The fabled Contract Year. The season when a player, previously unaware of his own earning potential, decides to lock in and play better than ever before all in pursuit of that next big payday. The thinking goes that a player one year out from free agency will do anything to show that they’ve found a new level that leads to a massive raise.

Now, does the Contract Year exist? Technically, yes. Is there significant evidence to suggest that players perform better in their contract years? Not really, no. Money is a great motivator, and if you feel like using a contract year scenario as a tiebreaker when picking between two similar players, then go for it, but we wouldn’t be adjusting rankings simply because one player is on the eve of free agency. Some players will undoubtedly raise their game with a new contract waiting on the horizon, but there’s no real rhyme or reason as to who it will be. All we can do is take a look at who is entering a contract season and go from there.

In this article we’re going to check out the players who are headed for restricted free agency, as well as those with player or club options.

Check out our look at impending UFAs here.

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