Fantasy Football Daily Notes: The six NFL trade deadline moves that matter most in fantasy

Read ESPN’s fantasy football Daily Notes every weekday to stay caught up on the news you need to know and get a head start on the fantasy football content coming today and tomorrow to ESPN.com and the ESPN Fantasy App.

The news: The Bears acquired WR Chase Claypool in trade with the Steelers.

What it means in fantasy: This acquisition provides quarterback Justin Fields with much-needed wide receiver help. Darnell Mooney leads the Bears in receiving with 364 yards and 25 receptions and has only three games with double-digit fantasy points. There are no other Bears receivers with more than 164 receiving yards or 11 receptions, which prompted Chicago to make a trade. Since being drafted in 2020, Claypool has 2,044 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He is a flex option for fantasy managers.

Going deeper: According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Claypool’s 508 receiving yards from tight window throws are the fifth most in the league since he entered the league in 2020.

The news: The Vikings acquired TE T.J. Hockenson in trade with the Lions.

What it means in fantasy: The Vikings needed a tight end after Irv Smith Jr. suffered a high ankle sprain against the Cardinals; he will miss eight to 10 weeks. Hockenson is still on the TE1 radar, as he’ll most likely be the Vikings’ No. 3 receiving option. Given Kevin O’Connell’s history of not relying heavily on tight ends, it’s important to temper expectations. This season, Kirk Cousins has the fourth-lowest quarterback rating (38) in the league when targeting tight ends.

Going deeper: The Vikings rank 29th in receiving yards by a tight end this season (270) despite being tied for 13th in tight end targets per game (7.0).

The news: The Broncos acquired RB Chase Edmonds in trade with the Dolphins.

What it means in fantasy: Denver has operated with a timeshare out of the backfield since Javonte Williams tore an ACL, and Edmonds will join Melvin Gordon III and Latavius Murray in that regard. Edmonds’ role in Denver’s backfield is unclear; Gordon will remain the starting running back once the Broncos come out of the bye week, according to general manager George Paton. There’s more frustration than certainty available for fantasy managers in the Denver backfield, so avoid it if you can, but if you need to roster them, I rank them Gordon, Murray, then Edmonds.

The news: RB Jeff Wilson Jr. is reunited with Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel and RB Raheem Mostert in Miami in trade with the 49ers.

What it means in fantasy: When McDaniel served as offensive coordinator for San Francisco in 2021, he had Wilson and Mostert as part of his backfield. With Wilson’s familiarity with the system, he should be able to play right away as a complement to Mostert in the Dolphins’ running back by committee, which means Wilson can be more involved in the Miami backfield than Edmonds was. Wilson is rostered in 45.6% of ESPN leagues and might have been dropped recently after the 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey, but he is on the flex radar with upside for much more if Mostert were to miss time. The Dolphins rank in the top half of Mike Clay’s strength of schedule matrix, which could generate late-game leads that would mean Miami could rely less on its backs to close games out.

The news: The Bills acquired RB Nyheim Hines in trade with the Colts.

What it means in fantasy: Hines made a name for himself as a receiving threat out of the backfield over the past five seasons with 235 receptions for 1,725 yards and seven touchdowns, along with 300 rushing attempts for 1,205 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. The Bills have been relentless in their pursuit of a pass-catching back after missing out on J.D. McKissic and then selecting James Cook in the NFL draft. With Zack Moss now a Colt as a result of this trade, this backfield is a mess for fantasy. Buffalo’s running backs have the second-fewest touches this season with 154. This week, Devin Singletary remains on the flex radar against the Jets in Week 9, but fantasy managers should keep an eye on the snaps and touches in the Bills’ backfield as Hines gets integrated with the offense.

Going deeper: Hines is a great option for keeper or dynasty format as Singletary will be a free agent in 2023. Hines has an inside track to a huge role in 2023 if he can demonstrate to the Bills that he can be their guy. He ranks fifth among running backs in receiving yards since entering the league in 2018.

The news: The Jaguars acquired suspended WR Calvin Ridley in trade with the Falcons.

What it means in fantasy: Ridley was suspended by the NFL in March for betting on games during the 2021 season and may apply for reinstatement in February. Ridley missed most of the 2021 season for personal reasons, but before that, he had caught 248 of 380 targets for 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns and was a fantasy superstar. He ranked fifth in receiving yards per game (82.8) among players with at least 20 games played from 2020 to 2021. On his return, Ridley will join Christian Kirk as a dynamic tandem with an improving Jaguars offense. Ridley has a strong chance to make a run at WR1 fantasy numbers in 2023.

Going deeper: This trade to the Jaguars boosts Ridley’s dynasty value. The situation in Jacksonville should be closely monitored by dynasty managers. If you wanted to trade Ridley away, now is the best time to do so, and it could be worthwhile if you could get a 2023 first- or second-round pick.

The news: The Texans surprisingly did not trade WR Brandin Cooks at the trade deadline.

What it means in fantasy: In a cryptic tweet, Cooks, who did not practice Tuesday, expressed frustration. “Don’t take a man’s kindness for granted,” Cooks tweeted. “Covered for the lies for too long those days are done. Crossed the line with playing with my career.” There was one significant hitch that likely prevented other teams to trade for Cooks; the veteran receiver is due $18 million fully guaranteed next year, with a $26.6 million cap hit that might have been difficult for some teams to absorb. Cooks might not play in Week 9, so fantasy managers should have a contingency plan. It would also be wise to stash Nico Collins, especially in deeper formats.

Going deeper: Cooks has only 354 receiving yards and one touchdown on 32 receptions this season. This is quite surprising considering he developed a great rapport with Davis Mills last season (134 targets, 90 receptions, 1,037 receiving yards) and they worked together extensively this offseason. It’s possible there’s something going on behind the scenes with the Texans that we don’t know about.

The news: ESPN’s Eric Woodyard Lions RB D’Andre Swift is not yet back to full health after dealing with a shoulder and ankle injury.

What it means in fantasy: It seems that Swift won’t be getting a full workload anytime soon after finishing Sunday’s game against the Dolphins with 10 touches. He hasn’t had a full workload since Week 1, when he gained 144 rushing yards on 15 carries and caught three passes for 31 more yards against the Eagles. Swift has played in only three games with just 27 touches since then. The Lions will continue to rely heavily on Jamaal Williams in the backfield, and he seems to be the preferred back near the goal line.

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Mike Clay’s Shadow Report: Wide receiver vs defensive back matchups analysis

Seth Walder’s Next Gen Stats Advantage: Mismatches to exploit

DFS Cheat sheets for DraftKings and FanDuel

• Rankings for Individual Defensive Player leagues

• Fantasy Focus podcast (10 a.m. ET)

Thursday:

Field Yate’s Fantasy Field Pass for Week 9

Mike Clay’s TNF Playbook: Eagles vs Texans

Tristan H. Cockcroft’s positional Matchup Map

Matt Bowen’s fantasy film room

Al Zeidenfeld’s DFS Best Buys for Week 9

• Fantasy Focus podcast (10 a.m. ET)

Fantasy Football Daily Notes: The six NFL trade deadline moves that matter most in fantasy

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