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Fantasy Football: Spotlight on Green Bay Packers Backup Wide Receivers

By Robert Townsend

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The Green Bay Packers are having terrible luck this preseason. Last week, Jordy Nelson tore his ACL during a preseason game. This week, Randall Cobb left the game with a shoulder injury. While initial reports suggest he won’t be out for an extended period of time, he could miss a game or two.

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Aaron Rodgers will now have the entire season without his top target, and possibly a few games without his second target. So who is going to fill in? The three potential replacements already on the roster are sophomores Davante Adams and Jeff Janis, and rookie Ty Montgomery. Considering the top-flight potency of the Green Bay Packers offense, these players clearly require our immediate attention. Here’s a quick analysis of the three new players you may want on your fantasy rosters.

Davante Adams

Davante Adams is the obvious beneficiary from the injuries to Nelson and Cobb. He showed great ability last year as the number three receiver, and he certainly should be able to flourish in the role as #1 or 2 receiver with Aaron Rodgers throwing it to him. Adams was clearly not afraid of big games, as some of his best highlights on the Green Bay Packers came during the playoffs last year.

Nov 30, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) is tackled by New England Patriots cornerback Logan Ryan (26) after catching a pass in the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Now as a sophomore and with plenty of opportunity (Nelson’s absence frees up 151 targets), Adams should skyrocket up your draft boards. And considering DraftKings and FanDuel have already posted their week 1 prices, Adams is going to be dirt cheap for his inevitable production. He is sure to be an incredibly popular option, but at his price point, he’s almost unavoidable unless you need serious differentiation.

Ty Montgomery

The Green Bay Packers selected Stanford’s Ty Montgomery in the 3rd round of this year’s Draft. Montgomery was the #1 receiver at Stanford in 2013 and ’14, although his touchdown and yardage totals declined in 2014 (which was mostly due to an injury that caused him to miss the last few games of the season). He is definitely the most flexible of the group of backup receivers, showing ability in college to not only catch but also run out of the backfield and return kicks.

Through three games, Ty Montgomery has had a very strong preseason, getting playing time sooner in games than fellow receiver Jeff Janis, but he has not looked spectacular. Considering he’s a rookie, I would take a chance on his high upside at the end of my roster in most leagues just in case he breaks out. But if you are in a league with a very shallow bench or only play DFS, I would wait until he proves himself in game action before investing in him.

Jeff Janis

The third Green Bay Packers wide receiver who has potential to take advantage of increased playing time is Jeff Janis. Janis was drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 Draft by the Packers. He got minimal playing time last year, catching only two passes for 16 yards, but the fact that the Packers kept him around with so much receiver talent ahead of him shows that they probably see something in him.

His preseason success might be exactly what the Green Bay Packers thought they had in Janis. So far he’s caught 8 balls for 128 yards and 3 touchdowns. However, he is not getting as many starting reps as Montgomery. Is this sophomore ready to breakout aside fellow sophomore Davante Adams? I would definitely suggest a wait-and-see approach with Janis, just like Montgomery. There is no assurance that one or the other is next-in-line provided Cobb misses game time.

It bears repeating that these players, while not proven fantasy entities, are on an offense that features Aaron Rodgers throwing them the ball and Eddie Lacy keeping defense honest. It’s hard to not get excited about the chance of getting a season-changing player in Jeff Janis and Ty Montgomery so late in your fantasy draft. If you haven’t drafted yet, keep them on your radar, and take them as a late-round flier. While they aren’t going to become this year’s OBJ, you could get some good production out of them. The Green Bay Packers receiver situation is definitely one worth keeping an eye on.

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