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
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

Stefon Diggs to Bills: Fantasy Impact

Scott Engel breaks down the trade that sent wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills from various fantasy football perspectives. How will this impact his new QB, Josh Allen, and former QB Kirk Cousins?

There is not much available for NFL teams on free agency at the wide receiver position. The pickings are already slim after Amari Cooper and A.J. Green were retained by their current ballclubs. But as we are seeing early in free agency, that has not prevented some significant wideout movement.

The first big news of the tampering period came quickly when the Texans dealt DeAndre Hopkins to the Cardinals on Monday. That was a definite surprise and was not the first WR trade of the day. In a move that was not a shock, the Vikings unloaded Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills. The author of the “Minneapolis Miracle” in the NFC Playoffs in January 2018, Diggs will always be fondly remembered for his game-winning reception against the Saints. But the following season, he became unhappy with the offensive direction of the team and made it clear he wanted out of Minnesota.

Now the Bills get the No. 1 WR they were seeking for rising QB Josh Allen, while the Vikings affirmed their commitment to a run-first offense and rid themselves of an unhappy prominent player. Here are the fantasy reverberations and impacts of the Vikings-Bills deal.

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

 

Buffalo Digging a New Receiver

The Bills paid a handsome sum to acquire Diggs, sending four draft choices to Minnesota, including a first-rounder in 2020, and will also receive a seventh-rounder in return. The Patriots and Redskins were also reportedly interested in acquiring Diggs, but the Bills came up with the most appealing package, as the Vikings were supposedly seeking a haul similar to when they dealt Percy Harvin to Seattle for three draft choices in 2013.

The Bills now have two Top 25 fantasy wideouts from the 2019 season, as John Brown finished 20th and Diggs was 25th. The move to Buffalo should instantly improve Diggs’ outlook, as Buffalo is looking to open up their passing game more. The Bills were sixth in terms of leaning to the running game in run/pass ratio last year, but that can heavily be attributed to a lack of quality receiving depth. The Vikings were third in the league in terms of run emphasis and are not planning to alter the approach. Buffalo can now ramp up their passing attack with a duo of Diggs and Brown leading the way.

Diggs caught just 63 passes last year as he became unhappy about the Vikings’ offensive approach. The year before, he caught a career-high 102 balls and finished as WR7 overall in fantasy football despite missing one game. To his credit, he still finished with career bests in receiving yards (1,130) and yards per catch (17.9) in 2019 despite totaling nearly 40 fewer receptions. Diggs is clearly capable of catching many more passes than he did last season while also being a very prolific big-play artist. He has the qualities of a pure No. 1 wideout the Bills were searching for.

Diggs should be considered a high-end fantasy WR2 with the Bills, as Allen will likely pepper him frequently on key passing downs, and will not hesitate to take shots with him downfield. Allen ranked 15th in the NFL with 11.4 yards per completion and should see that number rise with a dangerous pair of deeper threats in Diggs and Brown.

Allen was 32nd in the NFL in completion percentage (58.8%), as having a receiving crew lacking a true No. 1 WR played a role in that number. Diggs’ 2019 catch rate of 68% would have led the team last season. You can expect Allen to look to Diggs first and foremost very often on important passing downs and utilize his big-play skills to challenge defenses more often downfield. Diggs now becomes a clear top target and the prime playmaker for a new team instead of battling for opportunities with Dalvin Cook and Adam Thielen when available. A receiving line of 90-plus catches with 1,100 yards and eight TDs is certainly within reach if he stays healthy. Injuries have sometimes been an issue for Diggs, but he has only missed two games in the past two seasons.

Now with a deeper receiving crew of Diggs, Brown and Cole Beasley, Allen, who finished last season as QB6 in fantasy football, has the potential to become a more productive passer while retaining his upside as a running QB. You can realistically consider him as a Top 7 player at the position with the upside for a Top 4-5 finish. He is now a dual-threat with a quality receiving corps and Devin Singletary can also catch passes out of the backfield. The supporting cast is certainly a factor when being optimistic about his outlook. Allen’s accuracy does need to improve, but adding Diggs will help him in that department.

Brown logged a 72-1,060-6 line last year and could see his statistical profile change a bit. He may catch fewer passes and pile up some more yardage and another TD or two as Allen looks for him more often as a pure field stretcher and will lean on him less heavily as a chain-mover.

 

Man Down in Minnesota

The Vikings will now hope Adam Thielen can stay healthy, as he fashioned a 30-418-6 line last year in 10 games. We have not truly seen the best of Thielen since the first half of the 2018 season, as he slumped to a 39-448-3 performance in the second half of that year. But if he stays healthy he still has the abilities to be a quality fantasy WR2. What becomes apparent now is how the Vikings address their depth at WR behind him. They do have additional draft capital now and they may also make TE Irv Smith Jr. a bigger part of the passing game.

Minnesota is preparing to center its offense around Dalvin Cook in 2020, but health will continue to be a concern, even in minor ways. He still missed two games last year. Make sure you handcuff Alexander Mattison if you roster Cook this season, as he looked like one of the most potentially productive backups in the league last year. I recommended Cook as a late first-round pick in my Early One-Man Mock Draft.

More Fantasy Football Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Payton Talbott

Bounces Back
Minkah Fitzpatrick

Heading Back to Miami
Jonnu Smith

Shipped to Pittsburgh
Alex Bowman

Competitive Run Ends With Third-Place Finish at Atlanta
Erik Jones

Secures A Top-Five Finish After Adversity In Atlanta
Tyler Reddick

Collects A New Career-Best Finish At Atlanta
Jalen Ramsey

Steelers Acquiring Jalen Ramsey
Kerry Carpenter

Leaves Game with Apparent Hamstring Injury
Brooklyn Nets

Day'Ron Sharpe Heads to Free Agency
Santi Aldama

Receives Qualifying Offer
Orlando Magic

Moritz Wagner has Team Option Declined
Jabari Smith Jr.

Signs Massive Extension
Jusuf Nurkić

Hornets Trading Jusuf Nurkic to Utah
Collin Sexton

Heading to Charlotte
Cam Thomas

Set for Restricted Free Agency
Milwaukee Bucks

Bobby Portis Staying in Milwaukee
Jonas Brodin

Expected to Miss Start of Next Season
TB

Conor Sheary Placed on Waivers for Contract Termination
Los Angeles Clippers

James Harden, Clippers Agree on a New Contract
Dante Fabbro

Stays with Blue Jackets on Four-Year Deal
Joel Hofer

Commits to Blues for Two More Years
Kevin Bahl

Signs Long-Term Extension with Flames
Oneil Cruz

Smacks Two Homers
Jordan Spence

Traded to Ottawa
Petr Mrazek

Heads to Anaheim
John Gibson

Red Wings Acquire John Gibson
Matthew Knies

Inks Six-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Aaron Judge

Blasts Two Homers, Dealing With Back Issue
Claude Giroux

Signs One-Year Deal with Senators
Yordan Alvarez

has Chance to Return Next Weekend
Minnesota Timberwolves

Julius Randle Signs Three-Year Extension
Kelly Oubre Jr.

Opts into Player Option
Luis Robert Jr.

Heads to Injured List
Gabriel Arias

Carted Off on Sunday
Bryce Harper

Faces Live Pitching
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Remains Out on Sunday
Utah Jazz

Bojan Bogdanovic Retiring From Basketball
Los Angeles Lakers

Dorian Finney-Smith Declines Player Option
Jaylin Williams

Signing Three-Year Extension
LeBron James

Accepts Player Option
Anfernee Simons

"a Possible Re-Trade Candidate"
Chase Elliott

Ends Winless Skid With Atlanta Victory
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Atlanta Victory
NFL

NFL Won't Hold Supplemental Draft This Year
Damon Arnette

Getting Second Chance With Texans
Deommodore Lenoir

Arrested for Obstruction of Justice
Yordan Alvarez

Eyeing Return Before All-Star Break
Milwaukee Bucks

Kevin Porter Jr. Declining Player Option
Carson Hocevar

Recovers From Big One to Finish 10th at Atlanta
William Byron

Caught up in Atlanta Big One but Retains Points Lead
Denny Hamlin

Top In-Season Challenge Seed Denny Hamlin Eliminated in Lap 70 Crash
Ty Dillon

Bottom Seed Ty Dillon Upsets Denny Hamlin to Advance in In-Season Challenge
Quinn Priester

Fans 11 in One-Hit Gem
Toronto Raptors

Garrett Temple Returning to Toronto
Los Angeles Clippers

Nicolas Batum Declines Player Option
Spencer Schwellenbach

Dominant in Victory
Keon Johnson

Gets Team Option Picked Up
Rayan Rupert

Staying in Portland
Marvin Harrison Jr.

Expected to Make Second-Year Jump
Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Pena Out of Lineup Saturday
Jalin Hyatt

Looking to Flip the Script in 2025
Garrett Mitchell

to Undergo Shoulder Surgery
José Ramírez

Jose Ramirez in Guardians Lineup on Saturday
Kyle Larson

Don't Expect Kyle Larson to Win First Drafting Track Race on Saturday
Christopher Bell

Unlikely to Complete Atlanta Sweep
Brad Keselowski

Seeks Another Clutch Win for Hail-Mary Playoff Bid
Chris Buescher

Unlikely to Lead Enough to Have Much DFS Value
Alex Bowman

Qualifies Best Among Non-Fords but Unlikely to Contend at Atlanta
Ryan Preece

Will Probably Run Better Than Usual at Atlanta
Austin Dillon

Consistently Mediocre at Atlanta
Ty Gibbs

Slightly Faster Lately but Unlikely to be a Factor at Atlanta
Erik Jones

a Low-Key Strong DFS Option
Noah Gragson

Could Have DFS Value as One of the Lowest-Qualifying Fords
Riley Herbst

Unlikely to Replicate February Atlanta Finish
Ty Dillon

Could Benefit from Kaulig Speed
Chase Burns

Slated to Make Next Start on Monday
Dylan Sampson

Being Used as a Receiver
Carson Schwesinger

Figures to be in Full-Time Role in 2025
Cedric Tillman

Should Have Full-Time Role
Bryce Young

Looking More Comfortable, Showing More Intensity
Charlie Coyle

Blue Jackets Acquire Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood From Colorado
Jack Quinn

Signs Up for Two More Years with Sabres
Brandon Saad

Stays in Vegas on One-Year Deal
Trent Frederic

Inks Eight-Year Extension
Josh Naylor

Exits Friday's Contest Early with Neck Stiffness
Emil Heineman

Shipped to the Islanders
Noah Dobson

Traded to Montreal
John Tavares

Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Maple Leafs
Sam Bennett

Signs Eight-Year Extension with Panthers
NYI

Islanders Select Matthew Schaefer With No. 1 Pick in NHL Draft
José Berríos

Jose Berrios Tosses Seven Scoreless Innings in Fourth Win
Nick Martinez

Flirts With No-Hitter, Settles for Win
Gary Sánchez

Gary Sanchez Homers, Reaches Five Times in Onslaught
Trea Turner

Blasts Two Homers, Steals Base
Los Angeles Angels

Ron Washington to Remain on Medical Leave for Rest of the Season
Aaron Rodgers

Roman Wilson Could Fit Nicely With Aaron Rodgers
Josh Simmons

on Schedule to Open the Year as a Starter
Micah Parsons

Contract Length an Issue for Cowboys, Micah Parsons
Denver Broncos

Broncos Unsure How Their Running Back Room Will Look
Russell Wilson

Not the Only Leader in Giants Clubhouse
Jihaad Campbell

to Begin at Inside Linebacker
Josh Conerly Jr.

to Play Right Tackle for Now
Tyleik Williams

Expected to Fill Big Role Right Away
Malaki Starks

Should Make an Immediate Impact
Charles Oliveira

Can Become A Two-Time Lightweight Champion
Ilia Topuria

A Favorite At UFC 317
Kai Kara-France

Can Become The New Flyweight Champion
Alexandre Pantoja

Set For Fourth Title Defense At UFC 317
Joshua Van

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Brandon Royval

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Renato Moicano

Returns At UFC 317
Beneil Dariush

An Underdog At UFC 317
Payton Talbott

Looks To Bounce Back
Felipe Lima

Set To Open Up UFC 317 Main Card
Daniil Tarasov

Panthers Bring in Daniil Tarasov
Frederick Gaudreau

Kraken Pick Up Frederick Gaudreau From Wild
Michael Thorbjornsen

Returns in Detroit at Rocket Classic
Adam Hadwin

Could Struggle Over the Weekend in Detroit
Cam Davis

Hopes Detroit Magic Can Spark Turnaround
Matt Wallace

a Boom-or-Bust Option at Rocket Classic
Joel Dahmen

Not Cutting it Lately
Michael Kim

Searching for Spark at Rocket Classic
Rasmus Hojgaard

a High-Ceiling Play in Rocket Classic
Matt McCarty

a Wild Card Heading into Detroit
Emiliano Grillo

Rolling into the Summer Season
Rickie Fowler

Looking for More Magic at Rocket Classic
Wyndham Clark

Brings High Upside to Detroit Golf Club
Max Greyserman

Could Make Noise at Rocket Classic
Akshay Bhatia

a Strong Value Play at Rocket Classic
Eric Cole

Hoping for Better Times at Rocket Classic
Beau Hossler

Searching for Form at Rocket Classic
PGA

Byeong Hun An in Good Form Heading into Rocket Classic
Cameron Young

Looking For Redemption and Possible First Career Victory in Detroit
Collin Morikawa

is The Headliner This Week in Detroit For Good Reason
Si Woo Kim

Back in Competition After Last Week's Withdrawal
PGA

Alex Noren Finishes Tied For 30th at Travelers Championship
Kurt Kitayama

Misses The Cut at RBC Canadian Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF