3 months agoGreen Bay Packers tight end
Tucker Kraft was targeted consistently by both
Jordan Love and backup
Malik Willis during the Packers' 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Leading the Packers with seven targets on the afternoon, Kraft reeled in four of those targets for 36 yards as he was a featured part of the Packers' passing game for both Love and Willis. Kraft has been a solid contributor all season and with the downturn in the Packers' passing-game production, that's certainly affected Kraft's upside as a fantasy asset. With the Packers heading to Philadelphia for their Wild Card matchup with the Eagles, Kraft is a solid tight end option for those playing fantasy playoff contests.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Jayden Reed was a solid contributor during the Packers' 24-22 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Reed caught both of his targets for 48 yards, the majority coming from a 31-yard deep grab late in the first half from backup quarterback
Malik Willis. Also taking three carries for three yards, Reed saw more touches running the ball than in the passing game, which illustrates his second half of the season. The Packers' passing game has been very spotty over the second half of the season and in turn, has made it difficult to rely on any of the top receiving options in the Packers' offense. With the Packers heading to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the Wild Card round, consider Reed a low-end receiver play for playoff contests.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Dontayvion Wicks was plenty involved in the Packers' offensive game plan during their 24-22 defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Wicks was second on the team in targets (6) and reeled in a team-high five catches for 49 yards. The Packers' wide receiver group is banged up following
Romeo Doubs (illness) being added to the injury list and then out for Week 18 plus
Christian Watson (knee) being carted off in the second quarter. Because of those injuries, Wicks was utilized extensively along with
Malik Heath. The Packers will need every last bit of their available receivers for their matchup with the Eagles in Philadelphia for their Wild Card showdown. If Watson remains out, Wicks, is a low-end receiver play for playoff contests.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers running back
Emanuel Wilson led the Packers in carries and was one of the main contributors in the Packers' 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Wilson saw a handful of carries on the Packers' second drive but took the bulk of his work once starter
Josh Jacobs left after his second-quarter touchdown. Tallying 73 rushing yards on 14 carries, a good chunk of those yards came on Wilson's 21-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter that put the Packers within striking distance. Wilson also caught one pass for minus-two yards. With the Packers heading east to Philadelphia for their playoff game with the Eagles in the Wild Card round, Wilson will remain the backup to Jacobs without a realistic path to substantial work for playoff fantasy contests.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs maintained his massive touchdown streak despite the Packers' 24-22 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 18. Jacobs did not see the volume he normally does and did not record a touch following his nine-yard touchdown plunge in the second quarter. After that score, Jacobs ceded the way for
Emanuel Wilson and
Chris Brooks to rest up for the Packers' playoff push. With his touchdown in Week 18, that makes 12 total touchdowns in Jacobs' final eight games. With the Packers headed to Philadelphia to take on the Eagles in the Wild Card round, Jacobs is a locked-in RB1 for playoff contests.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love (elbow) left Week 18's game against the Chicago Bears in the second quarter and did not return in their 24-22 loss. Love exited Sunday's game late in the first half after an injury to his elbow. He was deemed questionable to return. Head coach Matt LaFleur did say after the game that Love was held out as a precaution and will be good to go against the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs next week. Prior to his early exit, Love was seven of 12 passing for 69 yards and ceded the way to backup quarterback
Malik Willis, who finished the rest of the game. Love was seen throwing on the sideline during the Bears' second-to-last drive, sparking optimism that he could return, but Willis played the rest of the game. The Packers' playoff path is set with the team heading to Philadelphia to face the Eagles next week. For playoff contests, Love will be a low-ceiling option.
--Kevin Tompkins - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (knee) has officially been ruled out for the remainder of Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. He suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and the team will play it on the cautious side. Watson finishes the game with one target and no catches.
Dontayvion Wicks,
Jayden Reed, and
Tucker Kraft have been the leading pass-catchers for the Packers in this game so far. Watson's status is worth monitoring heading into wildcard weekend for any DFS managers.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Green Bay Packers
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (knee) left Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears with an apparent knee injury and the team has ruled him questionable to return. The third-year receiver has appeared on the injury report a handful of times this season, so they may take the cautious route with the playoffs right around the corner. He saw one target but didn't register any stats before leaving.
Dontayvion Wicks and
Tucker Kraft have seen the bulk of the targets so far in this game.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Green Bay Packers
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love (elbow) exited Sunday's game in the second quarter with what the team is calling a right elbow injury. Love expressed his discomfort after getting hit as he threw the ball and went to the sidelines shortly afterward. He posted 69 yards on 7-for-12 throwing before leaving, and
Malik Willis has taken over at quarterback. The Packers likely won't rush him back since they've clinched a wildcard spot already.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs acknowledged that he doesn't expect to handle a large number of touches during Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. "Just being honest, being realistic, I don't see me taking that many carries in this game," Jacobs previously said. "Obviously, I want to play. I'm going to push to play, and I'm playing. But I don't see myself taking 30 carries." The Packers are locked into a Wild Card spot, so the Packers might consider reducing some of their starters' workloads to preserve their health. That list of players would surely include Jacobs, who has 1,625 scrimmage yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He could still lead the Green Bay backfield on Sunday, but we would expect
Chris Brooks and
Emanuel Wilson to remain involved so that Jacobs can stay fresh for the playoffs.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Jason B. Hirschhorn
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Romeo Doubs (illness) is inactive for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable after his late addition to the injury report on Saturday. The 24-year-old finishes the regular season as the overall WR52 in PPR leagues, catching 46 passes for 601 yards and four touchdowns over the course of 16 games. He has been one of several impactful pass-catchers in the Packers' offense, commanding targets amidst a committee of low-end fantasy receivers. His absence in Week 18 leaves
Jayden Reed,
Christian Watson, and
Dontayvion Wicks as the Packers' top healthy wide receivers.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (knee) is officially active for Sunday's Week 18 contest against the Chicago Bears. He had been listed as questionable. The 25-year-old returns from a one-game absence to play in the Packers' regular-season finale. Watson's highest yardage total of the season came against the Bears back in Week 11 when he caught all four of his passes for a whopping 150 yards through the air. While he'll hope to replicate that performance this Sunday, that's far from guaranteed. He's averaging just 1.8 catches, 27.4 yards, and zero touchdowns over his last five contests, and he's not a dependable option for fantasy lineups in leagues with 12 or fewer teams.
--Andersen Pickard - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers placekicker
Brandon McManus is an excellent option this weekend when his team squares off with the visiting Chicago Bears in Week 18. The twelfth-year pro has been exceptional since taking over the Packers' kicking job in Week 7 -- driving through all 29 extra-point tries and missing just one of his 18 field goal attempts. This Sunday, he'll line up against a Bears defense that's been friendly to kickers in 2024, giving up the fifth-most fantasy points per game to the position (9.4). Moreover, Green Bay is scoring the eighth-most points per game in the league (27.4) -- so the 33-year-old should again be afforded plenty of scoring opportunities in the contest. The veteran is RotoBaller's K9 ahead of the season's final slate.
--Alex CiullaSource: ESPN
3 months agoAccording to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Green Bay Packers are placing defensive back Jaire Alexander (knee) on Injured Reserve on Saturday. As a result, Alexander will miss the next four contests, leaving the door open for a return in the Super Bowl if the Packers were to reach that game. For the time being, fantasy managers should expect Carrington Valentine to continue to have an increased role in the Green Bay secondary. Alexander logged only six full games during the regular season in 2024. In those six games, he tallied 16 tackles (15 solo) with seven pass deflections and two interceptions. Green Bay's secondary is much stronger with Alexander in the fold.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Ian Rapoport
3 months agoGreen Bay Packers wide receiver
Christian Watson (knee) returned to a limited practice on Friday and is listed as questionable to play in the Week 18 regular-season finale on Sunday at Lambeau Field against the division-rival Chicago Bears. Friday's practice session was the first Watson was able to attend since suffering a bruised left knee in the 34-0 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 16. "It was good, it really was," said head coach Matt LaFleur of Watson's return. "It was good to get him back out there, kind of get him back in the flow of things. So that was, that was encouraging." The 25-year-old's return to practice on Friday means he's making progress, but we still expect the Packers to play it safe and hold the oft-injured receiver out in the regular-season finale so that he'll be ready to go for the playoffs next week. It's unclear how long Green Bay might play their starters on Sunday, giving them all considerably more risk in fantasy lineups.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Packers.com - Wes Hodkiewicz
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