Antonio Brown, Josh Gordon, Tom Brady's Updated Fantasy Outlooks

Let's talk about what it has been like for fantasy football enthusiasts who drafted Antonio Brown this summer.

Imagine you're on a roller coaster, and you're thrilled. As you slowly climb to the top of the track you think about the speed of the ride, the incredible sensation of plunging to the ground at an alarming rate before being whooshed back up for another go. There's nothing quite like it. The anticipation is half the fun.

And just as you begin the hair-raising descent, disaster strikes. Your cellphone, with all of your contacts and photos and music—a truly expensive piece of technology—slides out of your pocket and, whoosh, it's gone. 

You despair. But lo and behold, an amazing stranger somehow manages to catch your cell phone and returns it to you at the bottom of the ride. In a matter of minutes, you went from elation to despair to sweet, sweet relief. It goes a little something like this:

This is where people who have Brown on their fantasy team are mentally right now. First, the excitement of landing one of the most talented and productive receivers in the NFL in their draft. Then, the utter horror of watching his situation in Oakland completely deteriorate and lead to his eventual release.

Ah, but then relief—he lands in an even better situation in New England, with a Hall of Fame coach in Bill Belichick and the greatest quarterback in NFL history in Tom Brady. Suddenly, Brown's wavering status as a WR1 is no longer in question. Brown, with Brady, is locked in place as a firm WR1 and could end up being the top player at the position yet again. 

Granted, his drama-infused departure from Oakland remains a concern, especially in an environment like New England that doesn't even treat Brady like a star. It's all about business in Belichick's world, and anything less than a team-first commitment won't fly.

But if Brown plays ball—and given the money he lost from being cut in Oakland and the fact that he's only playing on a one-year deal, it's likely he'll play ball—the results could be devastating for opposing defenses and absolutely incredible for fantasy players.

Brown is that good. Just ask Ben Roethlisberger, who continued posting big stats with the wideout before things fell apart in Pittsburgh. When you give Belichick and Brady weapons like Brown, they take advantage of them. Brady's value gets a boost.

Remember what Randy Moss did when he hooked up with Brady? Let me remind you: 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns. It was an all-time fantasy season for both Brady and Moss, and the Pats didn't lose that season until the Super Bowl. Moss had three straight seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and double-digit touchdowns when paired with Brady.

Suffice to say, this pairing benefits Brown in a huge way. But it also benefits Brady, whose best receiver to this point was the talented but unreliable Josh Gordon. Brady just went from a pretty clear QB2—he's 42, after all—to a fringe QB1 with the upside of a top-five player at the position. 

This isn't great news for the rest of the Patriots' skill position players, however, namely Gordon, Demaryius Thomas and Phillip Dorsett. Players like James White and Julian Edelman have such an entrenched role in New England—and given that New England may be inclined to throw more with Brown available—those roles shouldn't diminish too much, if at all.

But both Gordon and Thomas are getting a demotion with Brown in town. Sony Michel might be getting a downgrade, too, if the Pats return to a pass-heavy offense. Gordon is a weekly flex consideration, Thomas more of a WR4 or WR5, and Michel a flex as well.  

So while Brown's fantasy owners are enjoying the ride again, other fantasy players are feeling as though they've dropped the proverbial cellphone. Fantasy football, as it turns out, is not for the faint of heart.

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Matt Camp answers your fantasy football questions live on B/R Gridiron's new show, Your Fantasy Fire Drill. Ask away and tune in every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET.