No more helmet issues. No more foot problems. And shockingly, no more Oakland Raiders. Antonio Brown is now a New England Patriot, because of course he is. Drama reigns in the NFL.
Fantasy managers went on quite the ride this week as Brown's stock seemed to fluctuate on a daily basis. But now, all is well if you already invested. In fact, things are better than merely "well." Brown is worth more statistically with Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champs than he ever would have been as a Raider.
First things first: Brown will miss Week 1 when his Patriots -- wow, that just sounds odd -- face off against his former Pittsburgh Steelers in the Sunday night game. What great drama that could have been if this Saturday transaction happened last week! Ultimately, it is not a big deal for a fantasy option to miss a week. You'll live. Few injured players, no byes in Week 1. You have extra players.
Next, don't for a minute believe that the utter ridiculousness of the recent Brown era in Oakland continues with the Patriots. Bill Belichick and the Patriots just want to win. Dramatic players do, in fact, change there. Rob Gronkowski won titles there. Randy Moss thrived there, if ever so briefly. Say what you will about Brown orchestrating trouble, but I don't see it continuing in Boston.
As for the new receiving dynamic Brady gets to enjoy, not everyone is helped. Josh Gordon certainly is not, but he doesn't really get to complain. If he was reliable, then ... well, this signing might have happened anyway. I mean, c'mon, this is Antonio Brown. Gordon was always a flex option to me, one with obvious risk, but now, there is statistical risk, too.
Anyway, Julian Edelman still gets his volume from the slot, and he wasn't a touchdown-maker anyway. Brown is! Don't expect 100 catches from Brown, but he will score touchdowns. Brown wasn't catching 100 footballs from Derek Carr anyway. Not in one season.
As a result, if you already have Edelman in fantasy rosters, little alters. He and Brown can coexist, perhaps each as a WR2. My expectation is Brown performs as a WR1, though. I would even take him over former colleague JuJu Smith-Schuster. Yes, the Patriots have more weapons than Oakland, but also a superior passer. Edelman salvages WR2 value in PPR.
Running back James White should also see less volume but not drastically. He can still be a RB2. Remember, this team had tight ends to target in the past decade. No longer.
Finally, Brady might return to QB1 status again. I do not rank him that way, for some of the statistical signs last year did not excite, and Sony Michel is really good, but at least Brady doesn't hold back fantasy managers with home/road splits like Drew Brees and Ben Roethlisberger do. If you wish to view Brady like those fellow oldies, it works for me. Each are borderline fantasy starters.