The biggest offseason move in the NFL involved the New York Jets trading for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The four-time MVP brought a few weapons with him from Green Bay to East Rutherford, N.J., and one of them is wide receiver Allen Lazard. Can he make an immediate impact for fantasy football managers with his new team? We take a look at Lazard’s outlook for the 2023 season.
2023 Fantasy Football: Allen Lazard Profile
Recap of 2022 season
Lazard had a career year as the Packers’ top receiving option in 2022. Through 15 games, he caught 60 of 100 targets for 788 receiving yards and six touchdowns. Those numbers made him the No. 30 WR in standard leagues and No. 35 in PPR.
Updated Jets outlook
Also arriving to the Jets from the Packers is fellow veteran receiver Randall Cobb. The team added even more pass-catching depth with the addition of Mecole Hardman and used its second-round pick on Wisconsin center Joe Tippmann.
Best case scenario
The best-case scenario for Lazard this year is him picking up from where he left off last season and becoming a very effective WR2 behind Garrett Wilson. Lazard already has a rapport with Rodgers and if the Jets offense gets rolling, he could threaten to crack 1,000 yards for the first time in his career. A season like that would vault him up into the top-25 of fantasy receivers.
Worst case scenario
The worst-case scenario for Lazard is him failing to produce in his first season in New York. It’s not a guarantee that the Jets offense will click with its new QB at the helm and remember, the 39-year-old Rodgers showed some signs of regression last year. There’s a chance that Lazard doesn’t get the number of targets that you would think he’d get with Rodgers and is just a bit player for the team.
Prediction
Rodgers runs the show here and he’s going to most likely lean on familiar faces to start the season. That could mean plenty of targets for Lazard to start and that will make him a valuable fantasy commodity. He may not get to 1,000 receiving yards, but he should be a solid option to stick into a FLEX spot in PPR and he’s someone you should keep your eye on the middle rounds of your draft.