With the NFL trade deadline rapidly approaching, contending teams are beginning to make some moves as they prepare for a push towards the playoffs. New York has already seen one of its teams make a move out of necessity. Now the other team is taking action as reports are saying the New York Giants have traded wide receiver Kadarius Toney to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a conditional 2023 third-round pick and a sixth-rounder as well. Toney has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury, so while the Chiefs add to their receiving corps, the question remains as to whether Toney can fit the bill.

 

 

What the Kadarius Toney Trade Means for Fantasy Football and the Kansas City Chiefs

If we are just looking at it from a skill-set standpoint, the Chiefs are getting themselves a potential playmaker. While he could use some polish, Toney has the speed, the hands and the route-running ability to be a strong receiving asset for any team, but now working with a quarterback of Patrick Mahomes’ quality, things could really take off. Unfortunately, the biggest knock on Toney – his health – is not something we can ignore. 

Last season, Toney dealt with two separate bouts with COVID and then had injuries to his quad, his hamstring, his ankle, his thumb and his shoulder. He was limited to 10 games, but he was really only effective for one. The upside, if he plays, is great, but if he can’t stay on the field, he isn’t going to offer fantasy football owners very much. It’s really as simple as that.

The real question is how Toney fits into this offense. They already have similar receivers in Mecole Hardman and Skyy Moore, so the addition of Toney may leave some folks scratching their heads. Hardman has taken on the role of the third wide receiver, as evidenced by the increased number of snaps he’s taken over the last few weeks, and Moore, along with rookie Justin Watson have been left to fight over the scraps. For Toney to have any sort of a legitimate impact, he is going to have to show he can learn Andy Reid’s playbook fast and that he can beat out Hardman for snaps and targets. If he can’t, then he’s a wasted bench spot in fantasy.

What Does the Kadarius Toney Trade Mean for the New York Giants?

Not much, if we’re being brutally honest. While they lose a receiving asset who had tremendous potential in Brian Daboll’s system, Toney’s departure doesn’t have any sort of an impact because he hasn’t been on the field in five weeks. There was a time where we believed he and Wan’dale Robinson could be a great pair of receivers running crossing routes and underneath slants, similar to what we see Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle do in Miami, but that pipe dream is now gone. 

Robinson appears to have secured himself as Daniel Jones’ go-to guy, Darius Slayton has stepped up his game and Marcus Johnson has apparently caught Daboll’s eye recently as well. David Sills and Richie James remain possibilities as well, so while the team lacks a true No. 1, they have enough assets to keep defenses on their heels in coverage. Fantasy owners can look to Robinson as the guy to own from this team’s passing attack with Slayton coming in second. Not a distant second by not on Robinson’s heels either. Everyone else is nothing more than bye-week fodder or desperate injury help.

Any overall excitement from this trade comes from Chiefs fans or Giants fans who were Toney-truthers. The fact of the matter is, his fantasy value was not considered high to begin with, so unless he is miraculously healed and outperforms both Hardman and Moore, Toney is someone you can leave on your league’s waiver wire. 

 

 

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