Which trade yesterday will have the biggest fantasy impact? Looking forward to reading your thoughts. Here are mine:
Since quarterbacks are integral to wide receivers' production, Kirk Cousins probably was the biggest story. On yesterday's podcast I talked through three potential QB targets for Minnesota, dismissing the idea that the 49ers would part with Mac Jones. Memories of their 2022 Conference Championship collapse are probably still fresh.
In that game, Brock Purdy was knocked out early, forcing San Francisco to put their Super Bowl appearance hopes on fourth-stringer Josh Johnson, who was on his 15th team (NFL and XFL) in seven years. Presumably, they don't want to re-live that experience. Mac Jones is an invaluable insurance policy.
But Cousins was not invaluable for the formerly overachieving Raiders, which have now lost five of their last six games. In fairness, those five defeats were against the Chiefs, Patriots, Bills, Rams, and 49ers. Their offense in those contests (22.4 points per game) wasn't the problem. Their defense (36.2 points given up per game) was the problem. Cousins can't fix that. He was expendable, and now the Fernando Mendoza era has begun.
For the Vikings, if things go as expected, Justin Jefferson will finally return to must-start status, while Jordan Addison *might* be the weekly starter we saw in 2023 and 2024, when he was a top-24 wideout. Currently he's the WR70 in points per game. So yeah, he's suddenly back on the map.
For the Raiders, it's anyone's guess whether Mendoza can effectively feed Tre Tucker, who's finally hit his stride as the WR29. He has double the targets (56) of his next-most-targeted WR teammate (Jalen Nailor with 28). For Tucker to remain a weekly streamer, he needs to remain the alpha. We'll see how much Mendoza looks his way.
Meanwhile, the Colts unloaded Josh Downs and Keenan Allen to two higher-scoring teams. Allen has some short-term appeal until (or "unless," given how injury-prone the Niners' receivers are) everyone gets healthy. Because a WR corps with Allen, Mike Evans, and Deebo Samuel -- playing alongside Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, and even Kaelon Black -- is too crowded to feed everyone. Allen has delivered 9+ points in five of eight games. His touchdown opportunities should improve, and his target share eventually (probably) will drop.
For Downs, what does this mean for the frequently underwhelming Xavier Worthy? With Travis Kelce still chugging along, Rashee Rice maintaining his alpha role, and Kenneth Walker (and Emmett Johnson) lighting it up on the ground, Worthy's path to relevance is smaller than ever, while Downs doesn't get an obvious weekly bump. Maybe an extra touchdown or two, but his target share will remain shaky.
Fascinating that the Colts are going all in on Jonathan Taylor, whose value might never be higher. Rough news for fantasy managers hoping he'd join a higher-powered offense, and also rough for those who've patiently waited for Seth McGowan to get his turn.
The biggest head-scratcher for me was Tony Pollard. I talked about his and Tyjae Spears this summer, predicting that the Titans would once again struggle (no surprise), and since Pollard and Spears are both headed toward free agency, Tennessee would have no reason to lean on them all season. Better to see what they have in rookie Nicholas Singleton or some RB reclamation project versus starting a soon-to-be free agent in meaningless games.
Or so I thought. Instead, the Titans are committing to Pollard, which can only mean (writing that sarcastically, because who knows) that they plan to re-sign him this offseason. Pollard's going on 30 years old. He's played exceptionally for this team since joining in 2024. But this team likely won't be a strong playoff contender until 2028 at the earliest. If they don't re-sign him, then what was this all for? If they do re-sign him, then he'll need to continue to elevate this offense in his 30's, which as we know gets increasingly difficult.
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