NFL Trade Deadline 2017: Fantasy Football Reaction to Biggest Deals Made

The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday afternoon but not before a couple of unexpected deals shook up the fantasy football outlook for numerous players across the league.

Kelvin Benjamin joined the upstart Buffalo Bills from the Carolina Panthers and should immediately slot in as the team's new No. 1 wide receiver. Meanwhile, Jay Ajayi went from the Miami Dolphins to the Philadelphia Eagles, clouding the backfield situation for both organizations.

Let's check out the impact those two blockbusters, along with Jimmy Garoppolo heading to the San Francisco 49ers after serving as Tom Brady's backup with the New England Patriots, will have on the fantasy realm during the second half of the NFL regular season.

Kelvin Benjamin to Buffalo Bills

Buffalo announced it received Benjamin from the Panthers in exchange for third- and seventh-round picks in the 2018 draft. His arrival came as a shock because the Bills' greater need was seemingly a wideout who could stretch the field, not a physical target like the 26-year-old Florida State product.

Nevertheless, he brings more playmaking ability to a team that sorely lacked talent on the outside. He racked up 168 catches for 2,424 yards and 18 touchdowns across 40 games with the Panthers, including 32 grabs for 475 yards and two scores in eight appearances this season.

Along with likely becoming the Bills' top target, JJ Zachariason of NumberFire noted the team's schedule should help bolster the receiver's fantasy value:

Ultimately, Buffalo is still going to feature a run-first attack with superstar rusher LeSean McCoy and dual-threat quarterback Tyrod Taylor, so Benjamin doesn't have elite upside after the trade. He should see enough targets to serve as a reliable No. 2 fantasy WR, though.

Jordan Matthews

Matthews' value takes a hit after Tuesday's deal. He was already struggling to make a consistent impact with 15 catches through six games, and now he slides down the pecking order, which is a disappointment to fantasy owners who expected a breakout campaign.

Cian Fahey of ESPN spotlighted the overlapping skill sets of Buffalo's top receivers:

It will be difficult to trust Matthews in all but the deepest of leagues. The Bills, who currently rank last in the NFL in passing attempts (196), simply don't throw the ball enough to support two fantasy wideouts. So Matthews' already fading stock keeps trending in the wrong direction.

Devin Funchess

Funchess already led Carolina wide receivers in catches (33) and touchdowns (three). Now, with Benjamin traded and tight end Greg Olsen sidelined with a foot injury, he should have an opportunity to post some monster numbers in the coming weeks.

Graham Barfield of Fantasy Guru provided some stats to back up that assertion:

In addition, Carolina has struggled to run the ball this season, as evidenced by its 3.4 yards per carry. That means there's been more pressure on quarterback Cam Newton to make plays through the air. It all adds up to make Funchess a must-start WR for the time being.

Christian McCaffrey

Don't sleep on how the Benjamin trade could help McCaffrey. The rookie out of Stanford is averaging a meager 2.4 yards per rushing attempt, but he's retained fantasy value thanks to his 49 catches. He should now see even more targets in the passing game.

Adam Spinks of RBScout.com passed along an updated outlook:

Even though his lack of touchdowns is likely going to prevent him from reaching guaranteed-starter status in standard formats, he deserves a spot in the lineup in all PPR leagues. His catch volume for the rest of his debut campaign will be through the roof.

Jay Ajayi to Philadelphia Eagles

Like the Benjamin trade, the question here is the fit. The Eagles announced they acquired Ajayi from the Dolphins for a fourth-round selection in next year's draft. But his bruising style lands him basically in the same category as LeGarrette Blount, the team's incumbent starter.

Matthew Berry of ESPN still believes it's an upgrade for the newest Philly rusher:

It's hard to get overly excited about Ajayi from a fantasy perspective right away, though. He's going from a situation where he was the clear lead choice to one where there's a battle for playing time. Consider him more of a flex option until the situation becomes more clear.

LeGarrette Blount

Blount could end up losing significant fantasy value if the Eagles decide to roll with Ajayi as their top running back once he becomes completely comfortable with the offense. More frustrating is the fact it would come through no fault of his own.

Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus highlighted the running back's success this year:

Unfortunately, the most likely outcome could end up being a timeshare between the Eagles' top two rushers, which would hurt both of their fantasy rankings. Like his new backfield mate, it's hard to trust him as anything more than a flex play in the immediate future.

Damien Williams

It's hard to project how the Dolphins' backfield workload will be dished out since Ajayi was receiving a lion's share of the touches. Williams was second at the position with 20 total touches, compared to 13 for Kenyan Drake.

Michael Fabiano of the NFL Network recommended picking up both backs:

Williams is the more experienced player with 99 carries across three-plus years in the NFL. His numbers from that limited sample size aren't overly impressive, however, with 3.3 yards per carry and three touchdowns on the ground.

Kenyan Drake

Drake, a third-round pick in the 2016 draft, had some impressive moments as a rookie en route to averaging 5.4 yards per tote. He hasn't been given much opportunity to build off that initial success with just 10 carries through seven games this season.

Omar Kelly of the Sun Sentinel notes the team is still bullish on him:

While Drake appears to have more upside, both in reality and fantasy, don't raise expectations too far until it's clear how much work he'll get on a weekly basis. If he's given the No. 1 role and 20-plus touches, he could be a major contributor down the stretch.

Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco 49ers

The Niners announced a deal Monday for what they hope will be their quarterback of the future in Garoppolo, who's spent the last four years learning from one of the best ever in Brady. He's completed 67 percent of his attempts with five touchdowns and no interceptions in 94 career attempts.

Brad Evans of Yahoo Sports explained some other reasons for optimism:

It's still unclear when Garoppolo will take the reins of the 49ers offense since quarterbacks face such a steep learning curve. But he's worth a speculative add for fantasy owners who have struggled to find a reliable QB so far this season.

Pierre Garcon

Garcon is an intriguing fantasy trade target after the Garoppolo deal. He's put together a solid campaign with 40 catches for 500 yards through eight games. But the team's quarterback struggles have resulted in no touchdowns, hurting his fantasy numbers.

Club Fantasy thinks his value should increase with a better QB:

Again, a date for the quarterback change in San Francisco isn't set in stone, so the bump in production can't be expected until the switch is made. Garcon could transform from a fringe starter into a major weapon in time for the fantasy playoffs, though.