Fantasy: Winners and losers from the Russell Wilson trade

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After months of speculation, the quarterback market underwent seismic changes Tuesday.

With Aaron Rodgers finally agreeing to return to Green Bay for at least one more season, the Denver Broncos pushed all their chips to the middle of the table by acquiring Russell Wilson from the Seattle Seahawks for a package of players and picks.

Let's take a look at the biggest fantasy winners and losers on both teams.

Broncos

Russell Wilson

With one of the best sets of skill-position players in the league and a quality defense, the Broncos' main offseason goal was to find a quarterback capable of making them a contender.

They did.

Wilson has been one of the NFL's best passers over the last decade, as well as an elite fantasy producer.

The former third-round pick finished as a top-12 fantasy QB (points per game) in eight of his 10 seasons with Seattle - falling just short during the other two campaigns (QB13 in 2021, QB16 in 2016).

Though he's leaving an offense with top-notch receivers like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, he'll be handed the keys to a Denver attack featuring several high-end talents who have yet to reach their potential due to subpar play from the quarterback position.

With almost a full offseason to get acclimated and build chemistry with his new teammates, a motivated Wilson should have no problem reserving a spot as a fantasy QB1 in 2022. Verdict: Winner

Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton

No one benefits from this trade more than Jeudy and Sutton, who now have a chance to grow into the premier players fantasy managers envisioned them becoming.

Jeudy's precision route running was never a fit with the quarterbacks Denver gave him, and his numbers suffered because of it. He's only found the end zone three times as a pro - something that's about to change in a major way with Wilson at the helm.

In Seattle, Wilson developed a great rapport with quick, hard-working receivers like Doug Baldwin and more recently Lockett, maximizing their skill sets to generate big-time production.

Jeudy will step into that role in what should be a career year in 2022.

While Sutton already has a 1,112-yard season on his resume from 2019, the last two years have been a mix of injuries and inconsistency.

If he can stay healthy, the 6-foot-4, 216-pound wideout will provide a discount version of what the big-bodied Metcalf delivered while catching passes from Wilson. Metcalf topped 900 yards with at least seven touchdowns in each of the last three years - including an impressive 1,303 yards and 10 scores in 2020.

Both Jeudy and Sutton should be viewed as top-24 fantasy options with a chance to flirt with WR1 stats if the Broncos' passing game hits its stride. Verdict: Big winners

Javonte Williams

It's hard to imagine the fantasy community could get more excited about Williams' outlook, but this trade will likely boost the hype to another level.

As a rookie, Williams showed us everything we needed to see in order to project him as a top fantasy back. He posted 903 rushing yards, 316 receiving yards, 43 receptions, and seven touchdowns while splitting time with veteran Melvin Gordon, who racked up similar stats.

As Gordon heads to free agency, fantasy managers are left daydreaming about the kind of stats their 21-year-old sophomore back could compile. Wilson's arrival will only improve the offense's efficiency, leading to more positive game scripts and scoring opportunities.

However, Broncos general manager George Paton did recently say that he's had positive discussions with Gordon and would like to have him back in the fold. We'll see if that materializes over the coming weeks, but regardless, the arrow is pointing up in a major way for Williams. Verdict: Winner

Albert Okwuegbunam

With Noah Fant heading to Seattle as part of the package to land Wilson, Okwuegbunam becomes the starting tight end in an ascendant Broncos offense.

Though his playing time has been limited behind Fant, the 23-year-old has flashed several times over his first two NFL campaigns. He saw a significant uptick in targets last season, catching 33 of the 40 passes thrown his way for 330 yards and two touchdowns.

That might not seem like much, but it's eyebrow-raising from the second tight end in a struggling passing attack.

Expect Okwuegbunam to be a hot name in fantasy breakout articles before the season, but for now, he belongs in the group of high-end TE2s with TE1 ceilings. Verdict: Big winner

Tim Patrick and K.J. Hamler

It's unlikely Patrick or Hamler will become weekly fantasy options unless an injury opens up a path to playing time, but they should be on your radar as bench stashes or late-round best-ball picks.

Patrick proved he was capable of producing as a WR3 when either Sutton or Jeudy was sidelined over the last two years, and he'll be even more valuable if that happens with Wilson under center.

Hamler is a better real-life field-stretching weapon and depth piece for the Broncos than a fantasy asset. Still, he's poised to make more plays with a true franchise quarterback on the field. Verdict: Winners

Seahawks

DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett

Most of the time, there's something positive to say about players on both sides of a trade. Sadly, there isn't much of a silver lining to this deal for the Seahawks, and that'll have a big impact on Metcalf's and Lockett's fantasy values.

Wilson is one of only a dozen or so set-it-and-forget-it quarterbacks, and Seattle's future without him could be bleak.

There's no in-house option ready to take over and Drew Lock is not the answer. Even last season's backup Geno Smith is about to become a free agent.

Looking outside the organization, the trade market is dwindling and the free-agent crop is led by flawed passers like Jameis Winston and Mitch Trubisky. Meanwhile, the rookie class is weaker than in recent years - even the best prospects likely need some time to develop.

Metcalf is a physically imposing outside receiver who can use his size and speed to win matchups. As we saw during Wilson's four-game absence last year, the 24-year-old was able to continue producing with stat lines of 5-98-2, 6-58-0, 2-96-1, and 6-43-2.

Unfortunately for Lockett, his game is more fine-tuned, so the Seahawks' decision at quarterback will have an even bigger effect on his fantasy outlook. Unless they pull off a surprising - and unexpected - move to land a star, it's likely Lockett will face a big challenge to keep his stats up in 2022.

Until we know the identity of Seattle's next QB, you should approach Metcalf as a mid- to low-end WR2 and Lockett as a WR3. Verdict: Big losers

Noah Fant

Unlike his former Broncos teammates, Fant won't get to enjoy the upgrade that Wilson provides the Denver offense. Instead, he's been shipped to Seattle, where he'll probably be forced to play with another average or below-average passer.

It's a tough break for a former first-round pick who was making his way into the low-end TE1 fantasy ranks the last two years - finishing as the TE12 and TE14.

Until Seattle can find an answer at QB, Fant will be more of a mid- to low-end TE2. Verdict: Loser

Chris Carson (and/or Rashaad Penny)

Carson's fantasy outlook features some red flags beyond just Wilson's departure. The neck injury that cost Carson the majority of the 2022 campaign could turn out to be career-ending.

It's also possible the Seahawks will spend to bring back Rashaad Penny, who surprisingly powered their offense down the stretch.

We'll continue to monitor Carson's rehab and Penny's free agency, but regardless of who gets the start at running back in Week 1, they're guaranteed to face more stacked boxes from defenses that no longer have to fear Wilson beating them over the top. Verdict: Losers

Drew Lock

It was clear that Lock was never going to be the long-term answer for the Broncos, so at least a new team gives him a fresh start.

Even so, nothing we've seen from the 25-year-old passer makes us think he's going to turn things around and develop into a starting-caliber NFL quarterback.

If the Seahawks can't find a suitable starter this offseason, there's a chance they'll decide to roll the dice with Lock - which would be terrible news for all the skill-position players in Seattle and would likely lead to a full-blown tank in 2022. Verdict: Slight winner