NFC North: Divisional Nuggets

Green Bay Packers

QB: Aaron Rodgers / Jordan Love

Aaron Rodgers is starting to look more like his old self. In year two with Matt LaFleur, he appears to be more comfortable in an offense where his only big names are Aaron Jones and Davante Adams. Rodgers will be 37 at the end of the season and he has mentioned that he wants to play until he is 40. In dynasty we tend to look at a 3-year window, if Rodgers can continue to play around this level for a few more years he may actually be a dynasty buy or hold rather than a sell as many (including myself) had proposed pre-season.

Jordan Love is the future… now, that future is many years away but the future nonetheless. Love looked quite green in his training camp videos, but he is just that. Love is a multi-year project as a guy who has the intangibles of an elite quarterback. The Packers believe if he can sit at least two years behind one of the best quarterbacks of all time and have consistency from his coaching staff he could turn into a very good NFL quarterback. Time will tell, but if you have patience he may be a fun name to try to acquire.

RB: Aaron Jones / Jamaal Williams / AJ Dillon

Aaron Jones is likely going to be the only fantasy relevant running back this season. That said, I do believe that AJ Dillon will see more work as the year goes on, especially as Lambeau freezes over. He is a big-bodied running back who can punish defenders. He could vulture a few touchdowns away from Jones this season. 

Jones has an impressive vision, lateral quickness, and a nose for the end zone. He will likely lose some carries towards the end of the year and perhaps over the next few years as well, but he remains the Packers’ main ball carrier and should continue to have RB1 production. 

Dillon is an intriguing dynasty play, with the Packers likely extending Jones soon, Dillon likely will not mature to become a workhorse running back in Green Bay. Dillon figures to max out as a red zone punisher in this offense and as such, I cannot recommend trading for him. 

Jamaal Williams is somewhat of an afterthought in this offense. He cannot be started on your team and should be a dynasty hold simply in case there are injuries. Williams is a fun, pass-catching back but there just isn’t enough volume to merit anything other than a bench spot.

WR: Davante Adams / Allen Lazard / Marquez Valdes-Scantling

There really isn’t much to say about Davante Adams except that he was my pre-season WR1 and he is my in-season WR1. He is an elite first-round dynasty wide receiver and if you have him, you hold onto him. He is poised to see insane volume in 2020 and beyond on this team. Crisp route running, great hands, and the trust of his quarterback make it easy to see a top-five season at least for Adams this season and beyond.

Allen Lazard came out of nowhere last season to earn the trust of Rodgers while Davante Adams dealt with turf toe. Lazard was a beast at Iowa State but went undrafted and signed to a practice squad. He has risen the ranks in the Packers system and is now arguably the #2 option who can absolutely be counted on as a minimum flex consideration each week. Lazard has the tools to stick around in the league and is a nice dynasty play.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) had high hopes in Green Bay after a nice rookie campaign. However, as much of the passing offense fell off in 2019, so did the stats for MVS. Some drops, some poor throws, and lack of targets led to him being an afterthought in 2020. However, on a team with the #2 WR spot in open competition MVS is making his case after two weeks. He is an incredibly fast receiver who can get behind a defense and make a huge fantasy impact on one play. He is a buy-low for me right now, but that window could close sooner than you’d think.

TE: Jace Sternberger

I was a Sternberger believer, but after putting up back to back blanks and making multiple mental mistakes I’m out. If he has any semblance of a market in your league I would move away from him now. There are better options and honestly, rookie TE Josiah Deguara appears to be more involved in the Packers offensive game planning at this point. 

Detroit Lions

QB: Matthew Stafford

This is a dynasty buying opportunity. With Golladay out of the lineup for the first couple weeks, Stafford may be at his floor for fantasy purposes. We have seen Stafford put up top 5 quarterback numbers and by QB standards he remains pretty young. The Lions have a fun up and coming offense which we will get into shortly, but for my money, Matt Stafford is one of the better dynasty buys out there.

RB: Adrian Peterson / D’Andre Swift / Kerryon Johnson

Adrian Peterson is a sell in any way that you can in dynasty. Peterson turns 36 in this coming offseason and was already cut by one NFL team. Clearly he does have some juice left in the tank, but he is only serving to keep the seat warm for rookie DeAndre Swift. The end is near for the future Hall of Famer sell him for just about anything you can.

Kerryon Johnson is a sell for me as well. The opportunity presented itself and Johnson could never seem to capitalize on it during his time as the feature back in Detroit. He is now behind Peterson and Swift in the Lions offense and if he catches on with another team, there is a very slim chance he has any fantasy significant role. If you look around at the running back landscape in the NFL there is not a lot of room for him to try to make a name for himself, especially with another fantastic running back draft class coming into the league next season.

DeAndre Swift is a big-time buy for me in dynasty. As mentioned above, there aren’t a ton of obstacles between him and workhorse usage in the Lions offense. He can catch passes out of the backfield and has an electric skillset that was on display in college. Swift is going to be eased into his workload this season which is the main reason why he is a buy-low. I wouldn’t count on relying on him to be a stud for you this season, but he should pay off in spades in 2021 and beyond.

WR: Kenny Golladay / Marvin JonesJr. / Quintez Cephus

Kenny Golladay has all the ingredients lined up for him to be a top 10 wide receiver for many years to come. If you have any opportunity to grab Golladay in a dynasty league, get him. Rapport with Stafford, no other receiver chomping at the WR1 bit, dynamic offense around him with Hockenson, Swift, Stafford. Give me Golladay all day long in dynasty. If you can somehow capitalize on his early-season injuries to get him cheaper than normal, I would.

Marvin Jones Jr. gets talked about every offseason as the guy that always flies under the radar and is always underrated and a buy low. At this point, that may be enough to push him into a sell. Jones Jr will turn 31 this offseason and his contract expires at the end of this season. If Jones Jr goes elsewhere after this season, I’m not sure there are much greener pastures outside of the obvious Kansas City or Arizona. I’d sell in dynasty and I’d buy in redraft.

Quintez Cephus showcased some excellent hands during his time at Wisconsin and seems to be impressing early in his rookie campaign. There will be some shoes to fill in 2021 and I believe that it will be Cephus that has the inside track. He is a very intriguing wide receiver in dynasty and I’d be looking to acquire him on the cheap early in the 2020 season.

TE: T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson is the future in Detroit. Pairing him with Swift for the foreseeable future has to have Lions fans jumping for joy. Hockenson is already a TE 1 and will continue to steadily climb. He is an elite option and one that I will be targeting in almost every dynasty league. Hockenson’s limited target share in 2020 is slightly concerning, but you figure defenses have keyed in on him a little bit more with Golladay out. I believe Hockenson finishes this season as an easy TE1 and will be a big name this offseason for dynasty owners.

Minnesota Vikings

QB: Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins is just a guy for me. I am in no way targeting him in any format at this time. The Vikings are clearly a run-heavy offense but even still an aging WR1 in Adam Thielen and a nice but unproven rookie in Justin Jefferson has me concerned about relying on Cousins in any way. If you have Cousins I would try to see if there is a market out there for his services. He is not really startable in a 1QB league and a difficult start in Superflex as well. 

RB: Dalvin Cook / Alexander Mattison

Dalvin Cook has all the ingredients to be a top-eight running back. He is an electric ball carrier and is involved in the passing game. Cook is truly the brightest spot for this offense. He was just locked up with a new contract and doesn’t have any risk of a running back by committee. Cook is a great and stable dynasty running back to build your team around. 

Alexander Mattison is a high-end handcuff option and nothing more. There is increased allure with Mattison due to the injury label that comes with having shares of Dalvin Cook. If Cook were to miss time, Mattison would be competing with Mike Boone for carries and I’d give the edge to Mattison. If you buy into Cook’s injury label, Mattison is a great target for you as he could come in handy at various times throughout the season. I’m not a big Mattison believer especially since Cook was signed to an extension, the window to sell Mattison closed very quickly and at this point, it is best to hold.

WR: Adam Thielen / Justin Jefferson / Olabisi Johnson

Adam Thielen is a WR1, full stop. He is an elite wide receiver who is plagued by being on the Vikings and having Kirk Cousins throw to him. He is an aging asset so if you roster him you’re likely looking at either selling him to a contender later on this season or you’re going to have him retire on your team. This is likely his last season with significance in this offense in my opinion and if you’re not in the playoff hunt I would be selling for some younger assets starting around week 8. We will circle back to Thielen in my next dynasty nuggets column.

Justin Jefferson has all the tools to become the top dog in this Vikings offense sooner rather than later. As mentioned above, Thielen is an aging asset and Jefferson seems to have already eclipsed Olabisi Johnson in this offense. I would be targeting Jefferson in every dynasty league as he along with Cook are the future of this team. 

If there is a buyer out there for Olabisi Johnson, sell now. Johnson is a fine enough receiver but he is never one that you’re going to feel comfortable putting into your starting lineup. If you can get a pick for Johnson I’d take it.

TE: Irv Smith Jr. / Kyle Rudolph

Irv Smith Jr is another up and coming pass catcher for the Vikings in a difficult offense to separate yourself from the pack. He still has Kyle Rudolph hanging around but should overtake him by season’s end. I like Smith Jr. a lot but worry about the volume he’ll receive as their top tight end. I would temper expectations for him this year but think he could be a decent TE2 with upside in the coming years.

Kyle Rudolph is another great example of a sell. If he has a nice week at any point this year I would be shopping him immediately. He isn’t rosterable in redraft formats but is likely owned in dynasty leagues due to the increased roster size. He is similar to Johnson above in that you’ll never feel comfortable starting him at any point moving forward and if you can jump ship, do it.

Chicago Bears

QB: Mitch Trubisky / Nick Foles

I never thought I’d write this but Mitch Trubisky has impressed this season. I don’t love his outlook for the future, but he is having a nice start to 2020. I think this is an opportune time to sell Trubisky at what is likely his ceiling. At any point that he struggles, the Bears have his replacement ready to go. That can light a fire, but it can also lead to a snowball effect if mistakes start to come for Trubisky. If you’re not relying on him as a starter right now, see what the trade market looks like for him, if you can get a 1st round pick (unlikely, but you never know) I’d jump at that. I would prefer almost any other starting quarterback over Trubisky.

Nick Foles is not the future and is not the present. There isn’t a ton to like about his dynasty prospects at this time. Other than being one of the best backups in the league he doesn’t bring a ton of excitement to your roster. He is a decent enough stash as there isn’t a market for his services right now. If he becomes the starter at any point this season Id be looking to sell.

RB: David Montgomery / Tarik Cohen

David Montgomery is an interesting second-year player. He had over 1,000 yards in his rookie season and seems to have bounced back fairly well this year after a pre-season injury. Montgomery is a guy that I am looking to buy simply due to his age, exciting running style, and lack of competition for a heavy workload. I am not trusting Montgomery as anything more than a low-end RB2 and high-end flex play but he could see a big boost if he reaches his potential. 

Tarik Cohen is really only serviceable in a PPR league and even still you don’t feel great starting him. He had one very solid year and has not done too much other than that. He is a fine piece to hold on your bench and plug and play based on bye weeks or injuries, but he will never materialize as a starter for you week-to-week. Cohen has some stability with his recent contract extension which gives you some comfort, but he belongs on your bench until further notice.

WR: Allen Robinson / Anthony Miller

Allen Robinson has been one of the more unlucky wide receivers in recent memory. Having to catch passes from Blake Bortles and Mitch Trubiksy throughout his career leaves a lot to be desired. That said, Robinson seems quarterback proof, meaning, he can put up nice numbers regardless of who is throwing him the ball. Still a young asset he projects as a nice WR 1-2 for at least the next three seasons. I have some concern if he signs an extension with Chicago as I have minimal confidence in their quarterback room currently. That said, things change quickly in the NFL so by 2021 who knows who will be throwing him passes.

Anthony Miller is a wonderful buy low right now. His value has to be as low as it has ever been after putting up a donut in week two. He has great college numbers, excellent workout metrics, second-round draft capital, and a good receiver in Robinson to learn from. I think Miller will be in this league for a long time and his ceiling projects as a WR 2. 

TE: Jimmy Graham / Cole Kmet

To keep it simple here I really have no interest in either of these guys other than as bench bye week fill-in options. Graham will be okay for this year but he is on the wrong side of 30 and won’t be in the league much longer. Kmet wasn’t in my top 3 tight ends coming out of college this season and he has not been used so far this year. I think Kmet could stick around for a little bit in this league but I don’t feel he will be starting material for dynasty leagues at any point.

Thanks for reading! Find me on twitter @DFF_ZTrain to discuss anything fantasy football related or NFC North specific!