Pats acquire Gabriel from Raiders

With the Deion Branch situation seemingly not coming to a resolution any time in the near future, the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Doug Gabriel from the Oakland Raiders today for an undisclosed draft pick. As of now, Gabriel looks to be the top WR on the New England roster.

This move has a ton of fantasy fallout. First, Gabriel's value increases exponentially. The first week or two may not produce tremendous results, but once Gabriel learns the system, being Tom Brady's number one receiver is never a bad thing. Second, owners must now be wary of Deion Branch if he's not traded by the time your drafts are held. He has already stated that he will sit out till week 10 if needed, and neither he nor the organization appear to be ready to be the amicable half of the negotiations. Even if he is dealt to the Seahawks, he will be competing for balls with Darrell Jackson, Nate Burleson and Bobby Engram. On the Raiders side of things, both Jerry Porter and Ronald Curry are on the fantasy radar again. Porter figures to be the early favorite to start opposite Randy Moss, a position that typically carries significant fantasy value. Keep an eye on this situation.