Green Bay Packers: Week 15 Fantasy Profile
By Kenn Korb
Dec 13, 2015; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) cannot catch a pass in the end zone while covered by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones (31) in the second quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
WRs –Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, James Jones, Ty Montgomery
Last Game:
Cobb – 12 targets, 8 catches, 81 receiving yards, 3 rushes, 9 rushing yards; 9.00 fantasy points
Adams – 3 targets, 2 catches, 12 receiving yards; 1.20 fantasy points
Jones – 7 targets, 4 catches, 49 receiving yards; 4.90 fantasy points
Montgomery – Out With Injury
We may have some life here!…well, a little maybe.
The receiving corps here still isn’t quite trustworthy, but there is at least one ray of hope: Randall Cobb.
Cobb may be having a pretty disappointing season compared to other years, but he is undoubtedly the #1 guy with Jordy Nelson not lining up. The combination of his usual position in the slot (inherently easier to shade coverage and double-teams towards him) and the extra attention he receives as the top option can receive credit for why his production hasn’t been great. Add in his drops and being relatively out-of-sync with Aaron Rodgers at various points and it becomes clearer as to why his fantasy stats are suffering.
Last week saw a bit of a perk up though; he tied a season high for targets (12) and catches (8) while picking up over 75 yards for only the second time since the bye week — and only the fourth time all season.
If the running game can continue to provide balance like last week, Cobb should see more space to work with; more space should mean more production. With my belief that the Raiders will sell out against the run, that should pave the way for plenty of opportunity for Cobb to make a significant impact.
It also helps him that the Raiders have a tendency to allow big fantasy production to top receivers while doing decently against secondary and tertiary options.
That part doesn’t bode well for either James Jones or Davante Adams.
Jones seems a bit capped out in terms of high-end impact; his fantasy production is almost completely relying on scores. Seeing as he had so many to start the year, things have definitely evened out and he hasn’t been able to do much in the rest of the field with any consistency. There is a revenge-game aspect here since OAK cut him in the offseason, but that is a storyline that gets overblown (like most tend to); it isn’t like getting hyped up will magically grant him separation speed.
As for Adams, he may have finally frustrated the coaches enough to bench him. I suggested that they would have done so already in a prior article, but injuries around him almost forced them not to.
Montgomery was never likely to make a fantasy impact, but his constant injury issues have the indirect effect of not only making the offense worse but they also have provided a means for Adams to stay on the field as long as he has. Jared Abbrederis also has had injury issues, but with him playable last week, Green Bay finally had enough healthy bodies to be comfortable planting the flailing Adams on the bench.
I don’t think he’s necessarily done receiving snaps — so few bodies and the propensity for injuries occurring kind of necessitates he’ll get some level of looks — but he is not someone to even think about playing no matter how decimated your fantasy team is. Not even in a 32-team league.
I would love to be proved wrong on that point, but I’m definitely in wait-&-see mode with Adams until he proves himself able to hold onto a ball or run a route properly again.
Week 15 Predictions:
Cobb – 9 catches, 115 receiving yards, 1 TD; 17.50 fantasy points
Adams – 2 catches, 20 receiving yards; 2.00 fantasy points
Jones – 5 catches, 70 receiving yards; 7.00 fantasy points
Montgomery – Still Out With Injury
Verdicts: Resurgence (Cobb); Low-End Tertiary Option (Jones); Behind The Bench (Adams); Maybe in 2016 (Montgomery)
Next: Tight Ends