With four months elapsed since free agency and three since the draft, it’s the perfect time to refresh yourself on a typically chaotic NFL offseason. From all the trades and free agent signings to draft blockbusters and shock un-retirements, here are the top 25 moves of the 2025 NFL offseason through a fantasy lens.
Get ready for 2025 fantasy football drafts with in-depth previews for all 32 teams throughout the summer.
1. Jaguars make biggest bet of the offseason by trading up for Travis Hunter
Say what you will about the Jacksonville Jaguars: They like to think big. In a year where no team dealt its first-round pick before draft night, the Jags finally uncorked the insanity when they moved up for Travis Hunter. The cost to trade up three spots? The No. 5 overall pick, a 2026 first-rounder, a second-rounder, and a fourth-rounder. Four picks, for someone who plays two positions. A bargain, right? Only time can render that verdict, and only the Jaguars would attempt something so audacious.
2. Rams make big free agent bet on Davante Adams as new No. 2
Rams coach Sean McVay drafted Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua on Days 2 and 3, respectively, but that has never stopped him from pursuing big-name wideouts on the trade and free agent markets. Davante Adams is simply the latest in a long line that includes Brandin Cooks, Sammy Watkins, and Allen Robinson. Adams is the biggest name yet, but he’s also 32 years old and on his fourth team in five years. He does remain efficient and productive. Even with Nacua now amongst the league’s best overall players, Adams should command enough targets in this narrow offense to glide to WR2 numbers.
Adams finds great landing spot with Rams
Patrick Daugherty discusses why Davante Adams is a great fit with the Los Angeles Rams, breaking down the star receiver’s fantasy value with Puka Nacua alongside him and Matthew Stafford as his quarterback.
3. Steelers and Aaron Rodgers partner up after months of dithering
You will sometimes hear the phrase “marriage of convenience.” It’s especially common at the quarterback position. Far more rare is the marriage of survival. Despite months of attempting to drum up free agent interest, no one else wanted Aaron Rodgers at his asking price. Despite months of praying a better option would fall into their laps, the Steelers never had a viable Plan B. Enter survival mode. No longer the efficiency monster of his prime and in free fall physically, it’s unclear what Rodgers really offers at this stage of his career. He’s also one of the best players in the history of the league. He knows this is his last season. Maybe there will be one last magic act. More likely is the end of several eras.
4. DK Metcalf flipped to weapons-desperate Steelers
Seattle didn’t want to pay DK Metcalf $25 million per season. The Steelers had no pass catchers to pay. Salary cap gravity took hold with Metcalf’s Pittsburgh move, though the transaction has created as many questions as answers. Direly low on pass catchers, the Steelers flipped George Pickens after landing Metcalf. They are also pairing their new No. 1 with an infamously “details oriented” quarterback. Aaron Rodgers has been known to upbraid his wideouts for the tiniest of mistakes. Metcalf made plenty of those in Seattle, while his down-field skill-set wouldn’t gel with Rodgers’ increasingly timing- and short-area based game even were he a more forgiving QB. This move doesn’t make sense on paper. We’ll see if it’s any better in “real life.”
5. Cowboys finally find a running mate for CeeDee Lamb in George Pickens
Everyone associated with the Steelers from ownership on down to the fans has had enough of the team’s shaky quarterback situation, but no one was more over it than George Pickens. At times barely trying in 2024, Pickens wasn’t asking for a fresh start so much as forcing one into existence. His petulance has paid off in the form of a massive quarterback and environment upgrade. Not only will Dak Prescott be the best signal caller he’s ever had, Pickens will benefit enormously from the presence of CeeDee Lamb. Suddenly, Pickens is going to be freed up 1-on-1 down the field. Going from the top option to No. 2, Pickens might still struggle to reach 1,000 yards, but his Cowboys highs should be higher with the lows not quite so cavernous.
6. Giants sign two quarterbacks (Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston), trade back into the first round for a third
There’s quarterback thirst, then there’s what the Giants did this spring. Why sign one washed veteran when you can nab two? That was only the prelude to an even more questionable decision. There was no franchise player available at No. 3 overall, so the Giants wisely avoided forcing the issue. But then they traded back into the first round’s “Kenny Pickett zone” to select Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart. If a quarterback falls to No. 25, they are probably not a legitimate first-rounder. Although the G-Men are clearly dreaming of the next Lamar Jackson, the next Teddy Bridgewater or Derek Carr is more likely in the 25-35 range. That’s the good outcome. The bad? Look no further than Mt. Kenny.
7. Raiders reunite the Pete Carroll band with former frontman Geno Smith
Sometimes you get the reunion you need instead of the one you want. Even if nobody was clamoring for Pete Carroll and Geno Smith to get back together, it should get the job done for fantasy purposes. We don’t need Smith to be relevant, only his pass catchers, and he is going to do an infinitely better job of delivering the football than Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. He also won’t be stealing touches from first-round running back Ashton Jeanty. Even if you weren’t expecting Smith back in your fake football life, he’s in the right place at the right time on the digital gridiron.
8. Seahawks replace Geno Smith with Sam Darnold
Geno Smith will be a breath of fresh air in Las Vegas after wearing out his welcome in Seattle. Nevermind the fact that he’s still better than Sam Darnold. Either the Seahawks don’t see it that way or they don’t care as they prepare to usher in a more run-based attack. And that is the takeaway for Darnold. He is gaining a ground-oriented offense as he loses wiz kid play-caller Kevin O’Connell. He still has a decent receiver duo in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, but nothing that will allow him to approach last season’s career year. Now we just need to hope he can support JSN as a WR2.
9. Jets give Justin Fields a chance as unquestioned starter
One of the more surprising stops on the quarterback carousel was the Jets’ aggressive move for Justin Fields. Given a two-year deal in the opening hours of free agency, Fields is getting his first chance to be an unquestioned starter since 2023, and doing so in an offense tailored to his strengths. Gang Green’s Lions-indebted coaching staff is orienting the offense around the run, and is unlikely to ask Fields to do too much. The same formula was working well in Pittsburgh last season before Fields was unceremoniously benched for a less-effective Russell Wilson. Still a rushing dynamo with the ball in his hands, Fields is the inverse of Geno and Darnold in that it’s uncertain what you might get from him in “real life,” but crystal clear in fantasy: Lots and lots of points.
Fields is fantasy-relevant right away with Jets
Justin Fields to the Jets is a “low-risk roll of the dice” for New York, a move that Matthew Berry and the FFHH crew believe positions him for immediate fantasy relevance as an “upside swing” for the Jets.
10. Bears keep stockpiling weapons with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden
Meet the new Bears, same as the old Bears. The idea last season? Surround Caleb Williams with weapons. The idea this season? … surround Caleb Williams with weapons. The plan hopefully goes better the second time around after the Bears supplemented their draft splurges with high-dollar free agent spending to shore up the offensive line. It’s unclear what it means for fantasy managers, as first-rounder Colston Loveland and top-40 pick Luther Burden face stiff target competition in the form of D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze. Loveland seems best left on the TE1/2 borderline, while Burden is little more than a WR5 flier.
11. Commanders take a chance on Deebo Samuel as new No. 2 wideout
How good was Jayden Daniels as a rookie? He made Olamide Zaccheaus, Noah Brown, and Dyami Brown viable No. 2 receivers. Now let’s hope he never has to do that again. On paper, Samuel’s open-field slashing is a perfect complement to Terry McLaurin‘s boundary proficiency. In practice, he is an older-than-his-years 29 after taking a half-decade’s worth of hits as the 49ers’ de facto change-of-pace running back. There’s no guarantee he’s actually more effective than last season’s No. 2 hodge podge. He does unquestionably provide more upside, and is a sensible flier for fantasy managers in the same way he was for the Commanders. A top-30 finish is within the range of outcomes.
The Rotoworld Football crew tackle the top burning questions from each division around the NFL.
12. Chargers overhaul backfield with Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton
At a certain point, even Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman had to acknowledge reality: You can’t build an offense around J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards. That’s why the Chargers went shockingly pass-heavy for last season’s stretch run. Now it’s fantasy managers’ turn to come back to the real world. Harbs and Roman are still going to run if able, and Najee Harris and Omarion Hampton give them much better odds of success. As underwhelming as he is, Harris fulfills Harbaugh’s obsession with getting what’s blocked. Hampton, for his part, can do it all, though it is unclear how touches will shake out to begin the season. If you are drafting Hampton as a high-end RB2, you need to hope Harris maxes out as a 10-12 touch player.
13. Colts build a bridge to … somewhere with Daniel Jones
Long lambasted for entombing themselves in quarterback purgatory since Andrew Luck’s surprise retirement, the Colts aren’t beating the allegations with Daniels Jones’ addition. Jones is a stereotypical bridge QB, but to what exactly? 10-7? Or the lottery? Anything in between won’t be enough to save the jobs of coach Shane Steichen and GM Chris Ballard, while even 10-7 would barely be notable for a team that’s gone 17-17 over the past two years. The Colts are holding serve. They should soon be broken.
14. Seahawks hope Cooper Kupp still has something left
Cooper Kupp posted 1,947 yards in 17 2021 appearances. He has 2,259 in his 33 games since. He’s also now 32 years old. Age and injury are hard to come back from, even more so when packaged together. That, coupled with Kupp’s departure from Sean McVay’s system make him a poor fantasy bounce-back bet as Sam Darnold’s No. 2 receiver … is what I wrote before adding this addendum: Elite players have a way of surprising us. Sadly, the element of surprise is the only thing we have left with this former fantasy legend.
Seahawks are ‘the perfect niche’ for Kupp
Mike Florio and Chris Simms explore how Cooper Kupp will fit right in with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
15. Broncos pounce on free agent TE Evan Engram
Released by the Jaguars in a salary cap move, Evan Engram has landed in the fantasy heaven of Sean Payton’s “joker” role. Lauded as a middle-of-the-field matchup nightmare by the coach himself, Engram is never going to catch 114 passes again, but he should easily return to the 70-75 range in the Mile High City. One of the biggest winners of free agency, Engram is a high-floor TE1 with more ceiling than he is given credit for.
16. Packers finally select a first-round receiver
23 years and several Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks later, the Packers accomplished the impossible: Using a first-round pick on a wideout. Matthew Golden arrives in a receiver corps overstuffed with No. 3 and 4 options. So obviously he’s the no-questions-asked No. 1, right? Funny you ask… Golden’s ceiling is so unknown he’s only reaching the WR40-45 range in summer best ball drafts, but that’s still higher than any other Packers wideout, if just barely. More traits than production in college, 21-year-old Golden profiles as someone who could need a year or three to develop into a fantasy force.
17. Derek Carr retires, Saints turn to Tyler Shough
Point of view: It’s a random Saturday morning in May. You are enjoying your coffee or perhaps a book. You aimlessly check your phone only to see five different texts that are all some variation of “Derek Carr what the hell lol.” If Carr’s retirement still doesn’t make sense, the backup plan isn’t much more believable. Tyler Shough is a 25-year-old second-round rookie. He never threw for more than 23 scores in six college seasons. Supposedly the traits are there. Fantasy managers can take the Saints’ word for it and then target a different offense in drafts.
18. Broncos reset backfield with draft pick and veteran signing
Whatever that — Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, Audric Estime, Tyler Badie — was, it didn’t work. The new plan is better, if not guaranteed to blow your socks off. The RB5 in this year’s draft class, RJ Harvey is electric and versatile, if also undersized at 5-foot-8 and already 24 years old. His running mate, J.K. Dobbins, was more efficient than fantasy managers may have realized last season, if hardly more productive. Together, they should nevertheless easily outproduce last year’s crew. We just don’t know who is getting what. Harvey is worth an RB2 flier, with Dobbins an uninspiring RB3/FLEX.
How Dobbins joining DEN affects Harvey in fantasy
Lawrence Jackson evaluates how J.K. Dobbins could still find fantasy value as the secondary running back to R.J. Harvey for the Denver Broncos by looking at Sean Payton’s history of running dual-RB offenses.
19. Patriots gamble on rehabbing Stefon Diggs
Few teams needed to upgrade their skill corps like the Pats. Four months later … few teams need to upgrade their skill corps like the Pats. Oh well, can’t win ‘em all. The Patriots did win the Stefon Diggs sweepstakes, giving the aging and rehabbing wideout $16.6 million guaranteed. It’s a healthy sum for a player whose decline was accelerating even before tearing his ACL. Although there were offseason questions about how badly Diggs wants to be here, there is no one else in the building. Simple dot connection makes Diggs a high-floor WR4 with the possibility for more.
20. Steelers deepen skill corps with Jonnu Smith acquisition
In an offseason full of high-key additions and subtractions, the Steelers managed to make one under-the-radar transaction. A throw-in to the Jalen Ramsey/Minkah Fitzpatrick blockbuster, Jonnu Smith will never find a fit as good as last year’s Dolphins dump-off machine, but an immobile Aaron Rodgers paired with Jonnu obsessive Arthur Smith comes closer than fantasy managers might realize. Like Tua Tagovailoa, Rodgers is going to get the ball out quickly. Unlike the Dolphins, there’s almost no one else here to catch passes. After tumbling from the TE1 ranks to mid-range TE2 status, Smith could again out-produce his ADP.
21. Dolphins coax Darren Waller out of retirement
The Dolphins took it personally when you said they didn’t have a Plan B after trading Jonnu Smith. It was also so insane no one could have predicted it. Darren Waller never stopped producing before his 2024 retirement. Now, playing? That was a different story. Waller averaged only 10 appearances from 2021-23. He’s now 32 years old. Waller presumably remains a mismatch when healthy. It’s just unlikely he will remain on the field long enough to generate consistent fantasy points for TE2 desperados.
22. Cowboys throw four bodies at their backfield issues
Like the Patriots’ receiver corps, the Cowboys didn’t do much to address their running back woes as rearrange them. There is a pair of veterans in Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and a pair of rookies in Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah. Somewhere in there is 300 carries and 50-60 receptions. How will they shake out? Your guess is as good as mine. This situation is why you read the summer blurbs and usage patterns.
23. Browns punt on quarterback, take four separate fliers
The Browns saw the Giants’ three-quarterback plan and thought they could go bigger. More incoherent. Sign Joe Flacco. Trade? For Kenny Pickett? Draft Dillon Gabriel?? Then draft Shedeur Sanders??? There’s a lot going on here. None of it particularly matters. That’s what the 2026 quarterback draft class is for.
Why the Browns decided to draft Sanders at 144
Mike Florio and Chris Simms unpack factors that made the Browns deviate from their draft plans to select a second QB and question if they’re the right team to navigate the situation with Shedeur Sanders.
24. Vikings acquire Jordan Mason as new 1B back
Tired of trading for Cam Akers, the Vikings went out and got Jordan Mason instead. Supposedly interested in lightening Aaron Jones’ load, the Vikes have talked up Mason as a 1B back for short-yardage and goal-to-go situations. That could be a deceptively-lucrative role for a back who has never struggled for efficiency, especially since Vikes are guaranteed to be more balanced on offense this season as they break in J.J. McCarthy. Mason was overdrafted around the RB30 range in summer best ball leagues, but FLEX status is indeed achievable. There is the upside for more if Jones misses the time he often does.
25. Texans add veteran depth with Christian Kirk trade
A jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none wideout, veteran Christian Kirk is being talked up as a safety valve for an offense that lacked any last season. It makes sense as the Texans try to better protect C.J. Stroud and break in rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel. Just don’t expect it to amount to much in fantasy.
