The first major deal of the 2021 offseason has happened, and it was a whopper. Beyond the real-life impact, the trade that sent Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and a bevy of draft picks offers a ton of fantasy football implications. We’re here to provide our reaction to the blockbuster deal.
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How does the trade impact the value of Matthew Stafford and other Rams’ players?
Stafford has been left for dead in many fantasy football leagues due to the fact that he’s on a bad team. However, with the trade now sending him to an offense that’s loaded with talent, plus an outstanding head coach, Stafford’s fantasy football stock just shot through the roof. He’s certainly not going to be a top-five quarterback off the board next year in redraft leagues, but he should be viewed as a solid top-12 option.
As for the receiving weapons, this is a huge upgrade. Jared Goff has been extremely inconsistent lately, and Stafford’s ability is going to help Sean McVay open up the playbook even more. Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Cam Akers, and even Tyler Higbee (with Gerald Everett set to leave in free agency) should all see their stock rise heading into the 2021 season.
How does the trade impact the value of Jared Goff and other Lions’ players?
Goff was hanging onto redraft relevancy by a thread to begin with, and the fact that the Rams had to include additional draft compensation just for the Lions to take on his salary tells us everything we need to know. Goff’s now on a rebuilding roster, and the only wide receivers that are under contract right now in Detroit for 2021 are Quintez Cephus and Geronimo Allison. Things can change with the draft, but it also wouldn’t surprise me to see Detroit snag a QB with the No. 7 overall pick if one’s sitting there.
As for the other Lions’ players, the state of the franchise is affecting them more than this specific trade for Goff. D’Andre Swift’s going to be a very talented running back on a bad team, which hurts his true value. Additionally, T.J. Hockenson should see plenty of targets next season, but the scoring opportunities simply might not be there.
Reactions from the fantasy football community
Here are quick takes from the fantasy football community, including many of the top finishers in our 2020 accuracy competition.
Many will see the multiple first round picks and freak out, but much of that came because they had to take on Jared Goff’s massive contract. https://t.co/eUY2DOvSWZ
— Mike Tagliere (@MikeTagliereNFL) January 31, 2021
The Jared Goff contract is such an albatross. At least Les Snead made an attempt to clean up after himself. pic.twitter.com/WbbKq1kJUu
— Pat Fitzmaurice (@Fitz_FF) January 31, 2021
Les Bleed https://t.co/G9vPomJz42
— Pat Thorman (@Pat_Thorman) January 31, 2021
Van Jefferson szn
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) January 31, 2021
Stafford is absolutely going to be a Fantasy stud next season under McVay. I’m excited.
— Joe Bond (@F6P_Joe) January 31, 2021
Stafford ????
Bobby Trees ????
Kupp ????
Reynolds ????
Higbee ????
Rams SB chances ????
Goff ????
Lions WRs ????
Hockenson ????
Swift ????
Rodgers ???? https://t.co/F4tXOF8iWl— John Paulsen (@4for4_John) January 31, 2021
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