Diontae Johnson traded to Baltimore: The Dynasty Fantasy Football Impact
Just when you thought the day was over, we had yet another significant wide receiver trade in the NFL. The Ravens sent a fifth-round pick to the Panthers for wide receiver Diontae Johnson and Carolina’s sixth round selection next year. This wasn’t a shocking end to the very brief tenure of Johnson in Carolina as his name had been swirling around in terms of trade rumors. After all, he’s in the last year of his contract and Carolina’s season is effectively over as they sit at 1-7. It’s a deal that creates a significant ripple effect in dynasty leagues, so let’s break down some newly adjusted player values.
Diontae Johnson, WR BAL
Johnson has posted a 30/357/3 line thus far this season in Carolina and with the Panthers in turmoil, again this comes as no surprise. While his stats may not set the world on fire, his first few games were downright dreadful and he’s really come on strong over the past few weeks, coinciding with the Panthers getting moderately competent play from their quarterback. He’s also been very productive throughout his career as well, posting 421 catches for 4,720 receiving yards, and 28 touchdowns over the span of 85 games, mostly with Pittsburgh. Johnson will likely find the grass a little greener back in the AFC North, this time with the Ravens and should have a nice rebound over the second half of the year. He’ll also be motivated to have a solid end to the year as he’s set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Ultimately, this trade should stop any temporary slide to his dynasty value. Expectations should be tempered as he’s going to a run-first offense. However, that offense also leads the league in points scored. At the very least, this should make Johnson a consideration for lineups every week – something he was struggling to achieve in Carolina this season.
Lamar Jackson, QB BAL
In case you hadn’t noticed, he’s pretty good. Adding yet another quality weapon to this offense may be better in reality than fantasy, but Jackson is locked and loaded as a QB1 (maybe THE QB1) the rest of the way. If Johnson really does unlock another dimension to this offense, look out.
Zay Flowers, WR BAL
It’s hard to say if Jackson can maintain the fantasy value of both Flowers and Johnson this season. Flowers was off to a good start this year, posting 41 catches for 527 yards and one touchdown, so there’s likely a little concern with his dynasty managers tonight. However, it’s unlikely this does too much damage in the end. Flowers and Johnson are likely going to be WR2/3 options moving forward and few dynasty managers were really counting on either to hold their team afloat this season. Keep in mind Johnson is on the last year of his deal as well. If you have a dynasty manager who is down on Flowers, this could be a sneaky time to acquire him in a dynasty league.
Rashod Bateman, WR BAL
If there’s a loser here, it’s probably Bateman. While he’s shown some flashes this year en route to a 22/422/3 line, he’s just never looked the part of a first round pick. He’s had 35 targets through eight games and it would be surprising to see him have that many the rest of the season. He’s still a decent roster stash, but he may need a fresh start somewhere else eventually to truly gain some value steam.
Other Ravens Receivers
This includes Tylan Wallace, Nelson Agholor, Devontez Walker. It’s hard to see any of these players really having any value this season. Agholor has likely had his moment in the sun and while Wallace has shown flashes, they just never have been consistent enough to get us too excited. As for Walker, he’s been a massive disappointment this season and very well could go the entire year without being activated for a game. Yuck.
Mark Andrews, TE BAL
Andrews was awful the first part of the season, but has really picked it up as of late. While Johnson is going to command some targets, Andrews is still going to get his in the end. The Ravens seem to have re-committed to him recently with great results. It’s hard to see that stopping and his dynasty value plunge is sure to stop.
Xavier Legette, WR CAR
If there’s a winner here, it’s likely Legette. While the Panthers passing game leave a little to be desired (and that’s the understatement of the year), Legette may just be their top option now. If Andy Dalton or Bryce Young can somehow get hot, Legette could find his way into some dynasty lineups. He’s tough to trust on a team this brutal, but he’s going to get his chance to shine now. His ADP and ranking should continue its steady rise with Johnson out of the picture.
Jalen Coker, WR CAR
Part of the reason Johnson was traded could also be the emergence of Coker, who had six catches for 78 yards and a touchdown last week. The undrafted free agent from Holy Cross was already a hot waiver wire target this week, but this makes him scorching. He should be on dynasty rosters everywhere.
Jonathan Mingo, WR CAR
This could be the best chance for Mingo to shine, but it’s also hard to get too excited about him. After a 43/418/0 rookie season, he has just 12 catches for 121 yards this season and has still yet to score a touchdown in the NFL. Still, he should get another chance to prove he belongs now with Johnson out of the picture.
David Moore, WR CAR
It’s hard to see this team making one receiver relevant, no less four.
Adam Thielen, WR CAR
Can Thielen come back and post solid numbers again? It’s hard to doubt him, but it’s also hard to see the point with Carolina in rebuilding mode. We’ll see what they do here when he gets healthy, but Thielen looks like a bit of a round peg in a square hole at the moment.
Ja’Tavion Sanders, TE CAR
Another player who could benefit is Sanders, who has looked sharp in recent weeks. It’s hard to see this move as anything but positive for him and he could start to get lineup consideration moving forward.
Bryce Young and Andy Dalton, QBs CAR
Young showed some signs of life last week, so it’s going to be interesting to see if Carolina gives him back the keys to the car. Regardless, neither quarterback is set up for success here with their best receiver gone.
Ken is on Twitter at DLF_KenK
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