In one of the most-shocking trades the league has seen in quite a while, the Texans inexplicably shipped DeAndre Hopkins and a 2020 fourth-round pick to Arizona in exchange for David Johnson, a 2020 second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick.
Cardinals' coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim both expressed their interest in adding an impact perimeter/vertical wide receiver at the NFL combine and they certainly achieved that goal by acquiring one of the league's best players.
Hopkins jumps to the top of a depth chart that will include Christian Kirk on the other side of the field and Larry Fitzgerald in the slot. Arizona had four-plus wide receivers on the field for a league-high 42% of pass plays in 2019, so playing time won't be an issue for any of the three players. Hopkins has averaged a target share of at least 30% each of the past three seasons in Houston and shouldn't struggle to hit that mark in Arizona. Offensive scoring figures to be similar to (if not better than) Houston and he goes from a very good quarterback in Deshaun Watson to 2019 first-overall pick Kyler Murray in Arizona. Hopkins remains an elite fantasy wide receiver and viable fantasy selection near the first/second-round turn. He'll be eyeing his fourth consecutive season as a top-five fantasy wideout.
Kirk and Fitzgerald, meanwhile, will inevitably see a dip in targets and need to be downgraded to WR3 and flex territory, respectively. Second-year receivers Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler and KeeSean Johnson are long shots to land on the fantasy radar anytime soon. Murray, meanwhile, already had the look of a solid QB1 fantasy target and the addition of Hopkins only adds to his appeal. His ADP will need to be monitored throughout the summer.
On the other side of the deal, we have Johnson sliding in as Carlos Hyde's replacement atop Houston's running back depth chart. Fantasy's top-scoring running back in 2016, Johnson will defer a few carries and a chunk of passing-down work to Duke Johnson.
David Johnson opened 2019 as Arizona's lead back, but underwhelming rushing production (3.67 YPC, 1.47 YAC) for the second consecutive season led to the team trading for Drake and demoting Johnson to clear backup duties. Johnson was still effective as a receiver (36-370-4 receiving line on 47 targets), but figures to focus more on rushing the ball with Duke Johnson more of a receiving specialist. That's especially the case considering a Bill O'Brien offense has never cleared an 18% target share in a single season for a running back (league average is 21%), though it's possible that number rises significantly with Hopkins' 31% target share out of the picture.
Now 28 years old, David Johnson is no longer an elite fantasy asset and should be viewed as a midrange RB2 for 2020. Duke Johnson is a low-ceiling handcuff and poor flex option in PPR. With Hopkins gone, Will Fuller V will certainly see a boost in targets, though he'll be a risky investment considering he's missed at least six games each of the past three seasons. Watson adds significant fantasy value with his legs, so while the loss of Hopkins is a concern, he's good enough to continue producing solid QB1 numbers.
Early 2020 projections:
David Johnson: 223 carries, 904 yards, 6 TDs; 38 receptions, 381 yards, 3 TDs
DeAndre Hopkins: 105 receptions, 1,283 yards, 9 TDs