Remaining Free Agents Who Could Still Be Fantasy Factors in 2026

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 14: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks down the field for wide receiver DK Metcalf (4) who scored a touchdown, late in the second quarter during the game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium on September 14, 2025 in Pittsburgh, PA. This touchdown places Aaron Rodgers with 508 touchdown passes, tying Brett Farve for fourth highest all time in touchdown passes. (Photo by Shelley Lipton/Icon Sportswire)

Well, here we are again. Rodgers is taking his time to “decide” whether he wants to play in 2026. I use quotes because he knows. Whether that means he is or isn’t, I don’t really know (but I assume he is going to play), but the whole waiting thing is very played out.

But on the field, while Rodgers wasn’t his old self in 2025, he wasn’t without value. He threw for 24 touchdowns and added another on the ground. For the season, he was QB18 in fantasy, including four different top-10 weeks. And while there is some potential in Will Howard and Drew Allar, the Steelers’ weaponry would probably greatly prefer Rodgers under center in Week 1 than the unproven rookie or the unproven second-year player.

Joe Mixon, RB

(Age as of Week 1: 30)

When last we saw Joe Mixon, he had 1,325 scrimmage yards, 12 combined touchdowns and his second career Pro Bowl nod. The problem? That was in 2024, as a leg injury shelved Mixon for all of 2025, and the Texans released him at the start of March.

Everything from Mixon’s side of things says he intends to keep playing if possible, although there haven’t been any big rumors about him talking to any teams yet. Still, if the year off helped him get fresh, he could be a decent second part of an attack. Maybe back in Cincinnati, where the Bengals didn’t get a running mate for Chase Brown?

Austin Ekeler, RB

(Age as of Week 1: 31)

One of the most fantasy-friendly NFL players off the field, Ekeler was friendly to the game on the field too in his Chargers days. He averaged 1,283.3 scrimmage yards and 10.7 touchdowns a year from 2018 to 2023. But things got worse in Washington, where he totaled 814 yards and 4 touchdowns over two seasons (14 games), culminating in a torn Achilles early in 2025 that cost him the season.

Achilles tears are often a death sentence for a running back, but if Ekeler can come back healthy, his pass-catching prowess could make him a good change-of-pace back. Maybe he could be the No. 2 behind Javonte Williams in Dallas, for example.

Najee Harris, RB

(Age as of Week 1: 28)

If there’s one thing we knew about Harris entering 2025, it was that he would stay on the field. In his first four years, he played 68 games (or all of them). He was never efficient (he averaged 3.9 yards per carry), but hey, there’s value in knowing your guy will be out there. So of course, three games into his Chargers tenure, Harris tears his Achilles and misses the rest of the season.

Like Ekeler, an Achilles tear could mean the end of Harris. But if he’s healthy, a team with a high-risk lead back might find some value in Harris as the ho-hum guy who isn’t great but you can trust him to be there. Heck, Kareem Hunt had an entire second act in the NFL as one of those.

Jauan Jennings, WR

(Age as of Week 1: 29)

Jennings had a breakout in 2024 with 975 yards. Injuries pulled him back to 643 last year, but he climbed from 6 touchdowns to 9. Him being unemployed all the way until after the draft doesn’t really make that much sense. (To be fair, rumors that he’s asking for “too much money” help the sense-making side of things.)

There are some teams that still have messes at wide receiver. The Dolphins, Raiders and Commanders come to mind. Jennings will get signed by someone, and odds at this point are that whoever signs him will plan on him being at least their WR2. There’s a chance he claims over 100 targets in 2026.

Deebo Samuel, WR

(Age as of Week 1: 30)

Stefon Diggs, WR

(Age as of Week 1: 32)

FOXBOROUGH, MA - NOVEMBER 13: Stefon Diggs #8 of the New England Patriots celebrates a first down during a game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets on November 13, 2025, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire)

Samuel didn’t have a great year in Washington, with 802 scrimmage yards that was a career low outside of his seven-game 2020 season. But in his defense, the Washington offense was a mess overall, with Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin missing big chunks of the season and the team eventually having to turn to Josh Johnson for multiple starts.

Meanwhile, Diggs was more successful as the WR1 in New England. He topped 1,000 yards and scored four times in the regular season. But between off-field drama and a high salary for a 32-year-old, the Patriots let him go.

Neither guy is going to be a lead receiver in 2026, but a team like Minnesota or the Rams that needs a trustworthy WR3/insurance policy could jump on a veteran with star history.

David Njoku, TE

(Age as of Week 1: 30)

Njoku had a terrible 2025 as Harold Fannin Jr. shined as a rookie and pushed Njoku aside. But it’s very easy to look back at 2023 and see Njoku getting 123 targets, 81 receptions and 882 yards and dream of that happening again. He’s entering his 10th NFL season and still doesn’t turn 30 until July.

The fact that there doesn’t appear to be huge interest in Njoku so far this offseason is concerning. The Ravens brought him in for a visit in March, but nothing happened there, and there haven’t been many peeps since, and the Ravens have since drafted Matt Hibner. But Njoku would still make sense some places — Miami, bringing him back to where he played in college? Carolina, who still only has Tommy Tremble and Ja’Tavion Sanders? San Francisco, as George Kittle insurance? We’ll see.