4 QBs to watch in dynasty leagues ahead of NFL free agency

The 2024 NFL league year will officially open on March 13, meaning the free-agent signing period begins in less than two weeks. Though there are no fantasy football games to be played right now, dynasty league managers should be carefully evaluating their rosters.

Free agency and the draft are the two offseason events that can drastically change the way your roster looks. If you have a player about to hit free agency, the “fit” or team that he ends up signing with is crucial to how he still fits on your roster.

Starting with quarterbacks, Fantasy CPR is going to begin a position-by-position look at the top players for dynasty managers to be keeping tabs on ahead of free agency. Perhaps you have one of these players on your team or, you could be thinking of making a trade offer for one of them.

Where that player lands will help determine whether you should make that offer before free agency or after.

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) passes against the 49ers. | Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Kirk Cousins

Even at 35 years old, Kirk Cousins is the biggest name on a fairly thin quarterback market this offseason. And like he did when he originally signed with the Minnesota Vikings, he’s in line for another huge pay day.

The Vikings reportedly want Cousins back, but he is not going to do that for pennies on the dollar and there will be other teams, namely the Atlanta Falcons, who are going to be interested in what happens with him.

Cousins was having a terrific 2023 season statistically and was among the top quarterbacks in fantasy football before a torn Achilles in Week 8 shut him down for the rest of the season. He will be ready to take the field when the 2024 season opens but it remains to be seen which team he will be doing that for.

Cousins is still one of the better starting quarterbacks in the league and fantasy football players can always find him in the middle rounds of redraft leagues and get tremendous value. If you have him in dynasty, hold tight to see where he signs. A return to Minnesota would be ideal but if he signed with the Falcons for instance, where he would still get to play his home games indoors and throw the ball to Drake London and Kyle Pitts, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing.

Jan 21, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) passes the ball against the Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs. | Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield bounced back in a massive way in 2023, earning a nice new contract after a great season in Tampa Bay. But who will give him that new contract?

I feel the Bucs would be crazy not to re-sign Mayfield, who not only played well in terms of putting up numbers but he also took the team to within a few plays of playing in the NFC Championship Game.

Mayfield may not even be the QB1 for your dynasty team and if that is the case, you are in an advantageous position. If there is a quarterback-needy team in your league, you could offer Baker up for a terrific return based on the numbers he posted last season, particularly if he stays in Tampa.

It seems that both Mayfield and Mike Evans want to continue playing together and their staying in Tampa might become contingent on the team signing both players, so that is something to keep in mind. If Evans were to leave, Mayfield’s value would take a hit if he were to stay.

Any potential deal for Mayfield could also hinge on what happens with Cousins.

Jan 7, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold. | Sergio Estrada-USA TODAY Sports

Sam Darnold

This is one that sneaks under the radar, but in deep dynasty formats Sam Darnold should still be rostered. If he is rostered, that is because that manager knows he’s still young and could still get another shot.

The Denver Broncos, for instance, are a team that could be looking for a bridge quarterback to potentially help the team get a drafted quarterback ready to be the starter.

Darnold, once taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, will only be 27 years old in June and is coming out of being with a successful organization in San Francisco. Ahead of Super Bowl LVIII, 49ers quarterbacks coach Brian Griese had high praise for him.

If Darnold gets another chance as a starter, you could have a valuable piece on your hands, particularly in deep leagues. Many times, a team will be quite desperate for a quarterback at some point in the season, whether it be in 1 QB or Superflex formats, and you could fetch a nice return for a guy you were doing absolutely nothing with.

These are the kinds of moves that teams can win a dynasty championship with if handled properly.

Denver Broncos v Chicago Bears | Todd Rosenberg/GettyImages

Justin Fields

I have felt that since the offseason started, there is not a more important player to watch in fantasy football circles than Justin Fields. With the Bears holding the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, a severe domino effect is coming one way or the other.

Fields is a strong fantasy asset due to his ability to run with the ball and he’s still young, having just turned 24 years old. He gets a lot of negativity from fans but his best football could certainly be in front of him. But will that be Chicago or somewhere else?

Much like Cousins, the Falcons are the team that seems to be most connected to Fields, at least in the rumor world.

If the Bears do in fact trade Fields, it will be with the intention of taking USC QB Caleb Williams with the first overall pick. Regardless of where Fields ends up, he offers tremendous upside if the team is willing to build around him, which could still be Chicago if they decide to take a major haul for that first pick.

If you have Fields on your roster, you are in a great spot. It would be a good idea to put Fields on your trade block right now to see what kind of offers you get. If you don’t get one that blows you away, try the same tactic after any decision regarding his future is made. You could get back supreme value or decide to keep him on your team and have great potential for years to come.

This article was originally published on fantasycpr.com as 4 QBs to watch in dynasty leagues ahead of NFL free agency.