The 2022 free agency period was the busiest in NFL history. With so many big names changing teams, there’s a lot to unpack. Let’s discuss some of the free agency losers who saw their fantasy football decline in value.

What exactly classifies a player as a loser from a fantasy football perspective? As always, there is certainly an element of subjectivity in all this.

For the purposes of this article, a loser is any player whose fantasy football value has diminished as a result of a move he or his team made in NFL 2022 free agency.

Which quarterbacks saw their fantasy value decline after NFL free agency in 2022?

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

Let me start by saying that Patrick Mahomes remains one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy. However, his clear QB1 status was gone before the Tyreek Hill trade. Now Josh Allen is the undisputed best quarterback in fantasy football.

Mahomes has only played four games in his career without Hill. He’s obviously talented enough to make it work, but let’s not pretend that doesn’t really matter. There is only one hill in Tyreek. He is irreplaceable.

The Chiefs will undoubtedly draft a wide receiver on Day 1 or Day 2. Mahomes likely enters this season with rookie Marquez Valdes-Scantling and JuJu Smith-Schuster as starting wide receivers. Travis Kelce is a year older and Mahomes was outscored by four quarterbacks last season in fantasy points per game.

Mahomes is still an elite QB1, but there will be very valid arguments that at least three or four quarterbacks will precede him in the 2022 Fantasy Football Draft, making him one of the biggest losers in the game. free agency.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

I don’t think we’re getting a third consecutive MVP performance from Aaron Rodgers. Not without Davante Adams.

The Packers shipped Adams to Las Vegas for a host of draft picks, leaving Rodgers with Allen Lazard as his WR1. Like the Chiefs, they’ll surely draft at least one wide receiver on Day 1 or Day 2 of the draft. But, like Hill, you can’t replace Adams.

Rodgers averaged 3.2 fewer Fantasy points per game in 2021 than in 2020. His overall numbers were largely the same. The main difference was that he threw for 11 fewer touchdowns.

Without Adams, I have a hard time seeing Rodgers end up as anything other than an average to low QB1. His fantasy value will largely depend on his ADP, but either way, elite QB1 Rodgers doesn’t work without his elite WR1.

Other QB losers

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys lost two of Prescott’s receivers in Amari Cooper and Cedrick Wilson, as well as a key offensive lineman in La’el Collins.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (for now): After trading for Deshaun Watson and signing Jacoby Brissett, Mayfield almost left for Cleveland. However, it lacks places where it could start. Mayfield could end up being a backup in 2022.

We continue with the running back position. Which running backs saw their fantasy value decline after NFL free agency in 2022?

Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers

The Panthers signed D’Onta Foreman to be Christian McCaffrey’s replacement, relegating Chuba Hubbard to a third-string role.

Hubbard adequately replaced McCaffrey last season. Now its fantasy value is pretty much nil. He would need several injuries to be worth starting.

Myles Gaskin, Miami Dolphins

A year ago, Myles Gaskin was a fourth- or fifth-round pick in the draft leagues. Now, I really don’t believe he even deserves a spot on the Dynasty rosters.

Gaskin is a former seventh-round pick with an unexpected second-year breakout in 2020. He entered 2021 as a presumptive starter but lost his job to Duke Johnson at the end of the year.

In free agency, the Dolphins signed Chase Edmonds and Raheem Mostert. In between, they can do everything you need in a backfield. Gaskin won’t be drafted into any standard-sized draft leagues, and he’s highly unlikely to count again.

Other RB losers

Antonio Gibson, Washington Commanders: Gibson was about to have a threesome for a few days. Then JD McKissic fended off Buffalo to return to Washington. Gibson will still be productive, but the RB1 elite is out of his scoring lineup with McKissic taking the passing game job.

Zack MossBuffalo Bills: Devin Singletary is clearly in the lead at Buffalo, and they’ve signed Duke Johnson to be his replacement. I’m not sure Moss will become a fantasy asset again.

Which wide receivers saw their fantasy value decline after NFL free agency in 2022?

Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

Going from Rodgers to Derek Carr is an obvious downgrade. But there is more than that.

Adams had a rapport with Rodgers that you just can’t teach. Sure, Adams played with Carr in college, but that was ten years ago. A big part of what made Adams so elite in fantasy was his synchronization with Rodgers. Back shoulders. The steep slopes. Those plays where the corner would back up and Rodgers would just check a fast hitter for five free yards. None of this is repeatable in Las Vegas.

In addition, there is real targeted competition. Adams will be the alpha and command the biggest target share, but, in fantasy, we want consolidated targets in offenses. In Green Bay, there was nobody. Adams is up against some legitimately good players in Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow.

Adams should still be a WR1 in fantasy, but he’s no longer a top-three threat.

Jaylen Waddle, Miami Dolphins

To be clear, Jaylen Waddle is still a very talented young receiver who is going to be very valuable in fantasy for the next decade. That said, anyone telling you that Waddle didn’t lose its fantasy value when Hill arrived is lying to themselves. When a receiver goes from his team’s WR1 clear alpha to WR2 behind one of the most talented receivers of all time, it’s negative.

Waddle was perhaps close to hitting a 30% target share this season. Now, I would be surprised if it exceeded 20-22%. If Tua Tagovailoa can throw 600 times, Waddle can still hit 120-130 targets. It can still be a high WR2. I just don’t see WR1 upside down because this offense is going to go through Hill.

Hunter Renfrow, Las Vegas Raiders

Renfrow is perhaps the biggest free agency loser in the 2022 NFL. He was a real revelation in 2021, commanding 128 targets, catching more than 100 passes and amassing more than 1,000 receiving yards. And it wasn’t entirely the product of a sterile sleight-of-hand corps behind Waller. Renfrow is just good at football. The man opens.

Unfortunately, you know who else is really good at football and can’t be covered? Davante Adams. And he does it better than Renfrow (and pretty much the entire NFL).

Normally I can spin things around so they don’t seem this wrong. Nah, that’s bad. I think that buries Renfrow. He was going to be ranked as an average to low WR2 for me this season. With the addition of Adams, I don’t see Renfrow as anything other than a WR4.

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are still extremely talented wide receivers. However, the quarterback position matters. They’ve now moved on from Russell Wilson to maybe Drew Lock (or maybe Mayfield/Jimmy Garoppolo). Either way, it’s a massive downgrade.

Lockett takes more hits than Metcalf because Lockett relies more on chemistry with his quarterback and timing/accuracy. Metcalf actually averaged more fantasy points per game with Geno Smith than Wilson did last season. He takes a hit, but not as much as Lockett.

Consider Metcalf a high WR2. He may actually end up being worth due to overreacting by punishing him for the quarterback change.

As for Lockett, he was already one of the most volatile weekly players in fantasy football along with Wilson. Now it can be volatile without the peak weeks (or with fewer weeks). Lockett will probably be a WR3 in ADP, and I’m afraid that might be too high.

Other WR losers

Laviska Shenault Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars: It’s hard to call a player a loser when his value was so low to begin with. Still, Shenault is viewed more favorably in the fantasy community than in real life. Jaguars signing Christian Kirk and Evan Engram tell you everything you need to know about their thoughts on Shenault.

DJ Moore, Carolina Panthers: The Panthers lost Deshaun Watson, didn’t sign Marcus Mariota or Mitch Trubisky and showed no interest in Baker Mayfield. They could really go into 2022 with Sam Darnold as their starting quarterback again. Somebody give Moore a quarterback. Please!

We conclude with the final tight position. Which tight ends saw their fantasy value decline after NFL free agency in 2022?

Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders

I’m not going to stress the point too much with tight ends. Waller was clearly the #1 target monster for the Raiders. Now he has to share (read: play second fiddle) with Adams.

Waller struggled with injuries in 2021 and struggled with consistency. Adding Adams lowers its floor and ceiling. Waller is still in the tight top five, but he’s further away from Travis Kelce than he was last season.

Noah Fant, Seattle Seahawks

I’m not sure Noah Fant is a loser in the sense that his fantasy value has gone down. It’s more the disappointment of not being able to take advantage of the rising tide that lifts all the boats that is Russell Wilson in the Broncos’ attack.

Fant will be Seattle’s TE1, but he has to compete with Metcalf and Lockett for targets, and his starting quarterback could again be Lock. I’ve always been a fan of Fant’s talent, but he’s not a TE1 going into the 2022 season, making him one of the biggest losers from a fantasy football perspective.