2012 NFL Free Agents: 8 Players Fantasy Owners Need to Keep an Eye on

A receiver-heavy group of free agents has hit the free-agent market in 2012.

Drew Brees, Arian Foster (restricted), Ray Rice and Matt Forte are the top overall talents, but they are so closely identified with their respective teams that it seems unlikely they will be going elsewhere. 

Also, the fantasy output of those four has been consistent outside of injuries, as they have produced at an elite (or near-elite) level in the past few seasons.

There are a few other notable QBs, RBs and TEs on the market, but the glut of talent is at the WR position.

And there could be some movement with a few of the big-name WRs such as Vincent Jackson and Mike Wallace.

Here are five WRs, one TE, one QB and one RB to keep an eye on this offseason.

Mike Wallace, WR

Wallace is a restricted free agent who will at least be given a first-round tender designation.

The Steelers have one of the worst cap situations in the NFL but have been working on restructuring some other player deals to make room for a new deal with Wallace.

Ben Roethlisberger, Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons have all agreed to restructure their deals thus far.

There will certainly be interest from other teams if it is just a first-round tender that is placed on Wallace.

However, the multitude of lower-cost options available (through free agency and the draft) might be enough to keep Wallace in Pittsburgh.

DeSean Jackson, WR

Jackson is coming off the worst season of his career, but he still has the potential to be a fantasy stud at WR.

And let’s not forget that Jackson can net you points in the return game too.

Jackson is expected to receive the franchise tag, but Philadelphia has said they will be open and listening to trade offers. Any interested team will need to be confident in signing Jackson to a long-term deal, as he held out of training camp last year with the Eagles. 

Getting a contract he can live with might be a problem though. There is a real possibility he won’t sign for less than he thinks he’s worth (which could be above market value).

Before you place him on your draft board, make sure he’s locked in with a team.

Jackson was the ninth WR taken on average in 2011 drafts; he’ll drop further in 2012 and should end up giving you more value for the pick than in years past.

Matt Flynn, QB

Flynn’s situation is certainly an interesting one.

In other years, his job search might be getting more attention, but Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III have stolen much of the attention in the offseason thus far.

Both Luck and RGIII have impressed at the NFL combine, and the Colts and one other team will lock up their QBs of the future on April 26.

That cuts down the list of suitors for Flynn as a starter, but the market is still there.

There’s not much to go on in evaluating Flynn. There’s one spectacular performance in Week 17 that brought about a lot of hype, and the rest is speculation. 

In Week 17 against the Lions, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six TDs, both franchise records for the Packers. He also fumbled and threw a pick.

In 2010, Matt Flynn had a start against New England and went for 251 yards with three TDs in a loss. Flynn also threw a pick six in the game and lost a fumble.

Flynn will garner interest from multiple teams.

The Miami Dolphins have been rumored as front-runners for Flynn with former Packers’ offensive coordinator Joe Philbin recently named the team’s head coach.

Wes Welker, WR

All signs point to Wes Welker receiving the franchise designation if no long-term deal is reached. The franchise WR tag will bring a salary of about $9.5 million.

Welker was the No. 3 scoring WR in fantasy football 2011.

He’s far from your prototypical No. 1 wide receiver, but he thrives in the Patriots’ system where he makes a lot of catches on quick slants, relying on the chemistry and quick-read capability he has developed with Tom Brady. 

If for some reason Welker is not with the Patriots in 2012, he should drop significantly on your fantasy draft boards.

Dwayne Bowe, WR

As I mentioned in my recent article about the top 15 WRs for next year, Bowe’s TD receptions dropped to five after a 2010 season in which he caught 15.

QB Matt Cassel going down in Week 9 seemed to be the cause for the dropoff.

Bowe had four of his five receiving TDs at that point. He didn’t add the last TD until Week 16 with Kyle Orton at QB.

As the AFC West is a wide-open division at this point, I don’t see the Chiefs letting Bowe go, but a rebound season is likely and Bowe will be a fantasy stud once again.

Again, the franchise tag for WR is about $9.5 million for WRs. The Chiefs, however, seem willing to pay it if they cannot reach a long-term deal.  

Vincent Jackson, WR

Jackson was given the franchise tag last year, so it’s unlikely that the Chargers will do it again at a steeper price.

If the Chargers can’t lock him up in a multi-year deal, there will certainly be other suitors for the 6’5” receiver’s services.

Jackson has had at least 1,000 yards and seven TDs in three of the last four seasons (in 2010 he was injured and played only five games).

He won’t get Larry Fitzgerald-type money, but Jackson will get paid.

Where he ends up will determine his position in the top 15 fantasy WRs.

Michael Bush, RB

Bush has been one of the top RB2s in the league over the last few seasons as he has been the backup for oft-injured star Darren McFadden. Because of McFadden’s history, the Raiders will try to retain Bush.

However, using the franchise tag (for about $8 million) isn’t a practical option for the Raiders at this point. It also doesn’t seem likely that the Raiders would give Bush more than the $5.65 million that McFadden is getting in 2012. 

Bush may be able to find close to that type of money elsewhere.

Bush was, on average, the 40th back taken in last year’s fantasy drafts. He won’t fall that far this year, but he can give you top-10 potential, and you could probably nab him as late as the 20th back.

If Bush does end up with a new team, he could be the lead back from the start of the season. In that case, his first 1,000-yard season would be a near-guarantee.

Fred Davis, TE

Davis put up career-best numbers despite missing the season’s final four games due to a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy. He finished with 59 catches for 796 yards and three TDs.

Projected out to 16 games, he would have had 79 catches for 1,059 yards and four TDs.

Those numbers would have put him third in yards and tied for third in catches among TEs.

The TD number is low, but Davis didn’t have Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees or Tom Brady throwing to him in the red zone. A step up in QB play would have brought his TD total to a respectable seven or eight.

Because of the suspension, Davis probably won’t get the multi-year deal he’s looking for, but he could be a breakout fantasy stud at TE next year and set himself up for a future payday.