Kenny Pickett Traded to Raiders, Shedeur Sanders' Fantasy Football Stock Rises
In this story:
Last night, Kenny Pickett was dealt from the Cleveland Browns to the Las Vegas Raiders. Pickett is now on his fourth NFL team in four years and this has some notable dynasty fantasy football impact. The trade will affect Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel positively, and also provide some insight to an unstable backup situation in Las Vegas. Roster moves are always inevitable during cut week, so let's unpack this trade.
Browns trading QB Kenny Pickett to Raiders for 2026 5th-round pick. (via @RapSheet, @MikeGarafolo, @TomPelissero) pic.twitter.com/f4gYIwM7zr
— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2025
Cleveland Browns Fantasy Football Impact of Kenny Pickett Trade
Kenny Pickett was never considered a long-term option in Cleveland The Steelers drafted him to be their quarterback of the future, but it ultimately did not pan out. To be frank, he is not as good as many thought he might be. The 2022 draft class was weak, so optimism layed higher than most classes. I do not think that Pickett would have gone any earlier than the 4th round if he were in this 2025 quarterback class. That is just the way it goes when demand for a quarterback is high.
In this situation, Kenny Pickett did not beat out Joe Flacco for the starting job. At that point, the Browns have two rookie prospects that they are definitely not cutting. So the question rang, do they keep four quarterbacks, or does one get traded away? Some rumors ran around that Shedeur Sanders may be the one to get dealt, but I knew that would not happen, and it did not.
The Browns ultimately found a trade partner with the Raiders and sent Pickett away. This now elevated their rookies to be safe from trade or cut and be the backups. It seems very likely that Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel will start a game this season. I would doubt that Flacco plays all 17 games, healthy or not.
We do not know yet who will truly be the QB2 on the depth chart, but many think that it may be Shedeur. On the other hand, Gabriel did play ahead of Shedeur in their last preseason game. If you have optimism in this Browns offense, Sanders or Gabriel may have some long-term dynasty value. One of them may very well be the 2026 starter on Lake Erie.
Las Raiders Fantasy Football Impact Of Kenny Pickett Trade
The impact here is not massive. Geno Smith is the starter and that will remain solid. However, if Geno Smith goes down, it opens a door for Kenny Pickett who is the QB2 in Vegas after Aiden O'Connell suffered an injury that will keep him out for about half of the season. Ourlads lists Pickett as the unofficial QB2.
The impact is rather noteworthy for Ashton Jeanty, Jakobi Meyers, and Brock Bowers. I do not think they remain as efficient if Pickett starts in the absence of Geno Smith. I would dock the stock on the receiving core if Pickett has to start, but not a ton. It is enough to devalue them a 2-3 projected points per game. As for Ashton Jeanty, he should be unaffected mostly. With Smith out in a scenario, the offense may lose efficiency, but run the ball more, thus cancelling out.
Fantasy Football Stock Watch:
Risers: Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel
Neutral: Raiders Offense
Fallers: Nothing definitive so long as Geno Smith is playing.
More Fantasy Sports on SI News:
Thomas Carelli is a sportswriter based on Northern New Jersey. He is a massive New York Jets and Mets fan, but that is not where is sports fandom stops. He loves to watch and play golf, all things football, baseball, and much more. If he can watch it, he will. Thomas graduated from William Paterson University in 2018 with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management. He spent 4 years working at a local golf course, volunteered past PGA events, and spent some part-time experience with the New York Jets events team. His passions for sport runs deep and his articles show for it.