Vernon Davis to Broncos: Updated Fantasy Advice for TE After Trade

Former San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis is headed to the Denver Broncos, announced Broncos general manager John Elway.

Davis will certainly help the undefeated Broncos' passing game on the field, but how much will this trade affect his fantasy football owners?

To start, let's take a look at his 2015 season stats with 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick throwing him the ball versus current Denver tight ends who are catching passes from Peyton Manning.

Player	Games	Targets	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Receiving TD	YPC
Denver TEs
Total	7	40	23	228	3	9.9
Vernon Davis	6	29	18	194	0	10.8
Owen Daniels	7	32	17	129	2	7.6
Virgil Green	7	8	6	99	1	16.5

As you can see, Davis' numbers are not much different than the two tight ends in Denver except for his lack of touchdowns. The meager production for Davis may have something to do with the fact he is 31 and 10 years into the league, but another major factor is the pathetic San Francisco offense.   

The 49ers have scored an NFL-low 109 points and have been held without a touchdown in half of their eight games. That doesn't fall on Davis alone; it's also on a rushing attack that is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry and a quarterback in Kaepernick who has regressed the past two-and-a-half seasons.

Now Davis moves into a much better situation. Yes, Manning's numbers are down as well. His seven touchdowns through as many games put him on pace to have his worst season statistically, but he is still Peyton Manning. 

On Sunday night, the future Hall of Famer became the first quarterback to beat the Green Bay Packers this season—and looked good doing so. He did not throw a touchdown but completed an impressive 21 of 29 passes for a season-high 340 yards. Manning is averaging 299 yards passing his past three games after throwing for an average of 242 over the first four.

He has proved in the past he will look the way of tight ends if he has one who can catch the ball. Julius Thomas caught a combined 24 touchdowns in 2013 and 2014 from Manning. Thomas is now with the Jaguars in Jacksonville, and Davis has a chance to be the main tight end in Denver.

He most likely won't come in right away and put up huge numbers. Owen Daniels is capable enough to be the No. 1 guy while Davis settles in and learns the system. However, give it two or three weeks, and the former 49er should be catching passes and scoring at a much higher rate than in San Francisco. He is just two years removed from an 850-yard, 13-touchdown season.

A trade to a contender will sometimes wake up a player who is coming over from a bad situation. Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Davis was not happy in San Francisco.

Feel free to plug Davis in as your starting tight end in Week 9 if you don't have a guy like Rob Gronkowski, Tyler Eifert or Gary Barnidge already on your roster. If you do and your flex spot allows for a tight end, consider Davis if you are thin at wide receiver or running back. Remember, however, his production should increase as the season progresses. 

It's a good day for Davis owners. He instantly goes from an iffy-start to nearly a must-start. This trade might be just enough to put you over the top during the playoff run.