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When the Arizona Cardinals released him on May 26, DeAndre Hopkins immediately became the most coveted NFL free agent. The star wide receiver has visited numerous teams, including the New England Patriots, and there has been significant discussion about the best fit for Hopkins.
While there is a list of realistic destinations for the 31-year-old, there are also landing spots for Hopkins that would make fantasy football owners salivate. These teams have solid quarterbacks and weak wide receiving corps, yet are not actively pursuing the former Cardinal. These are the teams that would be the best fit for DeAndre Hopkins when it comes to fantasy football.
Fantasy football dream landing spots for DeAndre Hopkins
New Orleans Saints
The Saints brought in quarterback Derek Carr to invigorate an anemic offense, but it is hard to have much belief in the receivers he is throwing to. Chris Olave was the only Saints wideout to surpass 1,000 yards receiving in 2022 and is a solid primary option, but the rest of the New Orleans receiving corps will not intimidate opposing secondaries.
Michael Thomas has not been healthy since 2019, Rashid Shaheed and Tre'Quan Smith are secondary options at best, and tight end Juwan Johnson is mostly a red zone threat. And curiously, the Saints did not make any major additions to this weak group in the off-season. The New Orleans Saints are in desperate need of a go-to pass-catcher alongside Chris Olave, and DeAndre Hopkins is easily the best wide receiver still available in free agency.
New York Giants
Is Daniel Jones worthy of a four-year, $160 million contract? Probably not. But he is also more deserving of the wide receivers he had last year. Jones won a playoff game with Darius Slayton, Richie James, and Isaiah Hodgins as his top three pass-catchers, and has never had a true number-one wideout during his four years in New York.
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The team replaced James with former Indianapolis Colt Parris Campbell, who had 623 yards in his last year in Indy. Jones still does not have a star wideout, and DeAndre Hopkins would immediately be the number one wide receiver at the Meadowlands. Fantasy football owners should be praying for this signing.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence broke out in his second NFL season, throwing for 4,113 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. He did so without a star wide receiver. Christian Kirk (1,108 yards, eight touchdowns) and Zay Jones (823 yards and five TDs) are both solid options, but acquiring Calvin Ridley — who missed all of 2022 through suspension — was a huge risk.
None of these receivers feels like a true go-to option — the type of player that can be depended on in a big playoff game. DeAndre Hopkins is that type of receiver and would slot in as a primary option in a strong passing offense, making him an attractive draft pick for fantasy football owners.
Cleveland Browns
Deshaun Watson was far from his best in his first season under center with the Cleveland Browns, passing for just 183 yards per game and posting a 79.1 passer rating. Can he return to the type of player that had more than 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns before missing a season-and-a-half? Probably not, but even a decent improvement from last year will make the Browns' offense dangerous — especially given Nick Chubb's prowess on the ground.
The receiving corps of Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones welcomes Elijah Moore in 2023, but there is still room for a proper number two receiver alongside Cooper. DeAndre Hopkins would easily become a WR2 for fantasy football purposes if he joins Cleveland.
