How Does Richardson Trade Impact Jordan Cameron In Fantasy Football?

I just wrote about how the Indianapolis Colts trade to acquire Trent Richardson from the Cleveland Browns makes almost the entire Colts team more valuable in terms of fantasy football. On the other side of that is how this trade affects the Browns passing attack.

Jordan Cameron has been nothing short of a top tight end so far in the season. He has posted 14 catches for 203 yards and a touchdown. He ranks second in the league in receiving yards by a tight end to Jimmy Graham (224). He is tied with Graham for the lead in receptions by a tight end with 14. In standard scoring formats he has outscored big names such as Vernon Davis, Jason Witten, Jermichael Finley, and Owen Daniels.

If you have started Cameron so far this season, you have done well. Now might be the time to sell high on Cameron.

Take a look at the facts before you start to yell at me. Starting quarterback Brandon Weeden has been ruled out for week three’s game against the Minnesota Vikings. Instead of turning to Jason Campbell, the Browns are starting Brian Hoyer. Hoyer is in his fifth NFL season now, but only has one career start under his belt. He has two touchdowns and three interceptions to accompany his 59.4 career completion percentage. He will struggle this week against a good Minnesota Vikings defense.

While Hoyer may only be starting for one week in Weeden’s absence, keep in mind that Josh Gordon returns this weekend. Prior to this week, Cameron was the only real receiving option in the Browns passing attack. Now there is one more mouth to feed, Cameron will have to share some targets. Something to keep in mind is that Gordon’s return could open up the field for Cameron. Gordon does have speed to stretch the defense, which could leave Cameron open underneath which is typically where he does most of his damage.

The thing I’m most worried about, and the main reason I am advising a sell high now mind frame on the tight end is the Richardson trade. Opponents of the Browns understood and respected Richardson’s ability. He would frequently see stacked boxes. Conversely, I have serious doubts on how much the opponents respected the air attack. No offense to Weeden, but he is owned in nine percent of Yahoo! leagues for a reason.

Now that Richardson is gone, teams will now face Willis McGahee. While I’m sure McGahee can still be effective, he is not as intimidating as Richardson. Sometimes reputation is enough to change a game plan. Without the threat of Richardson, I expect opponents to leave less men in the box. Cameron becomes the focal point of the offense, and opponents will game plan to take away Cameron and Gordon.

All this leads back to why you need to sell high on Cameron if you have depth at tight end. He has been on fire, but all fires burn out eventually. I would be targeting a team with a need at tight end. Perhaps the Rob Gronkowski owner who needs a fill in for possibly another week, the Vernon Davis owner (Davis has a hamstring injury) without a handcuff, or the Fred Davis owner. See if you could trade tight ends, and/or get something else out of the deal. If you have a suitable tight end replacement, you might try to obtain a WR1 or RB1. It’s at least worth kicking the tires on.

As always, I welcome your comments. If you think I’m wrong, I’m willing to listen. Just back it up with some facts and solid evidence. Thanks for reading and good luck this season.

Dustin Manko is an author at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustinManko, ”Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google