2019 Summary
Record: 13-3 (1st in NFC North)
2019 Offensive Points-Per-Game: 23.6 (14th)
2019 Total Defense-adjusted Value Over Average: 7.7% (10th)
The Green Bay Packers’ offense wasn’t quite as prolific in 2019 as we’ve seen in the past. Although the team won 13 games, it owned an underwhelming 2-3 regular season record against playoff teams. Aaron Rodgers was good, but he wasn’t a league-winner in fantasy football as he finished the year as QB11. The Packers dropping from the most pass-heavy passing team in the NFL in 2018 to No. 16 in 2019 also was partly responsible for his dip in production. Davante Adams’ four-game absence put a damper on his overall productions, but he still finished the year as Rodgers’ clear-cut No. 1 passing game option. Nobody on the roster was able to emerge as a No. 2 in the passing game, as both Allen Lazard and Marques Valdes-Scantling failed to emerge as a reliable target. Aaron Jones absolutely exploded for over 1,500 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns.
Major additions
- LB, Christian Kirksey
- RT, Ricky Wagner
- WR, Devin Funchess
- QB, Jordan Love
- RB, A.J. Dillon
- TE, Josiah Deguara
Major subtractions
- TE, Jimmy Graham
4 major storylines for 2020
Who will become the No. 2 option in the passing game?
A large part of the reason why Rodgers wasn’t his superstar self in 2019 didn’t have anything to do with him. It had to do with the lack of potent options in the receiving game at his disposal. Davante Adams continued to be his only reliable receiver, something that was extremely troublesome when Adams missed time. The team made only a slight effort this offseason to correct the issue, adding Devin Funchess who recently announced he is opting out of the 2020 season. I don’t think it’ll be either Lazard or Valdes-Scantling. I think second-year tight end Jace Sternberger will fill the void with Jimmy Graham no longer blocking his path to starting. Sternberger features a fairly athletic profile, and he was dominant at Texas A&M in his final season of college football, corralling 48 catches for 832 yards and 10 touchdowns.
What will A.J. Dillon’s role in this offense be?
I want to say I have a good idea regarding the intents of head coach Matt LaFleur and the rest of the Packers’ front office, but after this offseason, I really don’t. Dillon is a bruising back who features pretty good speed for his size. He wasn’t asked to do much pass-catching in college, and with Jamaal Williams still on the roster, i doubt he does much in Green Bay. His best traits align with Jones’, which means Dillon could vulture some of Jones’ touchdown production. Without an injury to Jones or Williams, it’s unlikely Dillon will carry much standalone value in fantasy football.
Will Jordan Love see the field in 2020?
Packers fans should really hope that he doesn’t. While Love features a very athletic profile and has some Patrick Mahomes qualities in his game, there is a lot of work to be done in his development. Look no further than his numbers from his final season at Utah State. He threw for 20 touchdowns but also piled on 17 interceptions. While the Packers made it clear that Love is their QB of the future, it doesn’t appear that the future is now.
Pick one: Allen Lazard or Marquez Valdes-Scantling?
I was really disappointed by both players last season. Not many players are given an opportunity to receive a major role in an offense with an elite quarterback, but both players squandered that in 2019. Despite appearing in all 16 games last year, neither played topped 500 receiving yards. If I had to select one, I’d pick Lazard. Both have athletic player profiles, but Lazard is a year younger than MVS, which means he may have more developing to do. Regardless of who does emerge, I won’t be overly interested in selecting them in fantasy drafts.
Sleeper: Jace Sternberger
Currently TE25 in NFFC drafts, Sternberger can be had extremely late in drafts. His path to fantasy football relevance, however, may be evident early in 2020. As mentioned earlier, he’s my favourite to become Rodgers’ No. 2 now that Graham is gone. He was selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and missed time last year with an ankle injury. There’s been some positive buzz surrounding Sternberger this offseason.
Bust: Aaron Jones
Outside of Adams and Jones, Green Bay doesn’t have a bunch of high-end options for fantasy football owners this season. I personally think Jones will be fine this year, but I am a little lower on him than his current NFFC ADP of 12.82 due to the addition of Dillon, so I likely wont end up with him on many of my teams.
Packers Players in Rally Towel’s Top-200 Fantasy Football Rankings
13. WR, Davante Adams
23. RB, Aaron Jones
96. QB, Aaron Rodgers
153. WR, Allen Lazard
192. RB, Jamaal Williams
Download Rally Towel’s 2020 PPR Fantasy Football Cheatsheet here.
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