Green Bay Packers: Week 16 Fantasy Profile
By Kenn Korb
Dec 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) is hit by Oakland Raiders cornerback David Amerson (29) in the fourth quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Packers defeated the Raiders 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
WRs –Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, James Jones, Jared Abbrederis, Jeff Janis
Last Game:
Cobb – 7 targets, 5 catches, 40 receiving yards, 4 carries, 18 yards; 5.80 fantasy points
Adams – 8 targets, 5 catches, 32 receiving yards; 3.20 fantasy points
Jones – 9 targets, 6 catches, 82 receiving yards, 1 TD; 14.20 fantasy points
Abbrederis – 3 targets, 3 catches, 33 receiving yards; 3.30 fantasy points
Janis – 4 targets, 0 catches, 0 receiving yards; 0.00 fantasy points
There are plenty of receivers to pick from, but none have really stepped up in a significant way.
Dec 20, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) misses the ball above Oakland Raiders cornerback D.J. Hayden (25) during the third quarter at O.co Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers defeated the Oakland Raiders 30-20. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Cobb is a really good slot receiver, but without Jordy Nelson this year to stretch a defense deep, opposing teams can crowd up the areas Cobb would usually take advantage of.
Adams has talent but has been having a massively disappointing sophomore season plagued with drops and inconsistency.
James Jones started off strong with a bunch of TD catches, but those have mostly dried up while he has been as bad as anyone on the team at gaining separation on his routes.
Ty Montgomery showed promise before going out with an ankle injury (which now has ended his season due to surgery).
Jared Abbrederis has recently been the new name clamored for (including by Aaron Rodgers), but his injury issues have been a major factor as to why he is just now starting to earn playing time despite being two years into his career.
Jeff Janis has the speed we desire and is proving to be a nice special teams piece, but inconsistent routes and bad hands at practice have held him back on offense seemingly his whole career.
Even though the Cardinals won’t have Mathieu this week, it is hard to find any one guy who can be trusted to bring you points.
The best bet for targets is always Cobb, but he must prove able to rise above the added pressure and defensive attention that comes with being the #1 option — something he hasn’t managed to do all that often unfortunately. He should see a lot of Patrick Peterson, but could get lucky if Arizona decides to not have Peterson shadow him.
Dec 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (84) stands at the line of scrimmage during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Packers win 27-23. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Adams would be an X-factor, if he could ever stop dropping the ball. He has said it isn’t a confidence issue, but the way he has played showed all those tell-tale signs; until I see him play through a game where that doesn’t appear to be the case, I just can’t trust him.
Depending how things are lined up, Jones could be the player besides Cobb seeing a lot of Patrick Peterson; that would be the smart play, with Adams needing to prove himself before warranting any more than minimal attention. That plus his reliance on TDs to boost his fantasy score mean you should likely look elsewhere.
Jeff Janis may have gotten a decent number of targets last week (4; ties season high), but his only contributions as a wideout may be if he draws a penalty; besides two catches in a dire depth situation against San Diego, he has done absolutely nothing for his wide receiver stat sheet.
The one place I see with much real chance to surprise with positive stats may be Abbrederis. Aaron Rodgers and the coaches were each talking about him earning more playing time and needing to get him out there more. With the other receivers feeling somewhat capped out in terms of production right now, he’s the best chance Green Bay has at finding a positive boon to their prospects at this point in the season.
Week 16 Predictions:
Cobb – 6 catches, 55 receiving yards; 5.50 fantasy points
Adams – 3 catches, 35 receiving yards; 3.50 fantasy points
Jones – 3 catches, 55 receiving yards; 5.50 fantasy points
Abbrederis – 5 catches, 60 receiving yards, 1 TD; 12.00 fantasy points
Janis – 0 catches, 0 receiving yards; 0.00 fantasy points
Verdicts: Likely Top Target Likely Draws Top Coverage (Cobb); Untrustworthy (Adams); Low-End Production (Jones); Possible Surprise (Abbrederis); Stick To Special Teams (Janis)
Next: Tight Ends