The fantasy football offseason is essentially a months-long stock market. Player values rise and fall as coaching changes happen, depth charts shift and news breaks across the league. With the first few days of NFL free agency behind us, the wide receiver and tight end markets have started to take shape. In this installment, we'll evaluate the landing spots for free-agent receivers and tight ends and what it means for fantasy value in 2026.
Staying ahead of the market is critical in best ball fantasy football. Missing early value shifts can cost you league-winning upside. If you've missed any previous installments of this series, you can find them here.
Wide Receivers
Alec Pierce, Indianapolis Colts
Pierce isn't changing teams, but the four-year, $116 million extension he signed with the Colts is significant enough to evaluate on its own.
Pierce posted 824 receiving yards in 2024 and followed with 1,003 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. His 21.8 yards per reception in that two-year stretch is historic. He's the only player since James Lofton to post consecutive seasons with at least six touchdowns and 20-plus yards per catch. He did all of that with non-elite quarterback play.
The most impressive aspect of Pierce's development has been his growth beyond the deep ball. He entered the league as a one-dimensional vertical threat, but last two seasons he has improved significantly in the short and intermediate areas. At this point, he profiles as a legitimate full-time starting outside receiver who can win at every level of the field.
The fantasy question centers entirely on Daniel Jones. The Colts signed Jones to a two-year deal after he posted a career-high 68 percent completion rate and 19 touchdowns before tearing his Achilles in Week 14. If Jones returns healthy, the Colts have assembled a loaded skill group with Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Warren, Josh Downs and now Pierce locked in long term. That's a WR2 environment for Pierce.
If the Achilles keeps Jones out or limits him, and the Colts roll with Riley Leonard, the passing game reverts to what we've already seen. Pierce has proven he can produce with bad quarterbacks, but $116 million doesn't change the guy throwing him the football. Draft Pierce as a WR2 if Jones is healthy and a WR3 if he's not.
Romeo Doubs, New England Patriots
Doubs signed a four-year, $70 million contract with a maximum value of $80 million with the Patriots. That's top-30 receiver money for a player who has never exceeded 724 receiving yards in a season. It also might be the best value signing of free agency for fantasy purposes.
In Green Bay, Doubs was the third option behind Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. Despite that, he led the Packers with 55 catches, 724 yards and six touchdowns on 85 targets last season. He posted a career-high 12 receptions of 20-plus yards. In eight games with at least six targets, he averaged 16.8 PPR points per game. The production was there whenever the volume was.
Now look at what he's walking into. New England's wide receiver room produced among the fewest receiving yards in the NFL last season. The Patriots released Stefon Diggs, who was the first receiver to cross the 1,000-yard threshold in New England since Julian Edelman. The remaining options are Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams and DeMario Douglas. Nobody on that roster is competing with Doubs for possession targets.
The fit with Drake Maye is what elevates this from a good situation to a great one. Maye needs a reliable perimeter option who wins on short and intermediate routes. That is Doubs' entire game. He's not a deep threat. He's a chain-moving possession receiver who finds soft spots in zone coverage. That's exactly what a developing quarterback needs to build confidence and rhythm.
If 55 catches was Doubs as the third option in a crowded Green Bay receiver room, projecting 75-80 catches as the clear number one in New England is reasonable. That's 900-plus yards. That's a WR2 in fantasy, not a WR3. Draft him a bit earlier than consensus suggests. The target volume will be enormous.
Wan'Dale Robinson, Tennessee Titans
Robinson signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Titans, reuniting him with coach Brian Daboll, who coached him in New York.
Robinson posted a career year in 2025 with 92 catches, 1,014 yards and four touchdowns. However, a repeat performance seems unlikely. Robinson's target volume increased significantly after Malik Nabers suffered an ACL injury in Week 4. Without that injury, Robinson likely would have played a much smaller role in the Giants' offense.
Additionally, Robinson consistently ranked among the lowest average depth-of-target receivers in the NFL. The short route tree caps his yardage ceiling on a per-catch basis and makes him dependent on high volume to produce meaningful fantasy numbers.
The Daboll connection is the reason to pay attention. Daboll knows exactly how to manufacture touches for Robinson through motion, screens and designed quick game. Cam Ward's 7.3-yard average target depth last season shows he operates primarily as a short-area passer, and Robinson's skill set aligns perfectly with that.
He won't replicate 140 targets in Tennessee. Elic Ayomanor and Chimere Dike are on the roster. Gunnar Helm is emerging as a tight end weapon. But Daboll will ensure Robinson sees 80-90 targets in this offense, and that's enough for a consistent PPR floor.
Robinson is a WR3 with a high floor in PPR formats. The short average depth of target caps the ceiling, but the Daboll reunion and the scheme fit create reliable weekly production. Draft him if he falls outside the top 70 picks, but don't pay for the 1,000-yard season that required a teammate's injury to produce.
Mike Evans, San Francisco 49ers
Evans leaves Tampa Bay after 12 seasons, and the name recognition alone will push his ADP higher than it should be.
During his first 10 NFL seasons, Evans missed just eight games. The last two years, he's missed 12 games. Even before suffering multiple injuries last season, Evans averaged just five catches and 47 yards in the three games prior. The durability trend is moving in the wrong direction for a receiver who turns 33 this summer.
The bigger concern is the scheme fit. Brock Purdy's best fantasy production comes through middle-of-field targets. George Kittle on crossing routes. Christian McCaffrey out of the backfield. The slot receiver position. Purdy is not a quarterback who consistently attacks the boundary with deep shots to an X receiver. That is Evans' entire game, and it's not what this offense prioritizes.
There's also the Trent Williams situation. San Francisco has been actively exploring a trade of their franchise left tackle. If Williams goes, the pass protection takes a hit and Purdy's time in the pocket shrinks. That directly reduces the deep-ball opportunities Evans needs to produce at a fantasy-relevant level.
Ricky Pearsall is the receiver to own in San Francisco if he's healthy. McCaffrey remains the offensive engine. Evans is a WR3 at best in this system, and only worth considering if he comes at a significant discount based on the injury history and the scheme mismatch.
Rashid Shaheed, Seattle Seahawks
Shaheed re-signed in Seattle on a three-year, $51 million deal. The contract is significant, but the fantasy outlook is limited.
There's no question that Shaheed is one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL. He can change a game with one touch, and any team would want that kind of speed on its roster. The problem is what happened when Seattle actually had him last season.
In nine games as a Seahawk, Shaheed caught just 15 passes for 188 yards and no touchdowns. He averaged 2.9 targets per game in Seattle compared to 7.3 per game in New Orleans. The target volume simply isn't there.
The reason is straightforward: Jaxon Smith-Njigba commanded a 35.7 percent target share last season. Cooper Kupp is also on the roster. Shaheed is the third option at best in this passing attack, and that doesn't account for the targets going to tight ends and the backfield.
Unless Shaheed lands a clear path to consistent volume through an injury to one of the receivers ahead of him, it's difficult to imagine him surpassing the career-high 75 targets he received in 2023. His explosive ability is real, but in fantasy, volume matters more than big-play potential. Shaheed is a WR4 at best in Seattle and only worth a late-round dart throw in leagues that reward return yardage.
Tight Ends
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Kelce re-signed on a one-year, $12 million deal with a maximum value of $15 million. He'll turn 37 early in the 2026 season.
This situation is fairly straightforward. Kelce is coming off a respectable season with 851 yards and five touchdowns. Another year of decline is expected, but with Kenneth Walker now in the backfield and Patrick Mahomes returning from the ACL, the Chiefs' offense should be more balanced and productive than the unit that struggled through much of 2025.
Kelce's role may shift slightly with Walker commanding more attention in the run game, but the red-zone connection with Mahomes remains one of the most reliable in football. Even in decline, it's difficult to imagine Kelce finishing with fewer than 700 receiving yards if he plays a full season.
The retirement question lingers. Reports have suggested that Kelce considered stepping away before ultimately deciding to return. If he retires midseason, you're left with a wasted draft pick and a scramble at tight end. That's a real risk at his age.
As a floor-based tight end drafted outside the top nine at the position, I'll have mild interest. Draft him with a backup plan in place, and don't be surprised if 2026 is the final chapter.
Isaiah Likely, New York Giants
The fantasy community has been intrigued by Likely for years. The talent is real, but the production has never matched the hype.
Likely's best season came in 2024 when he caught 42 passes for 477 yards and six touchdowns in Baltimore. Last year, after foot surgery, he fell to 27 catches, 307 yards and one touchdown in the Ravens' run-heavy offense that featured the fewest pass attempts in the NFL.
The hope was always that a new team would unlock the target volume Likely never received in Baltimore. The Giants are paying him $40 million over three years, signaling they view him as a significant part of the offense.
The problem is that New York already has Theo Johnson. Johnson scored five touchdowns in a season, and the Giants clearly see him as part of the plan. This isn't a clear TE1 role. It's a committee. Malik Nabers dominates the target share in this offense. Cam Skattebo needs touches in the run game. Jaxson Dart is a second-year quarterback still developing as a passer under John Harbaugh's physical, run-oriented scheme.
Where exactly do 80-plus Likely targets come from in this offense? They don't.
Likely is a TE2 in a committee, not the TE1 breakout the fantasy community has been waiting for. His ADP will almost certainly rise based on the contract and the change of scenery, but the situation doesn't support the volume needed to make him a weekly starter. I'll remain out unless he falls well below where the market prices him.
Conclusion
The wide receiver market has produced one clear fantasy winner in Romeo Doubs, whose target volume in New England should vault him into WR2 territory. Pierce staying in Indianapolis preserves his upside but remains tied to Jones' health. Evans in San Francisco is a scheme mismatch that limits his ceiling. Robinson offers a reliable PPR floor but nothing more, and Shaheed's explosive ability can't overcome the target limitations in Seattle.
At tight end, Kelce remains a floor-based TE1 with retirement risk, and Likely's long-awaited breakout isn't coming in a Giants offense that doesn't have the targets to support it. For the latest depth chart updates and player movement, be sure to visit RotoWire's NFL depth charts.
