Anytime a Hall of Fame quarterback is on the move, fantasy managers should be alert. This move was a long time coming, and now the former four-time MVP will be in New York for at least next year. What, if any is the Aaron Rodgers trade fantasy football impact for himself, the weapons and the vibes in Green Bay and New York?
Fantasy Football Implications of the Aaron Rodgers Trade
The MVP Himself
Let’s not kid ourselves. Aaron Rodgers best days are behind us. With that in mind, he was still the QB13 last year. In Superflex leagues, he is a very serviceable QB2. He presents almost zero rushing upside, but the arm hasn’t fallen off yet. The weapons on the New York Jets are slightly better than in Green Bay, but not by enough to jump up a tier. The top 12 quarterbacks all either present some kind of rushing upside, or are tied to Justin Jefferson, D.K. Metcalf, or Ja’Marr Chase. In 1QB redraft leagues he is a streamer, and won’t kill managers on bye weeks.
Dynasty managers: cash in now. After the trade news, there is a sweet, sweet sell window. This is the last one, and Rodgers has been flirting with retirement for five years now. If manager’s teams aren’t set up to win it all this year, selling Rodgers is the best advice. He was on the sell list last season and will hold value up until the trade deadline this year. Get out while you can.
New York Jets Weapons Take Off
Draft Garrett Wilson in all leagues, as soon as possible. The Offensive Rookie of the Year finished as a top 24 wide receiver with Zach Wilson and Mike White throwing the ball. While Mike White is the coolest thing since sliced bread, he’s not Aaron Rodgers. Wilson is undervalued in all formats and could be a top-five dynasty wide receiver as early as October.
Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman are in the same boat. Both are solid deep threats with chances for spike weeks, but don’t move the needle in any significant way. Hardman couldn’t produce with Patrick Mahomes, and Lazard just upgraded from Aaron Rodgers to… Aaron Rodgers? Both are appropriately valued and are assets in best ball later in drafts.
Feel the Love
15 years ago, the Packers moved on from a Hall of Fame quarterback. Expectations were low for the new quarterback of the Packers, given his inexperience and huge shoes to fill. There’s no way lightning can strike twice, right? The odds of Jordan Love amounting to anything near Rodgers is very small, but he has had the perfect person to learn from for three years. He’s a dynasty hold, a redraft QB2, and a BestBall QB2-3.
Do Watson and Love find love in a hopeless place in 2023? pic.twitter.com/c1lWotd4Xk
— FF Mike Kash (@FFMikeKash) April 24, 2023
Love threw one touchdown last year. Funny enough, it was to Christian Watson on a slant that Watson took the length of the field. Maybe just a fluke, maybe they have chemistry built up already. If managers believe in this connection, Watson is severely undervalued in redraft and best ball rankings. He’s currently floating around the WR 43, and if that stays the case he will be on every one of my teams in September. Dynasty is a different story, as he’s already inflated to the WR 18, which feels like his ceiling. Sell in dynasty, draft everywhere else.
Don’t forget about Romeo Doubs, the fourth-round rookie who lit it up to start the season. This whole situation is based on the love for Love. He has just as much of a chance to be the number one target in Green Bay and should be drafted accordingly.
Main Photo: Dan Powers – USA Today Sports
