Last Minute Free Agency Rundown: RB
Akash Patel is a writer for Felix, the AI-driven fantasy football assistant. To sign up for exclusive early access to Felix for free, click here.
As of the publishing of this article, tomorrow is the beginning of the legal tampering period. For those unfamiliar with that term, legal tampering is the period in which agents can negotiate with other teams for unrestricted free agents. In this 4 part series, we’ll highlight the 4 fantasy positions’ free agents, potential landing spots, and fantasy impact. Enjoy!
Notable Free Agent RBs:
Chris Carson
Kenyan Drake
James Conner
Leonard Fournette
Todd Gurley
Jamaal Williams
James White
Chris Carson-Seattle Seahawks-Estimated value: 3 years 22 million
As reported by Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic, the Seahawks are unlikely to resign Chris Carson. Carson, who had rushed 1000 yards in his previous two seasons, missed 4 games due to injury and failed to crack 700 yards on the season. When healthy, Carson was used sparingly with no games over 20 carries after 5 such games in 2018 and 8 in 2019. After firing their offensive coordinator and unexpectedly going into trade talks regarding Russell Wilson, the Seahawks’ offensive identity could change in 2021, but Carson is likely not in their plans. I would guess that we see Carson sign a Melvin Gordon-type deal to be the veteran leader of a committee of a young offense. This year that would likely be Miami and the New York Jets, who are the frontrunners for every free agent RB.
Kenyan Drake-Arizona Cardinals-Estimated Value: 2 years 16 million
In 2019, the Cardinals traded a 6th rounder for Kenyan Drake, who exploded down the stretch of the season for 5.2 yards per carry and 8 TDs on the ground, as well as 28 catches for 171 yards. However, the Cardinals, instead of signing Drake to a long-term deal, placed the transition tag on Drake. Now, after a relatively disappointing 2020 season compared to his 2019 finish, Drake will likely hit free agency. Drake was given 239 carries yet barely squeaked out 4 yards per carry and contributed less in the passing game. Additionally, Kliff Kingsbury has recently discussed his confidence in Chase Edmonds, indicating Drake’s impending departure. Drake could sign a deal to lead a young committee such as the NFC West division rival Seahawks. With Chris Carson and Carlos Hyde as free agents, the team could opt to sign Drake rather than let Rashaad Penny and DeeJay Dallas be their rushing attack.
James Conner-Pittsburgh Steelers-Estimated Value: 2 years 10 million
A bit of a fall from grace for the hometown kid turned pro-bowler, Conner has missed 9 games since that 2018 season and hasn’t come close to replicating the season. As a result, he’s unlikely to fetch a large free agency deal and could easily end up as a backup. His path to fantasy relevance-even for a few weeks- would come from injury to a lead back or if he were to sign to be the 1B of a rushing attack. One possibility for the latter is to sign with the Jets if they decide their offensive identity in the run game is with a committee approach. The Jet’s new OC, Mike LaFleur, came from the 49ers with HC Robert Saleh. LaFleur, who was the passing game coordinator for the 49ers, is the brother of Packer’s HC Matt LaFleur, who employs a committee approach much like the 49ers. If he doesn’t land in a committee, he’s useless for fantasy except as a handcuff.
Leonard Fournette-Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Estimated Value: 1 year 5 million
Fournette’s year in Tampa Bay was relatively disappointing in the regular season. Fournette suffered an ankle injury and was unable to retake the starting job. However, with Ronald Jones II out at the end of the regular season as well as one week of the playoffs, the Buccaneers rode the hot hand, and Playoff Lenny delivered with 300 rushings yards and 150 receiving yards as well as 4 total TDs. Fournette might be able to parlay this performance into a decent free-agent contract.
Thank you for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed this article. You can find me on Twitter, where I tweet fantasy-football-related content every day.
I write for Felix, which uses AI and data-driven processes to deliver fantasy football advice instantly via chatbot. You can sign up for early access to our app on our website.
