Welcome to the weekly Fantasy Notebook, the must-stop spot for keeping your finger on the pulse of Fantasy Nation. NFL news and developments drive fantasy values. The Notebook is here to keep you in the loop on all of it throughout the season -- and into the offseason.
Buckle Up!
The 2026 free-agent signing period draws nigh. The two-day legal tampering period begins Monday at 12:00 p.m. ET. Teams can begin negotiating with agents of unrestricted free agents until the signing period officially begins on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. ET.
That coincides with the official start of the new league year, when all the previously announced deals, trades, and other roster moves become official.
Footballguys will, of course, have coverage in the form of instant reactions for all the fantasy-relevant signings as they're reported.
The Best Part
Next week, we'll be able to start identifying winners and losers, assessing fantasy values, and adding the context that will help us set our baseline information as we prepare for the drafts that matter this summer.
For now?
Let's Set the Table
This week is going to come at us in rapid-fire fashion. There's a reason the NFL Network titles its wall-to-wall coverage of the coming week "NFL Free Agent Frenzy."
It's an apt description.
Being up to speed will help you start the process of getting ahead of your competitors.
We'll do it by previewing this year's fantasy-relevant free-agents, starting with . . .
The Cream of the Crop
As is the case every year, some players stand out from the crowd.
Let's go position-by-position through the players drawing the most interest from both NFL teams and fantasy managers.
The Yin and Yang at Quarterback
There are two very different quarterbacks at the forefront of this year's free agent class: Kyler Murray and Malik Willis.
The dichotomy is striking.
Murray is the veteran with experience, boasting a resume that includes an Offensive Rookie of the Year award and two Pro Bowl appearances. Willis is the promising, but inexperienced upside play.
But there's a clear-cut frontrunner.
Who's No. 1?
Now that we know the Murray era in Arizona is officially coming to a close, it's easy to move him to the top of the board here.
As noted in last week's Fantasy Notebook, Murray's camp feels that he'll be the top QB on the market.
The first overall pick of the 2019 draft, Murray is one of five players in NFL history, along with Buffalo's Josh Allen, Baltimore's Lamar Jackson, New York's Russell Wilson, and former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, to throw for more than 20,000 yards and run for more than 3,000 yards in their seven seasons.
Murray has thrown for 121 touchdowns and 60 interceptions in seven seasons. He also has 32 rushing touchdowns.
But the real reason Murray is the top option is obvious . . .
The Financials
Murray was already guaranteed $36.8 million for 2026 and would have been guaranteed another $19.5 million for 2027 if he were still on the Cardinals' roster after the start of the new league year.
That means he can now do what Russell Wilson did two years ago: Take the veteran minimum on a one-year deal (for Murray, $1.3 million) and stick his old team with the balance of his guaranteed pay (for the Cardinals, $36.7 million).
Willis, on the other hand, won't be cheap.
The fourth-year backup won't command top dollar, but $20-30 million seems reasonable.
Price alone pushes Murray to the top of this list.
Concerns?
Murray dealt with injuries last season, prompting his replacement by veteran backup Jacoby Brissett, who found more success under center than Murray.
As NFL.com's Nick Shook noted, when Arizona chose to proceed with Brissett over Murray -- using Murray's foot injury as the reason -- it felt like a soft benching and a sign of things to come for Murray, who landed on injured reserve in early November and did not return due to the ailment.
According to FOXSports' reporters Ralph Vacchiano and Henry McKenna, the Cardinals' biggest concern was that Murray would no longer be the same player he was before his ACL tear in 2022.
Last year's foot injury added to that.
His mobility is "shot," a source told Vacchiano and McKenna, and Murray doesn't appear suited to transition into a pure pocket passer, either.
If he's unwilling or unable to run, he likely can't be as effective as he once was.
Still, the price almost certainly means . . .
Suitors Won't Care
Price, experience, and potential upside will carry the day for Murray.
As ESPN.com's Seth Walder pointed out, the Seahawks' Super Bowl win with Sam Darnold at quarterback will be good for the reclamation quarterback market.
And, as Walder further noted, Murray is a much less daunting proposition now than Darnold was when he signed with the Vikings two years ago.
Will Suitors Care About Willis' Inexperience?
The 26-year-old has only six career starts -- three with the Titans and three with the Packers -- during his four-year career.
All six were spot starts behind an injured QB, and his reps with the Titans were brutal.
Willis struggled in Tennessee, throwing no touchdowns with three interceptions while completing just 50 percent of his passes and averaging 4.5 yards per attempt.
In 11 appearances and three starts for the Packers, Willis looked far better than he did with the Titans.
He completed 78.6 percent of his passes for 972 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions while adding three rushing scores.
It was all great. But it all came on a very narrow band of playing time . . .
Likely Landing Spots
For Willis, the obvious destination is Miami, where the Dolphins are ready to move on from Tua Tagovailoa.
New coach Jeff Hafley and new GM Jon-Eric Sullivan know Willis well from their shared time in Green Bay, and Willis could slot in as the new starter under coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Other Possibilities
The quarterback market could be a game of musical chairs, with Murray an appealing - and much cheaper - option to many of the same teams that might be interested in Willis.
The list of quarterback-needy teams is well known. The Browns, Jets, and Vikings are the teams most in need at the position. The Dolphins, Falcons, and others could join the fray.
As NFL.com noted, the Steelers seem intent on waiting for Aaron Rodgers' decision on whether he'll continue to play. Even if the recent positive buzz on their feelings about Will Howard seems intentional, they could land on this list because, as we sit right now, QB remains a need.
The same with the Cardinals, where Packers coach Matt LaFleur's brother, Mike, is now the head coach.
Arizona could make sense if the team moves on from Brissett.
The Browns and Jets desperately need competent QB play. The Vikings want competition for J.J. McCarthy.
The Betting Market Outlook
DraftKings lists the Vikings as the current favorites to sign Murray, followed by the Jets and Dolphins, with the Falcons and Browns also in the mix.
The odds reinforce what most observers expect: Murray's market will overlap heavily with teams that might also explore Willis or other veteran options.
There's a long shot to watch as well: The Rams are +2000.
They'll likely need a replacement for Jimmy Garoppolo at No. 2 behind Matthew Stafford, and Profootballtalk.com claims there are rumors that Stafford has already contacted Murray to make the case for coming to L.A., where the man who brought him to Arizona, Kingsbury, is now a member of the Rams' coaching staff.
Adding to that, Murray's former Oklahoma teammate, Baker Mayfield, used a late-season run with the Rams in 2022 to launch his resurgence in Tampa.
