• Travis Etienne Jr. is set to lead the Saints’ backfield: Not only is Etienne a great dynasty asset now, but Bhayshul Tuten looks like the clear starter for the Jaguars in 2026 — and potentially beyond.

• Tyler Linderbaum’s addition has wide-ranging effects: The Ravens’ offense may not look as smooth without the top-tier run-blocking center, while the Raiders could get more out of Ashton Jeanty and give Fernando Mendoza, the presumed No. 1 overall pick, a solid foundation.

• 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026’s top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.

Well, the first wave of free agency was a lot of fun. One of the NFL’s marquee dates — the official start of the new league year — is also one of fantasy football’s marquee dates. Especially if you play dynasty. And if you’re struggling to keep up with all the action, PFF is grading every move.

Free-agent signings and huge trades shift the landscape of fantasy football rosters and rookie drafts, and also provide huge pendulum swings. Kenneth Walker III, for example, has seen his dynasty stock soar since joining the Kansas City Chiefs.

Meanwhile, Tyler Allgeier’s stock has not only likely stayed still, but his appearance in the Arizona Cardinals‘ backfield has also hurt the value of Trey Benson and James Conner, for no other reason than the former Atlanta Falcon is a good back but will join a crowded running back room.

So, who is up and who is down after the first wave? We will look at the players who moved and how those moves impact the teams they left and the teams they join.

• Stock up: All Packers pass catchers, Doubs
• Stock down: Jordan Love, Patriots receivers not named Kayshon Boutte

Will Doubs be the No. 1 receiver in New England? Stefon Diggs just vacated 120 targets after the Patriots cut him, and Doubs signed a four-year, $68 million contract with New England.

While that’s not market-resetting money, it’s clear that Doubs will be expected to contribute heavily to the New England passing attack, and that’s a bump for his fantasy value.

Doubs was the WR37 in 2025, which was behind players like Troy Franklin (WR33), Quentin Johnston (WR32) and Jauan Jennings (WR31). They are all very good receivers, but none are weekly fantasy starters.

Doubs’ addition is not a great sign for other Patriots receivers not named Boutte, who carved out a valuable role for himself as a deep threat in the New England offense this past season. The former LSU product averaged 16.6 yards per catch across the regular season and playoffs in 2025, the highest mark of any Patriots receiver with at least 30 targets.

Outside of that, however, it’s been murky. Demario Douglas has threatened to break out since entering the league in 2023 but has been limited to a nice role player, and Kyle Williams had a quiet rookie season, with just 30 targets through the playoffs.

All the Packers receivers are also up, given that the receiver room is now 83 targets lighter. Most of all, this should benefit Matthew Golden in fantasy circles. The former first-round pick, coming off a relatively disappointing rookie year, will be expected to contribute much more than his 33 catches for 445 yards and a solo score across the regular season and playoffs in 2025.

Love’s stock is down very slightly. Ever since the former Utah signal-caller got into the lineup, Doubs has been his most dependable receiver. Since 2023, Doubs led the Packers in targets (293), catches (184), yards (2,401) and touchdowns (20). Doubs also paced Green Bay pass catchers in receiving first downs, with 131. The next-closest player is Dontayvion Wicks, with 78.

• Stock up: Alec Pierce, Tyler Warren, whoever the Steelers QB is in 2026
• Stock down: D.K. Metcalf, Daniel Jones

Pittman still has a lot to offer an NFL offense, evidenced by his 70.4 PFF overall grade in 2025. However, he was the natural collateral damage after the Colts re-signed Pierce, although his landing spot may not have negatively impacted his stock.

Pittman led the Colts with 118 targets in 2025 and finished as the WR22 overall — a low-end WR2 for fantasy teams. Given that the Steelers basically have Pittman and Metcalf as their top two receiving options, it’s not inconceivable that he could replicate that production.

But now his days as the alpha No. 1 receiver are likely over. Metcalf led the team in targets, with 103, in 2025 (regular season and playoffs), but after that, it was Calvin Austin III‘s 58 in second place.

With Pittman’s 118 targets vacated and a new contract in his pocket, Pierce is going to be the darling of many offseason dynasty trades. The former second-round pick recorded a ridiculous 21.3 yards per catch and 20.1 average depth of target. Those numbers should plummet in 2026, but only because he is likely to get a lot more targets, many of which will come underneath.

Pierce finished as a WR3 in 2025 (WR27 overall), yet he was the WR1 overall when it came to fantasy points per touch. His 3.90 fantasy points per touch led the NFL — although it was a drop-off from 2024, when he also led the NFL in fantasy points per touch with 4.36.

Pierce owns the most and third-most fantasy points per touch in a season in the past decade. The only two players in his orbit in that time are Kenny Stills in 2016 (4.01) and A.J. Brown in 2019 (3.95).

His dynasty price point has moved to a place where he is expected to be a WR2 with weekly WR1 upside in 2026.

• Stock up: Evans, Emeka Egbuka, Brock Purdy
• Stock down: Ricky Pearsall, Baker Mayfield

It’s going to be weird seeing Evans in another uniform. The now former Tampa Bay Buccaneer instantly upgrades the San Francisco 49ers’ wide receiver room, which was hobbled by former first-rounder Ricky Pearsall’s injuries and Brandon Aiyuk‘s absence in 2025.

Evans finished as the WR76 in an injury-hit 2025 campaign in which he played just eight games. But in 2024, when he commanded 107 targets, he was the WR11. If he can stay healthy, Evans is the sort of veteran win-now dynasty teams should move for.

Whatever you pay for him will be a sunk cost, but the goal is to win championships, and you’d much rather have bragging rights than a pair of late seconds. 

Evans’ move is also a bump for Brock Purdy. Only six receivers (minimum of 85 targets) logged a better passer rating with their quarterback than Evans’ 118.2 mark in 2025. He was a safe pair of hands for Baker Mayfield.

Naturally, Mayfield’s stock is slightly down. Egbuka was fantastic as a rookie and ate up the targets left by Evans when he was injured. He finished with 126 targets, the most of any rookie receiver in his draft class.

But with Evans gone and questions swirling about whether Chris Godwin (68.9 PFF overall grade) will return to being the dominant force he was, there is uncertainty shrouding the Buccaneers‘ passing attack for the first time in a while.

This is also terrible news for Pearsall stockholders. The former first-rounder has flashed during two injury-hit years, but although he posted better numbers in 2025 than his rookie year and took a huge leap in PFF receiving grade from 64.1 to 73.2, it still resulted in only 36 catches for 528 yards and no touchdowns. It’s a big year for Pearsall in 2026, and in a dynasty format, you can probably pick him up for pennies on the dollar.

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• Stock up: Ashton Jeanty, Fernando Mendoza (probably)
• Stock down: Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson

It’s not all skill-position players we’re talking about. Linderbaum reset the center market by signing with the Las Vegas Raiders, which is not only great for him, but it’s great news for Jeanty, likely Mendoza and us fantasy managers.

Jeanty’s rookie season was fine, but hopes were much higher than that. His RB11 finish was RB1 territory. Yet, he was constantly being decked in the backfield as the Raiders’ offensive line was not up to code. Only Quinshon Judkins (0.4) averaged fewer yards before contact per attempt than Jeanty (0.6).

Linderbaum fixes that from a run-blocking standpoint. The former first-rounder has earned PFF run-blocking grades above 80.0 in three of his four NFL seasons. Raiders center Jordan Meredith posted a 61.2 PFF run-blocking grade in 2025, 23rd among qualifying centers. Meanwhile, Linderbaum was fourth with an 83.7 mark.

It should be noted that Linderbaum isn’t the greatest pass blocker, having logged a PFF pass-blocking grade above 65.0 just once (2023). But his 63.4 overall grade (19th among qualifying centers) this season was still a marked improvement on Raiders center Alex Cappa’s 57.6 mark (28th out of 34 qualifiers).

And the pendulum swings the other way for the Ravens. Henry and Jackson will be fine — they’re generational players — but the loss of their center with such great qualities in the run game will have some impact, and when fantasy games can be won and lost by just a few points, it could be the difference.

It is worth noting that although Henry finished second in the NFL with 1,595 yards and 16 touchdowns, a quarter of his rushing scores came in a Week 17 game against Green Bay and 35% of his rushing total came from Week 15 onward. His missed tackles forced number nosedived from 79 in 2024 to 43 in 2025.

He’ll still be fantastic — he’s Derrick Henry — but maybe his age and the Linderbaum move will reduce his production just enough that the fantasy community will see him as a damaged asset.

RB Travis Etienne and G David Edwards, New Orleans Saints

• Stock up: Etienne, Bhayshul Tuten, Tyler Shough
• Stock down: Alvin Kamara, Devin Neal

“Free Tuten” season is here. Etienne’s move to The Big Easy was great for both backs’ dynasty stock. With the Saints likely moving on from Alvin Kamara, Etienne steps into a role where he can carry the load on the ground and get involved in the passing game.

Etienne’s 74.5 PFF rushing grade was a bounce back from a disappointing 2024 season. The former first-rounder also had 26 carries of 10 or more yards, matching the career high he set during his 2022 season. 

Etienne forced 45 missed tackles, a number way up from the 17 he tallied in 2024. It all resulted in an RB10 finish (253.9 points), and he was moderately efficient, too, with 0.86 fantasy points per touch (13th amongst qualifying running backs).

His departure from Jacksonville means a new lead back can emerge. Tuten carried the ball just 83 times for 307 yards and five touchdowns in his rookie season. The former fourth-rounder was also tough to bring down, forcing 18 missed tackles — not nothing on such a small sample size — and averaged 3.22 yards after contact per carry, 14th in the league — ahead of players like James Cook and Kyren Williams.

Teamed with the signing of David Edwards at guard, New Orleans provided a huge boost for second-year starting quarterback Tyler Shough. He showed enough down the stretch that the Saints will likely give him a full year as the starter to see what they have.

Edwards was steady in the run game last season with a 69.0 PFF run-blocking grade. It was miles ahead of what Dillon Radunz and Cesar Ruiz produced at guard, with 49.1 and 44.7 PFF run-blocking grades, respectively.

In the passing game, Edwards ranked 14th among qualifying guards with a 73.0 PFF pass-blocking grade, right behind Ruiz (73.1) but well ahead of Radunz (64.3).

The Etienne move is not so great news for Kamara or Neal stockholders, however. Among backs with at least 125 rushes, Kamara ranked dead last in PFF overall grade (51.7). Before 2025, his previous worst grade for a season was 63.2 in 2021. The drop-off has been steep.

Bonus: QB Tua Tagovailoa, Atlanta Falcons

• Stock up: Tagovailoa
• Stock down: Michael Penix Jr.

This is just a horrible move for fantasy players. Penix stockholders may be panicking, given he was almost certainly drafted with a premium rookie pick as a former top-10 selection in the NFL draft.

His inconsistent, injury-riddled second season dented his dynasty stock heavily. Now with the addition of Tagovailoa, it’s even lower.

The Falcons, however, do get a marginal upgrade. Penix finished the season ranked 28th out of 29 qualifying quarterbacks in PFF overall grade (59.3). Meanwhile, Tagovailoa finished 26th (62.1).

While the former Dolphin did put the ball in harm’s way a lot — his 25 turnover-worthy plays were the second most in the NFL — he was at least willing to take a chance, or more chances than Penix.

Penix registered just eight big-time throws (last among qualifying quarterbacks) before a knee injury ended his season after just nine games. Tagovailoa’s 18 big-time throws still placed him in the bottom half of quarterbacks, but it was at least more than Penix.

Nobody really wins here, but this move is better for Tua owners than Penix ones. And it feels like two very low-end QB2s are about to become two medium-end QB3s with QB2 upside.