X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

2016 Fantasy Football Team Outlook - Green Bay Packers

This article continues our team outlook series where we will breakdown each NFL team from a fantasy football perspective. We will cover the major changes on each roster from this off season and project what the team will do in the upcoming year.

Today we look at the (hopefully) resurgent Green Bay Packers.

Editor's Note: Purchase a full season NFL Premium Pass (including Draft Kit + DFS Premium), and also get MLB Premium + DFS for free through October. Premium DFS lineup picks, expert lineups, tools and more - seven days a week. You can see screenshots of our NFL Premium and MLB Premium and DFS tools. What are you waiting for?

Be sure to check all of our fantasy football rankings for 2025:

 

Offseason Moves

Offseason Acquisitions: TE Jared Cook

No Longer on the Roster: WR James Jones

Player to reach for: WR Randall Cobb

 

Quarterback

It’s hard not to blame Aaron Rodgers’ disappointing 2015 on the injury to Jordy Nelson prior to the start of the year. It’s rare for a quarterback of Rodgers’ talent to be so adversely affected by the loss of one player, but the Green Bay offense seemed to struggle all around. The struggles wound up hampering the fantasy performances of all the key contributors. It’s not like Rodgers was terrible; he still finished the year as fantasy’s seventh-best quarterback and is poised for a strong bounce-back.

With a current ADP of 28th overall, Rodgers’ value is starting to come back down to Earth. One of the most recurring strategies you’ll hear all summer is the ideology of “waiting on quarterback.” While the position is absurdly deep, that doesn’t mean you avoid taking Rodgers altogether. 28 is still a little high for me, especially since that means you’ll likely be the second person in your league to snag a QB, passing on the likes of Demaryius Thomas, Keenan Allen, and Sammy Watkins in the process. The return of Jordy Nelson makes the Green Bay gunslinger a shoe-in to finish the year as a top-five player at his position, so don’t force yourself to pass on him completely.

A more appropriate approach (and one that you’ll hear me repeat when discussing upper tier QBs) is to accept that positional values change over the course of a draft. Sure, the middle of the third might be too early to but if it’s end of the fourth and you’re deciding between Aaron Rodgers and Doug Baldwin? Give me the quarterback, thank you.

 

Running Backs

Continuing with the theme of disappointing Packers, Eddie Lacy is looking to prove that he can rebound from a year plagued by accusations of him being out of shape. I say “accusations” because if you recall, Lacy was described as fat entering his rookie year but was still a reliable fantasy starter. Was he simply more out of shape than usual in 2015? Maybe we just don’t really know what the guy’s playing weight is. The point is that he’s naturally a big dude, so try to block out all of the noise about his conditioning until there are actual games to be played.

Overweight or not, Lacy struggled mightily last season and it’s one of the other major reasons the Packers weren’t as good as usual for fantasy purposes. Luckily, Lacy’s ADP heading into the upcoming season makes owning him a lot less worrisome. He’s currently being drafted at the end of the second/beginning of the third and that’s about where he should be going. Running back as a whole is as much of a crap shoot as it’s ever been so it really does come down to which risk/reward scenario you prefer leaning on. Personally, I’m fine snagging Lacy in the third provided he actually is the best player available at that point.

Handcuffing your running back with his backup tends to be one of the most overstated philosophies in fantasy. This is NOT one of those situations as James Starks is the clear backup to Eddie Lacy. In fact, it can be argued that he’s the most important handcuff to own outside of DeAngelo Williams. With how tough a year Lacy just had, it’s conceivable that the Packers will have a much shorter leash and will put Starks in as the starter should things continue to go south. Starks is a must-own for anyone thinking about hitching their fantasy success to a Lacy comeback.

 

Wide Receivers

Jordy Nelson’s ACL may or may not have derailed Green Bay’s fantasy consistency last year but one thing is for certain--owners are licking their chops at the prospect of owning him this year. Jordy is locked in as a second-rounder this year and barring a significant setback in his recovery, that isn’t going to change anytime soon.

As of writing, Nelson is currently dealing with tendinitis in the opposite leg as his surgery, an ailment that could simply be a case of trying to overcompensate for his healing knee. If you want to own Nelson you’re going to have to pony up on his second-round price point. Just be sure to monitor the situation prior to your draft in case new information becomes available.

Randall Cobb is back to being the secondary option at wide receiver and that is definitely a blessing in disguise. A lot of bitter fantasy owners will be quick to point out how disappointing Cobb was when he had the number one WR gig all to himself last season. The argument that he was bad when he should have been better is inherently flawed since it blatantly ignores the fact that he was a great fantasy asset while playing opposite Nelson. It seems pretty obvious that Cobb isn’t the type of player that can shine as a number one guy but excels when he’s in a complimentary role. That’s not me being overly optimistic, it’s analyzing cold hard facts; Randall Cobb has proven that he’s good when Jordy Nelson is on the field. We have literally seen him do it.

All of that is a stern way to say that Cobb might actually be undervalued this year. His current ADP as the 20th wide receiver off the board is a testament to how deep the position is in the upcoming season.

It’s safe to say that the hype surrounding the third receiving option in Green Bay has appropriately died down. Unlike Randall Cobb, the likes of Davante Adams, Ty Mongomery, and Jeff Janis have yet to prove that they can contribute on a consistent basis. Cobb has a track record that excuses him of not doing what he had never done before as a number one receiver. Adams, Montomery, and Janis, however, should have been able to put up better numbers when opportunity knocked. Instead, all of them fizzled out and this team is left with two legit wide receivers instead of three. I won’t be investing a fantasy draft pick on any of these players barring a massively impressive preseason.

 

Tight Ends

The Packers are home to a few “names” at tight end but no one that really warrants a selection in redraft leagues. Jared Cook is the newest member of the offense but I’d much rather use a late round flier on someone that hasn’t disappointed me in the past. Besides, Richard Rodgers is still currently listed as the starter so it’s not like we can say for certain that Cook was brought in for anything more than a depth chart addition.

 

NFL & Fantasy Football Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-0" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Value Picks
Compare Any Players
News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Close to Triple-Double Versus Serbia
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Fills Box Score Against Turkey
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Shakes Off Minor Injury
NBA

E.J. Liddell Inks Two-Way Deal With Nets
NBA

Ben Simmons Reportedly Considering Retirement
P.J. Washington

Agrees to Four-Year, $90 Million Extension
Mike Trout

Plans to Return on Thursday
Will Smith

X-Rays Negative on Will Smith's Hand
Jauan Jennings

Gets Incentives Added to Contract
Jakobi Meyers

Unsure About Potential Extension
Matthew Stafford

Off Injury Report Ahead of Week 1
Will Smith

Exits With Hand Contusion
Jackson Chourio

in Lineup Wednesday Despite Hamstring Cramps
Sepp Straka

Gets Captain's Pick to Join Team Europe
Christian Yelich

Dealing With Soreness in Lower Back
PGA

Victor Hovland to Make Third Ryder Cup Appearance for Team Europe
J.J. Spaun

Set to Represent Team USA for First Time at Bethpage
Russell Henley

Makes First Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Harris English

Named to Ryder Cup Team for Second Time
Kyle Finnegan

Dealing With Groin Issue
Shohei Ohtani

Will Pitch "Sometime This Weekend"
Jackson Chourio

Absent on Wednesday With Hamstring Cramp
Roman Anthony

Officially Goes on Injured List
Jauan Jennings

Limited on Wednesday, Expected to Play in Week 1
Malik Nabers

Not on Initial Injury Report
Roman Anthony

"High Probability" Roman Anthony Lands on Injured List
Justin Thomas

Making Fourth Ryder Cup Team Appearance at Bethpage
Ben Griffin

Making First Career Ryder Cup Appearance at Bethpage
Bryson DeChambeau

Set to be Part of Team USA at Bethpage
Jason Adam

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Roman Anthony

Will Undergo MRI on Wednesday
Santi Aldama

Bags Double-Double in Losing Effort
Guerschon Yabusele

Erupts for 36 Points Against Poland
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Next Round at EuroBasket
San Antonio Spurs

Stanley Umude Signs Training Camp Deal With Spurs
Reece Beekman

Joins Magic for Training Camp
Justin Minaya

Signs Exhibit 10 Deal With Magic
Travis Hunter

Jaguars List Travis Hunter as Starting Wide Receiver, Backup Cornerback
Kyle Tucker

Leaves With Calf Tightness on Tuesday
Alexandre Sarr

to Miss Rest of EuroBasket
Max Scherzer

Blue Jays Confident Max Scherzer Will Make Saturday Start Despite Back Tightness
Roman Anthony

Leaves Early With Back Injury
Jared McCain

"On Pace" for Training Camp
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Done for the Year With Torn ACL
Luke Hughes

Devils Optimistic About Signing Luke Hughes
Martin Fehérváry

Martin Fehervary on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Dylan Holloway

Good to Go for Start of Season
Nick Kurtz

Back in Action on Tuesday
Josh Morrissey

Fully Healthy for Start of Season
Dennis Hildeby

Signs Three-Year Extension With Maple Leafs
Nick Lodolo

Scratched With Illness
Dalton Kincaid

Role Not Expected to Grow?
Quinshon Judkins

Zero Chance Quinshon Judkins Plays Against Bengals?
Najee Harris

Says He's Expecting to Play Against Chiefs
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia Departs Monday with Quad Injury
Franz Wagner

Collects Double-Double in Blowout Win
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Achieves Rare Numbers at EuroBasket
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Dominates Against Sweden
Stefon Diggs

Expected to Suit Up in Week 1
Kristaps Porzingis

Finding Form at EuroBasket
Nikola Jović

Nikola Jovic Suffers Minor Injury at EuroBasket
DJ Moore

Bears Experimenting with DJ Moore in Backfield
Rome Odunze

Could Move All Around the Offense
Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales Comfortable With Panthers' Young Receivers
Quinshon Judkins

Not Considering NCAA Return
Dallas Goedert

Healthy for Week 1
Marvin Mims Jr.

Returns to Practice Monday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr.

Carted Off Monday With Knee Injury
Jason Adam

Diagnosed With Ruptured Left Quadriceps Tendon
Victor Wembanyama

Looking "Quite Stellar"
Matthew Stafford

Expected to Start in Week 1
Najee Harris

Cleared for Contact, Could Play in Week 1
Denny Hamlin

Ends Eventful Day at Darlington in Seventh Place
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Almost Earns a Top-Five Finish at Darlington
John Hunter Nemechek

has His Best 2025 Performance at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Has An Underwhelming Performance At Darlington
Josh Berry

Crashes Early and Suffers A Playoff Setback at Darlington
Giannis Antetokounmpo

"Staying in Milwaukee"
Jaylen Warren

Agrees to Two-Year Extension With Steelers
De'Von Achane

Practicing Monday, on Track to Play in Week 1
Quinshon Judkins

Could Report to Browns This Week
Chase Elliott

Under Playoff Pressure After 17th-Place Darlington Finish
Kyle Larson

Despite Hendrick Mediocrity, Kyle Larson Remains Pretty Safe in Playoffs
Alex Bowman

Opening-Lap Crash and Botched Pit Stop May Have Sunk Alex Bowman's Playoff Hopes
Erik Jones

Darlington Master Erik Jones Comes Up Short but Still Finishes Third
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Impresses at Southern 500
Daniel Suarez

is A DFS Risk for Darlington Lineups?
Noah Gragson

Should Fantasy Managers Roster Noah Gragson for Darlington?
Ty Dillon

is an Excellent Punt Option for Darlington DFS Lineups
Denny Hamlin

Picking Up Where He Left Off At Darlington
Kyle Larson

The Sky Is The Limit for Kyle Larson at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

a Strong DFS Play at Darlington This Weekend
Tyler Reddick

Shouldn't Be Overlooked at Darlington This Weekend
Alex Bowman

An Easy Place-Differential Play in DFS This Weekend
Ty Gibbs

Could Be Strong at Darlington This Weekend
Erik Jones

Has Best Darlington Qualifying Effort Since Last Win
Zane Smith

Hopeful For Another Solid Run At Darlington

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP