class, they are unlikely to make any major signings on offense. Their most important offseason issue will be monitoring the recovery of Cam Newton‘s shoulder.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – D
Notable additions: Breshad Perriman (WR)
Tampa Bay could use an upgrade at the running back position. Peyton Barber was serviceable last year, but they will likely draft another back to help out Jameis Winston. Perriman has had opportunities and unfortunately has not done much with them, as he has amassed just under 1,000 yards receiving total over his his three-year career. However, Perriman is still just 25 years old and has potential in this new offense, as he fits the mold of a typical Bruce Arians deep threat.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Breshad Perriman – Antonio Callaway, Robert Foster
NFC WEST
Los Angeles Rams – C
Notable additions: Blake Bortles (QB)
The Rams needed a capable back-up quarterback, and they got their man Bortles. He will be more than serviceable behind Jared Goff for the upcoming season and may develop under Sean McVay, making him a potential trade piece later in the season or going into next year.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Blake Bortles – A.J. McCarron
Seattle Seahawks – C
Notable additions: None
The Seahawks haven’t added any offensive players of note this offseason. They have built their team around solid role players, the run game, and developing their homegrown roster of late-round receivers. They will likely add some offensive depth via the draft, but they are unlikely to spend early-round picks as they did last year on Rashaad Penny.
San Francisco 49ers – C
Notable additions: Tevin Coleman (RB)
The addition of Coleman to the 49ers backfield is a curious one. Coleman had been compared to Jerick McKinnon, and now the two will be competing for snaps. A lot will be determined for San Francisco by how the draft shakes out, and it will be interesting to see how San Francisco deploys their running back committee and whether they trade any of their backs currently on the roster.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Tevin Coleman – Latavius Murray
Arizona Cardinals – D
Notable additions: Kevin White (WR)
The former first-round draft pick’s career has been defined by mediocrity. Due to multiple injuries over his career in Chicago, White has only 25 receptions over three seasons, though he is a solid blocker and was highly touted going into the 2016 season. If anyone can salvage the White’s career, it may be Kliff Kingsbury, but the odds are against him.
Dynasty Trade Equivalents:
Kevin White – Third-round rookie pick, Ryan Switzer, Breshad Perriman
References:
https://operations.nfl.com/football-ops/league-governance/2018-19-important-nfl-dates/
https://www.spotrac.com/
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
