After last week’s Browns/Jaguars trade that sent running back Carlos Hyde to Jacksonville, my article’s opening line was
Very rare when an NFL mid-season trade makes waves in the world of Fantasy Football.
Boy does that look silly… Because here I am just a few days later talking about a new trade that has the NFL buzzing and Fantasy Football managers looking for answers:
Who does this help?
Hurt?
Who gets a bump in value?
Who is now droppable?
Let’s get right to the Fantasy Football impact of the Raiders and Cowboys trade that sends wide receiver Amari Cooper to Dallas in exchange for a first-round pick.
Impact on Amari Cooper
An enigma when it comes to the game of football, Cooper was the 4th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft and despite being just 24 years old (Falcons rookie Calvin Ridley is 23), Cooper already has three seasons under his belt. He is and has been perhaps one of the most frustrating players to roster in fantasy. One week he’ll have one catch for nine yards (Week 1) and the next he’ll go off for 10 catches and 116 yards (Week 2). Once your tricked back into starting him he’ll destroy your lineup by putting up two catches for 17 yards (Week 3). Frustrated and annoyed you’ll bench him in Week 4 only to see him blow up for eight catches, 128 yards and a TD (Week 4). Care to guess what happened in Week 5? One catch for 10 yards… That type of yo-yo, up and down production is now synonymous with Cooper’s tenure as a Raider. The talent is undoubtedly there. His skill set and size is among the best in the game. But he drops too many passes and his route running seems to have downgraded instead of improved. Since the Raiders are in full tank mode and the Cowboys were willing to part ways with their 2019 1st Round pick, Oakland and Dallas came to an agreement. Cooper leaves Oakland and joins the receiver needy Cowboys. Anyone with any football sense knows the Cowboys needed a playmaker at wide receiver no matter how many times Jerry Jones told us the contrary. But a first rounder for Cooper seems like a lot to give up; even with his talent, because the bottom line is we just haven’t seen him string together a real solid season where we look back and say this is what we thought Amari Cooper would develop, mature, grow into…instead it’s been quite the opposite. Could he change that reputation now that he’s playing for “America’s Team”? Jerry Jones and company certainly hope so. This much is obvious, Cooper is by far the most promising receiver on the Cowboys but given their current crop, that is quite the back-handed compliment.
Impact on Dak Prescott
After losing Jason Witten and Dez Bryant in the same off-season, the Cowboys drafted Michael Gallup and signed Allen Hurns. While Gallup flashes some signs of potential, Hurns has been relatively unproductive. Outside of Cole Beasley moving the chains on 3rd Down, Prescott hasn’t had a game breaker or red-zone option to target at receiver. In theory, Cooper now gives Dak that Numero Uno receiver option, which should help his fantasy production. In reality, there’s just no telling if Cooper can develop into that player who meets his potential and thus in turn helps elevate’s Prescott’s production. Could Prescott help elevate Cooper’s production? There’s no really indication that Dak is any better (or worse) than Derek Carr. The move to trade for Cooper certainly won’t HURT Dak’s value, but the jury is out on whether it will help it.
Impact on Cowboys Receivers
After a solid showing in Week 7, Michael Gallup was en route to being somewhat of a waiver wire commodity (Cowboys are on a bye in Week 8) but with Cooper now in town, Gallup is pushed down the depth chart, as is Allen Hurns. In fact the only receiver on the Cowboys not negatively impacted by this trade is Cole Beasley who will remain the slot receiver and Dak’s go to guy on 3rd Down. Beasley is absolutely worth having in 12 man PPR leagues. Gallup and Hurns…not so much
Impact on Derek Carr
The Raiders are tanking. Jon Gruden isn’t afraid to trade off what would appear to be his most promising players for draft picks (Khalil Mack and now Cooper). Could Carr be the next brick torn off from the Raiders foundation and thrown to another team? You’d be naive to think it wasn’t a possibility at this point. The Raiders are on the hook to pay Carr around $19 million for the next few seasons and while Carr had ONE MVP caliber season, he’s flamed out in a big way the last season and a half. As for his value in 2018, Carr was never anything more than a low-end QB2 in TWO QB leagues, a bye week replacement, a contrarian play in DFS. Heading into Week 8 he has more INTs than TDs and Jordy Nelson is now his top wide receiver. To put it more bluntly…Carr is not in the least bit on the Fantasy radar.
Impact on Jordy Nelson
The veteran may see more action from the opposition’s top corner-back but the Raiders will be trailing so much in games the rest of the year, Nelson will remain a garbage time producer and still retains the threat to break off a big play. He remains a borderline WR3 in 12 team leagues.
We’ll see Amari Cooper in a Cowboys uniform on November 5th against the Titans on Monday Night Football. Dallas is on a Bye in Week 8.
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