The fantasy football offseason is heating up with NFL free agency upon us and the potential for big-time trades at any time. This column is designed to be a one-stop shop for quick-hitting analysis of the most impactful player movement.
ESPN Fantasy writers Matt Bowen, Tristan H. Cockcroft, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza and Eric Moody offer their insights into what each move means for a player’s fantasy value in 2026, and Mike Clay supplies his projections for each player.
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Running back
March 2: Lions trade Montgomery to Texans
Fantasy impact: Positive
Karabell: David Montgomery, 28, thrived in his first two seasons in Detroit in a timeshare with star Jahmyr Gibbs, scoring 25 rushing touchdowns, but his role and volume decreased in Year 3, especially over the final eight weeks. The Lions decided to move on, clearing Gibbs for more volume and production, and certainly one now can make the case for him as the first running back — and perhaps player at any position — off the PPR draft board for 2026. After all, Gibbs was already a top-three PPR RB the past two seasons. More touches would be exciting for all.
Montgomery should return to 200-plus touches in Houston — perhaps pushing promising Woody Marks aside a bit — but there might be a receiving-minded running back to be named later helping him out, too. Sans veteran Joe Mixon (foot) for the entire season, no Texans running back reached even the low bar of 25 receptions, with the entire crew combining to catch only 54 passes. Montgomery caught 54 passes for the 2020 Chicago Bears, but he averaged only 25 receptions per his three Lions campaigns.
The Texans might not be done adding to their backfield, searching for a third-down option. Marks delivered six double-digit PPR efforts (though he did not rush for 75 yards in any game) during his rookie season despite little pass-catching relevance, so adding Montgomery to the crew is bad news for him. Then again, Marks had his chance; he scored two rushing touchdowns all season. Montgomery has scored multiple rushing touchdowns nine times.
This trade aids Montgomery’s stock, though. Solidly built at 5-foot-11 and 230 pounds, expect the Texans to utilize the seven-year veteran on early downs and near the goal line. Do not expect double-digit touchdowns, because the Texans are certainly not the Lions’ equal in terms of offensive talent, scheme, creativity or coaching. However, before this move, we could not make a case for Montgomery, the No. 27 PPR RB scorer last season, as even a safe RB3 for the 2026 draft. Now we can dream about RB2 production.
Wide receiver
March 5: Bears trade DJ Moore to Bills
Fantasy impact: Positive
Bowen: With ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that the Chicago Bears are trading wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills — which will become official at the start of the league year — let’s discuss the fantasy implications for both clubs.
In Buffalo, Moore fills a need as a volume target for quarterback Josh Allen in new head coach Joe Brady’s offensive system. Moore, who caught 50 of 83 targets for 682 yards and six scores in 2025, will see a bump in usage with the Bills, using his physical traits to play through contact while creating separation to the ball.
Moore will be a three-level route runner under Brady, too. He’ll be pressing defenses vertically and running the in-breakers, in addition to the screens and unders that cater to his explosive run-after-catch ability. When paired with Allen, Moore should be viewed as a WR2 who can produce breakout weeks.
Back in Chicago, we know about the emergence of wide receiver Luther Burden III, showing flashes of his high-level playmaking ability late in his rookie season. Burden, who had a breakout game in Week 17 versus the 49ers (27.8 points), is an electric mover and an easy fit in Ben Johnson’s system. That’s the multilevel speed and the ball carrier vision in space.
Burden’s role will elevate in 2026, joining wide receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland as the top targets for quarterback Caleb Williams. We could see any of these three players taking the lead week-to-week depending on the game plan and/or opponent. But as we sit here now in March, Loveland will be in my TE1 ranks, while I’ll pencil in Odunze as a mid-tier WR2 with Burden as an upside WR3 who has the ability to post some WR1 weeks.
