Just hours before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, the Minnesota Vikings pulled off a trade for Lions TE T.J. Hockenson. Shortly after the move, the Vikings announced that TE Irv Smith Jr. is being placed on injured reserve. ESPN NFL insider reports that Smith is expected to miss 8-10 weeks with a high-ankle sprain.
Pat Fitzmaurice is here to break down the fantasy implications of this NFC North trade.
- Week 9 Waiver Wire and FAAB Advice: Players to Target, Stash & Drop
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Tight End Streamers (Week 9)
- Fantasy Football Waiver Wire: Quarterback Streamers (Week 9)
- Fantasy Football Week 8 Usage Report: Waiver Wire & Trade Advice
- Fantasy Football Trade Advice: Players to Buy & Sell (Week 9)
T.J. Hockenson is on the move pic.twitter.com/iSR57XGBMN
— FantasyPros (@FantasyPros) November 1, 2022
Check out the rest of our weekly fantasy football advice 
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.
Fantasy Football Takeaways & Implications
This deal came out of left field. There was little to no buzz about Hockenson being on the trading block. Not only did the Lions deal him, but they dealt him within the division. (More on that in a minute.)
The Vikings just lost Irv Smith to a significant ankle injury. Rather than roll with Johnny Mundt and Ben Ellefson, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a bold move at the position.
Minnesota receives Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a conditional 2024 fourth-round pick. Detroit receives a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. On the surface, it’s a reasonable exchange of value between a team eyeing a playoff run this year and a team gazing further into the future.
The move probably does little to change Hockenson’s fantasy value. Hockenson has averaged 6.1 targets a game this season in Detroit. Smith has averaged 4.7 targets a game for the Vikings this year. Hockenson is the better player, so it’s unlikely he’ll see fewer targets with his new team, but it’s also improbable that he’ll get a significant boost in target volume.
The trade shouldn’t alter the fantasy value of Vikings WRs Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen or K.J. Osborn in any significant way either. Vikings QB Kirk Cousins gets a slight value bump — Hockenson is a clear upgrade over Smith.
Detroit doesn’t have much at tight end with Hockenson out of the picture. Brock Wright, who had 12 receptions last year and has 6-88-0 as a receiver this year, is now No. 1 on the depth chart. At best he’ll have low-end TE2 value. Keep your FAAB money in your pocket.
The biggest value gainers here? Probably the Lions’ wide receivers and running backs. Wright will probably get an extra target or two per game. That leaves the rest or Hockenson’s vacated 6.1 targets a game to Amon-Ra St. Brown, D’Andre Swift, Josh Reynolds and others. It won’t be a target windfall by any means, but there will at least be residual fantasy benefits.
Side note: It used to be taboo to make trades within your division. Adofo-Mensah certainly isn’t a traditionalist in that regard. Adofo-Mensah made multiple trades with NFC North rivals at the draft, including a deal in which he gave up Minnesota’s first-round pick so that Detroit could select WR Jameson Williams.
– Pat Fitzmaurice
Fantasy Football News
Irv Smith Jr. is expected to miss 8 to 10 weeks with his high ankle sprain. (Source: Adam Schefter on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: The trade for T.J. Hockenson signaled that Smith’s ankle injury was worse than the Vikings initially thought. Smith is droppable in all formats at this point because even if he returns near the playoffs, the presence of Hockenson will nullify his productivity immensely.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, TE T.J. Hockenson has been traded from the Detroit Lions to the Minnesota Vikings ahead of the NFL’s trade deadline. (Source: Tom Pelissero on Twitter)
Fantasy Impact: Hockenson adds yet another weapon for the Minnesota Viking’s passing attack. TE Irv Smith Jr. suffered a high-ankle sprain in the team’s game in Week 8, so Hockenson comes in to take his place. The Vikings are sending a 2023 second and a 2024 fourth for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth and a 2024 conditional fourth. Hockenson continues to provide weekly appeal at the TE position, and he has solid weekly touchdown upside even in a somewhat crowded offense.
Check out all of our weekly fantasy football content
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.
