2026 Dynasty Fantasy Football: Losers From Free Agency

At this time of the year, dynasty fantasy football strategy can feel like an endless series of moving parts. Just when we think we have things figured out, another big trade or signing pops up and impacts the outlook for players on at least 1-2 teams. That's starting to slow down, but then we have the NFL Draft coming up in late April, and with it we'll get seismic shifts in valuations and dynasty league strategy.

For now, let's take a look at some of the players that recently lost dynasty value due to signings and trades through the first three weeks of March. The list of "winners" can be found HERE, highlighted by RB Bhayshul Tuten,  WR Alec Pierce and QB Fernando Mendoza.

Quarterbacks

• QB Lamar Jackson

It's still early, but Baltimore's offseason looks bad so far, with no team currently weaker along the interior offensive line. The Ravens also lost FB Patrick Ricard, TE Isaiah Likely and TE Charlie Kolar. They'll still add a few more veterans, perhaps including TE David Njoku, but right now it's looking like a tall task ahead for Jackson and new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. If things don't go well over the next year or two, rumors about Jackson wanting a Miami trade may turn into reality.

• QB J.J. McCarthy

We knew the Vikings were bringing in competition, and likely an outright replacement for the starting job. The insult on top of the injury? They also seemed to make Carson Wentz a priority, potentially relegating McCarthy to the No. 3 QB role. It feels like the Vikings are giving up on him, even if they won't ever say it in those terms publicly. 

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Running Backs

• RB De'Von Achane (short term)

It may not matter too much in the larger scheme of Achane's potentially lengthy career, but new Dolphins QB Malik Willis definitely looks like an annoyance for Achane's 2026 value. Tua Tagovailoa's playing style inflated RB receiving volume, while Willis' scrambling likely will do the opposite. Achane is so good that it might not matter if the Dolphins are decent, because he can pile up huge yardage totals on the ground... but what happens if the offense flat-out stinks and he's only getting 3-4 targets per game to make up for it? It's a major concern for win-now dynasty teams with Achane. For everyone else, it could be a buy-low opportunity (at some point in-season).

• RB Bucky Irving

Rachaad White and Sean Tucker may walk, but the Bucs aren't giving Kenneth Gainwell a two-year, $14 million contract just to cheer on Irving from the sideline. Irving will still be the lead runner, only without the type of pass-catching upside we saw at times last season, and with no guarantee of being first in line for goal-line carries. Tampa Bay clearly thinks Gainwell is better than White, which impacts the projected roles/usage even if it's not a 100% certainty. Gainwell also has a surprisingly strong track record of TD scoring for a smaller RB, which seems more relevant after Irving hit paydirt just once on 173 carries in 2025.

• RB Woody Marks

The Texans gave up a fourth-round pick and OL Juice Scruggs for David Montgomery, who has one year remaining on his contract at $6 million. Montgomery figures to step in as the starter, uncontested, and he's an underrated asset on pass snaps even if we mostly think of him as a power back. Marks offers a lot of what Montgomery does, getting by on smarts, toughness and skills rather than pure speed. But Montgomery is about 20-25 pounds heavier, making him far more effective between the tackles and in short-yardage situations. Marks did some good stuff as a rookie, but he's unimpressive from an athletic standpoint and now appears resigned to handcuff status (on a team with major QB and O-line questions).

• RB Trey Benson

The Cardinals not only signed Tyler Allgeier but also worked out a pay cut with James Conner, leaving Benson firmly on the roster bubble while he makes his way back from a season-ending knee injury. There's been no indication that the injury will impact Benson's 2026 preparation, but the 2024 third-round pick may end up competing with Bam Knight more so than Allgeier/Conner.

Wide Receivers  

• WRs Rashid Shaheed & Tory Horton

I like both players, but there are only so many deep targets to go around even if you make it the emphasis of your offense. And we know Jaxon Smith-Njigba will get a lot of those, plus a massive share of the intermediate targets. Maybe one of Horton or Shaheed can clearly emerge ahead of the other and get enough volume for WR3 fantasy value. At cost, I'd rather bet on Horton, because he's more than four years younger than Shaheed (who will turn 28 right before Week 1).

• WR Chimere Dike

There's room for both Dike and Wan'Dale Robinson to play a lot, given Tennessee's lack of receiving talent. Still, it isn't ideal for Dike to see his team spending so much money on a player with a somewhat-overlapping skill set. Or maybe it's fine because Dike is more of a Rashid Shaheed than a slot guy anyway. That would be good news for the Titans, but Shaheed has never sustained much value in fantasy outside of return-yardage leagues or best-ball formats.

• WRs Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin & Pat Bryant

I think Sean Payton finally has the WR group he wants, with Sutton as the X receiver and Jaylen Waddle as the Z. My best guess is that Bryant will be the favorite for the slot/No. 3 role, with Marvin Mims fitting well as a No. 4 WR and All-Pro return specialist.

I've long wondered if Mims can do more, but it's also been clear since September that he'll never get the chance under Payton, who seemed to favor Troy Franklin early last season before getting Bryant more involved later on. It felt like Bryant was taking over as the No. 2 after Franklin failed to do much with his spike in volume, but Bryant then suffered a pair of concussions late in the season, opening up more space for Franklin/Mims down the stretch.

At this point, you're only holding Mims with the hope of a trade. I'd probably say the same for Franklin, but maybe it'll be a competition between him and Bryant for the No. 3 role (not a job that's likely to have a ton of fantasy value).

Tight Ends

• TE Oronde Gadsden (short term)

I'm still a huge fan, big picture, but the recent signings of FB Alec Ingold and TE Charlie Kolar hint at Mike McDaniel running a bunch of 21 personnel snaps with Gadsden on the sideline this season. Many of those will be run plays, but others will be the type of play-action passes on which Gadsden likely would thrive if he were on the field. Also note that Kolar is a better pass catcher than most people are giving him credit for. Maybe that doesn't really matter relative to Gadsden's talent, but it could tilt the scales toward Kolar poaching some snaps in 11 personnel. 

All that being said, Gadsden may be efficient enough to start in fantasy even if his route shares are only around 60-70 percent. Jonnu Smith and Darren Waller had stretches of fantasy relevance in McDaniel's offense the past two years, without ever being full-time guys in terms of snap count.

• TE Theo Johnson

Isaiah Likely's three-year, $40 million contract essentially buried any breakout enthusiasm for Johnson, who has a rare combination of size and straight-line speed. Likely has neither of those things, but he's far more fluid in his route-running and also superior in every other aspect of catching passes. Even if Johnson still has a significant role, he's unlikely to get more than three targets per game unless Likely misses time with an injury.

• TE Ben Sinnott

The Commanders signed TE Chig Okonkwo and WR Brandon Aiyuk. It's once again made clear that they don't view Sinnott as a viable starter and will only use him as part of a rotation even if injuries force the matter.