Rodgers injury having bigger consequences than expected
IN WEEK 7, the Green Bay Packers and fantasy football owners got their first real taste of life without Aaron Rodgers, and, to say the least, it was bitter and disappointing.
New starting quarterback Brett Hundley struggled to find his groove, and as the Packers fell to the visiting Saints, 26-17, the world was put on immediate notice that these are no longer your daddy’s Packers.
What was worse, at least for fantasy owners, was that not only did Hundley struggle, but his lack of experience and poor play is dragging down the value of what was once a dominant receiving corps.
Even if you weren’t one of the many who lost Rodgers to a broken collarbone last week, chances are your team was damaged by the rippling effect an injury like this has. Jordy Nelson, one of the elite wideouts in the game, finished with just one catch for 13 yards. The dynamic and up-and-coming Davante Adams, who had four touchdowns over his previous three games, caught two passes for 12 yards, and Randall Cobb, a player hoping for a rebound, also caught just two passes for 15 yards. Those wh o h ave relied on these players were left standing there holding an empty bag. But that’s what you get when your quarterback passes for just 87 yards in a game.
Now the question is: What do you do with these players? Have Nelson and Adams been relegated to fantasy bench duty, serving only as fill-in options for a bye week? Do you just drop Cobb? Is it even worth trading them?
Perhaps someone in your league believes Hundley just needs more reps and the Packers will be whole again, but you’re certainly not going to see a return value via trade compensatory to what you paid. Trading them almost feels pointless unless you’re willing to settle for 50 cents on the dollar. If you’re not, then hope is your only recourse.
Matt Flynn replaced an injured Rodgers back in 2013 and managed a 62 percent completion percentage with eight touchdowns over a sixgame span. Maybe Hundley has enough in him to do that or, at the least, offer one or two games of productivity to increase the trade value of the receivers. Hope can be a dangerous thing, but at this point, it’s all you’ve got.
As upsetting as all this may be, there is a silver lining. Until Hundley improves, expect a runheavy scheme and a big boost in value for Aaron Jones. Rodgers’ broken collarbone may have wiped out the Packers’ receivers, but as we saw in Week 7, it’s also launching a fantastic career. Jones owners rejoice. The rest can weep silently in a corner.
Howard Bender is the VP of operations and head of content at FantasyAlarm.com. Follow him on Twitter @rotobuzzguy and catch him on the “Fantasy Alarm Radio Show” on the SiriusXM fantasy sports channel weekdays from 4-6 p.m.