Last Updated on July 14, 2026 9:30 pm by André Lemos | Published: June 9, 2026

The Packers remind of the Houston Texans.  A potentially great team that never seems to be great for fantasy.  They were middle of the pack nearly everywhere except at o-line where they were 27th.  They stayed true to their core, finishing with a top-five run/pass split despite ranking 24th in YPR.  They protect the football (3rd in TOs), rely on a usually stout defense and find a way to win late.  None of this screams fantasy football studs and it rang true as they were between 15-19 in FPPG at QB/RB/WR/TE.  They lost Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, might lose Josh Jacobs to off-field issues and addressed the defense through the draft.  There just isn’t a lot to like about this team even though they should easily finish with double-digit wins.  Jordan Love has been the QB15/17 in b2b seasons and that might be who he is at this point.  You can win a Super Bowl with Love, but you probably can’t win your fantasy league.  The run game has been propped up by Jacobs the last two seasons, but he might be on his last legs.  His YPC went from 4.4 to 4.0 and he just has too many miles on him at this point.  He still might fall forward into some TDs, but you don’t want to hang on one season too late with these bell cow RBs.  In all fairness, I have been fading Jacobs for last two seasons and am 0-2, I just can’t change now that I might finally be right.

The GB WR room was the talk of the summer as it was crowded, but not top-heavy.  Well with Doubs and Wicks gone, the cream can rise to the top and while Christian Watson is a true WR1 on a one-game basis, finishing as the WR19 in FPPG, but he’s also never played 16 games in a season.  His career-high for receptions in a season is 41, so when we talk boom-bust, it’s more like TD or IR.  Watson was solid when he returned in Week 8, hitting career highs in yards and yards per route run and he never saw fewer than four targets in any contest.  The hope and hype is the sophomore Matthew Golden can make the leap.  He was one of the bigger busts last season in terms of rookies with potential (WR89) and it’s not like he finished the season on a tear, creating hope this campaign.  The key is here is the vacated targets as 131 targets are up for grabs from the WR and who knows when Tucker Kraft will be ready.  So it’s possible, the only viable receiving options in Week 1 are Watson, Golden and Jayden Reed.  Watson could get hurt this summer since he’s made of glass, so the path is clear for Golden to improve upon his paltry 9.3 TS%.

Player most likely to beat ADP: Jayden REed (ADP 110, WR46)

I can’t seem to quit Reed and am living off his WR1 performance in Brazil from two seasons ago.   Last season was a lost one as he got hurt in Week 2, came back in Week 14, but never got his footing.  He was the WR116 after being a top-30 WR his first two seasons.  I’m more than willing to bet he’s the guy from the first two seasons rather than the last one.  I’m banking on GB passing a little more than usual and while I’m not big on them overall from a fantasy perspective, I like drafting Reed at his floor.  

Player most likely to fade based on ADP: Josh Jacobs (ADP 35, RR14)

This feels like Groundhog Day.  Jacobs is 28, behind a poor o-line and lost whatever burst he had left last season.  He still rumbled for double-digit TDs, but one injury or a slow start could be the end of him.  The only problem is they don’t have a young, dynamic RB waiting in the wings.

Late-round Flier that could blow up: Matthew Golden (ADP 142, WR55)

Always bet on talent when mixed with opportunity.   Jordan Love might not be a 4000 yards, 30 TD guy, but if Golden breaks out, he might drag him there.  

Writer’s Season Win Prediction: 12-5

The Packers are a team built on balance.  They aren’t really elite anywhere and that means teams can’t really prepare for them and they can hurt in a myriad of different ways. They run the ball to set up the play-action which is where Love thrives, but it can bog down the offense and keep Love from being unleashed.  It’s partly due to the Packers being so run-heavy the last two seasons, finishing 31st in pass rate over expected in 2024, 22nd in 2025.  That bodes well for whoever is running the ball which is Jacobs, but they were still only 15th in rushing yards and 23rd in plays overall.  Every offense has it’s own signature and the Packers play at a slow, deliberate pace which means they don’t make mistakes (1st in INTs) and thus don’t have to play catchup.  The only problem is playing catchup is the fantasy cheat code as a QB can easily go for 200 yards and multiple passing TDs in one quarter.  So the only reason to bank on Love would be to bet against the GB defense, but depending on when Micah Parson returns, the defense should be a core part of this team.

The only position where any skill players were separating themselves was at TE where Tucker Kraft was the TE2 in FPPG before tearing his ACL.  Kraft was great despite the GB offense being 28th in attempted passes and 23rd in TE targets.  Now while it looks like Kraft is going to be possibly ready for Week 1, I’m tired of betting on these players the year after a major knee surgery.  Brandon Aiyuk didn’t even return last season and TJ Hockenson hasn’t looked the same since.  Christian Watson on this very team did come back and looked good, but I have zero interest in waiting half a season for possibly decent production.

For a potentially great team, the Packers are rife with weaknesses on offense.  They have a poor o-line, undefined hierarchy at WR and an aging RB with off-field issues.  That doesn’t mean they won’t have a successful season, but when is the last time you won a fantasy league on the back of GB.  They are run-heavy, but inefficient on the ground and have zero depth behind Jacobs.  Fading Jacobs is a national past time of mine, but there isn’t even a deep-league lottery ticket I would take a chance on.  The lack of certainly around the WRs does create value because if you guess right, the upside is off the charts.  It’s tough to bet on Reed making the leap as he seems to keep banging his head on the ceiling, but he at least has a semi-reliable track record and a path to being the WR1.  Golden is the move because at WR55, a top-30 season is easily possible, if not probable.  The bet is that the Packers move to a move modern offense this season, start passing and keeping the ball in the hands of Love and that directly translates to more touches for the sophomore.  The down rookie season isn’t ideal, but we’ve seen plenty of examples of stud WRs starting slow out of the gates and then bursting onto the scene as a sophomore.  Golden might need a little help, but one injury to the injury prone Reed/Watson and Golden could be thrust into a huge role and see him dominating in a great pairing with Love.

Want to get access to Our Draft Guide and read the rest of this article? You’ll need to have a SportsEthos NFL FantasyPass, All-Sport Pass or a Ethos 360 membership. Click here to learn more and sign up!
Premium Access Required

  Join our Discord:  Click Here to Join!

• About the Author
• Latest Posts

Jon Mosales

I have been crazy about fantasy sports even before I knew what it was.  Some people use stats as a tool and some use the eye test.  I like to believe I have the perfect blend of both and that extra special spider sense that separates me from the herd.  I have been nominated for one FSWA Football Article of the Year award and am just getting started.  My only fear is that I will become too good at fantasy football and have to retire early like Michael Jordan. You won’t see me leave my house without at least one of my (four) dogs and if you are lucky enough, you will catch me cruising top-down with all four in tow.

• The Seven Fantasy Football GMs You Meet in Hell
• Fantasy Football Bold Predictions 2026: One Bold Prediction for Every NFL Team
• Fantasy Football Wide Receiver Sleepers: Best WR Targets Outside the Top 100 ADP