Demaryius Thomas is the first major fantasy name to be dealt at the NFL Trade Deadline, when the Houston Texans acquired the vegan wideout for a fourth round pick. The Texans were the obvious wide receiver-needy team after losing Will Fuller to an ACL tear last week, and they got one of the top available options. As mentioned in our Fuller Stock Watch, the Texans’ needed another legitimate wideout to play across from DeAndre Hopkins, so it looks like the Texans’ juggernaut will continue to roll. There will also be a strong fantasy impact for the Broncos, and a player who’s likely on your waiver wire and could alter your season.
From a fantasy standpoint, Thomas’ big body will help Deshaun Watson in the red zone and on short to intermediate throws. He hasn’t been given a legitimate quarterback (sorry, Keenum) since The Sheriff was in town, so he could sort of revitalize his image in Houston. He still garners respect from defensive backs, which will help out Hopkins, and should give Watson another real target on the perimeter. This addition clearly hurts Keke Coutee’s stashability and he no longer needs to be be a priority waiver addition — nevermind the fact that he’s dealing with a hamstring issue. Thomas is having a very solid season per Pro Football Focus, as he’s ranked as their No. 33 WR overall, grading out at a 72.2. Thomas has caught 36 balls for 402 yards and three touchdowns, while dropping six on 56 targets. However, he’s no longer that YAC monster that we saw early in his career, averaging a soft 3.7 YAC.
The most important fantasy implication of this trade might stay in Denver with rookie WR Courtland Sutton. The Broncos have been very impressed with the rookie and he fits a very similar mold to his former veteran teammate. Sutton has 324 yards and two scores on only 17 receptions, but he’s been in the shadow of Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Following the trade, Sutton will slide into the starting lineup as Case Keenum’s No. 2 target behind Sanders. The SMU product is a big-bodied receiver, standing at 6’4, 216 lbs with silly athleticism. He’s currently available in 88 percent of leagues and should be your No. 1 waiver priority this week.
