NHL Best Bets for Tuesday (11/19)
Kenneth Le
It’s time to look ahead to the 2023 NFL season! Follow along with all our fantasy football team offseason roundups here.
It’s been a very busy NFL offseason, with free agent signings, coaching changes and several new players entering the league via the NFL Draft. As we prepare for the 2023 fantasy football season, it’s critical to have a full understanding of each team’s offseason moves. Our NFL team roundup series today covers the Green Bay Packers.
2023 NFL Team Roundup: Green Bay Packers
2022 Results
Record: 8-9; 3rd in the NFC North
Season End: Missed playoffs on last day of season
Green Bay Packers Offseason Summary
Draft
1.13: Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa
2.42: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
2.50: Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
3.78: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
4.116: Colby Wooden, EDGE, Auburn
5.149: Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State
5.159: Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia
6.179: Karl Brooks, DT, Bowling Green
6.207: Anders Carlson, K, Auburn
7.232: Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky
7.235: Lew Nichols, RB, Central Michigan
7.242: Anthony Johnson, S, Iowa State
7.256: Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte
Lukas Van Ness, EDGE (1.13)
It’s not that Lukas Van Ness was a bad pick. He’s got plenty of potential to at least be a rotational contributor in year one in Green Bay, especially with Rashan Gary recovering from injury and Preston Smith getting older. But given the news surrounding the Packers’ passing game this offseason and the departures not only of Aaron Rodgers but also Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, the masses wanted to see a pass-catcher in the first round … even if we know that isn’t the Packers’ way.
Luke Musgrave, TE (2.42)
Jayden Reed, WR (2.50)
Tucker Kraft, TE (3.78)
The Packers might not have gone pass-catcher in the first, but they hit that hard afterward, with three high-upside pass-catchers on Day 2. Along with second-year receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, this might be the youngest group of pass-catchers in the league. That might lead to some 2023 growing pains.
Additions
Free agent signings: S Tarvarius Moore, S Jonathan Owens, LS Matthew Orzech
The Packers have never been big on going outside the organization for additions, but this takes it to a whole new level. As of late June, they had only signed three free agents from other teams, none are guaranteed to start in 2023, and one is a long snapper. If it weren’t for the Aaron Rodgers hullabaloo, this might have been the least newsworthy offseason any team has ever had.
Departures
QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Allen Lazard, EDGE Jarran Reed, WR Randall Cobb, TE Robert Tonyan, EDGE Dean Lowry, TE Marcedes Lewis, S Adrian Amos, LB Krys Barnes, K Mason Crosby
Aaron Rodgers, QB
If the Aaron Rodgers we saw in 2022 was the beginning of his decline phase, the Jets are going to be sad once again. If it was instead a blip on the radar after back-to-back MVPs as he dealt with injury for much of the season, the Packers will wonder what might have been. It’s not quite that simple, but it kind of is.
Allen Lazard, WR
Allen Lazard was the first domino that fell in the “woo Rodgers to the Jets” procession. He has never had even 800 yards in a season, but he did set career-highs last year in targets (100), receptions (60) and yards (788) in his first year out from under Davante Adams’ shadow. He’ll be behind Garrett Wilson in New York, but he showed a nose for the end zone in Green Bay that could give him a boost.
Robert Tonyan, TE
Robert Tonyan tied for TE3 in 2020 on the back of his 11 touchdowns. He’s struggled to recreate that in two years since, tearing his ACL in 2021 and only scoring 4 touchdowns across the two years combined. Now in Chicago, he’ll be the TE2 behind Cole Kmet, but if he can resemble his 2020 success at all, he could be a red-zone weapon for the Bears.
Green Bay Packers Fantasy Outlook
The four most interesting Packers fantasy options:
AJ Dillon, RB
AJ Dillon was a popular breakout pick in 2022. Instead, he more or less recreated his 2021 pre-breakout (187 carries to 186, 803 rushing yards to 770, 7 touchdowns each year). He’s still only 25, and Aaron Jones turns 29 this year, so it’s fair to give Dillon another year to have his breakout. In an offense with a lot of question marks in the receiving game, the Packers running backs should have a lot to do.
Christian Watson, WR
What is Christian Watson? Is he the receiver who scored 8 touchdowns in Weeks 10-13 and put up at least 20 PPR points in all four weeks? Or is he the inconsistent rookie who didn’t score a single receiving touchdown (with one on the ground) outside of that window and only even topped 11 PPR points once? He’s opening the year as the Packers’ clear WR1, so fantasy managers have to hope he’s the former more than the latter.
Jordan Love, QB
The chances Jordan Love is a fantasy starter (at least in one-QB leagues) right away are slim, but he’s definitely going to get every chance, with only Danny Etling (five seasons, 10 teams, 0 pass attempts) and fifth-round rookie Sean Clifford behind him. If he can use the Packers’ top-10 offensive line and the youngest group of pass-catchers in the league, he’ll set the Packers up for the future and be at least a competent superflex option.
Aaron Jones, RB
The intrigue in Aaron Jones doesn’t come from wondering what he could be. He’s been a top-12 PPR running back four years in a row, peaking at RB2 in 2019 and still finishing as the RB9 in 2022. It’s in wondering when he’ll slow down. Jones turns 29 in December, and the Packers could get out of his contract after the year. Do they start to transition to AJ Dillon, or does Jones get another year as a fantasy starter?
2023 Outlook
DraftKings Sportsbook Wins Over/Under: 7.5 (-110)
NFC North odds: +475
Without checking the odds directly, this has to be the first time the Packers haven’t opened as the NFC North favorites in a generation of football players, owing to Aaron Rodgers’ longtime tenure atop the division. This is still largely the same roster as the one that was favored to win the division last year, albeit with the one massive difference under center. If the defense can pick up the offense, and if Love can fulfill his first-round potential from three years ago, the Packers could surprise and contend in a largely mediocre division.
