2026 Fantasy NFL Free Agent Wide Receivers: Part 1
2026 NFL Free Agency is right around the corner, which means that a LOT will change across the fantasy football landscape over the next couple of months. New scheme implementations, multiple already established veterans being positively or negatively affected throughout this entire cycle, and most importantly, notable player movement and new landing spots.
In today’s 2026 Fantasy NFL Free Agent Wide Receivers: Part 1, I am going to be looking at two different angles for all of these free agent wide receivers: what their 2026 fantasy football outlook would look like if they stayed with their current team, and what their 2026 fantasy football outlook would look like if they went somewhere else, highlighting what that specific landing spot could be.
Tyreek Hill
A couple of weeks ago, the Miami Dolphins released veteran wide receiver Tyreek Hill, as the team has a whole new coaching staff and clearly wants to move on from its older veterans and start retooling going forward. There is really nothing meaningful that you can glean from Hill’s 2025 season, as the player played in just four games total before breaking his leg and tearing every single ligament in his knee. At 32 years old, there is no way that Tyreek Hill will be ready for week 1 next season after suffering an injury like that, not to mention that his play has just flat-out declined over the last couple of years.
In 2023 and 2024, respectively, Hill totaled over 1,700 receiving yards and posted an absurd 3.0 yards per route run or more in each season as well. In 2024, though, in 17 fully healthy games, the veteran receiver didn’t even reach 1,000 receiving yards. A clear dropoff.
Injury aside, there is one team that CLEARLY stands above the rest for Tyreek Hill: the Kansas City Chiefs. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of WHEN at this point. When you look at the Chiefs, it’s clear they need a downfield element to their passing game, as that offense has been surprisingly slow and inefficient for the last few years. Xavier Worthy was SUPPOSED to be that explosive deep threat, but over two years in the NFL, that has not come to fruition.
A reunion with Hill makes perfect sense, as the veteran receiver can come in and be the second or third option in that passing game once fully healthy, and he and Patrick Mahomes can pick up right where they left off a handful of years ago, once Mahomes is fully healthy himself, too. Due to the stigma around the Chiefs’ offense and Tyreek Hill as a player right now, this is a guy who will probably come at a great discount in fantasy drafts next season, and if he bounces back in any way, you’ll look like a genius in your league for pouncing on that value.
Mike Evans
.@MatthewBerryTMR is hearing Mike Evans could land with the Bills or Eagles in free agency 👀 pic.twitter.com/MJfAmapbSM
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) March 2, 2026
Even though Mike Evans is nearly 33 years old now, this is a future Hall of Famer we’re talking about here, as Evans has totaled 1,000 receiving yards literally every single year of his career (besides last year due to injury). In 8 games in 2025, while battling with Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka for targets at various points throughout the season, Evans averaged 7.4 targets per game and posted a high 21.5% target share as well. When the veteran pass catcher was on the field, he was getting FED. Mike Evans is still a great receiver today.
Based on his phenomenal career, it’s hard to imagine Mike Evans anywhere but Tampa Bay. If there was finally a time that Evans would go elsewhere, though, it would be this year, as the veteran might want to chase a ring with a true Super Bowl contender at the end of the day. It truly feels like a 50/50 shot that Evans will return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason, which would have been pretty crazy to say in years past.
If Evans were to remain a Buccaneer for life, though, that would obviously be great for his fantasy value, although it may not be the home run that it has been in years past, if you ask me at least. Emeka Egbuka is set for a huge year 2 in the NFL, and like it or not, Chris Godwin is still going to be a big part of this offense going forward. So Mike Evans may not be the huge target earner in Tampa Bay that he has been in the past.
I know it’s been HEAVILY rumored lately, but Mike Evans to the Buffalo Bills just makes too much sense at this point. This is the DEFINITION of chasing a ring late in your career, while also having the opportunity to garner a TON of targets for a franchise. The Buffalo Bills need a true alpha #1 receiver. It’s that simple. Khalil Shakir is a good player…for his role. He’s a good second or third option out of the slot, but should never be a top target earner for a franchise, like he has been for Buffalo each of the last two seasons. Stop doing Josh Allen a disservice and go out and be aggressive with a TRUE alpha WR.
If Mike Evans were to end up signing with the Buffalo Bills in free agency…oh my god…fantasy managers would go absolutely NUTS. This is a player who would be set up for all the targets in the WORLD in this scenario while being tied to an elite QB in Josh Allen.
Deebo Samuel
Historically, Deebo Samuel has for the most part been a big fantasy contributor in his career, just because of how he can be used in both the pass and run game and how versatile a player he is. Last season, due to age and situation, he took a step back with the Washington Commanders. From 2021-2023, the player put up no worse than 11.0 fantasy points per game in Half PPR scoring. In 2024 and 2025, however, the veteran receiver averaged 8.6 and 9.5 fantasy points per game, respectively. A big dropoff.
The Washington Commanders HAVE to get younger as a team this offseason, so it is highly unlikely that Deebo Samuel returns to the franchise next season. Even if Deebo Samuel returns to the Commanders with a fully healthy Jayden Daniels in 2026, he would be a pretty low-tier fantasy asset if you ask me. If Terry McLaurin is ever out of the lineup due to injury, Samuel becomes a decent enough WR2/flex play for fantasy managers everywhere. Even without McLaurin, though, there’s still no meaningful ceiling there for Deebo Samuel.
A return to the San Francisco 49ers this offseason makes PERFECT sense for Deebo Samuel if you ask me, because the team will be lacking pass catchers in 2026. Brandon Aiyuk will 100% be cut within the next month, Jauan Jennings could very well leave in free agency, and George Kittle is coming off a torn Achilles at nearly 33 years old, so he may never be the same elite player again, let alone as soon as next season. Additionally, Ricky Pearsall played in just 9 games in 2025, and while injuries aren’t a predictable statistic year to year, that is still a lot of games missed last season for the former first-round pick.
Kyle Shanahan LOVES run after catch ability and versatility in his offenses, and that is Deebo Samuel’s skillset to a tee, albeit not as much as in years past at this point in his career.
Jauan Jennings
🔮 RUMOR
— Big_3_Sports_Central (@Big3SportsCen) March 2, 2026
The #Titans are expected to have interest in #49ers FA WR Jauan Jennings (via @nflrums) #NFL
Will Jennings be on the Titans in 2026?👇 pic.twitter.com/mBUh3jRsts
Jauan Jennings has progressed very nicely over the last few years and had an underrated season in 2025. 2024 was Jennings’ best season by far, but in 2025, the veteran pass catcher still averaged 9.8 fantasy points per game in Half PPR scoring and excelled in true 50/50 situations, finishing with a very impressive 71% contested catch rate. Do not sleep on Jauan Jennings.
The best outcome for Jauan Jennings that fantasy managers should hope for this offseason is for the veteran to re-sign with the San Francisco 49ers. I explained above, with a potential Deebo Samuel reunion, just how badly San Francisco is going to need pass catchers next season, and we have actually seen proof of concept before with Jennings in Kyle Shanahan’s system. Jennings runs a majority of his routes on the outside, and he seems to be a favorite target of Brock Purdy in that offense.
The New England Patriots may opt to go after a “big fish” at WR this offseason, but if they don’t do that, they can throw money at Jauan Jennings to get a target hog who won’t “break the bank,” per se. It is increasingly likely that the Patriots will cut Stefon Diggs this offseason, leaving the franchise with Kayshon Boutte as its only “proven” wide receiver. I mentioned before that Jauan Jennings plays the majority of his snaps on the outside, as evidenced by a 70% out wide rate in 2025. Kayshon Boutte ran 90% of his routes out wide last season, so the two possess very similar skillsets.
Jennings is just a MUCH better player. Upgrade the Boutte role, and fantasy managers would be very excited for Jauan Jennings next season, as he would get absolutely FED from Drake Maye week in and week out in 2026.
Rashid Shaheed
Thinking about Rashid Shaheed pic.twitter.com/hcPUBOrdpw
— SleeperSeahawks (@SleeperSeahawks) February 19, 2026
Rashid Shaheed has always been a fantasy darling throughout his career, as he is an explosive, uber-athletic downfield deep threat, and is literally always open. Shaheed’s aDOT has never dipped below 11.4 over the last three years and continues to grow in volume every year. Rashid Shaheed is a player still ascending in this league and will have an opportunity to cash in on a big payday as a free agent this offseason.
The Seattle Seahawks traded a couple of Day 3 draft picks for Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline last year, so you would think that the team would want to retain him, and honestly, that would be a very good outcome for fantasy managers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is obviously an elite, do-it-all WR, but Seattle is likely going to cut Cooper Kupp this offseason because of his age and decline in play, so that will leave an opening for Shaheed to soak up a ton of targets. Even in a run-heavy Seahawks offense, Rashid Shaheed would be a great fantasy asset as a high upside WR2 in 2026.
If Rashid Shaheed were to leave Seattle as a free agent this offseason, there is one BEYOND obvious fit out there: the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have arguably the worst WR group in the entire NFL, and the Klint Kubiak connection speaks for itself. The two were together in New Orleans two years ago and were obviously together in Seattle last year as well. Kubiak is an offensive genius, and Rashid Shaheed would be set up for the most volume of his career by FAR. Getting to guide Fernando Mendoza through the start of his career would also probably be a huge bonus for Shaheed as well.