Sports watch: Fantasy football stars to take with you

This week, numerous players changed teams before the NFL trade deadline on November 5th. These acquisitions will lead to various changes for players across the league, either giving them more opportunities or improving with the new players joining their teams. Here are some of the best options available to capitalize on this week’s player movement.

One of the biggest storylines this season was honoring the trade request of former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. After a loss to the Carolina Panthers, Adams requested a trade from the organization, which resulted in him being traded to the New York Jets for a conditional third-round pick from the team.

With this move by the Jets, Adams will reunite with his former quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who will see an increase in fantasy production as a result. Rodgers had one of his best performances against the Buffalo Bills, where he recorded 294 passing yards and two touchdowns. One of Rodgers’ biggest problems this season has been miscommunication with his receiver core, as evidenced by Rodgers’ only interception of the Bills game when he miscommunicated with Jets wide receiver Mike Williams.

Going back to his time with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers had a passer rating of 103.5 with Adams playing on the same team as him. Rodgers and Adams were one of the most productive duos in the NFL during their time together, with 68 touchdowns. Combined with Rodgers, who already has young stars like wide receiver Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall on the roster, Rodgers could turn into a fantasy ace in the second half of the season.

One trade that may have gone down this week is the Houston Texans sending backup running back Cam Akers to the Minnesota Vikings for a late-round pick in next year’s draft. This move was made by the Texans due to the return of running back Dameon Pierce, who had his best game this year against the New England Patriots. After suffering a hamstring injury, Pierce ran for 76 yards and an eight-yard touchdown in his return to the field.

With the acquisition of running back Joe Mixon this offseason, Pierce has had limited time on the field, but when given the opportunity, he averaged 8.4 yards per carry. The Texans face the Packers this week, who are allowing 110 rushing yards per game while the Texans are allowing 118 rushing yards per game. If the Texans can get up early, there’s a good chance Pierce will get a few rushes that could lead to a big performance for him.

The Cleveland Browns didn’t have the start to the season they had hoped for. With just one win this year, it looks like the Browns are looking to rebuild, and that’s even more evident after Amari Cooper’s trade to the Bills. Cooper was the Browns’ top wide receiver and now that he’s gone, a power vacuum has been created at the position.

The player who will step into the role of top receiver is offseason newcomer Jerry Jeudy. The Browns’ offense struggled to get going, which negatively impacted Jeudy’s performance this season, recording just 20 receptions for 248 yards in six weeks. However, with Cooper’s departure, Jeudy should see a massive increase in the number of targets he will receive from quarterback Deshaun Watson, as Cooper recorded 53 targets this season, leading the team. Jeudy has demonstrated his ability to make big plays throughout his career, averaging 14.3 yards per reception. With the Browns now in need of a new top receiver, look for players like Jeudy to gain more opportunities in the Browns’ struggling offense.

As the trade deadline approaches, these moves most likely won’t be the only ones made for teams looking to compete in the NFL. For fantasy team managers, securing these players who haven’t performed well this year is crucial to not only improving the roster, but also preventing other managers from taking advantage of these players who break out could.

Jasper Greuel is studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views expressed in this column do not reflect those of The post. Would you like to talk to Jasper about his column? Send him an email at [email protected].