Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know about the huge trade between the Bears and Panthers that sent the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft from Chicago to Carolina. The deal was a boon for the Bears, who landed the ninth and 61st overall picks in this year’s draft, a 2023 first-rounder, a 2025 second-rounder and veteran wide receiver DJ Moore all for the No. 1 overall in 2023.
Let’s break this one down from a fantasy perspective, starting with the Panthers.
Their current offensive depth chart is well, pretty offensive. Moore was their No. 1 receiver, leaving Terrace Marshall Jr. as the new top wideout with Laviska Shenault Jr. the current No. 2. The team also doesn’t have a tight end to be overly excited about in fantasy land. One silver lining for the Panthers' offense is their free agent acquisition of running back Miles Sanders.
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Obviously, this offense currently looks like a fantasy wasteland. The good news is that the Panthers will take their franchise quarterback with the top spot in the draft, so one of Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud or maybe even Anthony Richardson will be under center next season. Carolina also has the 40th, 94th, 115th, 133rd and 147th picks in the draft, and Spotrac has them 12th in salary cap space.
As a result, the depth chart right now isn’t what the depth chart will look like this summer. Carolina should use some of its draft capital on offense, most notably at wide receiver, and the team has enough dough to spend on some free agents, too.
So, before you go rushing out to trade for Marshall or Tommy Tremble in your dynasty leagues, just know that the Panthers are going to be busy at the end of April.
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Now, let’s move on to the Windy City.
To say that the Bears are in great shape is an understatement. By trading away the top pick in the draft, the team now has 10 picks in 2023 including four in the top 65. Chicago has also surrounded Justin Fields with an improved offense, adding Moore to a corps of receivers that also includes Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney. With Cole Kmet still at tight end, Fields suddenly has some nice passing options.
I already have Fields in my top seven among quarterbacks, and he could move up past Justin Herbert or Lamar Jackson depending on how the offseason shakes out. He’s the big fantasy winner in this deal, and he could win even “Moore” in the draft.
Moore is coming off a down season in Carolina, posting just 63 catches and 888 yards as a receiver. Those were his worst totals since his rookie year, and it had much to do with a bad offense and lousy quarterbacks. With Fields under center, Moore should rebound and post WR2 totals next season. Claypool and Mooney will remain draftable, but not until the later rounds as WR4/WR5 options in drafts.
