It's not often that you see divisional rivals make trades, particularly for a former 1st round pick. But the Washington Commanders did just that, sending their 2022 1st rounder, Jahan Dotson, to the Philadelphia Eagles. The full details of the trade can be seen below:
Trade summary:
— Underdog NFL (@Underdog__NFL) August 22, 2024
Eagles get - Jahan Dotson, 5th-round pick
Commanders get - 3rd-round pick, 7th-round pick, 7th-round pick
This is actually the second trade between the Eagles and Commanders in recent months. Philadelphia traded up with Washington in this year's draft to acquire Cooper DeJean.
While it's somewhat shocking to see a second divisional trade in just a few months, fantasy football doesn't care for divisional rivalries. When it comes to wide receivers, all we care about is their ability to earn targets, rack up yards, and score touchdowns.
With that being said, let's provide some initial thoughts on the fantasy impact of this trade. What does it mean for Dotson, the other Eagles receivers, and the Commanders?
DOMINATE YOUR DRAFT: 2024 Fantasy Football Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Football Impact of Jahan Dotson Trade to Philadelphia Eagles
Jahan Dotson fantasy football outlook for 2024
Jahan Dotson had been buried in the Sporting News' rankings before this trade was announced. We had him ranked as the WR79 and as the 168th player in our top 250. He was a player that would likely be drafted in most leagues, but not someone to get fired up about. But a move to Philadelphia doesn't make things much better for Dotson.
Dotson struggled to earn targets in a Washington offense that was starved for offensive talent last year. He saw just 83 targets on a team that attempted the most passes in the league. His 13.8-percent target share (68th among WRs) and 0.133 targets per route run (90th) were less than encouraging signs.
Now that Dotson is an offense with talented offensive weapons, it becomes an increasingly uphill battle for him to earn targets. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and Dallas Goedert are all massive roadblocks in Dotson's path to targets. It's disappointing to say about a former 1st rounder who many expected to do big things after a promising rookie year, but Dotson's fantasy value is approaching zero.
2024 PPR RANKINGS
Top 250 Overall | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K
Philadelphia Eagles fantasy football outlook: Will Dotson's arrival hurt A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith. and Dallas Goedert?
As you may expect, this doesn't have much of an impact on the pass catchers in Philadelphia. Brown and Smith are one of the best WR duos in the NFL and will not be affected by Dotson's presence in the offense. If anything, Dotson's downfield skill set could open things up even more for the likes of Brown, Smith, and Goedert.
Some people had been holding out hope that either Johnny Wilson or Ainias Smith would emerge as the WR3 in Philadelphia. Following this trade, it appears that the dream may be over for these deep sleepers. Even in leagues with the deepest of benches, these two rookies shouldn't be on rankings sheets.
2024 POSITION TIERS & DRAFT STRATEGY
QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
Washington Commanders fantasy football outlook: Which Commanders WRs will benefit most from Dotson's departure?
The most significant impact of this trade revolves around what Dotson leaves behind in Washington. Throughout the preseason, Dotson had operated as the Commanders' primary slot receiver. With this role now vacated, the door is open for a new receiver to operate out of the slot.
The most likely candidate to fill Dotson's vacancy in the slot is rookie Luke McCaffrey. Brother of Christian, Luke was Washington's 3rd round pick in this year's draft. There had been speculation throughout the offseason that McCaffrey would make a push for the starting slot role, but he ultimately came up short. With Dotson now out of the way, the job is McCaffrey's to claim. McCaffrey is not a shoo-in for the role, but he is the favorite at this point.
This also has a slight impact on the other pass catchers in Washington. The change is unlikely to be significant, but we can expect modest bumps to the target shares of Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown (who is likely to now start in 2-WR sets), Washington's outside receivers. This also opens the door for more designed pass plays for the Washington RBs, particularly Austin Ekeler. When someone is traded, the first instinct is to think the remaining players will see large bumps in value, but we have to remember, Dotson is only leaving behind a 13.8-percent target share, so there isn't a ton of opportunity to spread around.
2024 FANTASY AUCTION VALUES (PPR & STANDARD)
Overall | QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF/ST | K