Aaron Rodgers is officially out vs. the Chiefs this weekend. The Packers QB tested positive for COVID and is therefore ineligible to return until Nov 13th at the earliest. Rodgers reportedly took part in an “alternative treatment plan” this offseason which he petitioned the NFL to treat the same as being vaccinated. Ultimately the league denied this request, meaning Rodgers would be held to the same standard as other unvaccinated players.
With Rodgers out of the picture that clears the way for Jordan Love to make his first career start. Though we’ve seen him take the field twice, both were previously in cleanup roles as Green Bay was on the wrong side of a beatdown in week 1 vs. the Saints and had the game well in hand a few weeks later against Detroit.
The million dollar question for fantasy owners with Rodgers on their team now becomes whether you trust the unproven youngster, or scour the waiver wire for an alternative. Love does get a dream matchup against a Kansas City defense that can’t stop a nosebleed right now. The Chiefs are currently giving up 27.5 points per game to opposing offenses, and the 2nd most fantasy ppg to opposing QBs.
In a corresponding move the Packers brought in Blake Bortles and are expected to sign him to their practice squad before elevating him to their 53 man roster Sunday. Bortles spent much of the offseason in Green Bay as an insurance policy in the event that Rodgers’ standoff with management lasted into the regular season.
If this were last week where seemingly every receiver not named Randall Cobb was unavailable, and against the Cardinals defense, you’d have been well served to steer clear of starting Love. However with Adams trending in the right direction, Lazard activated off the COVID list on Monday, and an outside chance of Valdes-Scantling being activated as well, you’re not in the wrong if you roll the dice with Love this weekend.
Depending on who is available to be picked up in your league, here are some viable alternatives to consider before suiting up Love:
-Daniel Jones, 45% rostered: Seems to flirt with 20+ pts on a weekly basis (though it’s not visually appealing in how he gets there). Has a Raiders team that’s in the middle of the pack defensively and was recently dealt another blow in the form of Henry Ruggs making extremely poor life decisions off the field. Jones’ appeal lies mostly in who’s available to catch the ball for the Giants however, so keep an eye on NY injury reports throughout the week.
-Trevor Lawrence, 42% rostered: If you thought he threw the ball a lot against Seattle (54 attempts) he may very well be forced to throw it 60+ against a Buffalo offense that can put up points in bunches. This is a sheer volume based play for those who think the Packers might just rely on their run game in Love’s first career start. Plug in Lawrence and hope for some garbage time points.
-Ben Roethlisberger, 22% rostered: If you’re scared of new things, then Roethlisberger is about as close to a known commodity as you can come across in the NFL. He’s only thrown for 2 or more TDs in a game once this season, but he gets a Bears defense that ranks 21st in DVOA against the pass and doesn’t exactly boast a “shutdown” corner to speak of. You’ve got a low ceiling here, but at least you have a sense for the floor as well. This is a play only for owners who are extremely risk averse.
-Kyle Skinner
Twitter: @JKyleSkinner