The Packers are hosting the Lions in a huge Sunday afternoon matchup for NFC North supremacy. In great news for Green Bay and the viewing public in general, Jordan Love ($7,000) is on track to play according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. What does his availability mean for Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft, Josh Jacobs and the rest of the Packers’ offense in this tough fantasy football Week 9 matchup? Let’s take a look
#Packers QB Jordan Love — who’s listed as questionable with a groin injury — is expected to start Sunday’s game against the #Lions, per sources.
No setbacks or surprises during the week, and Love is ready to roll with the NFC North lead on the line. pic.twitter.com/tGcoEeH99P
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 2, 2024
Jordan Love’s impact on Jayden Reed
So far this season, Jayden Reed ($6,400) has been the Packers’ best receiver. He had two monster games of over 30 fantasy points early in the year and was actually the highest-scoring receiver in the NFL at one point.
Things have gone a little sideways for Reed the last few weeks, though. He only had two catches in each of the last two weeks, producing just 10 yards against the Texans and 55 yards against the Jaguars. He only had seven target total in those two games after averaging 6.5 targets per game over his previous four matchups.
After Love left with his injury, Reed went especially quiet, and if Love hadn’t been back, there would have been serious question about if Reed was startable.
With Love in the mix, though, Reed’s big-play ability and high ceiling are enough to earn him a spot as a high-risk WR2. Depending on your league, you may have better more reliable options, but Love’s availability makes him an option you can use against the Lions, who have given up the third-most fantasy points in the NFL to opposing WR as teams have had to throw a low while playing from behind.
Jordan Love’s impact on Romeo Doubs
Romeo Doubs ($5,700) out-produced Reed for the second straight week in Week 8, hauling in 3-of-6 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown on his way to a third straight week with double-digit fantasy points.
In Week 7 against Houston, Doubs was targeted 10 times while no other Packer got more than six targets. He had a season-high 94 yards in that contest.
Given the extra attention he has gotten since serving his one-game suspension in Week 5, Doubs is actually my preferred Packers WR for DFS contests like the NFL $2.75M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st]. He’s cheaper than Reed and less reliant on big plays with all the volume he has been drawing.
Doubs’ ceiling isn’t quite as high as Reed’s, though, so for season-long contests, I’d still rather Doubs as a WR3 or FLEX play rather than a WR2 like Reed.
Jordan Love’s impact on Tucker Kraft
The matchup for tight end Tucker Kraft ($4,600) is a tougher one than for Doubs and Reed. Opposing tight ends have scored the fewest DraftKings points in the NFL against the Lions.
Kraft has been very good this season, averaging over 11 fantasy points per game. He led the team with 78 yards and a touchdown last week and had 12+ fantasy points in four of his last five.
While he should be more involved with Love than if Malik Willis had started, he’s still a tough play unless you have no other options this week. Love’s availability and willingness to push the ball down the field raises Kraft’s ceiling but also lowers his floor since the receivers will get more involved than Willis’s run-first approach.
Jordan Love’s impact on Josh Jacobs
Josh Jacobs ($6,900; ankle) is also questionable for this game although he said he will play. If Love was out, the Packers would have likely designed the game to center on Jacobs, and he has proven up to that task already this season.
Last week, he ran for 127 yards, two touchdowns and finished with 28.5 fantasy points before he sustained his ankle injury. He has over 20 fantasy points in each of the last two weeks and has been heavily involved as a receiver and rusher, regardless of who the QB has been.
Love’s presence raises the ceiling of the whole offense and therefore makes it more likely that Jacobs will get a touchdown or two, even if he doesn’t get quite as many carries as if Willis was under center.
Jordan Love’s impact on the bottom line
The Packers are three-point home underdogs this week. Love’s passing yards over/under is at 233.5 with the over at -115, but I like his passing touchdown over 1.5 at -120 even better. Before last week, Love had thrown multiple touchdowns in every game he played this season with 15 passing scores in five games. If he’s healthy and able to play the full game, he should be able to throw multiple passing touchdowns as the Packers do all they can to keep up with the high-scoring Lions.
It should be a great game, and I’m glad we’ll get to see both teams at close to full strength in what has the potential to be a classic at Lambeau Field.
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