NFL Trade Deadline Fantasy Recap

The NFL trade deadline passed Tuesday with a late run of deals that reshaped quarterback situations in Minnesota and Las Vegas, thinned the Indianapolis Colts’ receiver room and left Jonathan Taylor where he started. Several of the moves landed minutes before the cutoff. Here is what happened and what it means for fantasy lineups in PPR leagues.

Vikings Reunite With Kirk Cousins

The Minnesota Vikings acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins from the Las Vegas Raiders for a 2027 third-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and The Ringer’s Tom Pelissero. Cousins, 38, played for Minnesota from 2018 to 2023 and is reunited with coach Kevin O’Connell, who coached him in 2022 and 2023. Cousins has thrown for 2,340 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions in nine starts for the 4-5 Raiders. He completed 64.1 percent of his passes. He threw three interceptions in Sunday’s 38-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

The Vikings needed a fix. Their offense ranks 27th in points and 31st in yards, according to NFL.com. Carson Wentz went 8-of-25 for 81 yards with two interceptions in Monday night’s 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Kyler Murray has a Grade 2 hamstring strain, according to Pelissero, and the team planned to reassess him before the Week 10 game at the Green Bay Packers. NFL.com reported that Cousins would face the Packers if he is ready.

Kirk Cousins fantasy managers should view him as a borderline QB1 in superflex and two-quarterback leagues, with streaming appeal in single-quarterback formats once he is comfortable in the offense. He needs time to learn the playbook. The bigger winner is Justin Jefferson, who led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2022 when Cousins and O’Connell last worked together. Jefferson returns to the WR1 conversation. Jordan Addison should also benefit. Murray and Wentz carry little value for now.

Fernando Mendoza Takes Over in Las Vegas

The Raiders will turn to Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, for the rest of the season. Mendoza, 23, has appeared in one game this season, going 6-of-8 for 48 yards in a blowout loss to the New England Patriots. Aidan O’Connell is expected to be his backup. His first start comes Sunday at home against the Seattle Seahawks.

Fernando Mendoza fantasy managers should treat him as a superflex add and not a single-quarterback streamer. A first start against Seattle’s defense is a difficult assignment. Brock Bowers stays the top target either way, and the passing game’s volume may fall slightly without Cousins.

Josh Downs Heads to Kansas City

The Kansas City Chiefs acquired wide receiver Josh Downs and a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Colts for 2027 fourth- and fifth-round picks, Pelissero reported. Downs, drafted in the third round in 2023, requested a trade after Indianapolis moved Quenton Nelson and DeForest Buckner, according to Colts Wire. His contract expires after this season. He has 33 catches on 56 targets for 354 yards and one touchdown, with a career-low 57.9 percent catch rate, per ESPN. He had two costly drops in Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

Kansas City needs help. Tyquan Thornton dislocated his ankle and had surgery, and Xavier Worthy left the Week 9 win over the New York Jets with a hamstring injury, ESPN reported. The Chiefs are 6-2.

Josh Downs fantasy managers in deeper PPR leagues should stash him and wait. He is the likeliest to earn regular slot snaps, but Rashee Rice runs many of the same routes, and a role is not guaranteed until Downs plays. If Worthy misses time, his floor rises quickly. Without that, he is a bench option.

Keenan Allen Lands in San Francisco

The 49ers acquired wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Colts for a 2027 sixth-round pick, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Allen, 34, has 40 catches this season, the most on the Colts. He caught four passes for 26 yards against Dallas in Week 9. San Francisco’s receiver group is banged up. Ricky Pearsall is on injured reserve after knee surgery. Mike Evans has missed two games with a right Achilles injury he aggravated in Week 6, and NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported that Evans is questionable at best for Sunday’s game at the Cowboys. Deebo Samuel has a hamstring injury, and Christian Kirk and De’Zhaun Stribling are also hurt. Schefter reported in September that Allen faces a three-game suspension after an August drunken driving arrest, so his availability is worth checking.

Keenan Allen fantasy managers should look at him as a flex option while the injuries last. He should absorb targets that would otherwise go to lower-tier receivers, and his reliability helps. A suspension ruling, or Evans and Samuel returning healthy, would cap his value.

Colts Keep Jonathan Taylor

The Colts held onto Taylor. Pelissero reported that Indianapolis turned down offers that included second-round picks and wanted at least a first-round pick. Rapoport had reported that the Colts wanted a package modeled on the 2022 deal for Christian McCaffrey. The Colts also kept quarterback Daniel Jones. With Allen and Downs gone, Laquon Treadwell, Ashton Dulin and Deion Burks lead the receivers, and Alec Pierce has no established return date.

Jonathan Taylor fantasy managers should keep him as an RB1. He is the top piece of an offense with few other options, which invites stacked boxes. Tyler Warren is expected to take on a bigger role in the passing game. A Pierce return would help Taylor’s efficiency.

Earlier Moves

Jacoby Brissett’s trade to the Baltimore Ravens was finalized Nov. 6. The Ravens sent a 2027 fourth-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick and received Brissett and a 2027 fifth-round pick, ESPN reported. The Cardinals sent Marvin Harrison Jr. and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans on Oct. 11 for second- and sixth-round picks in 2027. Defensive deals included Jordan Davis to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 2027 first-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick, and Jeffery Simmons to the Chicago Bears for two first-round picks. A trade sending Arnold Ebiketie to the Cincinnati Bengals fell apart shortly after it was reported.

Tyreek Hill Waits for Clearance

Free agent wide receiver Tyreek Hill is still not medically cleared, but his agent said Tuesday that a return is close. Drew Rosenhaus said on The Pat McAfee Show that Hill’s clearance is expected “within the next few weeks” and that Hill is on track to play this season. Rosenhaus said he has been telling teams they can sign Hill once he is cleared. He had given an earlier timeline in mid-October that did not hold.

Hill, 32, has not played since suffering a dislocated knee and torn ligaments in Week 4 of the 2025 season, according to NFL.com. The Miami Dolphins released him on Feb. 16. He is an eight-time Pro Bowler with 819 catches, 11,363 yards and 83 touchdowns for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dolphins. No team has been reported to have signed him or made an offer.

Tyreek Hill fantasy managers should treat him as a stash only in leagues with a spare injured reserve spot or a deep bench. He cannot help any lineup until he is cleared and signed, and his role depends on the team and quarterback he lands with. A signing with a team that has a clear need at receiver would raise his value. Another missed timeline would be a reason to drop him.