The NFL trade deadline is in the rearview mirror, and a few moves altered the fantasy football landscape. Kirk Cousins reunited with the Minnesota Vikings, Keenan Allen was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, and Josh Downs was sent to the Kansas City Chiefs.

In this week’s installment of our fantasy football mailbag, which questions are eating away at managers?

Note: Feel free to reach out to me on Twitter so I can answer your fantasy football questions in future articles.

All stats used in this article are from PFF or Sumer Sports unless stated otherwise. Fantasy rankings and fantasy point totals are courtesy of FantasyPros.

Should Managers Add Fernando Mendoza?

With Cousins traded to the Vikings, the Fernando Mendoza era is set to begin for the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 10. Ahead of his first career start, should fantasy managers add Mendoza?

In superflex leagues, fantasy managers should scoop up Mendoza if he’s available. While Mendoza is viable in deeper leagues for desperate managers, it may be worth waiting to start him.

Mendoza will be thrown into the fire to begin his career, facing the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos in his first two starts. The Seahawks and Broncos are both 10th or better in dropback EPA allowed.

Things get easier for Mendoza after the Raiders’ bye in Week 13, as he’ll face the Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans, and Arizona Cardinals in three of his final five games. The Titans and Cardinals are 27th or worse in dropback EPA allowed, while the Chargers are 17th.

Where Should Justin Jefferson, Josh Downs, and Keenan Allen Be Ranked Now?

Justin Jefferson, Josh Downs, and Keenan Allen were the WRs most affected during the NFL trade deadline. Where should each of them rank moving forward?

Justin Jefferson

Entering Week 10, Jefferson is the WR31 in fantasy points per game (11.9). However, with Cousins throwing passes to Jefferson again, there’s no reason to rank Jefferson outside the top 10 WRs anymore.

Jefferson was the WR2 in fantasy points per game (21.7) in 2022 with Cousins as his QB.

Josh Downs

Downs is the WR61 in fantasy points per game (8.3) playing in a below-average Indianapolis Colts offense. But with Downs going from Daniel Jones to Patrick Mahomes, Downs could soon move into the WR3 or flex range.

While Downs’ metrics are disappointing this year, there’s a non-zero chance he becomes the No. 1 target for Mahomes over Rashee Rice before the season concludes.

Keenan Allen

The 49ers have been shorthanded at WR in recent weeks, so Allen is primed for a decent-sized role immediately. If Mike Evans and/or Deebo Samuel are inactive again in Week 10, Allen could be a WR3 or flex option as a slot target for Brock Purdy.

Once San Francisco’s wideouts are healthy, Allen and Samuel will be ranked similarly, while Evans would still be the top option in the passing game.

Can Managers Trust Any of the Rams or Cardinals Pass-Catchers?

The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals are both dealing with a bevy of injuries on offense, limiting the viable pass-catchers available. With the Rams and Cardinals facing each other in Week 10, can managers trust any pass-catchers from either team?

On the Rams side of the equation, Tyler Higbee is in the best position to succeed with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, and Terrance Ferguson sidelined. While I’d avoid starting any of the Rams WRs, rookie CJ Daniels is a name to watch if he gets more playing time.

As for the Cardinals, Trey McBride is still a must-start TE, though his ceiling could be lowered with rookie Carson Beck expected to start at QB. At the same time, Michael Wilson is out for the rest of the season, which could be viewed as a positive or negative for McBride managers.

Amid other injuries at WR, the Cardinals will trot out a wideout trio of Reggie Virgil, Simi Fehoko, and Devin Duvernay. None of them should be trusted in any format right now.

Hopefully everyone’s fantasy football squads enjoy plenty of success in Week 10!