The Fantasy Repercussions of the Randy Moss Trade

Added on Oct 07, 2010 by Scott in

NFL

Randy Moss is a Minnesota Viking, again. We could sit here and debate all day whether or not it was a smart decision by the Patriots to deal him mid-season, but truthfully we won’t have any definitive answers until January. However, we can dissect the fantasy implications of the trade, and let’s face it, that’s what’s most important anyway. Whose value rises? Whose drops? Let’s dive in to find out.

Randy Moss – Moss had a disappointing nine catches through four games with the Pats. His targets were way down from previous seasons, although he was on pace to score 12 touchdowns. Now that he’s a Viking his value immediately increases. Brett Favre loves to lock on to a go-to guy. Until Moss’s arrival, he had no one who fit the description. Minnesota’s schedule features Pro Bowl cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Terrence Newman, Charles Woodson, DeAngelo Hall and Asante Samuel. It won’t be easy for Moss, but I would expect his production to spike.

Brett Favre – The old man wanted Moss back in 2007. Now that he has him, look for a lot of deep balls in the air. Some will get intercepted, others will go for big gains. Favre was not a starting fantasy quarterback last week, but he is worth plugging in at this point, although on the road versus the Jets Monday night might not yield the best results.

Adrian Peterson – The only thing I’d be worried about as an AP owner is his touchdown totals. Moss is effective in the red zone, so he could cut into Peterson’s scoring opportunities.

Percy Harvin – At this stage of his career, Percy isn’t a number one receiver. He excelled in the slot and between the hashes last season with Sidney Rice stretching the field. He should adopt a similar role from here on out with Moss opposite him. Expect Harvin’s targets to increase, provided he can stay healthy.

Sidney Rice – If you have him stashed on your roster, dump him. It’s probable he won’t play at all this season. Hip surgery is not something you recover from in two months.

Tom Brady – I have a hard time believing Golden Boy Tom signed off on the Moss deal. Unless Brandon Tate is this year’s Miles Austin, Brady’s passing yards and touchdowns will fall. How far remains to be seen, but wave goodbye to all those 40-50 yard bombs going for six.

Wes Welker – This could be a good news bad news situation for Welker owners. Defenses will now look to take him away since Moss is no longer a concern. However, Welker moves around so much and rarely runs deep routes, so eliminating him entirely will take a creative coordinator. Plan on him seeing a lot more passes thrown his way, but I doubt his overall production will go up that much.

Aaron Hernandez – Going back to preseason, it was clear Brady and Hernandez had a very nice rapport. Look for the rookie tight end to benefit the most from Moss’s departure. He already leads the team in yards receiving and will likely become the big play guy in the Pats attack. Six to eight receptions per game is a realistic prediction.

Brandon Tate – I like Tate, a lot. I’m just not sure he’s ready to become an impact player. If you’ve seen him on kickoffs, you know he’s a weapon, but his experience as a receiver is limited going back to his college days at UNC. If you have an empty roster spot by all means grab him. Just take a wait and see approach.