Trust the Packers' WRs in 2024? Kendall's Fantasy Football Roundtable

Welcome to the Roundtable, folks! This season I will try to get many fantasy football analysts (and friends) to give us their best advice, overreactions, and maybe even some life lessons along the way. This is meant to be insightful, but also fun—so please be sure to enjoy and also give everyone a follow if you have the chance!

Today's Roundtable contributors include some of Fantasy Life's best in Jorge Martin and Jake Trowbridge! Let's get into it…

Who is your favorite rookie to draft right now?

Jorge: I can’t get enough of drafting Jayden Daniels. I loved his deep ball at LSU and his running ability was fantastic--Though someone please teach him to slide and show him cutups of Lamar Jackson darting out of bounds untouched.

He’s coming into an offense with a true WR1 in Terry McLaurin, who hopefully leaves the fraternity of wideouts we want to see with a good quarterback. I’m not giving up on Jahan Dotson after his down sophomore year, so he could be a good secondary weapon.

While I don’t love the Commanders’ offensive line, here’s hoping that Daniels’ mobility mitigates that. And their defense is undergoing a rebuild, so look for plenty of shootouts on the horizon for the Commanders. That just makes me smile for the rookie’s 2024 projections. All aboard the Jayden Daniels hype train!

Jul 26, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes the ball during warmup before day three of training camp at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Jake: Back in the 80s, a pretty rad crooner by the name of Huey Lewis sang about wanting a new drug; one that wouldn’t—among other things—make him nervous, hurt his head, or cost too much. It turns out very few rookies check every box of The Huey Index.

Enter Jonathon Brooks, my rookie drug of choice. The standout running back from this draft class, Brooks has a palatable mid-round ADP and a sure path to heavy volume in a Carolina offense that should drastically improve from last season. He’s a pick I can wrap my brain around and feel comfortable slotting into my RB2 slot on a weekly basis.

Kendall: My favorite rookie to draft right now is none other than Rome Odunze with the Chicago Bears. Now, he is not the sexiest pick in fantasy football circles right now because he is behind DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, but I think the connection Odunze is going to have with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams is going to be electric.

Fantasy Life projections have Odunze as a clear WR3 in the pecking order in terms of raw targets (97) and PPR points (167.8), putting him at WR49. While we NEVER want any players to get hurt, Odunze would vie for the WR3 with WR2 upside role if either Moore or Allen went down. I want exposure to Odunze, even though the path that we talked about is not as easy as other rookie wide receivers!

Who will be the starting quarterback for the Steelers?

Jorge: Let’s get loco and say Justin Fields. Arthur Smith turned Ryan Tannehill from a Miami washout into a QB6 for the Tennessee Titans in 2020, throwing for 3,819 yards and 33 touchdowns and rushing in another seven scores. Now Smith gets to take his swing with Fields, who in 2022 rushed for 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns. That year he was the QB6 in fantasy points per game at 20.5—see a trend?—so this is quite the talented hunk of clay that Smith gets to mold into a statuesque starting QB.

Fields has already unlocked a WR1 season from DJ Moore in 2023—very good news for George Pickens and maybe Brandon Aiyuk—even though he has yet to pass for 3,000 yards in a season. That should change this year.

Yes, HC Mike Tomlin said that Russell Wilson would start the season behind center for the Steelers. There is, however, an old adage in pro sports: The best ability is availability. Fields is the one getting reps and impressing coaches and teammates while Wilson is rehabbing a leg injury. Give Fields the keys to the offense and let’s see what Steeler Nation does with the best dual-threat quarterback since Kordell “Slash” Stewart.

Jake: Look, I just want to see an elite fantasy season from George Pickens. Is that so wrong? And I think Russell Wilson, whose willingness to launch the ball into the stratosphere and into oncoming traffic remains unmatched, is the guy to help get him there.

Mike Tomlin has consistently stated Wilson has “pole position” while Justin Fields has a “growth opportunity.” My coachspeak may be a bit rusty, but I think that translates to “Wilson’s job to lose.”

That said, if the Dangerwich hits the fan with Wilson under center, the fact that the Broncos are paying his salary should make a switch to Fields much easier for the team to swallow.

Kendall: Let Russ cook? Should we bring that back? Honestly, for fantasy football purposes I want the quarterback that is going to give us big games for guys like George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. The calf injury for Russell Wilson to start training camp has opened a door for Justin Fields —I still think Wilson is the starter for Week 1, but Fields could find his way onto the field sooner rather than later.

In fantasy drafts I don't mind a late dart throw at either quarterback, but I've got a little bit more Fields on my best ball teams because the story and comeback would just be too damn good!

Are you trusting any of the Packers' WRs?

Jorge: Well, I really trust Jordan Love. While I think this could be a potentially frustrating wide receiver room, I’m focusing on one player more than others. With apologies to our amigo and colleague Marcas Grant, who nicknamed Jayden Reed “Dairyland Deebo” in one of the best naming jobs ever, I want Christian Watson.

The reason for my optimism is one thing that’s not being reported out of Green Bay’s training camp: Watson missing time due to injury. Hamstrings have been an issue for him, but he went to a specialist this past offseason and he may have figured out how to stay on the field. When that has happened, his 4.36 speed and freaky athleticism have shined like a beacon.

In Weeks 11-13 last season, Watson scored four touchdowns. As a rookie in 2022, Watson exploded for seven touchdowns and two 100-yard games in a four-game span that made Cheesehead Country sing. All he has to do is stay on the field, and going into the season healthy is a huge step toward him being the top option.

Watson’s ADP on Yahoo, Sleeper, and ESPN is well past pick 100, so on most fantasy rosters he’s being picked as the WR4 or WR5. That’s an upside play that could pay big dividends if he’s healthy and Love takes this offense into the upper echelon in the NFL.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) catches a pass during the first day of training camp on Monday, July 22, 2024, at in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Jake: Trust them as the WR1 on my fantasy team? Even as a Green Bay fan, I can’t get there. Luckily, the group’s collective ADP most likely makes them depth pieces for your squad (unless you’re going Quiero RB start to your draft…in which case, godspeed).

Christian Watson is going as late as WR46 in Sleeper drafts, which feels like outright theft. Ian Hartitz pointed out that during this group’s healthiest stretch last year, Watson was the leading target earner and tied with Jayden Reed in fantasy points per game.

If I miss out on Watson, I might play ADP Double Dutch in the later rounds, hoping to jump in at the right time to nab Dontayvion Wicks or Romeo Doubs.

Kendall: This is an absolutely loaded group, and funny enough the Packers have a league-low $11.5 million devoted to their wide receiver room. I want any piece of this offense that I can get because I believe Jordan Love will have another great season, but I've been trending towards the cheaper options in drafts, which has led me to the most exposure with Romeo Doubs.

I think that Jayden Reed is a great pick but I don't want to buy him at cost, and the same goes for Christian Watson (because I have been burned by him too much in the past too, lol). The Fantasy Life projections have Reed as the top target earner with 94 targets, then Watson with 92 and Doubs at 89 projected targets. Here's hoping being a bit frugal will pay off!

Which NFL game are you looking forward to the most this season?

Jorge: Let’s go to Week 17, Monday Night Football. Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers.

Imagine needing a “Monday Night Miracle” in the fantasy championship, but sitting on your roster are any of these players: Christian McCaffrey, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Sam LaPorta, David Montgomery, Jared Goff, and Brock Purdy. And that’s not even mentioning Brandon Aiyuk, who needs to be in this conversation as long as he’s on the 49ers roster.

Back in late January, these two teams locked horns in a 34-31 barnburner where the 49ers outlasted the Lions in the NFC Championship at Levi’s Stadium. The weather should be Northern California cool, which should be just right for Goff to return to his home city and light up the scoreboard against Purdy and Co. Fantasy championships and maybe even Underdog Fantasy’s Best Ball Mania V could tilt because of this game. Give me some popcorn and I’ll enjoy the show, and maybe the sweat in my own fantasy title shots.

Jake: I’m a simple man. I’m most looking forward to the first game of the season! Thursday Night Football on NBC, Baltimore vs Kansas City, me vs my burning desire to check on my fantasy matchups every 12 seconds…what could possibly be better than that?

Secondarily though, the Packers fan in me is excited to close out the season against Chicago at Lambeau Field, just to see if Jordan Love’s name will remain on the deed to the Bears franchise.

Kendall: As a fantasy football fan I feel like I need to make it clear I am PUMPED for every single upcoming NFL game this season. As a Seahawks fan, I have to say the September 22nd game against the Miami Dolphins should be a fun one. Mike Macdonald vs. Mike McDaniel (say that five times fast) should be a chess match.

It is also just Miami’s second game in Seattle since 2004. Hopefully, the Dolphins enjoy the nice crisp Seattle weather and maybe they'll get a pumpkin spice latte on their way home after taking a loss…