The Fantasy Footballers’ Free Agent Predictions for 2022

Before NFL free agency goes into overdrive this next week, the Fantasy Footballers preview NFL free agency and potential landing spots. Andy, Mike, and Jason highlight the highest-profile names and give their predictions where each will land on Tuesday’s Podcast.

Before going into each position, let’s discuss some of the different free agent terminology, timelines, and which teams have the most cap space to make a run. For each position, you’ll also see cut candidates and restricted free agent statuses which are found fully in the Team Opportunity reports in the Dynasty Pass.

Important Free Agent Categories

• Unrestricted Free Agent- the player is allowed to sign with any team.
• Restricted Free Agent- the player can sign an offer sheet with any team, but his 2021 team can keep him on the roster by signing him to a restricted tender. Usually, the player was an UDFA.
• Exclusive Rights Free Agent- the player will return to his 2021 team unless the team opts to make him an unrestricted free agent.
• Cap Hit- not necessarily how much he’s paid in a given year, but how much he’ll count against a team’s salary cap during that season.
• Dead money- the guaranteed money left on a player’s contract at the time he is let go or traded. That money will count against a team’s cap that next year. If a player is cut after June 1, the dead money is split over the next two seasons.

Important Free Agency Dates

• Tuesday, March 8th at 4pm ET — Franchise Tag deadline
• Monday, March 14th — Legal Tampering Period begins (Teams are permitted to enter contract negotiations)
• Wednesday, March 16th — 2021 league year + FA begins (at 4:00 p.m ET)

Teams With Most Cap Space

1. Miami Dolphins- $61 million
2. Los Angeles Chargers- $57 million
3. Jacksonville Jaguars- $56 million
4. Cincinnati Bengals- $48 million
5. New York Jets- $44 million

Quarterbacks

QB Needy Teams: CAR, DEN, HOU, IND, NO, PIT, TB, WAS

Cut Candidates: Jimmy Garoppolo (30)  | 1 Year Remaining with SF | 2022 Dead Cap: $1.4 million

Restricted/Exclusive Rights Free Agents:

• Dwayne Haskins | PIT | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $850,000
• Tyler Huntley | BAL | Exclusive Rights

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• Jimmy Garoppolo (30)

• • Andy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Jason – Denver Broncos
  • Mike – Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Jameis Winston (28)

• • Andy – San Francisco 49ers
  • Jason – New Orleans Saints
  • Mike – New Orleans Saints

• Mitchell Trubisky (27)

• • Andy – Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Jason – Indianapolis Colts
  • Mike – Denver Broncos

Other Names

• Tyrod Taylor (32)
• Cam Newton (32)
• Teddy Bridgewater (29)
• Andy Dalton (34)
• Ryan Fitzpatrick (39)
• Mike Glennon 🦒  (32)

Runningbacks

RB Needy Teams:  ATL, TB, HOU, ARI, MIA

Cut Candidates

• Chris Carson | 1 Year Remaining with SEA | 27 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $3 million
• Jamaal Williams 1 Year Rem. with DET | 26 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $1.6 million
• Carlos Hyde | 1 Year Remaining with JAX | 31 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $450,000

Restricted / Exclusive Rights Free Agents

• Boston Scott | PHI | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $920,000
• D’Ernest Johnson | CLE | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $585,000
• Salvon Ahmed | MIA | Exclusive Rights
• Derrick Gore | KC | Exclusive Rights
• JaMycal Hasty | SF | Exclusive Rights

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Leonard Fournette (27)
  • Andy – Miami Dolphins
  • Jason – New York Jets
  • Mike – Buffalo Bills

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• James Conner (26)

• • Andy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Jason – Arizona Cardinals
  • Mike – Arizona Cardinals

• Melvin Gordon (28)

• • Andy – Arizona Cardinals
  • Jason – Atlanta Falcons
  • Mike – Denver Broncos

• Rashaad Penny (26)

• • Andy – Atlanta Falcons
  • Jason – Seattle Seahawks
  • Mike – Houston Texans

Other RB Names

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• Chase Edmonds (25)
• Cordarrelle Patterson (30)
• Sony Michel (27)
• Marlon Mack (26)
• Raheem Mostert (29)
• Ronald Jones II (24)
• J.D. McKissic (28)
• Darrel Williams (26) //Jerick McKinnon (29)
• Devonta Freeman (29) // Latavius Murray (32)
• David Johnson (30)
• Tevin Coleman (28)
• Matt Breida (27)
• Giovani Bernard (30)
• Damien Williams (29)

Wide Receivers

WR Needy Teams:  ATL, HOU, NO, NE, CHI, DET, GB, TB, JAX, CLE, LV

Cut Candidates

• Amari Cooper | 3 Years Remaining with DAL | 27 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $6 million
• Jarvis Landry | 1 Year Remaining w/ CLE | 29 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $1.5 million
• Cole Beasley | 1 Year Remaining with BUF | 32 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $1.5 million

Restricted / Exclusive Rights Free Agents

• Allen Lazard | TEAM | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $675,000
• Jakobi Meyers | TEAM | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $588,333
• Jalen Guyton | TEAM | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $540,000
• Olamide Zaccheaus | TEAM | Restricted | 2022 Tender: $586,667

Unrestricted Free Agents

• Davante Adams (29)

• • Andy – Green Bay Packers
  • Jason – Green Bay Packers
  • Mike – Green Bay Packers

• Chris Godwin (26)

• • Andy – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Jason – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Mike – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
    

• Odell Beckham Jr. (29)

• • Andy – Los Angeles Rams
  • Jason – Los Angeles Rams
  • Mike – Los Angeles Rams
    

• Mike Williams (27)

• • Andy – Los Angeles Chargers
  • Jason – Los Angeles Chargers
  • Mike – Los Angeles Chargers

• Allen Robinson (28)

• • Andy – Miami Dolphins
  • Jason – Detroit Lions
  • Mike – Arizona Cardinals

• Christian Kirk (25)
  
  • Andy – Chicago Bears
  • Jason – Atlanta Falcons
  • Mike – Buffalo Bills

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• JuJu Smith-Schuster (25)
  • Andy – New York Jets
  • Jason – Buffalo Bills
  • Mike – Jacksonville Jaguars

• Amari Cooper (27)
  • Andy – Chicago Bears
  • Jason – Indianapolis Colts
  • Mike – Miami Dolphins

Other WR Names

• Jakobi Meyers (25)
• Michael Gallup (26) – expected to sign with DAL
• DJ Chark Jr. (25)
• Will Fuller V (27)
• Russell Gage (26)
• Allen Lazard (26) // MVS (27)
• Rashard Higgins (27)
• Tre’Quan Smith (26)
• Josh Reynolds (27)
• Jamison Crowder (28)
• T.Y. Hilton (32) // Zach Pascal (27)
• A.J. Green (33)
• Emmanuel Sanders (34)
• Sammy Watkins (28)
• James Washington (25)
• Byron Pringle (28)
• Laquon Treadwell (26)

Tight-Ends

Cut Candidates: Cameron Brate | 2 Years Rem. with TB | 30 Years Old | 2022 Dead Cap: $1.9 million

Restricted/Exclusive Rights Free Agents: Donald Parham  | LAC | Exclusive Rights

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Unrestricted Free Agents

• Mike Gesicki (26)

• • Andy – Miami Dolphins
  • Jason – Los Angeles Chargers
  • Mike – Miami Dolphins

• Zach Ertz (31)
  
  • Andy – Arizona Cardinals
  • Jason – Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Mike – New York Giants

Other TE Names

• Rob Gronkowski (almost 33)
• Dalton Schultz (25)
• Mo Alie-Cox (28)
• Robert Tonyan (27)
• Tyler Conklin (26)
• Gerald Everett (27)
• C.J. Uzomah (29)
• Jared Cook (34)
• Anthony Firkser (27)
• Jimmy Graham (35)