Wide receiver Stefon Diggs was traded to the Buffalo Bills from the Minnesota Vikings this offseason. How does this impact the Bills in fantasy football?
It was a blockbuster between two strong teams last week. The Buffalo Bills landed quarterback Josh Allen a true No. 1 wide receiver in Stefon Diggs. All Buffalo had to give up to Minnesota was a boat load of picks. Though this move hurts Minnesota initially, the Vikings will be able to offset it in the upcoming draft. For Buffalo, this trade give the Bills a more balanced offensive attack.
The Fantasy Footballers looked at how the Diggs trade impacts key players on the Bills offensive in fantasy. Since Buffalo is a run-first offense with a defensive-minded head coach in Sean McDermott, Diggs’ arrival negatively impacts the amount of targets receivers John Brown and Cole Beasley would normally get from Allen.
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Though Allen is not an overly accurate passer, he is improving in that area under offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. Since he was able to quickly develop a rapport with Brown and Beasley last season, one would think Allen could do the same thing with Diggs in 2020. As an undisputed No. 1 receiving option in Buffalo, Diggs should be able to get plenty of targets in this new offense.
However, he is leaving one of the most accurate passers in the league in Kirk Cousins to one of the least accurate in Allen. Though he has a hose for a right arm, Allen does not complete as many deep balls as Cousins does for the Vikings. Being able to stretch the field is a big part of Diggs’ game. He can still do this in Buffalo, but he may not be as prolific at it as he was in Minnesota.
For Allen, this move should help him be even better in fantasy football. His running ability makes him more valuable in fantasy than most casual NFL fans realize. Gaining another weapon he can trust should only help him evolve as a passer in year three out of Wyoming. Unfortunately, this trade does negatively impact Brown and Beasley’s fantasy football viability going forward.
We may see a slight uptick in passing attempts in the Buffalo offense upon Diggs’ arrival in Orchard Park. It won’t be enough to offset the loss in overall targets for Brown and Beasley. If we had to pick one receiver who to be less affected by the Diggs trade it would have to be Beasley because his targets are of the more catchable variety as a possession slot receiver.