There is still plenty of time for NFL teams to make big offseason moves. Free agency is cooling down a bit, but a handful of fantasy-relevant players, on the offensive side of the ball specifically, are still available. The NFL Draft is also just over three weeks away. We might see a few NFL trades any day now that could shake up the first round especially. By the start of May, our outlook for the 2022 fantasy football season will start to clear up as a result.
Aside from the above, there is still potential for NFL trades involving players on current rosters, too. Not only could trades occur before or during the NFL Draft, but it’s important to consider some trades taking place after June 1st. Following that date, players who are released or traded could save teams significant money towards their 2022 cap space. With that said, even if a potential trade candidate sticks around through April and May, they could be heading elsewhere as soon as June hits.
For fantasy football purposes, there are plenty of NFL trades that fans mock up every day to put certain players in better positions to succeed. Below, I suggest a few NFL trades that would greatly improve the fantasy football outlook for certain players for the upcoming season. In a perfect world, all of these NFL trades will happen. I can only hope. The craziness of this NFL offseason is far from over. Let’s hope some of these deals get done.
NFL Trades That Would Improve 2022 Fantasy Football Value
Brandin Cooks to the Green Bay Packers
First of all, this NFL trade sends Brandin Cooks from the AFC to the NFC. Many of the NFL trades this offseason share a theme of moving players from one conference to the other.
The Packers approach the 2022 NFL season without Davante Adams, now a Raider, nor Marquez Valdes-Scantling, now a Chief. Adams is obviously the bigger loss of the two. However, MVS leaves behind a vacancy in Green Bay for a deep threat receiver. After four seasons with the Packers, Valdes-Scantling leaves behind an average of 17.49 yards per reception.
Enter Brandin Cooks.
Assuming the Texans are willing to move Cooks to his fifth NFL team in nine seasons, he is the perfect fit for Green Bay’s offense. Cooks has logged 1,000 or more yards in six of his eight seasons. While his career average for yards per reception sits at 13.8, he did have three straight seasons of at least 15.0 yards or more per reception from 2016 to 2018. What’s significant about that stretch is that Cooks spent each of those seasons with a different team: The Saints, Patriots, and Rams, in that order.
Additionally, Cooks’ career stats will show that in those same six seasons, of 1,000 or more yards, he had 114 or more targets. He is no stranger to volume. Cooks’ role and production throughout his career have landed him in the top-20 of PPR wide receivers in those same six fantasy football seasons, as well. Pairing him with Aaron Rodgers, I would expect similar results. Cooks is almost 29-years old. He can still get downfield. This is an NFL trade that not only boosts Cooks’ 2022 fantasy value, but Rodgers and the Packers’ offense, as well.
D.K. Metcalf to the Philadelphia Eagles
I know Seahawks coach, Pete Carroll, said the team intends to move forward with D.K. Metcalf. He also said they intend to move forward with quarterback, Russell Wilson. Wilson is now a Denver Bronco.
So, Metcalf movement is certainly not out of the question. As for who is able to pull off this potential blockbuster NFL trade, look no further than the Eagles. They currently hold the 15th, 16th, and 19th picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. It will cost at least a 1st round pick to acquire the fourth-year receiver who is also due for a new contract.
Metcalf is an instant upgrade to one of the most underwhelming receiving corps across the league. However, Philly could use of their top picks on a rookie. If they are to properly evaluate the talent of quarterback, Jalen Hurts, acquiring someone like Metcalf just makes more sense. Prior to rookie, DeVonta Smith, in 2021, it had been five seasons without an Eagles wide receiver cracking the 900-yard mark. D.K. Metcalf has done so in each of his three seasons in the league.
Before Falcons wide receiver, Calvin Ridley’s, news of an indefinite suspension, the Eagles reportedly had a deal in place to acquire him from Atlanta. It’s encouraging to hear plans of adding a proven pass catcher alongside Devonta Smith. Smith’s speed and separation present a mismatch. With Metcalf on the same roster, it would be difficult for defenses to lock up both of them while trying to contain the mobility of Jalen Hurts. Metcalf’s 6’4″ 235-pound frame is quite the difference from Smith at 6’0″ 170 pounds.
With just a few weeks to go until the draft, don’t count out general manager, Howie Roseman, from making a splash. If Metcalf does end up an Eagle, he will firmly lock into my top-10 receivers for the fantasy football season.
Jimmy Garoppolo to the Carolina Panthers
This is certainly not one of the more captivating headlines as far as NFL trades go this offseason. Say what you will, though. Jimmy G. is well-liked, a competent NFL quarterback, and has been to two NFC Championships in the last three seasons. That is lightyears better than any quarterback currently on the Panthers’ roster. If Matt Rhule is to try and remove himself from the head coach hot seat, he needs someone like Garoppolo under center for the 2022 NFL season.
The Panthers currently command the 6th-overall pick in the upcoming draft. There is plenty of speculation that they could spend the pick on a rookie quarterback. Meanwhile, the 49ers moved up to the 3rd-overall pick last season to select Trey Lance. He continues to wait in the wing.
Garoppolo is currently recovering from shoulder surgery, but should be ready for the season. If he were to be traded, or released, by San Francisco, they would save $25.5 million towards their 2022 cap space. His departure feels inevitable.
Acquiring Garoppolo in a trade is a major boost for Carolina’s offense, especially D.J. Moore. Moore is now the fourth-highest paid receiver based on average value. He will continue to be a focal point of this offense. Despite catching passes from quarterbacks worse than Garoppolo, Moore is the only receiver across the league to log 1,200+ scrimmage yards in each of the last three seasons.
He would settle in closer to my top-12 at the position rather than plugging him somewhere in the back of the top-20. D.J. Moore is not Deebo Samuel, but Garoppolo is the quarterback who got Deebo the ball for his breakout season last year. Moore should have no trouble finding success of his own in this scenario.
Garoppolo isn’t one to air it out. So, a player like Robby Anderson suffers from this hypothetical NFL trade. Christian McCaffrey, however, benefits from Garoppolo’s tendency to check down to his running back. CMC doesn’t leave the field and would see a ton of targets. This sort of move supports the argument for him to be the overall RB1 yet again.
Other Desirable NFL Trades for Fantasy Football Improvements
Tyler Lockett is a player I want to see in an NFL trade headline. If he is going to play the entire 2022 season with Drew Lock as his quarterback, his value simply plummets. The Seahawks rank dead last in offensive plays per game in 2021. Swapping Russell Wilson for Lock doesn’t help the cause. With a run-first mentality, and a downgrade in the passing game, Lockett simply won’t have enough juice to trust in a starting lineup week to week. If not the aforementioned Brandin Cooks, Lockett to the Packers is an equally appealing move for fantasy football. Cooks (5) and Lockett (7) each had at least five receptions of 40+ yards last season.
Baker Mayfield would, however, be an upgrade, however slight, from Drew Lock if the Seahawks made him the centerpiece of what would be a widely talked about NFL trade. The Browns are moving forward with Deshaun Watson. It’s still possible he serves a suspension, but Cleveland is giving him $230 million in guaranteed money. Therefore, it’s time for Baker to move on. While Baker isn’t the most accurate quarterback, he can still run an NFL offense. Emphasis on “run” if he were a Seahawk. Putting Baker under center just increases Rashaad Penny’s value out of the backfield. In the last three seasons, Nick Chubb, with Baker and the Browns, average 16.0 or more points per game in fantasy football.
Saquon Barkley to the Chiefs is probably one of the more unrealistic NFL trades, but rumors he could be on the move are still alive. I really, really like Saquon’s PPR value ahead of the 2022 fantasy football season as is on the New York Giants. Health, for him and the team, has been his biggest issue. A trade to the Chiefs is an upgrade nonetheless with Patrick Mahomes as his quarterback. The only downside is that managers would have to use a higher draft pick on him. The Chiefs traded their 2021 1st for offensive line help last year. They now have two 1st-round picks in this draft. Barkley to Kansas City absolutely obliterates Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s value and Ronald Jones’ hopes of seeing the field.