It’s been no secret. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers butt heads most of the off season. For now, it seems like the two sides have come to an agreement and Rodgers will once again play with the Packers this upcoming season. This is great news for NFL fans and fantasy football players.
It’s been known for a while that Rodgers has been upset over Green Bay’s decision making over the past few years under Gutekunst’s direction. Rodgers has been demanding for more of a say in the team’s decision making, and moves that they make moving forward.
With Aaron spending most of the offseason making his disapproval of the team very clear, the Packers finally have pleased him by acquiring Randall Cobb. Rodgers and Cobb have a lengthy history together. Cobb, drafted in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, spent his first eight seasons with the Packers. Rodgers was the sole lobbyist to bring Cobb back onto the team. In order to please their superstar quarterback, the Green Bay Packers did just what he asked of them.
With the acquisition of Cobb and the return of Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay seems to have their bearings back. How will the team perform with all of the drama that happened during this offseason? Will Randall Cobb get his fair share of targets in an already crowded receiving core? Let’s break down the fantasy football impact and value of Green Bay’s players.
There’s no slowing down Aaron Rodgers
Even with all of the talk this offseason about Rodgers wanting to be traded (and possibly retiring), Aaron is only about one thing: business. Regardless of the noise made before this upcoming season, we all know Rodgers will go on the field every single game and put on a show.
In 2020, he finished third in fantasy football points among all quarterbacks, while also winning a MVP. He had a fantastic season and deserved the MVP award, throwing 48 touchdowns (1st), 4,299 yards (7th), with a 84.3QBR (1st), while only throwing five interceptions!
There’s no doubt in my mind Aaron will continue his success going into this season. I expect him to finish as a top-10 quarterback, with the likelihood of a top-5 finish for the second consecutive season. He’s currently going in the end of the seventh round in redraft leagues, and I feel like that is a perfect spot to pick him at.
Even with the Packers rough strength of schedule this upcoming season (4th hardest), he could easily outperform his current ADP as QB8 in fantasy football drafts. If you’re looking for reliability at the quarterback spot this year, Rodgers is a no brainer to grab in drafts.
Randall Cobb Reunites with his BFF
Cobb and Rodgers have a long history together, as I mentioned before. They already have great chemistry together as teammates. More importantly, they have a great friendship that expands beyond football. Cobb had a nice career with the Packers, including a Pro Bowl selection in 2014. That season he tallied 91 catches, 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns. That unfortunately, would be the best year of his career and the first and only time he ever cracked over 1,000 yards receiving.
Cobb, now entering his age 31 season, has something to prove in Green Bay; especially after Aaron Rodgers lobbied so hard for the Packers to bring him back to the team. With Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers, and MVS in the mix for targets, it might be difficult for Randall Cobb to have much fantasy football success. Depending on how Cobb is utilized in the Packers’ offense however, there is a chance he can be a viable option.
In the 2019 NFL season with the Cowboys (he was fairly unhealthy in 2020), Cobb totaled 55 receptions, along with 828 receiving yards. He still has something to give to a team, and I expect him to try and make the most out of it. As of right now, he is only owned in about four percent of all fantasy football leagues, and could definitely outperform his mostly undrafted status.
With the Packers’ strength of schedule being one of the toughest in the league, I can actually see Randall Cobb benefitting from that. He most likely will be used in the short-passing game often. This could allow him to rack up a good chunk of yardage from time to time. I can see Cobb being a sneaky WR3 play this upcoming season, with Rodgers most likely giving his guy plenty of opportunity. If you’re in need of a receiver to stash for the time being, or if you’re in a deeper league, invest in some Randall Cobb – but don’t expect too much!
Davante Adams – and the Rest of Them
Let’s start off with the easy part. Davante Adams is a stud. With an ADP of 10th overall (and 2nd WR taken) in redraft leagues this year, there’s no questioning his capabilities. He is as solid of a receiver as you can get. Last season, Adams put up ridiculous numbers.
He posted a 1,374 yard season on 115 receptions, along with 18 touchdowns! That was good for WR1 in fantasy football leagues last season. We can expect his touchdown numbers to come down a bit, as matching 18 from the previous season would be an extremely tough task. However, never say it is out of the realm of possibility because he literally just did it a season ago.
As long as he’s healthy, Adams will finish as a top-three receiver in the league with Aaron rodgers back. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind he will have another great year. If you have a late first round pick in your draft this year, Davante Adams is an excellent pick. He is currently my WR1 in redraft leagues.
Now, the others.
Names like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and Amari Rodgers make up this group. The Packers have a crowded group of receivers, especially since adding Randall Cobb into the mix. We’ve already gone over Cobb’s value this season, but what about the others?
Let me be brutally honest here. I would stay away from all of them if you could. The only receiver out of this group that I would entertain grabbing, especially if you’re in a deeper league, is Allen Lazard. Lazard has shown some promise in the recent past.
Last season Lazard started off hot, putting up 244 yards on 13 catches, adding two touchdowns in his first three weeks of the season. However, he would be sidelined eight weeks due to injury – not coming back until Week 11. He did have a pretty decent role in the offense afterwards, but his numbers dropped off significantly. He should be fully healthy going into this year, and has the upside to be a decent WR3 play if everything goes well. Obviously, there’s still a risk if you draft him. But he’s worth a flier, especially in deeper leagues. As for the rest of the Packers’ receivers, like I said before, I would stay away. You’d, most likely, just end up being disappointed.
In conclusion, the Packers’ offense should be back on track this season with Rodgers and Adams leading the helm. Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard could be useful options in deeper leagues, and make for some decent WR3 production at times for fantasy football. Besides the three receivers I just mentioned, I wouldn’t recommend grabbing any other Green Bay receiver.
