The trade to New York reunites Brett Favre with a familiar tight end and improves the fantasy prospects of several Jet skill-position players.

Bubba Franks played with Favre for eight years and while he hasn’t had more than 34 catches since 2002, he provides the former Packer star with a familiar target and a big body in the red zone. Franks likely will be the number two tight end behind Dustin Keller, the athletic first-round pick from Purdue.

Keller was set to provide another weapon for whoever became the Jets’ signal caller this season, but the Favre acquisition likely accelerates Keller’s upward movement on tight end cheat sheets. He will be a fantasy factor this season.

Jerricho Cotchery caught 82 passes for 1,130 yards last season but scored only two touchdowns. The aging Laveranues Coles caught 55 passes and six touchdowns. Donald Driver’s numbers were almost identical last year to Cotchery’s while Greg Jennings’ reception totals mirrored Coles’ – but Jennings scored 12 touchdowns. My guess is each Jets wide receiver bumps up their touchdown totals this year with a stronger-armed, better-skilled quarterback at the helm.

But nobody benefits more than Thomas Jones. With the additions of Alan Faneca and Damien Woody to last year’s sieve-like offensive line, Jones already had to be happy about the team’s offseason improvements. But with a quarterback that can legitimately fling the rock it’ll open up running lanes for a back who eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing but only hit paydirt once. Those numbers, especially the touchdown one, will improve.

And don’t forget Leon Washington – Favre doesn’t mind throwing to his backs. Remember Ahman Green – during his first four seasons with the Packers, Green caught 73, 62, 57 and 50 passes from Favre and in the last of those four scored five touchdowns through the air. Washington could be the beneficiary of many of those touches.

Favre himself was a top five fantasy quarterback last year, throwing for 4,155 yards and 28 touchdowns. He’s unlikely to keep up that pace for any lengthy period of time, but he doesn’t have to in order to provide substantial improvements to the fantasy fortunes of his new teammates. Chad Pennington, while not terrible, has a rag arm and Kellen Clemens threw only five touchdowns to 10 interceptions in 2007.

The talent around him decreases somewhat from his Packers team that went 13-3. But the Jets have some skill players and while Favre will help them, they will help Favre retain his status among the top handful-and-change of fantasy quarterbacks as well.

Not a lot is expected of the Jets this year but this trade makes them an interesting team – and their skill players intriguing sleepers as this fantasy season gets underway.