Van Jefferson Traded To The Falcons, Fantasy Football Outlook

The Atlanta Falcons traded for Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson on Tuesday, with the teams swapping sixth and seventh-round picks as part of the deal.

The move makes sense for the Rams, because the emergence of Puka Nacua made Jefferson the No. 4 receiver now that Cooper Kupp is back. The talented player gets a chance to make a bigger impact with the Falcons.

What's the fantasy football outlook for Van Jefferson with the Atlanta Falcons?

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Van Jefferson's 2023 Season So Far

Through the first five games of the season, Van Jefferson was targeted 15 times, catching eight passes for 108 yards. He was averaging 21.6 receiving yards per game.

With Cooper Kupp injured to open the year, many people thought Van Jefferson would be the de facto No. 1 receiver. But rookie Puka Nacua quickly assumed that role while Tutu Atwell has had a breakout beginning to the 2023 season. All that made Jefferson expendable.

How This Changes The Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart

One big issue for the Atlanta Falcons is that the team doesn't have a stellar group of receivers. Drake London is a potential star in the league, but behind him, the team has Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, and Scotty Miller.

Of those three players, Hollins has the most receptions this season with nine. Hodge has four while Miller has two. The No. 2 receiver role is wide open for Van Jefferson to claim. If he can pick up the offense quickly, he'll immediately be on the field.

Van Jefferson Fantasy Football Outlook

The addition of Van Jefferson feels more important for the Falcons in real life than it does in fantasy. Non-Drake London wide receivers have been targeted 25 times through five games, an average of five targets per game. Jefferson is likely to see more targets than Hollins going forward, but that doesn't mean he'll have a role that's fantasy-relevant.

Jefferson isn't worth adding in fantasy right now. Desmond Ridder hasn't shown a strong ability to get the ball to his wide receivers and while Jefferson is talented, it's hard to see him changing the very nature of this offense.

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