Diontae Johnson was reportedly traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a day-three pick swap. The immediate reaction for Baltimore is fairly straightforward: Lamar Jackson gets a slight bump up, while all the pass-catchers (Diontae Johnson included) get a slight bump down so the ball can be spread around. There are a couple of underrated fantasy football winners in the Panthers offense after the trade. Let’s look at their outlooks.
Underrated Carolina Panthers Winners Following Baltimore Ravens Trade – Fantasy Football
Xavier Legette
Legette was a shocking selection in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft but has done well so far. He’s proven that he can play, and Canales wants to run the offense through a featured player. That player was supposed to be Diontae Johnson, but Legette’s volume should increase with him on the move.
The former Gamecock has been middle of the road with his opportunities, with six yards per target and 9.5 yards per reception. His explosive testing numbers haven’t resulted in big plays on the field yet. But with Johnson on the move, they’re going to need to mix things up and have a vested interest in seeing Legette succeed.
He’s only rostered in 24% of leagues on ESPN, and profiles as the team’s red zone threat and possibly the number one option in the offense. Every game that Andy Dalton starts he becomes a must-start option, while he’s a FLEX play if Bryce Young moves back under center.
Jalen Coker
For the real sneaky players, Coker is available almost everywhere. The Holy Cross receiver wasn’t involved in the offense until Week 5 but is averaging over three targets a game and his snap share is slowly rising. His body control and pacing variation in routes make him an interesting prospect, and we’ll find out quickly how much Carolina trusts him.
Based on the trade, they must be happy with him or are just folding it in for the season (probably a combination). Coker is certainly worth a speculative add in redraft leagues, and he’s even available on the waiver wire in some dynasty leagues.
The UDFA has now moved into a significant snap share, but the history of UDFA receivers isn’t a prestigious one. Coker would need to be a serious outlier to vault into fantasy football greatness, but he can certainly move into FLEX consideration as bye weeks and injuries pile up.
Watch – Related: What is a Dynasty Rookie Pick Worth?
Ja’Tavion Sanders
While Johnson was playing he led the team in red zone targets. Now that mantle is up for grabs, and Sanders has as good a case as any of the three. Sanders had a nice streak of targets and involvement in the offense until Week 8, where he was dealing with a couple of nagging injuries ahead of their matchup against the Denver Broncos.
Sanders is safe to keep out of lineups for a couple of weeks. However, the post-bye rookie bump could hit him like a brick wall. The Fantasy Footballers pointed out that tight ends move to boom-bust territory after their rookie year bye week. Two of the best matchups for tight ends come for Sanders in Weeks 12 and 13. He could finish the season with a couple of fun spike weeks and is a streamer to keep an eye on moving forward.
Main Photo Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
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