Since it is a big news day, let’s fuse what would have been two posts into one. I’ll put my week 9 rankings at the bottom for your viewing pleasure. But, let’s talk about the trade deadline first. Things certainly heated up after lunch on the NFL trading circuit. We had a couple of major moves at the wide receiver position that has an impact on a lot of players. Demaryius Thomas was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Houston Texans and Golden Tate was traded from the Detroit Lions to the Philadelphia Eagles.
We have to keep in mind that players going to a new team in the middle of the season may not hit the ground running. Look at Josh Gordon so far this season with the Patriots. He’s productive, but he’s not the WR1 that he has the potential of being with the Patriots down the line.
Let’s start with the Thomas acquisition:
Demaryius Thomas – Thomas is not the guy that we can count on for top 20 WR seasons that he used to be. Ultimately he may see a little bit of a boost moving on from Denver. Thomas may end up being a dependable flex play but his potential is capped Keke Coutee and DeAndre Hopkins being in the same huddle.
Keke Coutee– The Demaryius Thomas acquisition also caps the potential of Keke Coutee. UNLESS, of course, they try to uncork his speed downfield. With Will Fuller sidelined for the rest of the season, it would be nice for the Texans to have a deep threat. So far, Coutee is averaging under 10 yards per reception and Houston would like to make that higher. I’m still speculatively adding Coutee off of the waiver wire, but D.J. Moore is definitely a higher priority.
Deshaun Watson- Bringing in a veteran wide receiver will only help open things up for Watson. As Watson continues to heal from the Cowboys massacre, I believe that the Texans will begin put the pedal to the metal more often early on in games.
Courtland Sutton- Sutton has a huge opportunity stepping into an every down role as a Denver Broncos wide receiver. Sutton “broke out” last week by going for 78 yards against the Chiefs. His highest reception total to this point is three which he has done a couple of times. This should increase weekly going forward. Sutton is at the top of my list for pick ups.
Golden Tate to the Eagles
Golden Tate – The production for Golden Tate has been there in 2018 just like in years past but it has slowed down a little bit since after the Lions bye week. Tate hasn’t scored a touchdown since week 4. This move will be anywhere from lateral to slightly beneficial for Tate owners. Tate gets the bye week to grasp as much of the playbook as he can. Alshon Jeffery is a solid WR1 for Carson Wentz and Zach Ertz is a monster, but I’m sure Doug Pederson is thrilled Tate is coming to town.
Alshon Jeffery and Zach Ertz- I don’t see this acquisition affecting either of these players. Jeffery and Ertz have built in roles in this offense and both excel at them. Plus, there is not much of a running game going on in Philadelphia unless Josh Adams is able to carve out a significant role. Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthew’s potential fantasy value has now turned into dust.
Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr.- These two both have more value because of Tate’s exit based on increase in volume. We have seen what Golladay is capable of earlier in the season and we saw what Jones Jr. has left in the tank last Sunday.
Matthew Stafford- It doesn’t help Stafford to lose a weapon as valuable as Golden Tate, but there are enough pieces in this passing game for him to survive. When Theo Riddick is back healthy, it would be surprising if the Lion’s miss a beat.
Ty Montgomery to the Baltimore Ravens
Ty Montgomery- I can imagine from watching the Baltimore offense this season that the Ravens will Involve Ty Montgomery in some creative packages. Look at how they use Lamar Jackson. Ty Montgomery is worth keeping an eye on in deeper leagues. He might take over the Buck Allen role in this offense.
Alex Collins- No worries if you are an Alex Collins owner. Collins has an established role in this offense as a first and second down back and he has been more involved in the passing game and the red zone lately. I expect him to continue to see his share of touches going forward.
Javorius Allen– The Ravens have finally realized that they need more explosiveness out of their 3rd down and passing back. Buck has been a safety net but continues to show that he is allergic to making a big play. I expect Allen to be the biggest loser of this acquisition.
Aaron Jones- This further cements Jones’ role as the primary back in Green Bay. Jones has recently shown why fantasy analysts had so much excitement for him in the middle rounds of drafts. This should alleviate worries about Jones not getting double digit touches going forward. The more that Jones touches the ball, the more things should open up for him.