You know what they say, another day, another dollar. But when it’s Day 2 of the NFL tampering period, or as I call it “tampering time,” that means it’s another day where the free agents get a lot of dollars! Most of the free agent moves happened yesterday in Day 1, but there are still some notable winners and losers following the second day of free agency.
Listed below in alphabetical order, let’s find out who won and who lost on the eve of it officially becoming a “New League Year,” shall we?
NFL 2026 Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners & Losers (Day 2)
Fantasy Football Winners (Day 2)
Romeo Doubs (WR, New England Patriots)
O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo Doubs going? That’s what we were all asking, as he was the top wide receiver left in free agency heading into Day 2. Honestly, getting out of that wide receiver committee, or whatever you want to call that Packers receiving core, was already going to be a win. All he needed to do was sign with a team that needed help at the position. That’s where the Patriots come in, as they’ve released Stefon Diggs.
It remains to be seen where Doubs fits into this Patriots offense alongside Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte, but either way, the upside will be there compared to Green Bay. This was a wide receiver who saw 46+ receptions, 72+ targets, 601+ receiving yards and four-plus touchdowns in each of his last three years as a Packer. He also averaged 10.2–10.3 PPR fantasy points per game in each of those three seasons, finishing as WR36 or WR37 in two of them. Just imagine what Romeo Doubs can do in an improved situation with the Patriots.
Christian Watson (WR, Green Bay Packers)
I know I made fun of the whole wide receiver committee concept with Doubs, but last year, Christian Watson was the lead receiver of that mess and he took full advantage of it. Because once he returned in Week 8, from then to Week 17, Watson averaged 3.5 receptions on 5.5 targets for 61.1 yards, 0.6 touchdowns and 13.2 PPR fantasy points, enough to finish as WR12 during that span. Yes, Tucker Kraft is coming back and will absorb some targets, and the Packers will continue developing Matthew Golden. But that won’t account for all 72-plus targets that Doubs was seeing, so Watson should benefit from an increased target share.
That encouraged me to do some research, so I decided to look at the games where Watson fully played and Doubs did not, and the six-game sample size over the past four years might blow you away. Watson averaged 3.5 receptions on 6.3 targets for 82.3 yards, 1.1 touchdowns and 20.5 PPR fantasy points when playing without Doubs. His reception average stayed the same, but the targets, yardage, and touchdowns all improved. This is a clear win for Christian Watson.
Fantasy Football Losers (Day 2)
Jayden Daniels (QB, Washington Commanders)
Remember when the Commanders had all that intrigue because of their quarterback Jayden Daniels? The intrigue is still there, but whatever they’re pitching to get free agents to Washington is not working. They’ve reportedly missed out on center Tyler Linderbaum, as well as wide receivers Alec Pierce and Romeo Doubs. Missing out on multiple top free agents happens, but at least they still have solid weapons for Daniels, right?
About that… As of this writing, the Commanders will not have notable running backs in Austin Ekeler, Chris Rodriguez Jr., and Jeremy McNichols. The Commanders also don’t have Deebo Samuel or Zach Ertz, and they released their starting center, Tyler Biadasz. The only notable offensive weapons left on the Commanders’ roster are Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Terry McLaurin. In their defense, they do have some other intriguing options like their fourth-round pick last year, WR Jaylin Lane, or their 2024 second-round pick in tight end Ben Sinnott (the dream will never die!). But it looks like they’re going to build around Jayden Daniels primarily through the 2026 NFL Draft, because they’re whiffing in free agency, and that’s concerning.
Isiah Pacheco (RB, Detroit Lions)
When David Montgomery got traded to the Texans, it left a big RB2 hole open for the Lions behind Jahmyr Gibbs. The opportunities were endless, and it was going to be fun seeing who the Lions were going to put in that gap. Or so I thought.
See, Isiah Pacheco does not do that for me. Yes, the opportunities will be there; Gibbs is human and will need to come off the field at times. I’d be overjoyed if this were the 2022–2023 Pacheco the Lions were getting. Instead, it looks like we’re getting the 2024–2025 post-injury version, who has averaged under four yards per attempt in back-to-back seasons. After recording 19 total broken tackles in 2022–2023, he has managed just two over the past two seasons. Hopefully, the change of scenery helps him, but this feels like a lose-lose to me. There were better options available for Isiah Pacheco, and this is not an RB2 situation in Detroit that excites me. Maybe that’ll change after the 2026 NFL Draft.
Thanks for reading “NFL 2026 Free Agency Fantasy Football Winners and Losers (Day 2).” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – USA TODAY Sports*
