Matthew Golden spent last season waiting for looks that never came, and then the opener arrived and Jordan Love threw at him 12 times. That was a 30 percent share of Green Bay’s targets, more than Christian Watson or Jayden Reed saw, and it turned into six catches for 95 yards. Now the Packers head to New York against a Jets defense that held up well in coverage in Week 1 but may be down a starting safety. Find out whether you should start or sit Matthew Golden in Week 2.
Matthew Golden Start or Sit Advice for Week 2
The volume is the story. Golden’s 12 targets came against 40 total for the offense, and he added two red zone looks and 60 air yards, so the usage was not confined to short work underneath. Green Bay also threw 42 times against just 21 handoffs, as MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks combined for 66 rushing yards at 3.1 per carry. That backfield gives Love no reason to lean on the run, and Golden was a playmaker he looked at early and often.
New York is a middling draw with a genuine crack in it. Minkah Fitzpatrick is doubtful with a groin injury and is expected to miss two to three weeks, which pulls a veteran presence out of the back end. The defense also generated no interceptions and defended only three passes in the opener, so the ball-hawking that could shut down a low percentage passer is not showing up yet. Golden’s speed is exactly the tool that punishes a secondary shuffling personnel behind the line of scrimmage.
Game flow works in his favor as well. The Jets ran the ball 39 times to 24 pass attempts in Week 1, an approach that will keep Green Bay’s offense in a stable script rather than trailing, and Love produced 353 passing yards and 227 air yards even while completing half his attempts. This is a passing game willing to push the ball down the field, and Golden owns a larger slice of it right now.
The Biggest Fantasy Risk for Matthew Golden in Week 2
He caught six of 12 targets, and that conversion rate is the problem. Green Bay also spread the ball to nine different players in the opener, with Reed at seven targets and Tucker Kraft at six, which is how this offense has always operated and why Golden was an afterthought as a rookie. Watson took both touchdowns while the Packers converted just one of four red zone trips, so the scoring equity here is not pointed his way. The Jets defense allowed only 140 receiving yards and 62 air yards in Week 1 too, and if that coverage holds, a receiver whose value hinges on chunk plays can post a 40 yard afternoon on eight targets.
Fantasy Outlook for Matthew Golden in Week 2
Golden is a Start in Week 2. A team-leading target share, a quarterback throwing 42 times last week with a limited running game to fall back on, and a Jets secondary likely without Fitzpatrick add up to a WR3 you can plug in without much hesitation. Keep the expectations honest, because the catch rate and Green Bay’s habit of distributing the ball mean the floor is lower than the target count suggests, but the path to a WR2 line is right there if one of those deep balls connects.