The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a stunning trade this week by acquiring running back Trent Richardson from the Cleveland Browns and now his fantasy value rockets up, as he is with a better team, with a better offense and a better scheme for his style.
According to ESPN.com, Richardson was traded for a first round pick and the stunning move now puts two of the top three picks from the 2012 draft on the same roster. The team made the move after Vick Ballard was injured and lost for the season and now Richardson is gone from the Cleveland team that picked him third overall past Colts QB Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin for the Redskins.
Richardson is a tough runner and a very talented back and now the Colts fill a huge need, as they have issues scoring down in the redzone and with Luck shouldering the load on offense, they now have a starting running back that can be a solid contributor. Richardson's fantasy value definitely goes up after the trade, as the Colts have been looking for a power running game and everyone around Richardson is more talented, including the quarterback, offensive line and receivers than what he had in Cleveland.
While he was stunned at the trade, Richardson now is in a clear better situation and with Ballard out, he is the feature back and he is a hard START on Sunday against the 49ers, as coach Chuck Pagano said the team will use him as much as he can handle when they hit the road to play the Niners. This season Richardson has started off slow with just 105 yards, but that was more about the Browns than him and now the team gets one of the most productive backs in football since before last season.
Richardson rushed for over 900 yards last year and scored 11 touchdowns as a rookie and one area where he will be a distinct upgrade is in the passing game, as he made 51 catches for over 360 yards and one touchdown to go along with his rush production. Richardson should be able to open things up for TY Hilton and Andrew Luck and now he likely will face less eight man boxes, as the Colts are a passing threat if teams load the front.
The team is ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards per game, but with Ballard going out for the season, the team now has a legitimate starter with Richardson and some nice depth with Ahmad Bradshaw and Donald Brown behind him. The trade leaves the Browns with Willis McGahee t running back after they signed him this week and while Richardson was a good young back, the team decided to build for the future rather than build abound the RB and that could mean the end of the line from Brandon Weeden as well.