Justin Rasile 
Impact Fantasy Trades 2021
I’ve spent a lot of time talking about free agency and the NFL Draft but with the number of teams that need to create cap space, there is plenty of fantasy relevant players that are available for trade. Let’s take a look at which ones would make the biggest difference in our Impact Fantasy Trades 2021.
Deshaun Watson – Dolphins – Watson is definitely going to get traded at some point this offseason but where would he make the most fantasy-relevant impact? Miami seems to be the clear-cut winner as they have the draft capital and the Super Bowl ready team. He’s clearly not happy in Houston and if Miami offers Tua Tagovailoa and three first-round picks, I think the Texans would think long and hard about it. New Texans general manager was apparently enthralled by Tua in the draft process last year and the Dolphins can offer the young, talented quarterback that Houston would want in return for one of the best talents in the league. Miami’s offense with Devante Parker, Jakeem Grant, and Preston Williams doesn’t scare anybody but if Chris Carson does sign with the Dolphins, this team would see a fantastic boost.
Russell Wilson – Bears – There is a 50/50 shot of this happening. Russell is clearly unhappy with his involvement in the Seattle organization but the Seahawks would incur a massive dead cap hit if they trade their franchise quarterback. I think the pairing of Russell Wilson with Allen Robinson would bring tears to Robinson’s eyes. After years of catching passes from Christian Hackenburg, Blake Bortles, and Mitch Trubisky, Robinson deserves to show what he can do with a great quarterback. I honestly don’t know what the Bears can offer in return for Wilson but it would have to involve years of first-round picks and multiple veterans.
Sam Darnold – Seahawks – One of the biggest storylines this offseason has been following the drama of Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. This situation could be more smoke than fire and has a very realistic chance of being resolved but if Russell is traded, I could see the Seahawks taking some of that draft capital they would have received and flipping it to the Jets. Sam Darnold is no Russell Wilson but in the run-heavy offense that Pete Carroll wants to run, Darnold could run it well. Darnold can hand off to whoever their new workhouse running back is and play-action passes to wide-open DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett might be something that Seattle is considering.
Allen Robinson – Ravens – If Russell doesn’t get traded to the Bears and they don’t upgrade their quarterback room with a player that Robinson approves of, I think he forces a trade to get out. A phenomenal landing spot for Allen Robinson would be in Baltimore with Lamar Jackson. Allen Robinson has played with such poor quarterbacks over the years that even though Lamar is a bit of an erratic passer at times, he is still the best quarterback he will have ever played with. The 27-year-old Robinson would be the number one and Hollywood Brown would shift to a number two receiver with Mark Andrews covering the middle of the field. The whole offense would get a great boost from this trade.
Odell Beckham Jr. – 49ers – I think if Odell gets traded, it would be after a few days of free agency once some teams miss out on players that they coveted. Getting Kyle Shanahan a true number one receiver is the one missing piece from his offense and obtaining the guy that Shanahan has been in love with will bring a smile to both of their faces. Odell would love to be a number one guy again. The 28-year-old would save the Browns a few million dollars this year and give them an opportunity to improve their defense. From a fantasy perspective, Odell’s talent would be on full display and a creative coach would get so much from him.
Adam Thielen – Patriots – There are a few reasons for this trade. Adam Thielen is 30 years old and this move would save Minnesota a little over $8,000,000. Then they would be able to revamp that poor defense via free agency and add some draft capital as well. I’m certain that Bill Belichick would give up about a second-round pick for Thielen. Also, the emergence of young superstar Justin Jefferson helps make this trade easier to swallow. The Vikings have already released Kyle Rudolph this offseason to create more cap and with the depth of wide receivers in this year’s draft class, Minnesota can get younger without getting worse. Adam Thielen would instantly be the best receiver on the Patriots and would be featured early and often. A 100+ reception season is in his cards again and he showed he’s very capable of getting close to 15 touchdowns. Cam Newton doesn’t have the biggest arm anymore but Thielen is a great guy over the middle and would complement Newton’s skillset.
Matt Ryan – Broncos – This trade would be very improbable. Trading Matt Ryan would leave the Falcons with a decent amount of dead cap plus the Falcons roster isn’t that bad. The offense is still good, they just need to improve their defense. But IF John Elway and new general manager George Paton decide to go the veteran QB route, Matt Ryan would be a great pickup. Denver’s offense has an insane amount of talent. Jerry Jeudy, Noah Fant, KJ Hamler, and the return of Courtland Sutton with a veteran quarterback would create a dream fantasy offense. Sprinkle in some Melvin Gordon and an above-average offensive line and Matt Ryan to Denver would create a fun offense to watch.
Julio Jones – Colts – The Falcons are in cap hell right now. They have a bunch of aging, expensive players that are getting towards the end of their careers so if Atlanta does decide to do a rebuild and trade away Julio Jones and Matt Ryan, sooner is better than later. Trading Julio after June 1st would create dead cap for 2022 but would actually help save them some money this year and with the cap expected to go up again next year the dead cap for next season wouldn’t be that bad. This move would give the Colts a number one, go-to wide receiver and would help Carson Wentz tremendously. Julio would have great complementary receivers in Michael Pittman and Paris Campbell as well as a terrific running back in Jonathan Taylor.
Michael Thomas – Jaguars – I have a hard time seeing this trade going down, especially with the dead cap hit that would be accrued by the Saints but it’s fun to dream for our Impact Fantasy Trades 2021! Michael Thomas played under Urban Meyer while he was at Ohio State and Urban is trying to build a juggernaut in Jacksonville, especially with all that salary cap money. The best way to do that is to give Trevor Lawrence as many weapons as possible. Michael Thomas would cover the entire middle of the field and catch all of the slant routes while DJ Chark can go deep and take the top off the defense. Laviska Shenault can be used as that all-purpose gadget player and James Robinson would never see a loaded box again. Trevor Lawrence would become a top 5 fantasy quarterback as a rookie with Thomas and Chark as top 20 options.
Jimmy Garoppolo – Patriots – Yes, the Patriots just signed Cam Newton but the incentive-heavy contract can easily be maneuvered. Belichick has always been in love with Jimmy G and with the 49ers potentially looking at upgrading the position through the draft, the former Eastern Illinois quarterback could be on the way out. Jimmy G would be an instant upgrade over Cam as he has the passing ability that Cam doesn’t. This would help the entire Patriots receiving core and the running backs accrue more fantasy value, especially the running backs like Damien Harris that are a bit more touchdown-dependent. No more Cam Newton vulturing those goal-line carries.
Teddy Bridgewater – Washington Football Team – Washington desperately needs a quarterback and Teddy will be looking for a new home soon. Teddy’s current team, the Carolina Panthers, will be drafting a quarterback early in the 2021 NFL Draft in April so chances are that Teddy is a draft-day trade if Carolina can get one of the guys that they covet. This trade gives Washington a veteran presence and an upgrade over their quarterback room. Teddy won’t completely wow you but he is still better than Taylor Heinicke and would improve the draft stock of Terry McLaurin and breakout star Logan Thomas.
Thanks for checking out this article on Impact Fantasy Trades 2021! Obviously, some of these trades are very farfetch’d and completely over the top but it’s fun to float some of these ideas out there. One of the trades not talked about enough is Odell Beckham Jr. to the 49ers. I would put some money on that one. Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @jrazzle81!
