Moss trade has ripple fantasy effect

The Randy Moss trade to the Vikings is the big topic of discussion in the fantasy football world today. Oddly enough, his value as a player changes little. It's the changes to the people on the team he left behind and the team he has recently joined that will have the greatest fantasy impact.

Moss was one of the elite receivers going into the season and that remains the same. He's still a must-play every week, or at least until Brett Favre proves it's his own age and talent that is betraying him and not his receiving corps.

So what does this do to the other Vikings players? Well, Favre must once again be taken seriously as a starting quarterback. Exactly how long it will take him to establish chemistry with Moss is an unknown but, at least for now, opposing defenses will have to respect Moss as a deep threat and that opens up some other options for Favre. Neither Percy Harvin nor Visanthe Shiancoe can continue to be treated as the primary receivers for the team. That increases their fantasy values a little bit.

Adrian Peterson has already been having a monster year so it's difficult to envision his value can get any higher. Still, the days of eight or nine in the box may be over and that's good new for AP fans. Oh by the way, if Bernard Berrian and Greg Camarillo and Greg Lewis were not useless already, they certainly are now.

And what about the team Moss left behind? Even though Moss was not having a superb year statistically, you have to believe he made all the other receivers on the Patriots better.

It's difficult to believe Wes Welker will continue to get open as much as he does with no deep threat on the other side of the field drawing defenders away. It's true, that New England has been moving more to a two-tight end offense with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez than a three-receiver offense (which may be the main reason the Patriots felt Moss was expendable) but, on paper anyways, it appears the team will be less likely to stretch the field.

This means Tom Brady may have to work a little harder to find open receivers and his value probably takes a slight hit. The key player for New England in this whole thing is Brandon Tate. He has leap-frogged Julian Edelman as the team's "next great receiver guy" for the Patriots. It's a good bet he will now have an expanded role in the offense. If he's available in your league he's worth stashing on your roster.

Overshadowed in this whole Moss deal was the trade earlier this week that sent Marshawn Lynch from the Buffalo Bills to the Seattle Seahawks. Although Seattle is far from a mecca for running backs, the deal moves Lynch from fantasy obscurity to strong No. 3 or weak No. 2 running back status. In other words, he actually has value again.

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