With the 2015 season and last year’s playoff loss firmly in the rearview mirror, the Packers have been busy putting together the pieces for what they hope will be a championship roster. With some free agent additions and the 2016 NFL draft bringing in some fresh talent , the Packers are hoping they find the right mix to bring the Lombardi trophy home. Meanwhile, what do we as fans have to occupy our time with? With fantasy football growing steadily in popularity, this could be the perfect time to deepen your knowledge about fantasy sports betting. To give you a hand, we’ve put together a list of who we think could be the Packer’s top 5 fantasy players in the upcoming season.
Aaron Rodgers, QB
The Packers’ quarterback is arguably the best in the NFL at the moment and this is sure to continue in the next season. The Packers’ starting QB since 2008, he led them to victory in Super Bowl XLV and it looks like he will have a possible run at the NFL’s most valuable player award once again, after winning it in 2011 and 2014. He is one of only four quarterbacks in the whole NFL to have a postseason QB rating of over 100 as well as having the best touchdown to interception ratio in NFL history. In terms of expectations for the upcoming fantasy season, it is predicted that he will end up throwing for around 4,300 yards, with 37 passing touchdowns, and possibly less than 10 interceptions. This should earn him about 20 fantasy points per game, making him likely to be one of the top fantasy players next season.
Jordy Nelson, WR
Jordy Nelson will be coming off of an ACL injury from last pre-season which caused him to miss the whole of last season. This will bring him back with something to prove, after fellow WR Randall Cobb filled in for him. Nelson should still be the number one starting WR for the Packers’ despite this injury and it is expected that he’s going to have a great season. It is predicted that he will have 89 receptions, gain 1325 yards with 9 touchdowns, giving him 11 fantasy points per game.
Eddie Lacy, RB
The 25 year-old running back had a struggle with his weight last season so it will be difficult for him to keep his job from James Starks if he has similar weight issues this season. However, if he can keep his spot, he is predicted to have 240 rush attempts, over 1050 yards and get 7 touchdowns in the upcoming season. As he is gradually starting to shed the weight, he is looking to be in the best shape of his NFL career.
Mason Crosby, K
Crosby signed a brand new 4-year contract at the beginning of March this year, showing the Packers’ faith in their placekicker. Crosby is one of the most accurate kickers throughout the NFL and on top of this is the Packers’ all time leading scorer. It is predicted that he will end up with 8 fantasy points per game, with a predicted overall total of 137 for the season.
Randall Cobb, WR
Randall Cobb has been a player that everyone has kept an eye on over the last season as he had to fill in for the number one WR Jordy Nelson after his ACL injury. Although he will see his usage drop in 2016 due to the return of Nelson, it is still predicted that he will be a featured player throughout the Packers’ season. It is predicted that he will have 75 receptions, cover 878 yards, 6 touchdowns and 8 fantasy points per game, still placing him in the top 5 Packers’ fantasy players as long as his chest injury is fully healed and is not prone to re-injury.
