RADIO
Andrew Ball takes a look at five under-the-radar free agents that could make an impact for fantasy football in 2024.
When NFL franchises allow players to walk in free agency, they typically don’t see the value in retaining the talent relative to the price. In layman’s terms, they aren’t high-impact players and a replacement can be discovered.
In uncommon instances, a free agent’s change of scenery boosts production. Recent examples include tight end Evan Engram (73 and 114 catches in two seasons in Jacksonville) and wide receiver Christian Kirk (1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in his debut season in Jacksonville). Either Northeast Florida has an infinite supply of Michael’s Secret Stuff or there can be real value mined from old faces in new places.
Free agency will officially begin on March 13 at 4 p.m. ET. At that time, free agents can start signing with any NFL team. Below, we’ll dive into five free-agent sleepers that you shouldn’t forget about when fantasy football drafts roll around, whether they remain with their original team or not.
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Darnell Mooney, Wide Receiver
Market Value (per Spotrac): four years, $41.9 million
Darnell Mooney will transition from an under-the-radar signing to being the darling of fantasy drafts in August if he signs with Kansas City. There’s already been buzz about a potential marriage between the receiver and the defending Super Bowl champions. They did release their deep threat, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, earlier this offseason.
We may stay sleeping if he signs with another team, say the Tennessee Titans, another team he’s been connected to before the signing window opens. The Bears’ former wide receiver coach is now a coach for the Titans, giving Mooney familiarity in a new city.
Regardless of his final destination, Mooney is a better wideout than his 2023 stat line suggests. The former fifth-round pick tallied 31 receptions, 414 yards, and one touchdown in 14 games, all career lows and a far cry from his 81-catch, 1,055-yard 2021 campaign. The arrival of D.J. Moore and the emergence of tight end Cole Kmet relegated Mooney to third banana on an offense that ran the football more than they passed. That didn't leave a lot of targets for number 11.
When Mooney did get his name called, it was often of the downfield variety. Seven of his 31 catches gained at least 20 yards.
ONE-HAND MOONEY.
📺: #CHIvsMIN on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/78MQfPqpl1 pic.twitter.com/TDuP4mPsb6— NFL (@NFL) October 9, 2022
Mooney's days of being the top option are gone (although let's be honest, he was shoehorned into that role in his early days in Chi-Town) but he can provide real-life and fantasy value in the right offense. Elite passing games, like Kansas City, Buffalo, or Cincinnati will deliver boom performances. Anywhere else and it may be shaky at best.
Curtis Samuel, Wide Receiver
Market Value (per Spotrac): three years, $34.6 million
He's not the original and he doesn't do it as well as another Samuel in the NFC but Curtis Samuel can still bring a Swiss Army Knife element to an offense. It says a lot about his untapped potential that the best season of his career (77 catches, 851 yards) came primarily with Teddy Bridgewater under center. His other quarterbacks? The final Carolina seasons for Cam Newton, Kyle Allen, Taylor Heinicke, the Washington version of Carson Wentz, and Sam Howell. Yikes.
Although his rushing opportunities took a dip in 2023, Samuel remained consistent through the air. His '22 and '23 receiving stat lines were nearly identical but it’s a wonder why the coaching staff slashed his carry count. Then again, they also didn’t utilize Antonio Gibson properly (more on him in a minute).
| Targets | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Carries | Rushing Yards | |
| 2022 | 92 | 64 | 656 | 38 | 187 |
| 2023 | 91 | 62 | 613 | 7 | 39 |
Samuel could be presented with an interesting dilemma. Wide receiver-needy teams will come knocking but he has not profiled as a top receiving option. Signing with a team like the Patriots, Broncos, or Giants will give him that opportunity (and cash) but it won’t build on his career. Samuel will be 28 when the season kicks off. Depending on the length of the contract, he could be playing on his final NFL deal.
It could make more sense for him to agree to join a contender and operate as the second or third option. Indianapolis, Cleveland, Houston, Kansas City, and Buffalo fit the mold. We don’t know if Anthony Richardson has the passing chops to support two fantasy football wide receivers. He’d be behind Nico Collins and Tank Dell as a member of the Texans and would be fantasy-relevant only in certain situations.
A return to Ohio (he’s a former Buckeye) would make too much sense. Nick Chubb is expected to return from his brutal knee injury and Samuel could take a handful of carries off of his and Jerome Ford’s plate, while also making a living working the underneath routes for Deshaun Watson.
J.K. Dobbins, Running Back
Market Value (per Spotrac): two years, $4.3 million
Injuries have derailed the career of someone once viewed as one of the best young running backs in the NFL. A torn ACL took away his entire 2021 season. Another knee injury sidetracked 2022 and a torn Achilles ended his 2023 campaign after eight carries. That used to be death for a running back's career. It's possible for backs to play effectively again after the recovery and Dobbins is showing off that he's ready for a new contract.
5 1/2 months out 👀 #LaVuelta pic.twitter.com/2mr3Ku3K8S
— Jk dobbins (@Jkdobbins22) February 29, 2024
If and when Dobbins does get signed, it will be on a short-term, prove-it deal and he won't be initially tasked with carrying the load. Any franchise would be foolish to bring an oft-injured runner as the starter. When he's been healthy, however, the former Buckeye is starter material, averaging 5.8 yards per carry over his career.
The destination will be key here. Kansas City has been rumored but Isiah Pacheco has a chokehold over that backfield, making Dobbins no better than insurance. A better landing spot would be somewhere like Green Bay, a team giving up on a 2020 second-round running back of their own. Aaron Jones' career touches and age are reaching points of decline. Dobbins can slot in as the backup, bring a change of pace to an ascending offense, and possibly take over the backfield when Jones and the Packers part ways if he proves he can stay healthy.
The 2024 running back free-agent class is both deep and top-heavy. Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs, Tony Pollard, and Austin Ekeler will make the headlines. Dobbins will be a less-heralded signing. He will probably still be on fantasy football draft boards in the double-digit rounds.
Devin Singletary, Running Back
Market Value (per Spotrac): three years, $16.1 million
Lost in the murmurs of Houston going big-game hunting at the running back position (Saquon Barkley being in the spotlight) is Singletary’s consistency. A change of scenery from Buffalo to Houston didn’t deter his production, even though he didn’t start for half of the season. For the third straight year, Singletary finished just below 1,100 yards from scrimmage. In his two years prior, he was in the mid-900’s.
Singletary’s future may not hinge on whether the Texans can land Barkley or not. Head coach DeMeco Ryans has been vocal about wanting to improve the rushing attack. While consistent, Singletary hasn’t been asked to be the bell cow until 2023. He thrived in that role but it was out of necessity. Dameon Pierce was the back who couldn't hack it. If the Texans bring back Singletary, it's not necessarily to be the starter again. Instead, he's replacing Pierce in the rotation.
The Texans definitely want to bring back running back Devin “Motor” Singletary and the interest is mutual, per sources.
The Texans are expected to explore scenarios where they sign more than one running back, per sources, perhaps rather than spend money on just one free agent…— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 3, 2024
But what if Singletary isn't donning a bull on his helmet in 2024? After all, signing him and another star running back carries a hefty price tag for one backfield. Although it is a weak draft class, platooning a rookie with a new running back is the smartest managerial decision. If Houston lands their primary target, Singletary may be calling the moving trucks. There are a handful of teams where, at worst, Singletary would be the 1B option and he's shown a tendency to remain on the fantasy football radar wherever he's been.
Antonio Gibson, Running Back
Market Value (per Spotrac): one year, $3.6 million
Before the start of Antonio Gibson’s NFL career, then-Washington head coach Ron Rivera compared the rookie to All-Pro Christian McCaffrey.
“He's a little bit bigger than Christian, but he's got a skill set like Christian. This is a very versatile, young football player that we really think is going to be a guy that can get on the field for us early and contribute." - Ron Rivera
The comparison was unfair. Gibson mostly played receiver in college at Memphis and was able to do some damage from the backfield as well. McCaffrey was the inverse, a bonafide, All-American running back who was also the focus of opposing defenses in the passing game. In the NFL, Gibson did have 1,331 yards from scrimmage on 300 touches in 2021, but he’s been underutilized ever since. McCaffrey is only about usage, leading the league in touches twice, earning over 100 targets on four occasions, and hitting a career-high 1,459 rushing yards in 2023.
In 2023, Gibson played just 40 snaps lined up inline or as a receiver, compared to 433 snaps in the backfield. McCaffrey had nearly 200. It’s not entirely fair to compare Gibson to CMC (or Bijan Robinson, who also tallied 187 snaps outside of the backfield). James Cook and D'Andre Swift, two running backs who share their backfields, lined up at receiver for 82 and 90 snaps, respectively. Gibson’s 40 snaps are malpractice. Again, he was a college wide receiver!
That’s not a knock on Gibson’s rushing game either. He averages over four yards per carry in his four seasons and has dipped below that mark just once. He was among the league leaders in yards after contact at the position. Brian Robinson Jr. may be the better pure runner of the Washington duo but there wasn’t any creativity in getting both involved. More often than not, it was a carry for Robinson on rushing downs followed by a target to Gibson on third down.
Gibson won’t be placed in a feature role wherever he signs. His time in the nation’s capital is seemingly over. Some creative offensive minds can deploy Gibson correctly, in two-back sets, while also incorporating him into the rushing attack. In PPR formats, Gibson can maintain real value in a new uniform.
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