Six players who need to, and should, get a divorce from their current teams, and find new teams to improve their fantasy production in the 2020 season.
Every year, fantasy owners are bound to be disappointed by the production of high picks (David Johnson) and dependable ones (Tom Brady). Oftentimes, a sub-par season leads to a divorce between the player and his real team, either through trade or free agency. The fantasy value of these players won’t necessarily improve because most were already very high picks. However, if they switch to a new team, these players outlook for 2020 will be more impressive than their 2019 production would indicate.
QB, Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Rumors persist that this very well could be Brady’s final year in New England. He’s a 2020 Free Agent and can’t receive the franchise tag. One of the reasons he may look to move on is the lack of offensive talent surrounding him. Currently, he’s on pace to have his worst fantasy season when playing all 16 games. Even though he’ll be turning 43 next season, Brady could put up some great numbers in an offense with more weapons, think the Chargers or Buccaneers. A divorce would be shocking, but at this point it almost seems necessary.
RB, Le’Veon Bell, New York Jets
Bell is expected to be on the trade block this off-season as it’s no secret that head coach Adam Gase disagreed with the former GM about giving Bell a 4 year/$52 million contract, making this an arranged marriage. Quarterback issues early in the season really hampered Bell’s production, but even with Sam Darnold back healthy, Bell still is being underutilized, averaging roughly 5 fewer touches a game with the Jets than with the Steelers. His production is bound to increase if he goes to a team (and a coach) that wants to call plays for him.
WR, Odell Beckham, Cleveland Browns
Similar to the Jets situation, a star player who switched teams not living up to expectations. The offense has been poorly designed and executed. A season long hernia has affected his production too. It’s unclear if Beckham will ask for a trade, that could hinge on whether or not the coaching staff returns. Whether he stays or goes, his numbers are bound to improve, but a new team would give me more confidence in owning him next season. Has anyone has talented as Odell had two high profile divorces in back to back seasons.
RB, Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers
After holding out through the first quarter of the season in effort to be paid like an elite back, Gordon hasn’t looked even close to one, having more fumbles (4) than 100 yard games (1). Gordon is no longer even the best running back on his own team. Austin Ekeler was the compliment to Gordon. This off-season, expect the Chargers to grant Gordon his divorce while they find a cheaper compliment to Ekeler. A full off-season with a new team committed to him, Gordon should rebound in 2020.
RB, David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals
One of the most surprising outcomes this season is how poorly Johnson has fit into Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s air raid offense. Fantasy owners were salivating at the thought of Johnson regaining his 2016 form when he was the leagues top fantasy player. Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmunds have out performed DJ. Being third on the depth chart, with 2 years and $20 million left on his contract, divorce seems inevitable. Johnson could be tough to trade, but a team with a ton of cap room (Dolphins) could get him for peanuts and a fresh start.
TE, O.J. Howard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Something is clearly amiss in Tampa Bay when through 14 games, QB Jameis Winston can lead the league in passing yards, and yet OJ Howard is barely noticeable, only one touchdown and no games with at least 75 yards receiving. He’s under contract for the next two years, assuming the 5th year option gets picked up. Head Coach Bruce Arians offense has never featured the TE. Howard is a talent that should be catching 60-70 passes a season, which will be more likely to happen if the Buccaneers grant him a divorce.