Fantasy Football: Impact of Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff trade
Detroit Lions fantasy football impact
For the Detroit Lions, the fantasy football impact will be less felt. There’s also still A LOT of information that we simply do not have yet.
Jared Goff
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think Goff is a terrible quarterback. I don’t feel like he’s particularly good, but he’s not horrible. One thing that is promising is the hiring of former Los Angles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn who did a fantastic job of developing rookie Justin Herbert in 2020.
While it’s still hopeful that Detroit takes a rookie signal-caller in this springs draft, Lynn will be tasked with further developing Goff as well. Due to the lack of talent currently around Goff on the Lions roster, there is no way to look at this as anything but a downgrade in terms of fantasy football for the five-year pro.
D’Andre Swift
There are a lot of people out there on fantasy football twitter who believe D’Andre Swift will be fine in terms of fantasy football value in 2021. I’m not so easily convinced.
There’s absolutely no doubt that Swift is supremely talented. Prior to the 2020 NFL season coming to a close, Swift was already an early target for next season’s fantasy drafts. Losing Stafford however hurts his value.
Stafford caused opposing teams to not load the box and for safety’s to respect the deep ball Stafford had mastered over the years. Without him there, defenders are far more likely to play closer to the line of scrimmage with Goff under center.
Could Detroit rely more on the run?
Perhaps, but that’s probably not going to help as much as you think in terms of fantasy football production. I worry about Swift staying healthy for the 16-game duration that is the regular season and I think the Lions do as well. It may open the door for Kerryon Johnson or other running backs to get increased work, but I don’t think Swift sees too much of an uptick in usage.
Wide receivers
No matter what happens, losing Stafford is going to hurt the wide receivers. Whoever they end up being.
That’s largely because he’s not the only player the Lions are likely to lose. The Lions wide receiver corps are probably going to look very different next fall.
Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., Danny Amendola, Mohamed Sanu, and Jamal Agnew are all unrestricted free agents this offseason. With Stafford no longer at quarterback and Detroit headed for an obvious rebuild, it’s hard to say if any will even want to return.
For now, Quintez Cephus is the default wide receiver No. 1. I think this kid has the potential for a bright future, and Goff will be looking to find a connection with someone. Perhaps the two will click.
The Lions will look to add depth via free agency and the NFL Draft. There are a lot of talented individuals available in both. I cannot wait to see who they add.
TJ Hockenson
Pro-Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson is someone who will be back next year. Thank goodness. Hockenson is signed through 2022 and could be a bright spot for this offense next year.
Goff’s former teammate, Tyler Higbee, was a good friend of the Rams’ former quarterback. It translated well on the field too, as Higbee was targeted 60 times last season, hauling in 44 receptions for 521 yards and five touchdowns.
They’re not mind-blowing numbers, but when you consider that Hockenson is more talented than Higbee along with the fact that it’s possible he’s the best receiving option on the field and there is solid potential there.