The fantasy football offseason is underway with the start of NFL free agency. This column is designed to be a one-stop shop for quick-hitting analysis of the most impactful player movement — trades and free-agent signings, including those who re-signed with their teams.
ESPN Fantasy writers Tristan H. Cockcroft, Eric Karabell, Liz Loza and Eric Moody offer their insights into what each move means for a player’s fantasy value in 2023. During the early portion of free agency, the most notable recent deals will appear at the top of the column.
DJ Moore traded to Bears
Fantasy impact: Positive
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. — Cockcroft
Derek Carr signs with Saints
Fantasy impact: Neutral
Carr is a good fit for the Saints’ offense and is only one season removed from throwing for 4,804 yards and 23 touchdowns in 2021. While he has a chance to replicate that performance in 2023, even that strong season place him 14th among fantasy QBs. In fact, Carr has never finished in the top 10 at the position in fantasy points.
Chris Olave is easily the player who benefits most from Carr’s arrival. Olave had 1,042 receiving yards and four touchdowns as a rookie, with Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston under center. Carr will look to exploit Olave’s ability to attack defenses vertically. Last season, Carr led the league in touchdowns on downfield passes of 30 yards or more. — Moody
Jimmy Garoppolo signs with Raiders
Fantasy impact: Neutral
After six years in San Francisco, Garoppolo will reunite with Josh McDaniels in Las Vegas. Despite averaging 7.9 YPA, the veteran signal-caller managed just 15.0 fantasy points per game (QB19 among qualifiers) in 2022. He’s less likely to be as efficient in Vegas, but given the team’s surrounding talent his production figures to remain static. In a largely lateral move, the Raiders’ skill position players — Davante Adams chief among them — shouldn’t be downgraded given the QB change. Coming off of a late-season foot injury, Jimmy G remains a middling QB2 for superflex purposes. — Loza
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