NFL Free Agency: How Recent Transactions Impact Your Fantasy League

This offseason has been well documented for its stressful preceding for players, owners and fans. But, a fourth party, known for their sometimes obsessive antics, fantasy football owners have spent all spring and summer wondering if their favorite time of year would even occur, as opposed to worrying about PPR leagues and potential sleepers and busts.

So as NFL owners and players got their acts together, so should fantasy owners. With a recent free agent and trade frenzy, the NFL and fantasy landscape has been altered. Here is how these changes impact the fantasy values of players involved.

Kevin Kolb to the Arizona Cardinals

The move was unavoidable for Kolb, as everyone knew that a talent like him couldn't sit behind the explosive Michael Vick for another season. But the question was where Kolb would land. And that happened to be in Arizona. The Cardinals are just a few seasons removed from a trip to the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner at the helm, and with the addition of Kolb, the Cardinals' offensive playmakers receive major fantasy boosts.

KEVIN KOLB

 For Kolb, the only shot he had of playing this season was a Mike Vick injury, an occurrence that wasn't too unlikely for Philadelphia. So instead of retaining him, the Eagles shipped him off. Kolb should immediately flirt with being a top 10 quarterback in fantasy leagues, especially when one is to assess the potential of Kolb's electric arm and Larry Fitzgerald's sensational pass catching skills.

STOCK: Rising

LARRY FITZGERALD

For Fitzgerald, enough is enough with quarterbacks such as John Skelton and Max Hall. With those players under center, few could have performed as well as Fitzgerald actually did. Now, with Kolb manning the ship, Fitz should see a major spike in his targets, yards and touchdowns, as well as his draft status in fantasy leagues.

STOCK: Rising

Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots

This is not Bill Belicheck's and Tom Brady's first rodeo when handling a wide receiver with so-called "me-first" attitudes, and turning them into a superstar (Randy Moss). Although the move surprised some, there is reason to believe that it could work, maybe not to the same effect that Moss did, but it may still prove to be successful.

CHAD OCHOCINCO

For Ochocinco, the move couldn't be any better. Landing in New England may be the best possible situation for any player in the league. For the undeniably athletic and talented Ochocinco, it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with an all-time great quarterback in Tom Brady.

STOCK: Rising

TOM BRADY

For the last decade, it seems that the only movable pieces for the Patriots were their receiving corps. That never seems to change Brady's approach from season-to-season. For Brady, Ochocinco is just another weapon at his disposal.

STOCK: No Change

WES WELKER

Welker is probably the most under-appreciated weapon in the league. The way that he manipulates defenses from the slot is a nightmare for defensive coordinators and head coaches around the league. Now, with a player that can stretch the field and demand the occasional double-team, Welker's numbers should rise like they did when he lined up alongside Randy Moss.

STOCK: Rising

Donovan McNabb to the Minnesota Vikings

After disappointing seasons for both the Minnesota Vikings and Washington Redskins, change was needed for both franchises. The Vikings tried to improve at the quarterback position by selecting Christian Ponder from Florida State with the 12th overall selection in the draft. And Washington spent an offseason wondering how to handle Donovan McNabb's situation after much publicized conflicts with the coaching staff.

DONOVAN McNABB

For the first portion of Donovan McNabb's career, he was an electric and multi-talented threat for a high-flying Philadelphia Eagle offense. But as he has aged, the mobility that made him so special has decreased while his ego seems to be increasing. Much like the aforementioned Kolb, the Vikings are just a season removes from being serious Super Bowl contenders. Thus, pieces seem to be in place for McNabb to enjoy success yet again.

STOCK: Rising

PERCY HARVIN

Like many wide receivers today, Percy Harvin needs a capable quarterback to get him the ball in situations where he can be most successful. But unlike most wide receivers today, Harvin doesn't always need a pass to be thrown to him in order to be successful. Harvin does a lot of his fantasy damage on short passes and screens, routes that many quarterbacks other than McNabb are able to throw.

STOCK: No Change

ADRIAN PETERSON

Peterson is thought by many to a top three fantasy option out of the backfield this season, and with a proven passer under center, his numbers shouldn't see a dip at all. With the signing of McNabb, defenses have to respect the Vikings' passing game, as well as the ground game. Which, in turn, will hamper the oppositions ability to load the box with eight defenders.

STOCK: Rising