Trade: Chicago Bears trade No. 1 pick to Carolina Panthers for DJ Moore, picks
Fantasy impact for DJ Moore: Positive
A key part of the Panthers’ trade up to the No. 1 overall pick (and an excessive ask to include him considering the other draft pick compensation, frankly), Moore takes over as Justin Fields‘ top receiving target. It’s a good thing in relative terms, considering the revolving door of mediocre passers with whom he worked in Carolina. Fields’ passing game might still be developing, but he heightens Moore’s statistical ceiling, even if the two have greater variance than the average QB-WR duo. Moore becomes a midrange WR2, while Fields’ QB1 case strengthens.
That said, Moore’s arrival gobbles a larger piece of the Bears’ target-share pie, rendering Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney more matchups-oriented depth options, while tight end Cole Kmet should benefit but be at more risk of the occasional quiet game. We’ll see how this Bears offense fares under Fields, but I still like Claypool’s upside against weaker defenses more than Mooney’s.
Check back with ESPN Fantasy often next week as we break down all the fantasy-relevant free agent signings and trades. The league’s legal tampering period begins Monday, March 13 at Noon ET, which is when free agents can begin to agree to terms on new deals before officially signing them. Teams can start signing free agents when the new league calendar year begins Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.
