X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Fantasy Winners and Losers - NFL Trade Deadline

Justin Carter examines the biggest moves of the NFL trade deadline to determine who the biggest winners and losers are for fantasy football purposes.

The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it was a doozy this year. In a league where deadline deals used to be incredibly rare, Tuesday was a breath of fresh air. It was almost like we were watching the NBA or MLB trade deadline happen.

Here's a quick summary of the deals from Tuesday and the week or so preceding the deadline that we need to talk about: Amari Cooper is a Cowboy, Demaryius Thomas is a Texan, Golden Tate is an Eagle, Ty Montgomery is a Raven. Some defensive players moved around too, but there's not much of a point in going into all that right now.

Alright, let's get to the winners and losers of this deadline!

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Trade Deadline Winners

Courtland Sutton - Wide Receiver, Denver Broncos

Sutton is the big winner of the day because the promising rookie now has a clear spot in this team's rotation. Demaryius Thomas had a target share of 20 percent or higher in five of eight games, and now Sutton will step into that role and should see a good bump in his targets. Considering he's already second on the team in air yards per game, an increase in targets should lead to some good things for Sutton, who is 19th in average air yards. Keenum should be pushing the ball down the field toward the rookie.

Baller Move: Is he still on waivers in your league? Probably not because you are reading this the day after waivers typically run, but if he's still sitting there in the free agency pile for some reason, grab him. Now.

Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. - Wide Receivers, Detroit Lions

Golden Tate has had a target share between 22.9 and 30.8 every week, so at a minimum, this opens up some things for the Lions other two receivers. While Jones and Golladay have both had games where they were heavily involved, Jones has four games with a target share under 20 percent, while Golladay has five. I expect both guys to see a more stable piece of this offense, and that consistency will make it a lot to easier to insert them into your WR2 spot.

Baller Move: First, make sure they're not on waivers. They shouldn't be, but Golladay was in one of my leagues last week. If you don't own either player and you want to, maybe go out and explore the trade market a little, but don't be surprised to find owners unwilling to part with them. If you have one of them, play him.

My T.J. Jones Dynasty Shares - Wide Receiver, Detroit Lions

YEAH BUDDY!

I was getting tired of having Jones sitting there uselessly on my bench on a team that was running the same three receivers over and over, but space is now opened up for Jones. It may not be this year in terms of fantasy production, but getting him on the field and familiar with Matthew Stafford can only lead to better things than he's had going for him lately.

(Of course, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reported that Brandon Powell is likely to see a lot of time as the third receiver, so he also gets a lift here, especially in dynasty leagues.)

Baller Move: Is Jones available in your dynasty league? Do you have a lot of bench spots and are willing to take risks to make good things potentially happen next year, even though they probably won't? Jump on it! (And Powell too. If you have space for both, great. I still think Jones is a better option in the long run, but on a team that's proven it likes to use three receivers, both guys have some deep league potential.)

Deshaun Watson - Quarterback, Houston Texans

You could put Demaryius Thomas in this spot, but I think Watson is the real winner in the wake of the Will Fuller injury that landed Fuller on the IR and made Houston desperate for a receiver. Remember that without Fuller or Keke Coutee to start the year, Watson wasn't very good. He completed just half of his passes in the season opener, throwing a touchdown and a pick against the Patriots. He was very likely trending that direction before that deal, but now we can rejoice because Watson is about as valuable today as he was heading into this past weekend. Thomas isn't a huge deep threat, but Houston can use him underneath and stretch the field with Coutee. This can work.

Baller Move: Just, umm, keep starting Watson? You may have been tempted to bench him if the offense became limited post-Fuller, but now you can keep him in there with confidence.

Ty Montgomery - Running Back, Baltimore Ravens

Montgomery isn't the big winner or anything, and it's unlikely that you'll want to go out and grab him for your fantasy team as he heads from one crowded backfield to the next, but after Sunday's implosion in which Montgomery disobeyed team orders and ran a kick-off out of the endzone that resulted in a fumble and no chance for Aaron Rodgers to lead a comeback for the Packers, a change of scenery is an improvement on the disappearing act he would have done in Green Bay.

The Ravens two main running backs, Alex Collins and Javorius Allen, have negative defense-adjusted yards above replacement on the year, while Montgomery has a slightly higher negative number in that category. Among backs when looking at receiving yardage, though, Montgomery's DYAR of 32 is better than both players, and he ranks 11th among backs in adjusted receiving value over average. There should be opportunities for Montgomery to play in this backfield and it's quite possible he's the most talented player in it now.

Baller Move: Ty Montgomery is both available in a lot of leagues and should remain available in most, but if you're playing in a deeper league and want to take a chance on him maybe delivering production equal to the good version of Javorius Allen, go ahead.

Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper - Quarterback and Wide Receiver, Dallas Cowboys

Amari Cooper might still struggle with his consistency since the Cowboys don't have a top-tier quarterback to get him the ball. I could see the lows being higher, but the highs being lower at the same time, but that still puts him in a little safer territory on a week-to-week basis, while Prescott has a little more upside with an actual go-to receiver. (Probably. Amari Cooper is probably a go-to guy, right? He just needed a change of scenery, right?)

Baller Move: I actually like Prescott in two-quarterback leagues right now, but I don't foresee this being enough for me to like him in the leagues where you start one quarterback on a consistent-enough basis to pick him up anywhere. And for Cooper, I'd be a little more confident playing him because I imagine those one-catch games aren't going to keep happening in Dallas.

 

Trade Deadline Losers

Nelson Agholor - Wide Receiver - Philadelphia Eagles

🙁

I don't love the Golden Tate fit, but I'm also not quite ready to call it a loss for Tate. Agholor, though, becomes the third receiver on a team where the current third receiver, Jordan Matthews, averages a 7.9 percent target share. With Alshon Jeffery, Golden Tate, and Zach Ertz clearly ahead in the pecking order and Dallas Goedert growing into a threat as well, is there any room for Agholor? Probably not.

Baller Move: I'd already be ready to move on in shallower leagues. The Eagles have a bye this week, so by the time Week 10 rolls around they'll likely have Tate ready to go. Hold Agholor in deeper leagues just to see what happens, but be ready to jettison him if he sees the third receiver usage that other Eagles receivers have received.

Javorius Allen - Running Back - Baltimore Ravens

Let's assume Alex Collins is still the lead back in Baltimore, but the Ty Montgomery acquisition sure casts doubt on Allen's role as the receiving back. He's already seen a fairly significant drop in snap rate over the past three games mixed Gus Edwards into things. Montgomery's advanced receiving numbers, as covered above, surpass what Allen has done, and I fail to see Allen having nearly as much of a role once Montgomery has worked his way into this offense.

Baller Move: If you don't own Allen, good. If you do and don't need to make an immediate move for any reason, feel free to hold onto him and see how the offense looks.

Any Dallas Receiver Not Named Amari Cooper or Cole Beasley

Maybe I have the wrong read on this, but there are, in my opinion, two good wide receivers on the Dallas Cowboys roster. There's Cooper, who just became part of that roster, and there's Cole Beasley, who is a good slot guy that I wrote in-depth on a few weeks back. But the rest? Michael Gallup likely will be good at some point, Allen Hurns was good a few years ago but has been a non-entity most of the time, and Deonte Thompson is Deonte Thompson. Tavon Austin's big-play abilities are too inconsistent to start him in fantasy lineups. Tight end Geoff Swaim has shown flashes, but he's currently dealing with a knee issue.

Baller Move: Don't own any Dallas receivers in re-draft leagues aside from those two guys. Maybe in a 14-team league I'll bite on Gallup's potential. Maybe.

More Risers and Fallers




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

New York Knicks

Tosan Evbuomwan Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
San Antonio Spurs

Bismack Biyombo Returns to Spurs
Minnesota Timberwolves

Bones Hyland Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Darren Waller

Not Expected to Play in Week 3
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
Jameson Williams

Records Long Touchdown in Week 2, Still Limited to Downfield Role?
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Jayden Daniels

Considered "Day-to-Day" with Knee Injury
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Tops 200 Yards From Scrimmage in Week 2 Win
Joe Burrow

Could Miss Three Months if he Requires Toe Surgery
Davante Adams

Headlines Rams Receiving Corps Sunday
Wan'Dale Robinson

Explodes for 142 Yards, Touchdown in Overtime Thriller
Joe Flacco

Browns Not Considering Benching Joe Flacco After Week 2
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
Luis Arraez

Takes a Seat on Sunday With Head Injury
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Activated, Starting on Sunday
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
Bryan Woo

Records Career-High 13 Strikeouts
Max Muncy

Exits Early on Saturday
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Salvador Perez

Reaches 300 Home Runs, 1,000 RBI
Jose Altuve

Exits Early With Foot Discomfort
Trey Yesavage

Heading to Big Leagues
Will Smith

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
Tarik Skubal

Avoids Serious Injury, Expected to Make Next Start
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
Tanner Bibee

Fans 10 in Two-Hit Shutout
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Won't Play Against Georgia
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
CFB

Dylan Edwards Slated to Return on Friday
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return
CFB

Ryan Williams Expected to Play Against Wisconsin
CFB

Billy Edwards Jr. Unlikely to Play on Saturday
P.J. Washington

Officially Signs Contract Extension
CFB

David Sanders Jr. Questionable to Make Debut Against Georgia
Lauri Markkanen

Big at Both Ends as Finland Books Place in EuroBasket Semis
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Notches 39 Points in Losing Effort
NBA

Cam Reddish Expected to Move to Europe
NBA

Trey Lyles Joins Real Madrid
Charles Bassey

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Hawks
Sacramento Kings

Terence Davis Waived by Kings
Matthew Knies

Ready for Bigger Role With Maple Leafs
Jack Eichel

Unbothered by Lack of Extension
Sidney Crosby

Not Thinking About Leaving Pittsburgh
SJ

Michael Misa Signs Entry-Level Contract With Sharks
Rutger McGroarty

Nursing an Injury
Cameron Champ

the Ultimate Wild Card at Procore
Cameron Young

Looks to Extend Momentum in Napa
Davis Thompson

Searching for a Spark at Procore
Sahith Theegala

Looking to Reignite Form at Procore
Mackenzie Hughes

Aims for Another Strong Showing at Procore
Luke Clanton

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Napa
Seamus Power

Looking to Overcome Poor Course History at Procore
Joe Highsmith

Hoping to Find Form in Napa