Packers' Biggest Sleepers, Busts, Stars to Target in 2022 Fantasy Football Drafts

The Green Bay Packers offense has been kind to fantasy managers in the last few years.

With Aaron Rodgers putting up an MVP season in 2022, the Packers offense featured several fantasy football studs. Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon finished as RB9 and RB22 respectively in points-per-reception formats, while Davante Adams was WR2 and Rodgers finished as QB7.

In short, the Packers' offense generated at least one elite starter at quarterback, running back and receiver.

The offense figures to look quite different in 2022. With Adams and Marquez Valdez-Scantling gone, the Packers have over 200 vacated targets to account for. This season, figuring out who is worth targeting and who to stay away from will be critical for fantasy managers.

Here's a look at who to target and who to avoid this season.

Aaron Jones, RB

A.J. Dillon's presence in the backfield is going to be enough to dissuade some fantasy managers from taking Aaron Jones in their drafts. That's a mistake.

Jones is a proven fantasy star. He's finished in the top 10 among running backs in PPR formats in each of the last three seasons, which includes last season when he was essentially in a split backfield with Dillon.

Admittedly, the 27-year-old will take a hit in standard leagues. However, his ability as a receiver is going to continue to make him a viable RB1 on your roster.

As Dwain McFarland of PFF noted, no running back had more targets 10 yards downfield or more than Jones.

A.J. Dillon, RB

In 2020, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt finished as top-12 running backs while playing for the same team. Dillon and Jones could be the next pair of teammates to finish as viable RB1s in fantasy football.

Last year, the Packers were 16th in rushing play percentage with Rodgers playing at a high level and Davante Adams anchoring the receiving corps.

With all the questions in the Packers receiving corps, there's a good chance they will finish higher in run rate this season. That means both Jones and Dillon will see more carries than they did in 2021.

That raises the latter's ceiling from a low-end RB2 to a low-end RB1.

Aaron Rodgers, QB

This is not a declaration that Aaron Rodgers is falling flat on his face this year. He's going to be an elite real-life quarterback. That doesn't always mean fantasy football glory, though.

The 38-year-old has almost no upside as a rusher, which means he has to get all of his fantasy points as a passer. While he has finished as a top-10 fantasy quarterback in each of the last two seasons, he finished as QB14 in 2019, making him a fringe starter in one-quarterback leagues.

That was the year when Davante Adams missed four games and Aaron Jones rushed for 16 touchdowns. Essentially, with Adams out for a while and Jones shining, Rodgers' fantasy value took a hit.

Expect the same to happen in 2022.

Robert Tonyan, TE

Robert Tonyan has been in the NFL for four years, but he was only relevant in fantasy football in one of those seasons.

With the Packers' receiver room undergoing several changes, the 28-year-old could be seen as a sleeper. After all, he does have experience with Rodgers, and the Packers will be desperate for reliable pass-catchers.

However, even in Tonyan's lone fantasy-relevant season, he heavily relied on touchdowns. He scored 11 times in 2020 on his way to a TE3 finish.

Relying on that many touchdowns again is a risky strategy, especially with Jones and Dillon figuring to be featured even more in the offense.

The fact that Tonyan is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in Week 8 last season makes him an even riskier selection.

Allen Lazard, WR

The passing volume as whole might go down in Green Bay, but this offense is still capable of producing at least one top-24 wide receiver.

If you had to pick one, Allen Lazard is the best bet right now.

The most important person who has to believe Lazard can do it is Aaron Rodgers, and he already gave his guy a ringing endorsement.

“I really think Allen is ready to make a jump and be a No. 1 receiver,” the quarterback said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. “And I’m excited about the opportunity to work with him.”

If Davante Adams has taught us anything it's that Rodgers isn't afraid to feed his top receiver if he trusts him. That trust is in short supply with the current receivers. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins have never played with the veteran signal-caller, and Randall Cobb is on the downside of his career.

That leaves Lazard as a receiver who could be a solid WR2 on your roster but is only being drafted as WR46 in the 10th round, per Fantasy Football Calculator.

Romeo Doubs, WR

Outside of Lazard, the Packers are more likely to lean on their known stars in Jones and Dillon. However, it's worth taking a shot on a second receiver in the late rounds of your draft.

If the Packers continue the same passing volume, there are going to be plenty of targets to go around and it's likely a second receiver becomes a usable fantasy asset.

There are several candidates for that spot. The team traded up in the second round of the draft to take Watson. They signed Watkins in free agency, but fourth-round pick Doubs shouldn't be counted out.

While Watson is the better raw athlete and has a higher ceiling, Doubs is a relatively clean prospect with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Nevada.