Getty Golden Tate has been traded to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Golden Tate broke the news of his own trade with a tweet thanking Lions fans. Tate is now heading to the Eagles leaving fantasy owners wondering about his outlook for the rest of the season.
“It’s been real DETROIT! I’ll love ya forever. Philly Philly let’s get it!!,” Tate tweeted.
It hard to imagine things getting much worse for Tate this season given his inconsistencies, but the Eagles offense already has a number of quality wide receivers. Tate is likely to start as at least the third Eagles receiver down the pecking order behind Alshon Jeffrey and Nelson Agholor. The best thing you could do as a fantasy owner is to hold Tate on your bench until you see how the Eagles will utilize him.
It is much easier for a running back to change teams while continuing their production, but it is challenging for a receiver to build rapport with a new quarterback during the middle of the season. Overall, this will likely be a fantasy downgrade for Tate, but hold him on your bench until you see how things play out.
Will There Be Room for Tate to Have Fantasy Production With the Eagles Crowded Group of Receivers?
Rotoworld broke down the crowded Eagles wide receiver room now that Tate is in the mix.
Now this is a big-time move. Although now 30, Tate remains one of the league’s best after-the-catch receivers and is a perfect fit for what the Eagles want to do on offense. He also addresses a drastic need for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Eagles will no longer have to run Jordan Matthews out there for 30 snaps per game. It is interesting that each of Tate, Nelson Agholor and Matthews are best utilized in the slot, though Tate is capable of playing outside if need be. Tate’s arrival is unequivocally bad news for Agholor, who has had a poor season since Carson Wentz’s return. As for the Lions, T.J. Jones will now slide into three-receiver sets alongside Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay. #GolladaySZN is back on. Tate will be a free agent at season’s end.
Tate does get to play with Carson Wentz but is also leaving a solid quarterback behind in Matthew Stafford. The Eagles quarterback appeared to be excited after news broke of the trade.
“Let’s roll my man! Excited to compete with ya! #flyeaglesfly @ShowtimeTate,” Wentz tweeted.
One thing that will ultimately decide Tate’s fantasy value going forward is his usage in the red zone. Tate only has three touchdowns this season, and two of those came in one game. If the Eagles can find a way to get Tate the ball near the goal line then it could end up salvaging his season. So far this season, the Eagles rank in the middle of the pack in both passing yards and points scored. The Eagles are hoping the trade can provide a spark for both Tate and the offense.