February is usually a light month for football news following the Super Bowl -this year is not your typical off-season. Antonio Brown is doing his best to create news and Kareem Hunt and Joe Flacco have news teams. Free agency officially begins March 13th, and there are some compelling free agent wide receivers making news in 2019.
I am going to highlight some free agent wide receivers that can make a spark in Fantasy Football as long as they land in the right situation. There are no tier one/elite wide receivers in this free agent market but names you know and should pay attention to this off-season.
Let’s continue the 2019 free agent series with part two of the wide receivers. Be sure to check out part one and the two pieces I have covered already on running backs.
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Free Agent Wide Receivers- Part Two
Golden Tate (31)
Green Bay Packers
It was a disappointing season across the board for the Packers. It ultimately led to the firing of Head Coach Mike McCarthy and resulted in a six-win season for Aaron Rodgers and the Pack.
There were highs and lows to the wide receiver core for the Packers. Davante Adams ascended into the WR1 overall in .5 PPR scoring with 18.3 Fantasy Points per game… Then there were the other guys. Randall Cobb was injured for most of the year and a trio of rookie wideouts could not amount sustained success on the field. Randall Cobb will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019 and it would surprise me if the Packers retain the 29-year old.
Tate would be able to provide Rodgers with a slot presence that he has missed since Cobb was healthy. Often times last year we saw Rodgers miss passes to the flat that were uncharacteristic. Regardless of fault, it is obvious that there was a lack of communication between Rodgers and his young receivers.
Rodgers will welcome a veteran presence with Tate and he will compliment the pieces around the Packers well. It looks as if Jimmy Graham will be re-signed and the two players will give teams headaches underneath if Rodgers can get back into rhythm in 2019.
Washington Redskins
The Redskins are not optimistic that Alex Smith will play in 2019. They will still owe Smith $15 millon for 2019 so bringing in a high-profile quarterback is not likely. The quarterback situation I foresee for the Redskins next season will be a mixture of a rookie and Colt McCoy.
A first-year player will benefit greatly from a guy like Golden Tate who can create separation within 10 yards. Colt McCoy has never been known as a guy who pushes the ball downfield so if in fact he is the starter Week 1, Tate will be a highly targeted player if they can bring him in.
The landscape of the Redskins depth chart is full of under achievers. Josh Doctson is still there, Paul Richardson did not do much with his time on the field, and Jamison Crowder also dealt with injuries. Tate would provide much-needed talent and leadership to a team that may struggle at the quarterback position.
Adam Humphries (26)
Humphries had 76 receptions for 816 yards and five scores in his fourth season. He was an intricate part of the Buccaneers offense and made noise in the red zone as well. Three of his five touchdowns were within the 10-yard line.
It looks like there are too many cooks in Bruce Arian’s kitchen. Repeats from Rotowire suggest that Chris Godwin will be playing in the slot more in 2019. Of course, Mike Evans role is solidified. DeSean Jackson is under contract and Justin Watson should see more playing time for the Bucs.
Dallas Cowboys
If the Cowboys do not resign 30-year old Cole Beasley, Adam Humphries would be the guy that the Cowboys should target. While I do not give the Cowboys enough credit to make a smart football decision, it would be an upgrade for this team in three wide receiver sets.
Beasley was reportedly unhappy with his target share toward the end of the season so he may pursue other teams. Humphries would thrive with Dak Prescott and company, especially when you consider Amari Cooper will be stretching the field.
New Orleans Saints
It looks as if Mark Ingram will be moving on in free agency. Adding Humphries could be viable if they are to lose one of their most skilled play-makers. Drew Brees has always connected with a primary slot receiver. Being one of the most accurate quarterbacks of all time, Brees would take Humphries Fantasy production to a new level.
Michael Thomas is the head honcho in New Orleans and sometimes does play the slot. Tre’Quan Smith and Ted Ginn are burners that like to line up on the outside. Humphries could come in and get a shot right away on three-receiver packages. Brees threw 16 touchdowns inside the 10-yard line last season, good enough for third in the NFL which would line up with Humphries ability to score in the red zone.
Terrance Williams (29)
Adam Schefter reported on Monday that the Cowboys will decline the option on Williams, who will be 30 in September. That makes him an unrestricted free agent going into 2019. Last Summer Williams was arrested for public intoxication. He played three games in 2018 before being put on injured reserve and soon after being suspended by the NFL for three games.
Let’s see which team makes sense to take a shot on a player who has had a tumultuous couple of years
Pittsburgh Steelers:
According to Ian Rappaport the Steelers are going to entertain trade offers for their star, Antonio Brown. The team will be looking to add someone either through draft or free agency to bolster the offense that is losing not only Brown, but Le’Veon Bell as well. The Steelers offense looks like it will be centered around James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. James Washington is the name that sticks out as a candidate to take a leap in production and Vance McDonald should see a boost in usage as well.
While JuJu is the undeniable WR1, a lot of his production is out of the slot. The versatile wide out is not limited to the slot, but if the Steelers could land a big, speedy wide receiver that can stretch the field for their stud – Terrance Williams makes a lot of sense.
Willams best season was in 2014 when he scored eight touchdowns. That was a long time ago, but if he can be on the field for at least 50 percent of snaps for a Ben Roethlisberger led team, he can be a sneaky waiver wire add in 2019.
Oakland Raiders:
The Raiders need somebody to play wide reciever in 2019. Jordy Nelson and company do not impose much of a threat for opposing defenses right now. Martavius Bryant’s future as a Raider/NFL player is in question to boot.
Williams fits the bill of a prototypical wide receiver the Raiders like to acquire. Fast? Check. Underachieving career? You betcha. Off-field trouble? Oh, yeah. With the current roster, Williams would get usage based on the lack of talent on this Raiders receiving group.
Keep an eye on Williams as a name that most will overlook. He is a free agent wide receiver that can produce WR2/3 outputs on a given week if given a legit opportunity.
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