The Green Bay Packers saw an offensive resurgence last year in perhaps the most calming second half of a season in roughly a decade and a half. However, with so little proven about the Jordan Love experiment, it can feel like taking a flier on any of their players in Fantasy Football this year. On one hand, they could boom and on the other, they could bust.
That said, there are two key players worth keeping in mind this season.
Christian Watson, WR
At face value, some might say this is an obvious pick as the Packers’ No. 1 receiver. However, Watson has played in just 20 games over the last two years. Now heading into his third season, he has yet to touch even 650 receiving yards in a season. However, despite his injury troubles and low production totals over the last two years, there is reason to take a chance on him.
During the offseason, Watson revealed that he had only just learned the cause of his repeated injuries. Essentially, the muscle mass of his legs is different, causing problems. With the issue rectified this year, Watson might be able to hit 1000 yards with ease. Already slotted in as the team’s top receiver, it could be a rare chance to get a No. 1 receiver for a fraction of the draft cost.
AJ Dillon, RB
Josh Jacobs went viral during the offseason for messing around with ATVs. As such, managers have reason to prepare for an off-the-field injury taking place with as much likelihood of an in-game injury happening. It likely wouldn’t be worth using a top-10 pick on him or perhaps even a pick in the fantasy draft. However, picking up his backup, AJ Dillon, as insurance on Jacobs might be a move worth making early in the season. That way, if something does happen to Jacobs, you don’t need to worry about working with the waiver wire.
Additionally, Jacobs’ production was halved last season. In 2022, he earned 1600 yards. Last year, he earned just 800 yards, per Pro Football Reference. The Packers took a big risk on Jacobs. If it doesn’t work out, the team might not wait to try out the other backs on the roster, adding an extra reason to keep Dillon around for managers. There’s even a chance that the two could end up sharing the backfield by the end of the season, which would raise the floor on Dillon considerably when teams start to get into the bye window.
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