With Julio Jones being traded from the Falcons to the Titans, it’s time to dive into the fantasy football impact with the winners and losers of the deal.
Julio Jones being traded in the 2021 NFL offseason was far from unexpected. In fact, it was likely more in the opposite category. But the big question was where the All-Pro wide receiver would land. On Sunday, we got that answer with the 32-year-old being traded to the Tennessee Titans with the Atlanta Falcons receiving draft picks as return compensation.
Titans fans will certainly be exuberant at the notion of adding Jones to the receiving corps with young star A.J. Brown. Falcons fans, meanwhile, will prepare for a new era on offense as they part ways with a generational wide receiver talent. But what about fantasy football managers? How should they be feeling about the trade?
That’s what we’re breaking down today, looking at the winners and losers of the trade. And for the record, Julio Jones himself won’t be listed in either category as, simply put, his role and fantasy football value shouldn’t be altered too much by the trade.
Now, onto the winners and losers.
Fantasy Football winners and losers from the Julio Jones trade
Winner: Kyle Pitts – Some people would likely have Calvin Ridley as the top option for a winner but, if you ask me, there’s not much that’s changing for Ridley. He was already a borderline WR1 in fantasy football with Jones on the roster and will still be. Moreover, I don’t expect him to see too substantial of an increase in targets. Kyle Pitts, on the other hand, could.
When the Falcons used the No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, they were always going to feature the former Florida tight end. But without Julio Jones in the mix, that should increase further. His versatility at his position along with his elite physical profile should make him somewhat of a Jones proxy in this offense.
After a 2020 season when tight end was a bit shallow, Pitts’ value is skyrocketing in my book.
Loser: Josh Reynolds – The most notable wide receiver addition for the Titans prior to the Jones trade, there was some growing buzz that Josh Reynolds could be a fantasy sleeper this season. After all, it was Brown and then him in terms of even somewhat proven commodities on the depth chart in Tennessee.
Now, that sleeper hype is likely gone. Reynolds will still have a role but the Titans, at least under Arthur Smith, often featured heavy personnel and the No. 3 target in the passing offense seemingly changed every game. Reynolds may still flash at times but expect the extreme lion’s share of the targets to go to Brown and Jones with the other newcomer a bit left in the cold.
Winner: Derrick Henry – Even with Brown and Corey Davis in the fold, Derrick Henry has been no stranger to seeing stacked boxes over the past few years. Of course, that hasn’t stopped the behemoth in the Titans backfield from being one of the most dominant rushing forces in the league. What’s wild is that this trade could make him more dangerous than ever before.
Now that Brown and Jones present such substantial threats on the outside, Henry should see less run-stopping defensive personnel than ever before simply because opposing teams can now so clearly get burned on the outside if they do so. While his pass-catching is still a concern for fantasy managers, his highly productive ground game should be as good, if not better, than ever.
Loser: Any QB who didn’t get Julio Jones on their team – The fact of the matter is that any quarterback who could’ve potentially teamed up with Julio Jones would be in a better position than they were before. That’s the case with Ryan Tannehill but you also have to look at the likes of Lamar Jackson, Cam Newton/Mac Jones, Russell Wilson, Jimmy Garoppolo/Trey Lance and so on as losers.
To be sure, all of those quarterbacks should be fine as they aren’t in dire situations with their pass-catching talent around them. That being said, not getting Jones on the roster is a potential boost in value for fantasy that none of them will get now.
Winner: Mike Davis – I’ve already made it known that I’m high on Mike Davis as a sleeper in Arthur Smith’s offense. Given what Smith, ironically, did with the Titans as their offensive coordinator previously, we know he likes the run game to set everything up and ride. Davis is the clear-cut best back on the Falcons roster and should benefit hugely from that.
With Jones no longer in the offense, though, the Falcons could look to lean back on the run game even more. Yes, Pitts and Ridley are going to have a larger target share but we could simply see Atlanta go the safe route with Davis more often than they would’ve with three big pass-catching mouths to feed. The only drawback for Davis is the awful Falcons defense that could ultimately necessitate a heavy passing attack.
Winner: A.J. Brown – How does adding Julio Jones, another viable No. 1 target, to the Titans offense help the fantasy value of A.J. Brown? I’m glad you asked.
First off, the expectation for fantasy managers should be for Brown’s role to remain the same. He became the top option alongside Corey Davis and, though Jones is far more proven and talented, he should continue his ascent in that role.
Beyond that, though, the attention that must be paid to Jones is unlike anything Brown has played alongside in his young career. Even if that doesn’t mean he’s running wide open all the time, it does mean he should have more opportunity to showcase his run-after-catch ability he’s been phenomenal with thus far.