Brett Favre to Sign Two-Year Deal with Minnesota: What's the Fantasy Impact?

Brett Favre Upgrades the Entire Viking Offense

ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reports Brett Favre boarded a plane for St. Paul, MN early this morning to sign a two-year contract worth between $10-12 million a year.

Here's a message to anyone in a deep fantasy football league who already drafted Sage Rosenfels: Run, don’t walk, to the waiver wire and make the appropriate changes.

Say what you want about Favre’s disastrous finish last season with the New York Jets, but he will be a huge upgrade for a Vikings team on the brink of contending for a Super Bowl berth. Fantasy-wise, Favre may not be a top 10 QB anymore, but he will be relevant as a fantasy backup.

More significant, however, will be his effect on his teammates.

Bernard Berrian has been a speedy, talented receiver without a capable quarterback throughout his career. This year he will finally have an experienced, strong-armed field general to help him maximize his extreme potential. Move Berrian way up on your draft boards as a top 20 fantasy wide receiver. 

Also taking a huge jump in status will be TE Visanthe Shiancoe because of Favre’s history of looking for his tight end near the goal line. Like Dustin Keller with the Jets last year, Shiancoe immediately becomes a borderline top 10 fantasy tight end due to Favre's presence.

The biggest factors in Favre and the Jets' collapse last season were his torn biceps muscle and a series of bad weather games that would make any old man’s arthritis act up.

Protected by the Metrodome, the Vikings will only have to play potential bad weather games Nov. 1 at Green Bay (before the frozen tundra is really frozen) and Dec. 28 at Chicago.

Yes, Favre will throw interceptions, he won’t relate to teammates half his age, and he will be held to a different standard than other Vikings players. But don’t forget how much he elevated the Jets last season, from 4-12 in 2007 to 9-7 and battling for the division in 2008.

If his arm truly is healthy, the Vikings will only improve on their 10-6 2008 season.