When news broke on Monday of the that sent DeAndre Hopkins and a fourth-round pick to the Cardinals for David Johnson, a second-round pick, and a future fourth-round pick, the fantasy football world wasn't sure what to make of it.Why would the Texans trade one of the best receivers in the league for seemingly so little? Does Johnson have any juice left? How will this affect Deshaun Watson, Kyler Phil McConkey Jersey Murray, Will Fuller V, Christian Kirk, and all the other skill players on these two teams?
We're here to help sift through the confusion and break down the fantasy fallout of these move. Forcoverage Dalvin Tomlinson Jersey of all the latest NFL signings and rumors, check out .
Fantasy Football Outlook: DeAndre Hopkins traded to Cardinals
Hopkins has been first-team All-Pro three straight seasons, and he finished last year as the in standard leagues (). At 27, he's well established as one of the best receivers in football, so it's surprising the Texans would get rid of him. Regardle s, he's on his way to Arizona, and as much as it's going to sting to see him away from Deshaun Watson, he landed in a great spotwith an uptempo team lacking a true No. 1 receiver.
Last season, Arizona than Houston Alec Ogletree Jersey despite running 325 fewer overall plays. Arizona's of 41.7-58.3leaned noticeably higher toward the pa sthan Houston's (44.8-55.2), and while some of that had to do with the quality of the two teams, it seems clear that Hopkins will have more opportunities with Arizona. His QB play doesn' Riley Dixon Jersey t figure to be as good, but Kyler Murray made strides last year and certainly has the talent to be on par with Watson in the near future.
With Hopkins, emerging third-year receiver Christian Kirk, and stable veteran Larry Fitzgerald, the Cardinals suddenly boast a talented receiving corps that can thrive with consistent QB play. Fitzgerald will likely continue to take a step back in fantasy relevance, but Hopkins and Kirk can work together like Hopkins and Will Fuller V.
'Nuk should challenge Wayne Gallman Jersey for the league lead in receptions in Arizona's rhythmoffense, and even with a slight downgrade in QB play, he can put up similar fantasy stats as he did in Houston. Expect him to be a borderline first-round pick again this year, with a slight upgrade in PPR leagues. His presence also greatly raises the value of Murray, who will likely be one of the first five QBs drafted -- po sibly top three. Kirk can function as a borderline WR2/3 who will get drafted in the early-middle rounds.
Fantasy Football Outlook: David Johnson traded to Jabrill Peppers Jersey Texans
Johnson had his third straight disappointing season last year, though it didn't start out that way. Through the first six games, Johnson was averaging 102.2 total yards per game and had scored five touchdowns. But back and ankle injuries basically knocked Johnson out of commi sion until Week 10, and after that, Arizona decided to let Kenyan Drake handle the majority of the RB carries.
Now the 28-year-old running back gets a fresh start in Houston, where Carlos Hyde, now a free agent, revitalized his career last season (1,070 yards, 4.4 yards per carry). If healthy, Johnson should be able Sterling Shepard Jersey to at least do what Hyde did last year, and given his superior receiving skills, he could stay on the field more and eat into Duke Johnson Jr.'s 44 receptions. The "if healthy" is a big worryat this point in Johnson's career, but it would be foolish to simply write him off B.J. Goodson Jersey . His monster 2016 seems like a long time ago, but he's finally on a more balanced offense with a better running scheme, and that could do wonders for his final stat line.
Heading into next season, Johnson will likely be seen as a borderline RB2/FLEX, as worries about his inefficiency (3.6 yards per carry since the start of 2017) and health will be justified Lorenzo Carter Jersey . But all things being equal, he landed in a pretty good spot for his talents. If trading Hopkins is a sign Houston wants to be even more balanced on offense, that could mean big things for Johnson.
As for the rest of the offense, it's difficult to see how this move helps. Watson figures to take a small step back, but given his mobility and Ru sell Wilson-like ability to put up stats seemingly no matter what, we're not too worried about. Will Fuller V will get an opportunity to be more than just a big-play threat, but he'll have to stay in one piece to really ascend to the WR2 that many will undoubtedly peg him asnext fall. Kenny Stills will be properlyranked as WR3, and Keke Couteeand Jordan Akins/Darren Falls will also be interesting sleepers heading into Janoris Jenkins Jersey next year, depending on who else the Texans acquire. (Update: Houston has already signed Randall Cobb, which dims Coutee's outlook quite a bit.)