Donovan Peoples-Jones Traded To The Lions, Fantasy Football Outlook

October 31, 2023

Was Donovan Peoples-Jones traded to the Lions? Is Donovan Peoples-Jones the Lions starting wide receiver? Read the 2023 NFL trade deadline recap.

The NFL trade deadline came and went on Tuesday and there weren't a lot of major moves on the offensive side of the ball. One surprising trade that happened was that the Detroit Lions made a trade with the Cleveland Browns to acquire wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones.

Donovan Peoples-Jones has caught just eight passes for 97 yards this season for the Browns, so this trade gives him a chance for a fresh start with Detroit.

Keep reading for analysis of how the Donovan Peoples-Jones trade impacts both the Lions and Browns.

Donovan Peoples-Jones Trade To The Lions Breakdown

On Tuesday, the Lions sent a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, who played his college football at Michigan. Will this be a good homecoming for Peoples-Jones?

It can't be worse for him than his season in Cleveland has gone. Last year, Peoples-Jones had the best season of his NFL career, catching 61 passes for 839 yards. He averaged 49.4 receiving yards per game. This season, he's averaged 13.9 yards per game.

The addition of Elijah Moore this offseason essentially eliminated Peoples-Jones' role in the Browns offense. Trading him won't really impact the fantasy picture much in Cleveland.

Fantasy Football Impact From Donovan Peoples-Jones Trade

On the Detroit side, the main reason to trade for Donovan Peoples-Jones was likely to fill the roster spot of Marvin Jones Jr., who stepped away from the team. Jones hadn't played much though, with just 10 targets all season.

Peoples-Jones is likely just a depth addition for the Lions, but there is more upside for him than there was in Cleveland, as the Lions are seventh in the NFL in passing attempts per game while the Browns are 17th.

Donovan Peoples-Jones could end up in the No. 3 receiver role for the Lions if he plays well. He's worth monitoring because he's a talented receiver whose situation just improved greatly. I'm not rushing out to add him, but receiver-needy fantasy managers could take a flier and see if he can make a quick impact in Detroit.

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