Fantasy football rapid reaction: Justin Fields traded to Steelers

Fields heads to Pittsburgh, but will he be the starter?

In an unexpected if not outright bizarre trade, the Pittsburgh Steelers acquired Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields on Saturday in exchange for next to nothing in draft compensation.

Despite signing free-agent quarterback Russell Wilson and jettisoning former first-round pick Kenny Pickett to Philadelphia, the Steelers weren’t done reshaping their quarterbacks room. The acquisition of Fields immediately prompts one to question not just why but which quarterback will be the starter.

It comes down to for how long, because from nearly everything we’ve seen out of Wilson in the last two-plus seasons suggests he will have a tenuous grasp on the starting gig. Fields, however, has flashed here and there but ultimately battled injuries and a slower development pace as a passer than Chicago’s brass was willing to accept.

Fantasy football outlook

Conservative-minded Arthur Smith is the new offensive coordinator in the Steel City, and the underwhelming cast of skill players don’t do enough to tip the scales in favor of Wilson being anything better than a shaky QB2 draft target. Adding the stress of Fields looking over his shoulder only further complicates this situation.

Presuming Wilson indeed remains the starter entering Week 1, it’s only fair to wonder how long it will last before Fields gets his shot. It’s entirely possible the Steelers will stick it out with Wilson this entire season and then turn the keys over to Fields. Pittsburgh has to make a decision about his fifth-year option before May 2, which seems like a lock to be picked up given they were willing to trade anything for him.

Should Fields wind up in the starting lineup at some point this season, he’ll be no worse than a matchup-based No. 2 quarterback thanks to his legs alone. As a real-life starter, he certainly would present QB1 upside in fantasy.

On the other side of this deal, the Bears now will retool under rookie quarterback Caleb Williams it would appear, and the upgraded talent acquired the past few days will put him in a good position to hit the ground running (and passing). We’ll dive deep into that one once the NFL draft comes to pass.

Eagles add D’Andre Swift to their backfield

D’Andre Swift traded to the Philadelphia Eagles

The Detroit Lions surprised with their 1.12 pick of Jahmyr Gibbs from Alabama. They had already acquired David Montgomery to replace the departed Jamaal Williams but Gibbs offers the same skill set as D’Andre Swift as the fast receiver of the committee backfield. That move immediately dropped Swift down the depth chart and out of the game plan.

Swift is added to the Eagles offense in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick and swapping 8th-rounders this year. There was a void left behind when Miles Sanders left for the Panthers after a career-best season of 259 carries for 1,269 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Eagles have long relied on a committee approach with their backfield, and Swift has been highly productive in his career, but has battled constant injuries and dings during his three seasons.

He’s not going to replace the 259 carries of Sanders. His career-best was only 151 runs in 2021 and he always misses three or more games each year. But he offers both dynamic runs and capable hands as a receiver. Swift caught as many as 62 passes back in 2021 and joins the current backfield of Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott, and Rashaad Penny. That places him into a No. 1 spot in the lineup and a chance to recharge his career playing in a wildly productive offense and behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL.

The Eagles still lack a dominant rusher, but Penny will help Swift with the bulk of the rushing duties. There’s plenty of upside in the pairing, but risk as well given the injury histories of Swift and Penny.

Browns acquire Amari Cooper from Cowboys

Amari Cooper lands in Cleveland in exchange for a fifth-round pick

The Cleveland Browns acquired Amari Cooper from the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2022 fifth-round pick, along with swapping sixth-round picks. He  became trade fodder with the Cowboys who are well over the salary cap and Cooper carried a $20 million price tag for 2022. He is signed through 2024 with a $20 million salary in both 2023 and 2024.  That may be renegotiated, but the Browns inherit the 2022 salary. A lack of available top-tier receiving talent boosted Cooper’s value in the trade.

Amari Cooper career stats

Year TM Gms RUN RYD RTD PASS CMP PYDS PTD PPR  Rank
2021 DAL 15 0 0 0 104 68 865 8 202.5 27
2020 DAL 16 6 14 0 130 92 1114 5 233.4 15
2019 DAL 16 1 6 0 119 79 1189 8 246.5 10
2018 OAK/DAL 9 2 20 0 107 75 1005 7 219.5 18
2017 OAK 14 1 4 0 96 48 680 7 158.4 30
2016 OAK 16 1 0 0 132 83 1153 5 228.3 14
2015 OAK 16 3 -3 0 130 72 1070 6 214.7 23

He leaves the Cowboys after four seasons and logged five 1,000-yard seasons in his career. His only lesser performances are accountable due to injury either to himself or his starting quarterback. Cooper is still only 27 years old and very much in his prime.

Landing in Cleveland is a surprise, given the lack of success there by Odell Beckham who spend three seasons there mostly injured and rarely meeting expectations. The Browns have not ranked higher than No. 22 in pass yardage for the last three years or No. 18 in pass touchdowns. His fantasy value takes a hit leaving a Top-5 passing attack in Dallas.

Cooper will slide in as the No. 1 receiver across from Jarvis Landry who is playing in the final year of his current contract as is Baker Mayfield who has yet to meet the expectations of being the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.  The Browns enter the third season of head coach Kevin Stefanski after an 8-9 finish to last season. There is speculation that the Browns could make a play for Deshaun Watson which would greatly boost Cooper’s outlook.