Bills Trade Stefon Diggs To Houston!
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs has spent four seasons with the Buffalo Bills and now he’ll start a new chapter in his career with the Houston Texans in 2024! According to several reports including the initial announcement via ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Buffalo Bills have traded the four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver to the Houston Texans for a 2025 second-round pick. This is the kind of activity and movement that can put a team over the top. Though social media hasn’t been “all in” on the move as some have pointed to Stefon Diggs being “washed up” after a poor showing towards the end of the 2023 season and in the playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Now the Bills have to rethink their plan of attack after making the monster move and they may have to do some making up as well. According to Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team, the Bills didn’t notify quarterback Josh Allen of the trade.
But whether you believe Stefon Diggs is at the end of his career or not, understanding the potential fantasy fallout of the move is key heading into the new fantasy football season.
Stefon Diggs Is Washed Up?
One thing that some aren’t willing to admit or even acknowledge is the fact that the Buffalo Bills made a philosophical change to their offense in the middle of the season. The Bills opted to move on from offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after the Bills lost to the Denver Broncos. Interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady would take over but there were clear differences in how the Bills offense operated before and after the change. Over the first nine weeks, Stefon Diggs averaged 10 targets a game, 86.8 y/g, seven touchdowns, and 102 targets overall. That’s not to mention the fact that Diggs was the WR4 over that span and was providing fantasy managers with nearly 20 FPPG.
After Brady took over from weeks 11-17, Stefon Diggs numbers would take significant hits and drop all the way down to WR50. Diggs dropped to just 8.4 tgt/g, 45 yards per game, just one more touchdown scored, and 50 targets total. Diggs saw his fantasy points drop to just 9.4 FPPG down the stretch of the season. So to point to Stefon Diggs being washed because of his performance down the stretch of the 2023 season might be a bit misguided.
New Home In Houston
If I was a betting man, I probably wouldn’t bet against a rebound of sorts for the former Buffalo Bill. If there’s one thing I’ve seen watching Stefon Diggs play is that he’s out to prove that he’s the best and he’s not ignorant to what’s being said about him in the media. Diggs was coming off of fantasy draft boards as the WR5 in 2023. I can’t say that would change drastically as he goes from Josh Allen to hot second-year stud CJ Stroud. Not to mention the new addition to the backfield in running back Joe Mixon this offseason. You also have to account for wide receivers Nico Collins and Nathanial “Tank” Dell, the latter who will be returning from injury in 2024 as well as tight end Dalton Schultz.
Stefon Diggs’ impact on the Texans wide receiver corp should push Nico Collins and Tank Dell down a bit. According to SharpFootballAnalysis.com, early ADP projections pointed to Nico Collins being drafted as the WR9. That may have been a bit rich even for a rising star like Collins after his 1,297/8 season with CJ Stroud. Tank Dell’s ADP lands at about the WR20 as well. Diggs himself was coming off the boards as the WR15 prior to the trade from Buffalo. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Stefon Diggs come back to being a top 10 drafted wide receiver after the dust settles on his average draft position.
With all the pass catchers on the Texans roster, there may be a struggle to for targets. Stroud finished the 2023 season tied for 14th in pass attempts with 499. With Diggs now in the fold, expect that number to go up. Last season with the Bills, Diggs saw a target share of 29.4% with Josh Allen throwing to him. Respectively, Nico Collins led the Texans pass catchers in target share at 19.3%. I don’t think its a slight to say that Diggs is the WR2 on the team now as he’s the “elder statesman” of the team at the age of 31 once the season gets started. All the other wide receivers returning to the Texans in 2024 are still in their 20’s. Diggs might be what the Texans need for CJ Stroud to continue his assent as one of the top quarterbacks in the league as defenses will have to concern themselves with Diggs as well as Collins and Dell once they all get on the same page.
In Conclusion
I like the move for fantasy football this season. Placing Stefon Diggs with another good quarterback in CJ Stroud can only be a good thing, right? The AFC South is about to get a lot tougher this season. Fantasy managers will have their pick at what wide receivers they want to pull from when it comes to the Texans. I don’t think the addition of Stefon Diggs hurts Nico Collins or Tank Dell too much. Stroud has a good relationship on the field with both young receivers and that should continue in the new season. Diggs will be the one playing catchup but his talent, even at 31 won’t be questioned for long.
If I can add Diggs to my team I will. But I can see a scenario where fantasy managers are willing to take the shot at Stefon Diggs early because of the name and who’s throwing to him. If that’s the case, pivoting to either Nico Collins or Tank Dell is just fine for me. Getting either wide receiver at a discount would be great either way. Just make sure that you’re always paying attention to your draft boards so you know where folks are getting picked up. That way you can move accordingly.
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