Braylon Edwards traded to Jets: How will it affect your fantasy team?

October 7, 7:34 PMBoston Fantasy Sports ExaminerMark Fuery

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Will Braylon Edwards be a catch for the Jets and his owners, or
will he continue to drop down the rankings?

Early Wednesday, underachieving Cleveland Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards was traded to the New York Jets for wide receiver Chansi Stuckey, linebacker and special teams ace Jason Trusnik, and two draft picks.

Edwards, a 2007 Pro Bowler, has been a disappointment since his first career trip to Hawaii. Last season he was plagued by a case of stone hands and finished with only 873 yards and three touchdowns, a huge drop off from his 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns the year before.

So far, 2009 has been much like 2008. Edwards has been inconsistent to say the least and has only 139 yards receiving through four games.

His poor performance has left fantasy football players with a tough decision. Should they cut ties with the former star who they likely spent a fairly high draft pick on or should they wait it out and see if it improves?

His trade to the Jets makes that question much harder to answer. Edwards is expected to start right away and is now in an offense with a strong running game, a solid quarterback in Mark Sanchez and a proven receiver in Jerricho Cotchery.

Edwards will initially step in as just a role player, and with the change of scenery and better supporting cast, he has potential to produce. He won’t reach his 2007 numbers, but he should become a solid third receiver in most fantasy formats.

However, another player who benefits greatly from this trade is the Browns new top receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Last week, the rookie receiver grabbed eight passes for 148 yards. Now that Edwards is gone, the Browns will have to rely on the talented youngster to make big plays through the passing game.

It is also worth noting that Massaquoi’s huge game came in quarterback Derek Anderson’s first start of the season.

Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals left little doubt that Anderson is Cleveland’s best quarterback, especially in fantasy football.

Brady Quinn’s subpar play was a major handcuff for the Browns offense, making the rest of the Browns irrelevant in fantasy football. Now that the strong-armed Anderson is under center the Browns passing game will be able to move the ball more consistently, making some of their top players good sleeper candidates.

Most of all, it will make Massaquoi a strong play in most matchups, especially since Anderson loves to take chances downfield. Sure, it could be detrimental to the Browns, but if Anderson is trying to squeeze the ball in to Massaquoi he will surely come down with some of them and get a huge boost in the fantasy rankings.

The bottom line is that this trade gives nearly all who are involved an immediate fantasy boost. Edwards has the talent to thrive with the supporting cast he now has in New York, Massaquoi is now the Browns’ number one receiver and Stuckey should have an opportunity to start with his new team.

If Massaquoi is available, he won’t be for long. Go get him now! If you have Edwards, hold onto him and see what happens, and if he is a free agent and you have an open roster spot he is worth the gamble. As for Stuckey, keep an eye on him, but wait until you get a chance to see what kind of role he will play in the offense before making a move.