2022 Packers Preview: Stat Projections (Offense And Special Teams)
What do stat projections for the Packers playmakers look like this NFL Season? It’s time to take a deeper look at the team’s offense projections for 2022.
After an injury-plagued 2021 season for some players on the Packers’ offense, will they be able to bounce back and put up similar numbers as they have in the past? Will they be shadowed by other players? This year will definitely be an intriguing year for the offense without the star power of Davante Adams but there are a few new faces to help fill the void. The team went from having names like Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown to Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure. With so many new faces in town, what does the season ahead look like?
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The Packers Passing Attack Shouldn’t Miss A Beat Despite New Names
Aaron Rodgers: 4,155 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, 5 interceptions
With the departures of Valdes-Scantling, St. Brown, and Adams, the plan this year will be to spread the ball around more versus forcing it into tight gaps. “MVS” and St. Brown were known to drop a lot of balls over their years with the Packers. The current rookies have shown great hands so far and there haven’t been any blatant drops of the ball, at least from what I’ve seen. With that, Rodgers should be able to pass the ball efficiently without getting frustrated with his receivers. It still might happen from time to time but it’s too early to tell.
Davante Adams and Rodgers had top-five chemistry that was hard to pass on. Allen Lazard will most likely be Rodgers’s next favorite target but he won’t go out of his way to force balls at Lazard which should lead to a higher accuracy year. Based on my projections, Rodgers should finish around a 72.5% completion rate.
Packers Rushing Attack Returns A Two-Headed Monster
Aaron Jones: 185 rushes, 850 rushing yards, five touchdown
AJ Dillon: 200 rushes, 925 rushing yards, eight touchdowns
Aaron Rodgers: 35 rushes, 125 rushing yards, three touchdowns
Other RBs/WRs/TEs: 35 rushes, 175 rushing yards, two touchdowns
Last season the timeshare between Jones and Dillon was close to 50-50 for the Packers and should be even closer this year. Jones’s rushes and yards will take another dip this year just like last year but it’s not a bad thing since he’ll be used more as a receiver, racking up those precious PPR points for fantasy. AJ “Quadzilla” Dillon will be used similar to last year with his up-the-gut running style and goal-line work.
I expect Dillon to continue his dominance and push for a thousand yards this year, although he likely comes up a little short. We all know Rodgers and his running style. He likes to fake everyone out and laughs as he jogs down the field for the first down. I foresee a slight increase in yards for him but similar rushes and touchdowns as in previous years. Other possible Packers rushers are Kylin Hill, Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers, and Jordan Love.
A Re-Made Packers Receiving Corps Should Perform Just Fine For 2022
Allen Lazard: 70 receptions, 840 yards, eight touchdowns
Sammy Watkins: 30 receptions, 275 yards, four touchdowns
Randall Cobb: 30 receptions, 350 yards, four touchdowns
Christian Watson: 45 receptions, 500 yards, four touchdowns
Romeo Doubs: 25 receptions, 450 yards, three touchdowns
Robert Tonyan: 45 receptions, 515 yards, five touchdowns
Josiah Deguara: 25 receptions, 225 yards, two touchdowns
Aaron Jones: 55 receptions, 500 yards, seven touchdowns
AJ Dillon: 35 receptions, 300 yards, three touchdowns
Other RBs/WRs/TEs: 25 receptions, 200 yards, two touchdowns
Normally this list would be shorter but this probably won’t be a normal year for the Packers. There are not three clear-cut starting receivers and probably won’t be. The 100+ receptions, 1500 yards, and 11 touchdowns that Davante Adams posted last year need to go somewhere so they will most likely be spread out amongst everyone.
Lazard posted career highs last year and I believe he has the talent to step it up another notch while also continuing his A+ game as a blocker. Watkins is a big question mark since he’s not getting any younger. Lately, injuries tend to follow him around. If he has a healthy season, he can hit these numbers and more.
Christian Watson and Robert Tonyan are two more question marks for the Packers due to their recent injuries. If Tonyan can recover from his torn ACL and put up similar numbers to 2020, he’ll be positioned well to hit these numbers. I expect him back by week three, week one isn’t looking realistic. That’s where Deguara’s stats come into the mix while also being TE2 on the depth chart. Watson was recently activated off the PUP list so he’ll have a couple of weeks to create chemistry with Rodgers in practice before the season starts in September.
Other Packers players that can contribute are Amari Rodgers, Samori Toure, Marcedes Lewis, and Juwann Winfree.
Packers’ Expectations From Kicking Unit On Special Teams
Mason Crosby: 52/54 XPs, 26/30 FGs
Crosby has been the Packers’ kicker for what seems like forever and he has yet to miss a game. He had surgery a couple of weeks ago to fix some lingering issues in his kicking knee but plans to be back by week one. If everything goes as planned and this surgery really does help, Crosby should be back in true form. In the meantime, Gabe Brkic has been practicing in his absence.
Even though he’s practicing, I don’t expect Brkic to start at all but as one of the best kickers from College, it’s a nice handcuff to have. Last year was rough for Crosby as he only hit about 74% of field goals which is poor. He will look to rebound this year for the Green and Gold.
What This Means for Fantasy Football This Season For The Packers
I’m looking forward to another great season for the Packers’ key playmakers! Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon should continue their tear in the fantasy world. With an increase in targets and touchdowns, Jones should be able to push back into top-ten contentions for running backs as he did prior to Dillon’s addition to the roster in 2020. All eyes will be on Allen Lazard as there has been a good chunk of cash put on him to lead the league in receiving this year.
Yes, I also put a few bucks on him just in case. Robert Tonyan is another name that fantasy players will be looking at after his torn ACL in week eight last year. If he can resume his 2020 stats, he’ll be back in the mix for weekly starting tight ends. And alas, we have Mr. Discount Double Check himself, Aaron Rodgers. Last year was Rodgers’s 11th season being a top ten quarterback in Fantasy. Just because Davante Adams is gone doesn’t mean he can’t put up crazy fantasy numbers.
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