There is no better time for overreaction than after Week 1 of the fantasy season. Fantasy managers have been hungry for actual football for so long that they will scrutinize every minute of every play in that first game. And as we all know, it can lead to some interesting conclusions about our fantasy team.
Luckily, FantasyPros has you covered. Not only is there the ‘Who Should I Trade?’ tool where you can get instant trade feedback, but every week in this space, we’ll dig even deeper into players that should be moved. There will be the classic one-for-one deals but also deals where multiple pieces would equate to one piece which will be indicated with a ‘-plus’ next to the players’ name.
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, be sure to check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup, based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant – which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team, and by how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
The Trade: Kirk Cousins (QB – MIN) for Justin Fields (QB – CHI)-plus
The Reasoning: With Week 1 in the books, we finally have some game action and statistics to work with. For Kirk Cousins, it was his first regular season game in new coach Kevin O’ Connell’s more pass-happy offense. Relying heavily on receiver Justin Jefferson, Cousins finished with 277 yards and two touchdowns. Cousins always had the talent but never a coach that seemed to enjoy passing the ball like O’Connell did when he was the Rams’ offensive coordinator. Between Minnesota’s new-look offense and the continued ascension of Jefferson, Cousins should have a good season.
Justin Fields, on the other hand, played better than expected. Taking on a 49er defense that was in the top 10 when it came to DVOA, and in a monsoon no less, Fields only had 17 pass attempts but scored on two of them and finished with 121 yards. He added 28 on the ground in the win. It may not look like much but Fields was expected to be running for his life behind a battered offensive line with only Darnell Mooney to throw to. Not only did he lead the Bears to an impressive victory but he looked good in the process.
Heading into Week 2, and even before, Cousins is a popular pick because of the system and players around him. But Fields could play just as well while adding the run game to his stats. Furthermore, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings have a 21st-ranked strength of schedule for the rest of the season while Justin Fields and the Bears check in at number nine. Cousins is almost cliche to start now while Fields offers upside not many other quarterbacks have.
The Trade: Josh Jacobs (RB – LV) for Kareem Hunt (RB – CLE)-plus
The Reasoning: For as productive of a career as Josh Jacobs has had, he’s seemingly on the outs with the Raiders. They declined the fifth-year option on his rookie contract, signed Brandon Bolden in the off-season to be their receiving back and drafted a possible replacement in Zamir White in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. But he’s the starter for now after seeing 10 of the 13 Raiders carries in Week 1 for 57 yards. He also added a reception.
Meanwhile, Kareem Hunt tried to get away from his current team in the off-season but the Browns refused, which looks like the right call. They heavily involved Hunt in Week 1 as he touched the ball 15 times and scored on two of them. Nick Chubb still led the team in carries by a wide margin, but with the passing game of the Browns in flux, they’ll continue to use Hunt there.
The opposite directions that Jacobs and Hunt are going in are reason enough for me to want to swap them. Yes, Jacobs is the current leader of the Raiders backfield but for how long and especially if they start losing more games? They’ll want to see what they have in the rookie White. For Cleveland, Hunt is one of their best offensive skill position players and he and Chubb have very clear roles. Hunt won’t score two touchdowns every week, but he’s a better bet than Jacobs and has a more secure job as the season wears on.
The Trade: George Kittle (TE – SF) for Pat Freiermuth (TE – PIT)-plus
The Reasoning: No one would have thought Pat Freiermuth would have more value by the end of the season, let alone after Week 1, than George Kittle but it doesn’t sound so crazy now. And not just because of the groin injury that kept Kittle out of the 49ers game against the Bears. The Steelers’ offense looks at least competent under new quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and Freiermuth stands to benefit. He was second on the team in targets with 10 — behind only Diontae Johnson — and led the team with 75 yards.
Freiermuth was taken in fantasy drafts this season as a low-end TE1. He finished as a top-10 fantasy tight end during his rookie season last year and that was with three games with less than 20 receiving yards. An option for a team that passed on drafting an elite tight end like Travis Kelce or the aforementioned George Kittle. But if Week 1 is any indication, Freiermuth could finish on the cusp of the elite tier by the end of the season.
For Kittle managers, it’s not about a decline in his ability. But he and the 49ers’ offense have experienced a lot of changes including the switch at quarterback to 2021 first-round pick Trey Lance. And while the coaching remains the same, going with Lance over former starter Jimmy Garoppolo could usher in a new-look offense that isn’t as conducive to Kittle’s fantasy stats as it once was.
Going forward, you have to take that into consideration along with the fact that Kittle’s already missed his first game of the season due to an injury. And if that wasn’t enough, Freiermuth is a top-five strength-of-schedule the rest of the way over Kittle’s 12th. The days of being able to get Freiermuth and then some for Kittle are closing fast.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | SoundCloud | iHeartRadio
If you want to dive deeper into fantasy football, check out our award-winning slate of Fantasy Football Tools as you navigate your season. From our Start/Sit Assistant – which provides your optimal lineup based on accurate consensus projections – to our Waiver Wire Assistant, which allows you to quickly see which available players will improve your team and how much – we’ve got you covered this fantasy football season.
Michael Moore is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Michael, check out his archive and follow him @DLF_Moore.