For the second time this week, an NFC North team traded an offensive player to a team that lost in the AFC Divisional Round last year. I already broke down the first trade (David Montgomery to the Texans), now it’s time to break down the second one!
For those who missed the complete trade details: The Chicago Bears traded WR D.J. Moore and a 2026 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a 2026 second-round pick.
RELATED: The Fantasy Football Impact of David Montgomery Traded to the Texans
The Fantasy Football Impact of D.J. Moore to the Bills
D.J. Moore Impact
After Stefon Diggs was traded following the 2023 season, Josh Allen desperately needed another pass-catcher threat alongside Khalil Shakir. The team then drafted WR Keon Coleman. It’s safe to say now that the selection has not panned out. Therefore, new Bills head coach Joe Brady decided to reunite himself with D.J. Moore. He was Moore’s offensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and 2021.
This is an upgrade for the 2018 first-round pick. He was battling for targets in Chicago and even showed signs of displeasure at not getting enough volume. While the 2020 and 2021 seasons were four and five years ago, they were still among his better seasons. He had 66 receptions for 1,193 yards and four touchdowns, finishing as the WR25 in 2020. He followed it up with 93 receptions for 1,157 yards and four touchdowns, finishing as WR18 in 2021.
Don’t forget, we’re only a year removed from where he finished as the WR16 in 2024 with 98 receptions for 966 yards and six touchdowns. So, yeah, I think he’s still got it. QB Josh Allen now has his new WR1, which helps secure his floor as a top fantasy quarterback and Moore as a fantasy WR2 with WR1 upside.
Buffalo Bills Impact
There are losers from this trade, though none of them are huge; it just lowers their ceiling. Khalil Shakir is one loser, as he is going to be knocked down to a second option in this offense. Despite that, I think Shakir will find a middle ground from his past three seasons. Averaging those out, he comes in at 62.3 receptions on 80 targets for 717 yards, 3.3 touchdowns, a WR44 finish and 9.7 Points Per Reception (PPR) points per game. That’d be enough for me to grab him in the later rounds.
The other loser is TE Dalton Kincaid. He was already a fringe TE1 coming into this year with health concerns. Now that the Bills traded for a player who has seen 82+ targets in every year that he’s played, that likely means that Kincaid will lose some targets, too. He’s more of a fringe TE1 due to this trade, but he’s still got some upside, as he can provide a weekly top-five finish here and there.
Chicago Bears Impact
Everybody wins in Chicago from this trade. With Moore gone, the Bears are going to have to split the 85 targets that he had last season.
First off, Rome Odunze led the Bears in targets with 90 last season. That was despite him missing the last five regular-season games with a nagging foot injury. From Weeks 1-13, Odunze finished as the WR23, averaging 12.2 points per game. More targets and more games played equal more fantasy points! I’ll take it.
There is another Bears pass-catcher who’s generated a lot of hype: WR Luther Burden III. He stepped up in Weeks 14-17 when Odunze was injured, posting 11+ fantasy points and no finish worse than WR27 in that span. He’ll still be behind Odunze, but I can see the potential “boom” in him. He finished as a WR48 last season with 47 receptions on 60 targets for 652 yards and two touchdowns.
Now, he’s replacing Moore, who had 50 receptions on 85 targets for 682 yards and six touchdowns with a WR35 finish last year. With no Moore in the mix and behind Odunze, I can easily see the Missouri standout finishing as a top-36 WR.
We can’t forget about TE Colston Loveland either! Last year, the rookie led the Bears in receptions (58) and receiving yards (713), while also tying for the most receiving touchdowns with six. Before the trade, Loveland was already a top-five option for the tight end position, and the stats back it up. Now, he’s pretty much secured the TE3 position behind Trey McBride and Brock Bowers.
Thanks for reading “The Fantasy Football Impact of D.J. Moore Traded to the Bills.” If you’re looking for more fantasy content like this or need help with the last-minute fantasy football start/sit decisions for your roster, you can find me on Facebook at “Fantasy Sports Start or Sit’Em Questions,” Twitter/X @FSSOSEQ or on BlueSky!
*Photo Credit: Jeffrey Becker – USA TODAY Sports*
