Green Bay Packers receiver Allen Lazard is making his season debut against the rival Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football, and it couldn’t come at a better time for quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
During the Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Rodgers struggled mightily to build chemistry with rookie wideouts Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, resulting in a blowout loss. And while Lazard had been held out with a sprained ankle, it was reported on Saturday night that he is expected to play in Week 2.
Lazard comes into he season as the first receiver on the Packers’ depth chart, and given how things transpired for the Packers in Week 1, he’s expected to make an immediate impact upon his return.
Allen Lazard Fantasy Football Ranking & Analysis
When making a case to take Lazard’s over in receiving yards (37.5 on DraftKings) for the Week 2 matchup against the Bears, our
“Rodgers has a closer connection with Allen Lazard than most other receivers on this roster. With Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Davante Adams leaving in the offseason, Rodgers was left with a bevy of developmental players like Christian Watson and Amari Rodgers. Free-agent acquisition Sammy Watkins hasn’t gelled and veteran Randall Cobb has slowed down in his age-32 season. The two bright spots, rookie wideout Romeo Doubs and tight end Robert Tonyan, still should slot in below Lazard in Rodgers’ priorities.
Lazard looked great against the Bears last season. He totaled nine catches for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns across their two meetings. The receiver averaged 2.7 catches for 34.2 yards per game in 2021. With Lazard’s current number on the player prop markets for this Packers – Bears matchup set at just 37.5, he need only slightly outperform what he did behind Adams and Valdes-Scantling to hit the over. It helps that Lazard occasionally played a big slot role last season, with 28.3% of his snaps coming out of the slot.”
Per our Stokastic fantasy football rankings, we have Lazard currently ranked as the 45th receiver on the board for Week 2, which means he could prove to be a viable flex option given your current situation.
Regardless of fantasy football implications, the Packers and their fans will greatly benefit from having a veteran presence such as Lazard slotted in their lineup.
