The NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and this year's deadline felt ... fun, right? I mean, it would have been more fun if we saw, like, Breece Hall and Kirk Cousins get traded, but what we got was entertaining.
Well ... IRL it was. Most of the impactful deals, though, felt like they happened on the defensive side of the ball, so there wasn't a ton that seemed like it will really impact much as far as fantasy football goes, where offense is much more important than defense. That's not to say nothing changed, though. Deals happened, and the wide receiver position in particular has a few fantasy shake-ups after the deadline.
Let's talk about some fantasy football risers and fallers after the trade deadline, as well as three waiver wire targets to go after.
Fantasy football risers after the trade deadline
Jakobi Meyers, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
Jakobi Meyers has failed to hit the 50-yard mark in four consecutive games as the Raiders passing attack has floundered. His new quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, isn't a huge upgrade over Geno Smith in a vacuum, but better playcalling and a clearer role in his offense mean that Meyers moving to the Jaguars is a positive for his fantasy value. He's not a league-winner, but he's a solid low-end WR3 option, whereas before he'd become basically unplayable.
Kareem Hunt, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs were rumored to be in on a potential Breece Hall trade, but it appears that the teams couldn't agree on compensation. That leaves Kareem Hunt at the head of the pack in Kansas City. Isiah Pacheco is banged up and also simply isn't playing very good football, while rookie Brashard Smith is still finding his footing. For the moment, this puts Hunt in a very good position. The nature of this Chiefs offense means you can't expect super consistent production, but Hunt does have three finishes as an RB1 this season and looks like a solid RB3 option.
Rashid Shaheed, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Rashid Shaheed has done pretty well in New Orleans despite getting subpar quarterback play, but it feels like some of his big-play potential has been missing.
It should return in Seattle with Sam Darnold throwing him the football. Shaheed's overall target numbers could go down as he shares the field with Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, but his ability to stretch the field means he should hit on at least one big play per game. Consider him a low-end WR3 play with upside going forward.
Fantasy football fallers after the trade deadline
Tory Horton, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Seahawks rookie Tory Horton had the best game of his NFL career on Sunday, catching four passes for 48 yards and two touchdowns while playing 72.5 percent of Seattle's offensive snaps. Unfortunately, any momentum he potentially had was dashed at the deadline as Seattle added Rashid Shaheed. Considering his breakout game happened with Cooper Kupp sidelined, Horton might drop down to the No. 4 receiver spot as soon as this week if Kupp returns and Shaheed is ready to make his Seattle debut.
Brian Thomas Jr., WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
I didn't necessarily believe any of the trade chatter around Brian Thomas Jr., but the fact it existed at all seems like a bad sign for a second-year receiver like Thomas. He wasn't dealt, but adding Jakobi Meyers certainly doesn't make me feel good about the team's belief in Thomas. It's also worth noting that Thomas is currently dealing with an ankle sprain that might limit his Week 10 availability, but even if he were healthy, his fantasy needle would be pointing down after the Meyers trade.
3 waiver wire targets after the trade deadline
Luke Musgrave, TE, Green Bay Packers
Tucker Kraft looked like one of the best tight ends in the NFL this season, but a torn ACL has ended his season. The timing of the injury meant that the Packers had a chance to go after a tight end at the deadline, but that didn't happen.
That should mean an increased role for Luke Musgrave, who caught a season-high three passes against the Panthers this week. He doesn't have the ceiling that Kraft had, but if the former second-round pick gets consistent snaps going forward, he can likely be a streaming option in fantasy.
Jack Bech, WR, Las Vegas Raiders
I'm assuming Tre Tucker is rostered in your fantasy league. If he's not, you obviously need to prioritize adding him after the Meyers trade, but I'm going to work under the assumption that you know that. I believe in you and your football knowledge, readers!
But with Meyers gone, I also think rookie Jack Bech might be in line for more usage. It's risky, considering he failed to record a catch in two of the past three games and only played special teams this week, but Vegas is a bad team that needs to see what it has in its second-round pick.
And while the "zero offensive snaps in Week 9" thing is concerning, it's worth pointing out that only three wide receivers saw an offensive snap this week. One was just traded. Another was Tyler Lockett, who the team just signed this week. Long-term, it makes no sense for the 2-6 Raiders to play Lockett over Bech.
Adonai Mitchell, WR, New York Jets
In the words of country singer James Otto: "If I hadn't dropped the ball/I would've took it all the way." That's basically the story of AD Mitchell's quick exit from the Indianapolis Colts.
Against the Rams, Mitchell dropped the football right before the goal line on a long, almost-touchdown reception. The Colts went on to lose that game, and Mitchell was targeted just four times over the next four games before he was traded to the Jets on Tuesday.
Yes, Mitchell was just a throw-in to the Sauce Gardner trade, but he also might be able to quickly earn snaps for the Jets. He's worth an add in deep leagues because he could soon be the No. 2 or No. 3 option in this passing game, though it's obviously a scarily bad passing game.