What We Saw: Week 18

Week 18 was one of the craziest of the season thanks to Jacksonville's stout defense

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 Packers @ Lions

Final Score: Lions 37, Packers 30

Writer: Joe Orlofski (@joeorlofski on Twitter)

 

This game was one that really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, since the Packers’ seeding was set and the Lions were already eliminated a long time ago.  The Packers did play their starters for the first half, and Rodgers and company looked good.  The defense, on the other hand, allowed Jared Goff and the Lions to run trick plays on their way to a first-half lead and eventual victory.

The Lions did play most of their starters all game, so we were able to see what this offense might look like next season.  We also saw a bit of Jordan Love, who may be the starter for the Packers next season…depending on what Rodgers decides to do.

Let’s take a look at the fantasy-relevant players!

 

Detroit Lions

 

Quarterback

 

Jared Goff: 21/30, 238 yards, 2 TD

 

Jared Goff had himself a pretty mistake-free night, throwing a short touchdown early in the game and then later connecting with Tight End Brock Wright on a trick play that went for six.

With nothing on the line, the Lions ran quite a few trick plays that actually worked, although we probably won’t see a ton of that next season.  Goff has potential but is relatively mistake-prone and a difficult fantasy Quarterback to roster most of the time.  If he plays like he did today and gets a few more receiving pieces, he could be worth rostering at some point.

 

Running Back

 

Jamaal Williams: 13 carries, 43 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 9 yards

D’Andre Swift: 7 carries, 30 yards, TD | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 16 yards

Craig Reynolds: 3 carries, 2 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 16 yards

 

D’Andre Swift didn’t see a majority of the running work in this game, but he did manage a touchdown to take the lead late in the game.

He also saw a good amount of receptions.  Swift probably was being watched carefully after returning from injury last week, so hopefully, he returns to full-strength next season.  Swift was performing well for fantasy until his injury, so he should be a great option once again.

Jamaal Williams saw a majority of the carries but really didn’t find much running room.  Williams did have a lot of good fantasy days even with Swift healthy, but his real value comes when Swift misses time.  He is a good handcuff to have rostered.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Amon-Ra St. Brown: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 109 yards, TD | 1 carry, 12 yards

Kalif Raymond: 5 targets, 4 receptions, 101 yards, TD | 1 carry, 13 yards

Brock Wright: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 51 yards, TD

Tom Kennedy: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 16 yards | 1/1, 75 yards, TD

Josh Reynolds: 3 targets, 1 reception, 11 yards

 

Tom Kennedy doesn’t see much action, but he made the most of his opportunity with a trick play that went for a 75-yard passing touchdown to fellow Wide Receiver Kalif Raymond.

Raymond finished the season with just over 500 yards, so for now he can’t be trusted for fantasy purposes.

Amon-Ra St. Brown has had one of the best rookie Wide Receiver seasons this year, really coming on in the second half of the season.  He continued his three-game scoring streak (now four games) with another touchdown early in the game.

St. Brown got a majority of his work in the second quarter, although he had his longest catch late in the fourth quarter.

St. Brown showed a bit of strength on this one, bouncing off the defender to extend the play. St. Brown is emerging as a top option in the Lions’ offense and has shown that he has solid chemistry with Jared Goff. He should be a great late-round pick next year.

 

Green Bay Packers

 

Quarterback

 

Aaron Rodgers: 14/18, 138 yards, 2 TD | 1 carry, 7 yards

Jordan Love: 10/17, 134 yards, TD, 2 INT | 1 carry, -1 yard

 

Aaron Rodgers did start the game as expected, but was pulled at half-time.

Rodgers was once again very efficient and consistently found his favorite targets.  Rodgers’ fantasy future is up in the air for now.

 

Jordan Love didn’t have a great time in relief of Rodgers, throwing two interceptions on his way to a loss.  Love’s only touchdown came on a screen pass to Tight End Josiah Deguara, who did all the work on his way to a 62-yard touchdown.

Love’s second interception really wasn’t his fault.

Rookie Amari Rodgers should have caught the ball, but it ended up getting knocked around until the Lions’ defender was able to pick it off.

The second interception, which ended the game, was a high throw that went right to the Safety.

Love has had times where he looks decent but compared to Rodgers he is a massive step down for the Packers’ offense.  If Rodgers does depart and Love starts, it could be an offense to avoid for fantasy purposes.

 

Running Back

 

A.J. Dillon: 13 carries, 58 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 4 yards

Patrick Taylor: 11 carries, 53 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 3 yards

 

Aaron Jones sat this game out, most likely to rest before the playoffs.

A.J. Dillon was his usual self, running hard and running through defenders.  He did split carries with Patrick Taylor, so he didn’t necessarily have a ton of work (like normal).  Dillon did almost score a touchdown on the first drive but was marked just short.  The Packers then went on to throw for the touchdown.

Dillon continues to be more of a bruising back who will pick up hard yards, but with Jones present, they sort of cancel each other out in fantasy.  The double-headed monster will make it difficult to choose who to play week-to-week.

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Davante Adams:  7 targets, 6 receptions, 55 yards

Equanimeous St. Brown: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 22 yards

Allen Lazard: 6 targets, 5 receptions, 75 yards, 2 TD

Josiah Deguara: 4 targets, 3 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Juwann Winfree: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 16 yards

Dominique Dafney: 1 target, 1 reception, 26 yards

Amari Rodgers: 1 target, 1 reception, 5 yards

Marcedes Lewis: 1 target

Tyler Davis: 1 target

Marquez Valdes-Scantling: 1 target

 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling didn’t see much action in this one, as the Packers didn’t really target him deep.  There really is no concern here since this game really meant nothing to either team.

Allen Lazard continued his “breakout” performance, starting with a few long catches and a short touchdown catch on the first drive.

He later caught a 25-yard touchdown pass that was just out of the defenders’ reach.

Lazard will also be an interesting option next year, depending on what happens with Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams.

Davante Adams didn’t play the full game, but he still managed a respectable fantasy day, including a catch that set the Packers’ single-season receiving record.

It’s hard to say what Adams’ future holds for now.  He is obviously a top-tier Wide Receiver in the NFL, but it’ll be interesting to see how dominant he is on a different team or without Quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  Till then, we just have to assume he is the best Wide Receiver in fantasy.

Josiah Deguara has had some decent games this season, including this 62-yard touchdown.

This was simply a screen play that Deguara managed to slip away from defenders.  His fantasy relevance largely depends on who is under center next season.

 

— Joe Orlofski (@joeorlofski on Twitter)

Series Navigation
Introduction
Chiefs @ Broncos
Cowboys @ Eagles
Steelers @ Ravens
Bengals @ Browns
Packers @ Lions
Titans @ Texans
Colts @ Jaguars
Bears @ Vikings
Football Team @ Giants
Seahawks @ Cardinals
Saints @ Falcons
Jets @ Bills
49ers @ Rams
Patriots @ Dolphins
Panthers @ Buccaneers
Chargers @ Raiders

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