As we enter March, free agency is the big story. While there are not a whole lot of big wide receiver or tight end names expected to change teams, there is quite a bit of musical chairs set to take place at the quarterback position. How free agency plays out for Malik Willis, Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Geno Smith, Joe Flacco, and other quarterbacks likely to change teams will have a domino effect that impacts the value of many top pass catchers. Ken Walker III and Travis Etienne Jr. lead the list of names in free agency at running back, and their landing spots will impact their own dynasty valuations while creating cascade effects for players on their current teams and in their new homes.

We also just wrapped up the NFL Combine, and now is a great time to take stock of where things stand with the incoming rookie class and the value of 2026 rookie picks. Before we go position by position looking at the latest dynasty news and player value considerations, we'll do a deep dive on the rookie class from the perspective of comparing pick values to current player valuations, along with a bigger picture view of the class's strengths and weaknesses.

In addition to rookie pick and player breakdowns, the March Dynasty Trade Value Chart ("DTVC") will also touch on some news regarding DTVC tool development and share research on the state of dynasty leagues in 2026 that is shaping how I write about dynasty values and build tools to give you an edge in your leagues.

New Tool Development

As always, you can find updated dynasty player values that adjust for your custom league's scoring and settings in the DTVC tool:

DTVC Tool

I'm also excited to announce that in the near future, the DTVC tool will be getting its biggest update ever: a completely modernized build with Sleeper integration that automatically adjusts values for your league, a full trade calculator that includes all of your and your leaguemates' rookie picks (2026 and beyond), league power rankings, and a number of other fun bells and whistles I think folks will really enjoy.

If anyone wants to test out the beta version and provide feedback, drop me a line at hindery@footballguys.com, and I'll send you the link.

League Research

As part of building out new tools for the Dynasty Trade Value Chart ("DTVC") and as a sanity check for how I write about dynasty player values here, I wanted to get a clear picture of what the "typical" dynasty league actually looks like in 2026. I scraped data from over 12,600 2026 Sleeper dynasty leagues to find out.

Here's what I found: Superflex, full PPR, 12-team, TE-Premium leagues are the overwhelming default.

Superflex More Popular Than Single QB

84.4% of leagues are Superflex, with just 15.6% running single QB. In recent years, I've defaulted to discussing rookie pick value from a Superflex draft perspective, but I've never been sure that was the right approach. Having some hard numbers to back up my hunch that most dynasty leagues are Superflex has strengthened my confidence that providing rookie values as Superflex first is the way to go.

PPR Is the Standard for Scoring

84.9% of leagues are full PPR. This also confirmed that the current approach here is the correct one. Since its inception more than a decade ago, the DTVC base values have been tailored to PPR scoring. In recent years, I've questioned this slightly, given that many other popular tools and value sites (KeepTradeCut, for example) are explicitly tailored to 0.5 PPR. Based on my research, just 12.0% of dynasty leagues use half PPR. Very few (2.0%) use standard scoring.

12 Teams Is the Most Common League Size

68.8% of sampled leagues had exactly 12 teams, with 10-team leagues coming in a distant second at 18.2%. A 12-team league has always been the standard assumption for the base trade values you see in the DTVC monthly article.

TE Premium Dominates, but It's Complicated

If this exercise surprised me in any way, it was with just how popular the TE-Premium format has become. A full 72.3% of leagues sampled use TE-Premium scoring. The growing popularity of this format was a big reason why, approximately five years ago, I taught myself enough coding to build the first iteration of the DTVC tool for Footballguys that included an option to adjust values for TE-Premium scoring.

One thing I've considered over the years is actually posting TE-Premium values alongside the base PPR values in this article, the same way I post both Single QB and Superflex values for the quarterback position. One reason I've resisted this approach was my gut feeling that it would do more harm than good, given the fact that "TE Premium" does not mean one thing across the industry. My research confirms this assumption and highlights why customized tools are the best way to approach dynasty trade values in a serious way.

Of the leagues that award a TE Premium, the most common setup is a +0.5 bonus (1.5 PPR for TEs compared to 1.0 PPR for all other positions). However, only 39% of TE-Premium leagues use this 1.5 PPR standard. Another 26.7% use 2.0 PPR for tight ends, and a significant number split the difference at 1.75 PPR. While these differences may seem subtle, they have a huge impact on player valuations. Trey McBride scored 315.9 points in PPR leagues last season, 378.9 in 1.5 PPR formats, and a whopping 441.9 points in 2.0 PPR scoring. He's clearly worth a lot more in TE Premium, but not all TE Premium is created equally. There is a massive difference between 378.9 and 441.9 points. It's why I've hesitated to assign one standard value to TE Premium, and it's why I think intelligently designed tools that properly account for the many ways TE Premiums are being awarded in 2026 are a major key to helping you dominate your leagues.

Depth

The average starting lineup across all leagues shakes out to roughly 1 QB, 2 RB, 2.5 WR, 1 TE, 2.7 FLEX, and 0.87 Superflex spots, or about 11 skill players per week. On the roster side, the average bench is about 15.6 spots, with 4.1 taxi-squad slots and 3.7 IR spots. I've received feedback over the years that my values are a bit "flatter" than those of other sources, but this may be because I primarily play in leagues where you can start a handful of wide receivers every week. Having the depth to fill out a starting lineup every week, even when the injury bug hits and bye weeks start piling up, is a major key to winning, and my relatively high valuations of long-term starting caliber WR2s and WR3s reflect this reality. The data shows that leagues with multiple flex spots are the default, making this a common challenge for dynasty owners.

QB Scoring

6-point passing touchdowns have become the majority at 58.8%, overtaking the traditional 4-point scoring (34.1%). This number surprised me a bit; I'd have guessed it would be the other way around.

Rookie Board

I don't want to write too much about the rookies because there's not much to be said that hasn't already been covered in the outstanding Footballguys Rookie Guide. The player write-ups and rankings there are fantastic and have already been updated post-combine. I highly recommend you check it out if you haven't already.

I do think adding some numerical values to players has value, however. It not only helps visualize the tiers likely to form based on the value of individual rookie picks, but also helps contextualize pick value relative to other veterans.

From the perspective of pick values overall, here are some of the storylines I thought mattered coming out of the NFL Combine:

1. Jeremiyah Love solidified himself as the 1.01 in all formats. It was not just the fact that he ran fast. I also put stock in the scuttlebutt coming out of all of the behind-the-scenes conversations at the combine, which indicates Love is a virtual lock for a Top 10 selection in the draft. I am buying into some of the speculation tying him to the Titans at 4th overall. Tennessee has needs all over the place, but prioritizing taking some of the pressure off of Cam Ward and giving him and the offense more weapons makes a lot of sense.
2. The top five wide receivers either ran slowly (Carnell Tate) or didn't run at all (Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, Denzel Boston, and KC Concepcion). Guys who choose not to run typically do so because they know their time wouldn't be impressive. I don't think this is cause for overreaction, but it confirms that this class doesn't have any wide receivers who are the total package in both film and measurable athleticism. There isn't a Ja'Marr Chase or Malik Nabers in the group. However, many of the top dynasty wide receivers, including Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CeeDee Lamb, Puka Nacua, and Amon-Ra St. Brown, put up relatively pedestrian testing numbers coming out of college. I guess the big-picture takeaways are not to despair at the lack of a surefire star who checks all the boxes at the top of the class, but to factor that into dynasty valuations. I don't think any wide receiver in this class should enter the league higher than 25 points or so in value. However, I am also not panicking in the slightest about believing in a guy like Tate just because he isn't a 4.4 speedster.
3. While the top wide receivers mostly didn't run, there were some blazing fast times and relatively impressive numbers for some guys in the next tier down. In particular, Omar Cooper Jr, Chris Brazzell II, Germie Bernard, Bryce Lance, and Skyler Bell really showed out and raised their stock. Depth is sorely lacking at quarterback, running back, and tight end. Fortunately, the wide receiver group is once again at least 10 deep with interesting talents who have real upside if they land in the right system. I'm expecting the late 1st and 2nd rounds of rookie drafts to be very heavy on wide receivers from this tier.
4. The top two tight ends put on a show at the combine. Kenyon Sadiq and Eli Stowers both likely locked up spots in the first round after displaying elite athleticism and explosiveness. For fantasy purposes, speed is especially important for tight ends and is highly correlated to success at the NFL level. The drop-off is pretty steep after these two, in my book.

Quarterback

QB News and Notes

Kyler Murray

Murray's dynasty value has rebounded a bit because all indications are that he is going to land on his feet as somebody's starting quarterback in 2026. The Murray-Cardinals split looks like a done deal at this point. Arizona couldn't find a trade partner willing to take on his massive contract at the combine, so a straight release is the most likely path forward, which is reportedly what Murray has been pushing for. The two possible destinations that keep popping up are the Jets and the Vikings. Matthew Berry recently said that he keeps hearing Murray to New York, and ESPN reported that Minnesota has Murray near the top of their veteran QB wish list. For dynasty managers, a landing spot in Minnesota with Kevin O'Connell and that Jefferson/Hockenson/Addison weapon set would be the home run outcome, though even the Jets would give him a clear runway to start and the team has the cap space and draft capital to put some solid pieces around him. 

Malik Willis

Willis is shaping up to be the belle of the ball in free agency despite a grand total of six career starts. He could earn around $30 million per year on a multi-year deal. Yahoo reported that Arizona, Miami, and Pittsburgh are the frontrunners, with the Jets lurking as well. The Cardinals' connection is hard to ignore. New head coach Mike LaFleur is Matt LaFleur's brother, and new OC Nathaniel Hackett spent time in Green Bay's building, so Arizona has a built-in scouting advantage on Willis. Miami has similar ties to the Packers through its new GM and head coach. For dynasty, the rushing upside makes Willis one of the more exciting names to track this offseason. Once he finalizes his new contract in the next two weeks, expect his dynasty value to rise even further (though I've tried to get ahead of that expected rise by bumping him significantly heading into March).

Geno Smith

Smith's situation in Las Vegas is the least clear of the bunch. He had a rough 2025, leading the league with 17 interceptions and taking 55 sacks, but GM John Spytek hasn't committed to cutting him yet, saying the team is still evaluating every option at the position. The Raiders could release him and eat $18.5 million in dead cap, or they could keep him around as a bridge starter while rookie Fernando Mendoza gets his feet wet. If cut, Smith has a great shot to earn a starting job in 2026, given the weakness of the rookie class and the large number of QB-needy teams. The reported Minnesota interest is especially intriguing, especially if you buy into the idea that his struggles last year were largely the result of an awful offensive line and broken scheme.

Kirk Cousins

The Falcons made it official at the combine, announcing that Cousins will be released on March 11 when the new league year opens. Cousins actually played pretty well down the stretch after Penix tore his ACL in Week 11, going 5-3 as a starter with a four-game win streak to close the year. He's said he wants to come back for a 15th season at 37. A possible Vikings reunion is a best-case scenario, as I'd make him the favorite over McCarthy to open as the starter. It's also possible that he will have to settle for a clear backup role because it appears a number of other veterans are more highly sought after on the eve of free agency.

J.J. McCarthy

I've dropped McCarthy's value a bit. There were some signs of hope in his relatively strong finish to the 2025 season. However, the vibes coming out of the combine are that Minnesota is probably going to be fairly aggressive at quarterback in free agency. The reported interest in Murray is especially troubling. It would be one thing if the Vikings brought in an aging veteran like Cousins to compete in the short term. Adding a relatively young quarterback with Murray's pedigree would be an entirely different matter.

Running Back