The Green Bay Packers are one of the top teams in the NFL almost every year. They are usually at the top of their division and almost always in the playoff race. The 2016 season was no different as the Packers started off rough, but finished 10-6 and first in their division. They made it all the way to the Conference Championship game and were throttled by the Atlanta Falcons. With Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, the Packers will always be one of the better teams in the NFL. Below is the Green Bay Packers 2016 fantasy football recap.
Green Bay Packers 2016 Fantasy Football Recap
Quarterback
Since Aaron Rodgers became the starter for the Packers, he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and in fantasy football. Rodgers passed for 4,428 yards with 40 touchdowns and only seven interceptions, and added 369 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground in 2016. Of course, this led to the former MVP finishing first among quarterbacks in fantasy football.
Rodgers also finished as the number one player overall with 365 fantasy points, and averaged almost 23 fantasy points per game in 2016. Rodgers seems to have the same ability that Peyton Manning and Tom Brady do that makes almost everyone around them into stars. With all the weapons that Rodgers has at his disposal he should continue to produce solid fantasy points. Consider him worth an early round pick in 2016 fantasy drafts.
Running Back
Over the past few season, the Packers have had problems with their running game. Either their running backs were hurt, out of shape, or just not producing consistently. The leading running back for the Packers this season was Ty Montgomery, who was a wide receiver that had to become a running back because the Packers where out of options. Montgomery totaled 805 yards and had three touchdowns, for 87 fantasy points. When he took over as the lead back and got 10 or more touches, he was a solid RB2 for fantasy owners.
The next leading back for the Packers is their workhorse back Eddie Lacy, who has had back to back down years due to being out of shape and dealing with several injuries. Lacy finished the season with 388 yards and no touchdowns, after getting injured in Week Six and missing the rest of the season. Before his injury, he was a solid running RB2 and averaged seven fantasy points per game. The Packers backfield is a mess and Lacy is a free agent this off-season. It is a situation for fantasy owners to keep an eye on for next year’s drafts.
Wide Receiver
The Packers leading wide receiver is veteran Jordy Nelson, who missed the 2015 season with an ACL tear. Nelson came back in 2016 and finished as the number one wide receiver in fantasy with 200 fantasy points, while totaling 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns, for an average of 12.5 fantasy points per game. Nelson missed most of the post-season with a rib injury, but did return in the Championship game and looked solid. Nelson is a seasoned veteran, and is worth a second-round pick in next year’s draft.
The second leading receiver for the Packers was Davante Adams, who totaled 997 yards and 12 touchdowns on the season. Adams finished 2016 as the seventh-ranked wide receiver with 166 fantasy points, and averaged 10 points per game. The third-year player was solid throughout the season, but did have five games with four or fewer fantasy points. With all the mouths there are to feed in Green Bay, that is going to happen from time to time. Adams is a solid WR2 next season, and should be targeted around the late-third to early-fourth round in drafts.
The next leading receiver was veteran Randall Cobb with 643 total yards and four touchdowns. Cobb was very inconsistent in 2016, and had only three games with double digit fantasy points. Cobb also had five games of four or fewer points and missed four games due to injuries. Nonetheless, Cobb is worth a middle-to-late round draft pick next season.
Tight End
In the off-season the Packers signed tight end Jared Cook, formerly of the Los Angeles Rams. Cook has struggled to live up to his potential and was a sleeper almost every season in fantasy football. Cook missed most of the season due to injuries, and totaled 377 yards and one touchdown, for 36 fantasy points in 2016. In the post-season, however, he really started to shine and had 229 yards and two touchdowns. Cook is worth a late-round pick next season, and could be a solid tight end if he is retained by the Packers and can remain healthy in 2017.
Kicker
Kicker Mason Crosby has been a solid kicker in fantasy football and the NFL throughout his career. Crosby finished the season with 44 of his 47 extra points made and 26 of 30 field goals made. Crosby totaled 125 fantasy points while averaging eight points per game, and remains a solid option for fantasy owners who like to wait until the later rounds to draft a kicker.
Defense
The Packers defense struggled throughout most of the season and was one of the defenses that fantasy owners looked forward to facing. They gave up the eighth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, and the most fantasy points to wide receivers in 2016. The defense totaled 75 fantasy points, and were a match-up dependent play, and are not looking like much much more then a bye week play next season.
One of the main problems for the Packers these last few seasons was the fact that they have had no running game and at times their defense is lacking. As long as the Packers have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, they will be near the top of their division and in the playoff race. Sooner or later, all that work is going to catch up to Rodgers. If they can get consistent play out of their running backs and defense, the Packers will dominate the NFL, which would mean lots of fantasy points for fantasy owners.
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