Fantasy: 3 free agents ready to star with new teams

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In an effort to get ahead of the curve before free agency, let's examine three players whose fantasy value will expand if they sign with new teams.

Corey Davis

While there were plenty of exciting wideouts heading toward free agency, a couple of the top names - like Allen Robinson and Chris Godwin - received the franchise tag. That positions Davis to be one of the primary players receiver-needy teams will target.

Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson said the team will attempt to bring Davis back, but he also acknowledged his 2017 first-round pick could capitalize on the interest he'll get as a free agent.

Make no mistake, the Titans would be happy if Davis returns. Though he didn't emerge as a dominant No. 1 option as many anticipated after the pass-catcher was selected fifth overall in 2017, Davis is coming off his best season as a pro with 65 grabs, 984 yards, and five touchdowns. That includes career highs in 100-plus-yard games (five) and yards per catch (15.1), helping him to a top-30 finish in average fantasy points per game among receivers.

In Tennessee, the presence of A.J. Brown would limit his future production potential in a run-first offense built around Derrick Henry. However, in free agency he'll get a chance to sign with a club that could offer more volume in a pass-friendly attack. Davis has been given fewer than 95 targets in three of his four NFL campaigns.

The receiver's 22% target share resulted in just 92 targets in 2020, with the Titans attempting the third-fewest passes in the league. Meanwhile, Diontae Johnson turned his 22% target share into 144 looks with the Steelers, who led the NFL in pass attempts.

Davis may never develop into an Alpha receiver, but he's coming off a breakout season, and the 26-year-old showed he's capable of producing when called upon. Fantasy managers who wrote him off following his early struggles need to pay close attention to where the next chapter of Davis' career will be written.

Ideal fantasy landing spots: Jaguars, Dolphins, Cardinals, Washington

Gerald Everett

Tight ends can take a few seasons to acclimate to the NFL and hit their stride as a fantasy asset. In the last two years alone, we've seen guys like Darren Waller, Logan Thomas, and Robert Tonyan break out as top-10 fantasy options at the age of 26 or older.

So don't be shocked if Everett, who turns 27 in June and has never topped 420 yards or three touchdowns in a campaign, produces his best football elsewhere after leaving the Los Angeles Rams.

That's not a knock on Sean McVay or the Rams' offense. With a full complement of pass-catchers - including Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Tyler Higbee, as well as a strong rushing attack - Everett has rarely been a focal point in McVay's system.

Even so, the 2017 second-round pick managed to increase his targets, receptions, and yards in each of his four campaigns so far, and 2020 was the first season when he saw the field on over 50% of the Rams' offensive snaps. Those are indications there's plenty of room to grow if a team signs him and views Everett as a starter.

Everett could be compared to someone like Jared Cook, who took a few years to find his groove, but he ultimately became a fantasy TE1, with the veteran's best seasons coming in his late 20s and early 30s.

With many front offices up against the falling salary cap, Everett will likely be a cost-effective signing who provides major upside. And several young star quarterbacks - like Joe Burrow, Kyler Murray, and Josh Allen - need playmaking help at tight end.

Ideal fantasy landing spots: Bengals, Cardinals, Bills, Jaguars

Curtis Samuel

Folks in the fantasy community were predicting a Samuel breakout for multiple years before the dynamic wideout finally put everything together in 2020.

Though his receiving numbers were a modest 851 yards on 77 catches with three scores, Samuel led all wideouts with 41 rushing attempts, which turned into 200 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.

After being deployed far too often as a one-dimensional field-stretcher in previous years, Samuel was finally used in a more varied role in 2020, and he flourished while recording career highs in almost every category.

His production is even more impressive when you consider he was playing alongside D.J. Moore and Robby Anderson - a duo that combined for 161 receptions, 2,289 yards, and seven touchdowns.

Now Samuel heads to the open market with a chance to be unleashed in a new offense. If he was able to deliver the 28th-most fantasy points per game among receivers while competing for targets with Moore and Anderson, it's intriguing to consider what his ceiling could be as one of a club's top two pass-catchers.

Similar to Robert Woods, another ball-carrying wideout, Samuel may experience more success in his second NFL stop, and become a consistent fantasy starter in the process.

Ideal fantasy landing spots: Washington, Jaguars, Packers, Eagles