Aaron Rodgers start or sit: Week 1 fantasy football advice

The Green Bay Packers start off the 2022 NFL season against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday afternoon. The Packers will trot out perhaps one of the more underwhelming group of wide receivers in recent memory. Aaron Rodgers is coming off back-to-back MVPs but it may be difficult for him to three-peat with this group. Does that mean we fade A-Rod to start the season? Let’s investigate.

Fantasy Football analysis: Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

The Packers face a Vikings team that has new coach Kevin O’Connell. Ed Donatell is also in as defensive coordinator, so we should see an improved team overall. That isn’t to say the Vikings will be able to shut down the Packers’ offense. The over/under is at 47, so there’s some hesitation to think this game will be high scoring.

Green Bay’s receiving core will look like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins and two rookies — Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. There’s also Robert Tonyan coming off a torn ACL. Plus, Aaron Jones in the passing game. Lazard is dealing with an injury and may miss Week 1, which only hurts Rodgers’ stock.

Still, on paper, this is the weakest WR group Rodgers has operated with in his career. Last season against the Vikings, Rodgers leaned heavily on Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Those two are gone. It may take a bit for A-Rod to develop chemistry with new receivers Watkins, Watson and Doubs. If that’s the case, he may not do much damage in fantasy in Week 1.

Start or sit in Week 1?

This feels like a sit. There are plenty of better game environments and QBs with better matchups. For instance, Derek Carr and Matt Ryan are a few QBs who either went undrafted or were available late in your fantasy draft. Even guys like Justin Fields, Trey Lance, and dare I say Jacoby Brissett, have more upside.

Watch, now Rodgers will go for 300 yards and three TDs against Minnesota, because of course. No really, Rodgers feels like a fade until we see how these WRs perform