NFC North

Fantasy football trade deadlines are looming, and the regular-season stretch run is upon us as well. With that in mind, here's a look at Detroit Lions running backs D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams and whether you should consider dealing or acquiring either talent.

Swift entered this year as a hot fantasy prospect, but shoulder and ankle injuries have sidelined him for much of this season. He's played in just five of eight games, amassing 391 total yards and three touchdowns on 50 touches.

The former Georgia star hasn't had more than 10 touches in any of his last four games, but he showed what he's capable of in Week 1 with 175 yards and a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.

At his best, Swift is a productive back and an incredible fantasy asset. Unfortunately, injuries have hampered his potential, and he's sparingly been used since Week 1.

Head coach Dan Campbell did tell reporters he wants Swift to get more work against the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

The problem is a "little bit more" than the five touches he got last Sunday probably won't amount to all that much against Chicago.

As good as Swift is, it's best to keep him on benches and take a "wait-and-see" approach in hopes that he takes hold of the backfield near the end of the season. If teams are looking to offload Swift, consider a deal there, but it's not worth going all out to acquire him in hopes that he returns to his Week 1 form.

Williams, a former BYU star in his sixth NFL season, has carried the load at running back for the Lions this year. He has rushed 126 times for 545 yards (4.3 YPC) and amassed nine receptions for 57 more yards. He's scored eight total touchdowns.

With Swift limited, the ex-Green Bay Packer notably had 13 touches for 60 yards in Week 2 versus the Washington Commanders in Week 2 before going off for 107 total yards and two touchdowns on 22 touches in Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Swift was then ruled out for the Lions' Week 4 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 2 with the same ailments that bothered him the previous week. Williams took over the backfield and dominated with 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

While Williams hasn't been utilized as a pass-catching threat, he's clearly the team's lead back right now and the go-to option at the goal line. There's no reason to look to trade him given his status.

If he's made available by other teams, look into a trade, as Williams is a clear RB1 right now given his litany of opportunities to tote the rock and score in goal-line situations.

There hasn't been a much more even timeshare at the running back position this season than the one between Chicago Bears halfbacks David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert.

That has made deciding which player has more fantasy value—and thus, knowing which one you should target in a potential trade ahead of the upcoming fantasy deadline—a tricky proposition.

If you value consistent usage, Montgomery is going to be your guy. He's seen double-digit carries in all but one game he's played this season, hitting the 15-carry mark five times.

If you value explosive upside, however, Herbert is your guy. Despite seeing fewer overall touches this year, he's offered more fantasy value, turning his limited usage into very solid production.

Currently, Herbert has five weeks with double-digit fantasy points. Montgomery only has three.

The issue, of course, is that the presence of the other player limits the fantasy upside of both Bears running backs. It's hard to see either as anything more than a flex option, so it's hard to recommend breaking the bank to acquire either ahead of the trade deadline.

Herbert is the clear upside play, and he's the player who would more greatly benefit from seizing the role. When Montgomery injured his ankle in Week 3, left that game and missed the next game as well, Herbert responded by rushing 39 times for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

If he's given another chance to serve as the main option in Chicago's backfield, you'd expect him to thrive. The Bears certainly believe in him.

"You look at last year what he did—four games in a row, led the NFC in rushing," head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters in late September. "He's done it. He's a good player. I think he's an exciting guy to watch."

Eberflus was referencing Weeks 5-8 in the 2021 campaign, when Montgomery was out of action. During that period, Herbert rushed 78 times for 344 yards and a touchdown, adding nine receptions for 44 yards.

It was an impressive cameo, albeit not one that earned him a bigger role once Montgomery returned, as he has rushed for just 89 yards and a touchdown in the 13 games he played outside of that four-game stretch.

And that's the rub. Montgomery limits Herbert. Herbert limits Montgomery. So long as this timeshare is intact, neither player offers much in the way of trade value.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers told reporters that he's more thankful now for his years with his ex-head coach and play-caller Mike McCarthy, who now leads the Dallas Cowboys into Lambeau Field on Sunday for a showdown with his former team.

"I think as time goes by, the gratitude for that time as you look back on the journey of your career goes up a little bit," Rodgers said, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

"I appreciate the little things a little bit more because really this game and life is about the journey. I'll always be tied with him because of the connection that we had and the years we spent together. Obviously my longest-tenured coach, my longest-tenured play-caller. I'm thankful for those years and thankful maybe a little bit more now as the years go by."

McCarthy was the Packers' head coach from 2006 to 2018. Rodgers was the Packers' starter for all but the first two years, when Brett Favre called signals.

With Rodgers at the helm and McCarthy calling the shots, the Packers went to the playoffs eight straight years from 2009 to 2016. That stretch included three trips to the NFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl XLV win in February 2011.

The Packers also sported a 15-1 record in 2011, when Rodgers won his first NFL MVP award en route to leading the team to the top-scoring offense in the league. In addition, the Packers were never lower than eighth in scoring any time from 2008 to 2014.

Rodgers expanded upon his thoughts looking back at his time with McCarthy during the press conference, saying in part:

"It's probably normal in any relationship you have, when you're able to take time away and you have that separation, it's natural to look back and have a greater sense of appreciation and gratitude and thankfulness for that time," Rodgers said.

"I think it's normal to be able to think about the things you really loved about that relationship, that style or that program and just contemplate on how special some of those moments were, how the journey is really the most important thing and the ups and downs. I'm thankful for the incredible moments, the highs we had, and there were many of them, and even for the low moments too because it gives you perspective on life. Life is not all about the beautiful ups. It's the downs that you learn the most lessons in."

McCarthy was fired in 2018 after a 4-7-1 start. Two years later, he became the Cowboys' head coach. Dallas went just 6-10 in 2020 but improved to 12-5 with an NFC East title in 2021. The Cowboys are looking strong again in 2022 with a 6-2 record.

The Packers are now led by head coach Matt LaFleur, who won 13 games in each of his first three seasons, which included two NFC Championship Game appearances.

However, this year has been a struggle for the Pack, who have lost five straight games to drop to 3-6.

Sunday's game will kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET.

The Green Bay Packers claimed former Las Vegas Raiders safety Johnathan Abram off waivers, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Raiders attempted to trade Abram, the No. 27 overall draft pick in 2019, before the Nov. 1 deadline but couldn't find a suitor.

The 6'0", 205-pound defensive back was one of a few questionable selections during the reign of general manager Mike Mayock and head coach Jon Gruden.

The Raiders had three first-rounders that year. In addition to Abram, they took Clelin Ferrell (No. 4) and Josh Jacobs (No. 24). None of the three had his fifth-year option picked up by new GM Dave Ziegler this year.

By joining Green Bay, Abram is moving out of the frying pan and into the fire to some degree. He's exchanging 2-6 Las Vegas for the 3-6 Packers, who have watched their starting quarterback publicly throw his teammates under the bus.

This does at least represent a fresh start for the 26-year-old, who has 48 tackles and one pass breakup through eight appearances. He also reunites with former coach Rich Bisaccia, who's now Green Bay's special teams coordinator.

Beyond the depth he'll provide at safety, The Leap's Peter Bukowski posited Abram's presence could allow for Darnell Savage to occupy the nickelback position. With how poorly he has played, moving Savage around might be a net benefit to the secondary.

There's no chance the Minnesota Vikings would voluntarily trade star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. It might be a different story in the fantasy football realm.

Jefferson was widely considered one of the best players on the board coming into the season. Aside from a disappointing Week 3, he has delivered.

Through eight games, the two-time Pro Bowler has caught 59 passes for 867 yards and three touchdowns. He also had a three-yard touchdown run in a Week 4 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Jefferson has eclipsed the century mark in yardage in four of his last five games, though only hauling in one touchdown during that span has dragged his overall fantasy scoring down.

In standard leagues, you need to get a massive haul to consider trading him.

You are unlikely to get a wideout of equal value, so a straight-up swap makes little sense unless one of Stefon Diggs, Cooper Kupp or Tyreek Hill is coming the other way.

Jefferson could be leveraged to address other areas of your squad. Assuming you don't want to deplete your receiving corps, holding out for a lesser WR and a low-end RB1 is reasonable.

In super-flex formats, trading Jefferson would be a great way to upgrade at quarterback since it's doubtful the waiver wire will offer much help at that position the rest of the way.

If you have the 23-year-old in your squad, then it's a buyer's market. Maybe you can put together a trade that sacrifices some points at quarterback but leaves you better off overall. Absent that, keep Jefferson and watch the receptions and yards continue to pile up in the second half.

The Green Bay Packers' wide receiving corps is apparently tired of being scapegoated for the team's offensive struggles.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported the criticism of the receivers "isn't sitting well" given Aaron Rodgers' decision to not attend voluntary offseason workouts.

The Green Bay offense has been completely lacking in chemistry all season, with Rodgers going from back-to-back MVP to one of the worst starting quarterbacks in football. Rodgers currently sits 27th among starters in QBR, and his seven interceptions are already the most he's had over a full season since 2016.

No Packers wideout is currently on pace to top 1,000 receiving yards. Allen Lazard leads the team with 427 yards on 30 receptions, but he's been nowhere near a consistently reliable target. Rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson have dealt with injuries and have not been particularly impressive when they've been on the field.

While there may be some merit in criticizing Rodgers for skipping out on OTAs, the Packers had an entire training camp and more than two months of a regular season to fix things. They scored nine points against the Detroit Lions defense on Sunday.

Much of the fault here lies at the feet of the front office, which traded Davante Adams without a clear plan on how to replace him. The Packers had two first-round picks and selected a pair of defensive players before taking a gamble on Watson at the top of the second round. It's fair to wonder whether the front office should have used those two firsts to move up and select Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson.

Watson was always going to be a project after playing at FCS North Dakota State, and Rodgers turns 39 in December. He's not exactly on a patient timeline.

Regardless, following more silence from Lambeau at the trade deadline, it's clear the offensive misfires lay mostly at the feet of the people making roster decisions.

In the midst of a five-game losing streak, many are starting to wonder whether the Green Bay Backers would benefit from a change at quarterback.

However, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported that it doesn't look like the Packers will replace Aaron Rodgers with Jordan Love anytime soon as they still vie for a playoff spot in the NFC.

"I don't get the sense Green Bay plans to turn to Jordan Love," Fowler wrote. "There's a very real chance a sub-.500 team sneaks into the NFC playoffs, which provides a glimmer of hope."

At 3-6, the Packers are running out of time to turn their season around. The team faces a difficult second half, with games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans remaining on the schedule.

ESPN's Dan Graziano stated that if the Packers' woes persist, it could be worth it for the team to look ahead to the future.

"There aren't a lot of signs a turnaround is coming in Green Bay, and you do start to wonder when it might be time to get a look at Jordan Love on the off chance Rodgers decides not to come back in 2023," Graziano wrote.

Rodgers hasn't played at the level we're accustomed to seeing from him this season. The back-to-back reigning NFL MVP has failed to throw for over 300 yards in any of the team's nine games. In last Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions, Rodgers completed just 53.5 percent of his passes for 291 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions.

Many have speculated that Rodgers' unfamiliarity with his new crop of young receivers is the cause of the team's struggles on offense. However, Fowler also pointed out that Rodgers' prolonged absence during OTAs over the summer "isn't sitting well with some there."

A first-round pick in 2020, Love has not had much of a chance to prove himself as an NFL-caliber quarterback. In eight career appearances, he's thrown for 484 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. While the Packers are set to stick with Rodgers for the time being, there's a chance Love gets some more opportunities if the team's struggles continue.

Green Bay will look to get back on track when it hosts the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) on Sunday.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will be in a familiar place when his team travels to face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

"The exit, it left a dent, just to be honest, with our family," the former Packers head coach said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "But it's been four years.

"We're so much better because of it. We've had time to process it all and it's a little unique. I mean, I don't recommend anybody that goes through it to stay in the town there while you go through it."

McCarthy was the head coach in Green Bay from 2006 until the team fired him with four games remaining in the 2018 campaign.

The 58-year-old said "the people" is what he misses most about his time with the Packers and added that he didn't take his firing personally. He even said he is "really looking forward to seeing Aaron" Rodgers even if his relationship with the quarterback was a subject of scrutiny at times during his tenure.

While McCarthy was just 4-7-1 during his last year in Green Bay, it is impossible to call his time with the iconic franchise anything but a success.

He won Super Bowl XLV, reached the NFC Championship Game four times, made the playoffs nine times and won the NFC North six times. That Super Bowl victory to cap off the 2010 campaign was the only time the Packers advanced out of the NFC playoffs with Rodgers under center even though the quarterback has enjoyed plenty of regular-season success.

McCarthy also seems to be in a better position than his former team this season, as the Cowboys are 6-2 after going 12-5 in 2021.

By comparison, the Packers are arguably the NFL's most disappointing team at 3-6 and enter the contest with a five-game losing streak. The offense in particular has been a concern and is 27th in the league in points per game (17.1).

Dallas is chasing the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East but also has a chance to knock a perceived contender even further from the wild-card picture with a head-to-head victory Sunday.

There may even be some extra motivation from its head coach.

The Green Bay Packers are in the midst of a five-game losing streak, but head coach Matt LaFleur isn't ready to hit the panic button just yet.

When asked Monday if there were any changes coming to his coaching staff, LaFleur told reporters, "No," and added that the entire staff, including himself, needs to do a better job.

The Packers are coming off a disappointing 15-9 loss against the Detroit Lions on Sunday that dropped them to 3-6 this season. Green Bay, which finished with the best record in the NFC a season ago, was defeated by a one-win team that entered the game allowing a league-high 32.1 points per game.

It was particularly jarring to see Packers star quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers struggle so much against a team he usually dominates, as he finished 23-of-43 for 291 yards, a touchdown and three interceptions. All three of his picks were thrown deep in Lions territory, with two of them coming in the red zone.

To make matters worse, Green Bay suffered some notable injuries during the loss. Receivers Romeo Doubs (ankle) and Christian Watson (concussion protocol) were forced to exit the game early, as was star running back Aaron Jones (ankle). The offense was already without veteran slot receiver Randall Cobb, who is on injured reserve with an ankle injury.

The team's biggest loss came on the defensive side of the ball, as linebacker Rashan Gary suffered a torn ACL and is out for the remainder of the season. Gary leads the Packers with six sacks and seven tackles for loss.

Things won't get much easier for the Packers in Week 10, as they will host the Dallas Cowboys (6-2) next Sunday.