BILLS DEAL DARBY FOR JORDAN MATTHEWS, PICK
The Buffalo Bills acquired wide receiver Jordan Matthews and a conditional 3rd-round draft pick in 2018 from the Philadelphia Eagles for cornerback Ronald Darby.
What does it give the Buffalo Bills
With the Bills moving elite talent Sammy Watkins in another trade, Matthews is his obvious replacement as Buffalo's new No. 1 downfield option. The two are comparable in talent, although Matthews has been the more productive player so far in the NFL. Darby will be missed, but can likely be replaced by first-round pick Tre'Davious White (and newcomer E.J. Gaines, acquired in the Watkins deal). The draft pick is a nice addition too.
What does it give the Philadelphia Eagles
Darby adds much needed talent and speed to Philly's cornerback corps, which should help shore up the defensive side of the ball for the Eagles. He can immediately be Philadelphia's No. 1 cornerback. Meanwhile, the talented Matthews became expendable following the Eagles' off-season acquisitions of starting wideouts Alshon Jeffery and Torrey Smith.
Fantasy impact
Matthews gets a nice fantasy upgrade here by moving to Buffalo. Even though he probably won't be a top-tier producer with Tyrod Taylor as his quarterback, Matthews has very little competition for targets on the Bills (which wasn't the case in Philly with Jeffery and Smith aboard). For Philadelphia, slightly upgrade the fantasy prospects of Jeffery, Smith, and tight end Zach Ertz. On the defensive side of things, Darby is a quality cornerback in reality but not a prolific fantasy producer. Also, take a wait-and-see approach with White and Gaines in fantasy leagues featuring Individual Fantasy Players.
