Five sneaky moves from NFL free agency that matter for fantasy football

The big wave of free agency has come and gone. By now you’ve already learn response items about how JuJu Smith-Schuster’s return to Pittsburgh impacts all of the gamers concerned, or why Will Fuller can increase Miami’s offensive ceiling.

We don’t want any extra on that. As a substitute, let’s take a look at 5 sneaky strikes in free company that may not look like large offers at first, however truly matter fairly a bit for a number of fantasy soccer stars.

Corey Linsley to the Chargers

We all the time discuss groups “serving to their younger quarterback” within the lens of including weapons to the receiver corps. That’s clearly an enormous a part of it however constructing a fortress of an offensive line to guard them may be much more essential.

The Chargers have an extended method to go earlier than Justin Herbert is taking part in behind an ideal wall however including the most effective middle in the marketplace was an ideal begin.

Not solely will former Packers middle Corey Linsley increase the safety on the pivot level of the Chargers’ line, however he’ll additionally assist Herbert out with calls on the line. The connection between a veteran middle and a still-developing younger passer can’t be overstated.

A part of me hoped the Chargers turned the skill-position expertise round Herbert “as much as 11” by bringing one other vertical receiver into this offense.

How simple-minded of me; including Linsley and guard Matt Feiler is best.

For now, the goal share of locked-in stars like Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler stay undisturbed whereas improved go safety ought to solely increase the effectivity of this whole offense.

People aren’t speaking about Linsely to the Chargers sufficient. This one transfer may need created three fantasy winners with one swoop.

Emmanuel Sanders to the Payments

Emmanuel Sanders is not on this listing as a result of he’s about to have an enormous season with the Buffalo Payments. The primary man on this passing assault will nonetheless be Stefon Diggs with Cole Beasley getting a everlasting promotion to the No. 2 job. At finest, Sanders shall be splitting the third-receiver duties with intriguing second-year receiver Gabriel Davis.

These implications, nevertheless, are nonetheless an enormous deal.

A confirmed veteran like Sanders being added to play a bit half on this passing assault reveals Buffalo remains to be absolutely dedicated to being a large receiver-centric offense. Due to this, in a bizarre means, Sanders being added retains the inventory of an elite man like Diggs afloat. It’s unlikely he will get sufficient quantity to dig into Diggs’ weekly goal share or make a dent within the stat sheet however his mere presence reiterates this staff isn’t veering from its 2020 pass-first methods.

If you happen to had been frightened Buffalo and their defensive head coach had been going to take a look at its incapability to run the ball down the stretch and overcorrect to concentrate on the bottom sport, you’re within the clear. Bolstering the receiver room reveals an excellent model identification by this group.

Gallery: Which NFL groups nonetheless have obvious holes to fill? (Yardbarker)

Marvin Jones to the Jaguars

I noticed just a few puzzled reactions to this signing and was stunned. To me, this marriage makes excellent sense.

Bringing in Marvin Jones doesn’t simply reunite him together with his outdated Detroit offensive coordinator, Darrell Bevell, but it surely additionally provides future No. 1 total choose Trevor Lawrence a locked-in, dependable presence from Day 1. Jones merely doesn’t get the credit score he deserves for being among the best No. 2 wideouts for the final five-plus years. This may shock some extra informal followers however he’s really among the best 50-50 ball receivers within the NFL.

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Marvin Jones shall be a boon to the Jaguars. (Picture by Nic Antaya/Getty Pictures)

Your league-mates aren’t going to wish to draft him. 12 months after yr, they by no means do. And but, Jones is sort of actually going to proceed his annual custom of outkicking his worth ADP 10-plus spots by season’s finish.

With Jones in place, the Jaguars offense theoretically doesn’t have that many holes. DJ Chark is in place as the highest exterior receiver and seeking to rebound off an injury-plagued season. If he takes the following step, they’ve a WR1 to play throughout from Jones. That may depart 2020 rookie Laviska Shenault to play within the slot and take some gadget reps. He’ll be a enjoyable toy for City Meyer to play with. James Robinson appeared like a authentic workhorse as a rookie within the backfield.

The offensive line is someplace between common or barely under however there are lots of groups in a lot worse form. The tight finish room is the one place that’s really hurting for high quality in Jacksonville.

If Trevor Lawrence is the whole lot he’s cracked as much as be from the bounce, this might find yourself being an enormous worth offense in fantasy soccer this season.

Kevin Zeitler to the Ravens

The Kevin Zeitler signing occurred early, so that you may need missed it, however this one is large for Baltimore.

You possibly can spend an excellent chunk of your day dissecting what went fallacious with the Ravens’ offense in Lamar Jackson’s second full season because the starter. However one of many important issues that usually goes under-discussed whereas the general public obsesses over the receiver corps or continues to harp on Jackson’s flaws is the offensive line.

When a 2020 Baltimore offensive line that was already lacking the retired Marshall Yanda noticed star left sort out Ronnie Stanley go down early within the season, the injury was onerous to return again from. Yanda is a future Corridor of Famer. Stanley is without doubt one of the finest gamers at his place proper now. You don’t simply come again from that, particularly whenever you’re a run-based unit. Zeitler, at this stage of his profession, isn’t going to present Baltimore the identical high-level of play Yanda did however he plugs an enormous gap with above-average play.

The Ravens didn’t make the medium splash at huge receiver they had been clearly aiming for however this may assist the offense much more. Extra offensive strikes higher be on the way in which within the NFL draft, however Zeitler helps safe the muse.

John Johnson and Troy Hill to the Browns

Defensive gamers want love too!

You possibly can level to a handful of different defensive gamers throughout the league who will make a huge impact for his or her new staff however the Browns’ signings of John Johnson and Troy Hill stand out to me as ones that can truly assist the offense.

The Browns cease unit was an issue in 2020, particularly their go protection over the center of the sector. Taking two plus-starters from the most effective secondary in soccer to assist repair that challenge looks as if a sensible transfer on its face.

As a run-first unit that’s based mostly on high-percentage, play-action throws, the Browns offense ideally wants to remain on schedule to perform at peak effectivity. Even with a protection that wasn’t nice in 2020, the Browns had been in a position to maintain to that. However you don’t wish to depend on that year-over-year.

A corporation ought to be attempting to discipline an above-average protection to maintain an offense just like the Browns in constructive sport scripts as a lot as potential.

It’s unlikely you thought that the Browns’ run on defensive starters in free company was going to assist out fantasy heroes like Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt or maintain Baker Mayfield within the constructive vary of his outcomes. Nevertheless, if Johnson, Hill, and a number of the different additions flip this protection right into a top-15 unit, we don’t want to fret as a lot about regression from their environment friendly 2020 run.

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