Change is coming to the Green Bay Packers after a stunning home loss to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. Embattled coach Mike McCarthy, a Super Bowl winner once upon a time but leading a losing team this season, was relieved of his duties, and Joe Philbin will run the team on an interim basis. For most coaching changes, there is little interest for fantasy managers, but the Packers roster terrific fantasy options at several positions and there has been much scrutiny this season over how a few of these players have been used.
For example, there is no telling if a coaching change will truly aid quarterback Aaron Rodgers, first off the board on draft day yet struggling to remain in the top 10 for season scoring at the position, but perhaps things can improve. On the surface, it appears Rodgers is thriving; after all, 21 touchdown passes versus a single interception in 12 games is excellent. The problem is a cautious game plan that features Rodgers throwing so many short passes. On Sunday, his average completion was 3.4 air yards, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, and he was not accurate on passes of at least 10 yards, going 3-for-13.
Rodgers, who to be fair hurt his knee in Week 1 but did not miss any games, began the weekend eighth among quarterbacks in fantasy points but was just three points from 13th place. That is hardly good enough, since he was the No. 20 overall pick in ESPN ADP. Rodgers last threw for three touchdowns in Week 5, and he has reached 20 fantasy points once since Week 6. A Week 14 home game with the Atlanta Falcons and their sieve of a defense, plus perhaps a more aggressive approach to the offense, could certainly fix things, if not for the final month of games but for the 2019 season.
Of course, it is important to note that fantasy managers should stop selecting quarterbacks in the early rounds of drafts anyway -- but Rodgers has not played like a top-5 option, either. Record-setting Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes seems likely to earn the top honors in 2019 drafts, but please let someone else make the move in the first three rounds. If Rodgers slips to the fifth or sixth round, as he should, go for it. There is so much depth at the position -- so much so that rookies are showing signs of stardom -- but it is tough to make a great case to rely on them.
Then there is running back Aaron Jones, clearly more highly skilled than Jamaal Williams, but resurrected Sunday was their unexplainable timeshare. Jones scored a rushing touchdown against the Cardinals but received only 11 rushing attempts for the second time in three games. A player who has scored touchdowns in four consecutive games -- and in five of six contests -- and entered play averaging a league-leading 6.0 yards per carry probably should see more volume. Williams averages 3.7 yards per tote. Fantasy managers hope Jones sees consistent volume deserving of a potential RB1 option, which he could be.
As for wide receiver Davante Adams, there can be no complaining. In fact, when Rodgers throws, Adams tends to be the lucky recipient, and he has hardly disappointed this season. Adams began the weekend third among wide receivers in PPR points, and he added 23.3 PPR points on Sunday. The issue is that the other Packers receivers have been silent. Marquez Valdes-Scantling has four catches for 30 yards in the past three games. Randall Cobb returned from injury on Sunday but caught only three passes. Tight end Jimmy Graham caught eight passes despite a broken thumb, but he has struggled statistically over the past month. Games loom with the Falcons, Jets and Lions (and the Bears), and the Packers should be able to move the football and score points in several of those contests. Time will tell if the coaching change is the catalyst for better fantasy performances for Packers players.
Second down: Relying on a rookie quarterback tends to be dangerous in real life and fantasy, but Buffalo Bills phenomenon Josh Allen is turning heads with his running ability. While the fantasy world pays extra attention to Baltimore Ravens rookie runner Lamar Jackson, and for good reason, Allen has gone mostly unnoticed. On Sunday, however, Allen was the top quarterback in fantasy, scoring 28.7 PPR points, and his legs played a large role. Allen rushed nine times for 135 yards -- one of the top-10 performances in that respect by a quarterback since at least 1950 -- a week after totaling 99 yards and a touchdown run against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There is a reason Cam Newton has been a fantasy stalwart for years, and it is only partially due to his arm. Anyway, Allen also threw a pair of touchdown passes to Zay Jones. And the pending schedule (Jets, Lions, Patriots, Dolphins rematch) is not particularly scary. Allen could be a reasonable QB1 pick in future weeks -- and for future seasons.
As for a hot quarterback who suddenly was stifled, look at Indianapolis Colts captain Andrew Luck, whose fantastic streak of games with three or more touchdown passes ended at eight with a 6-0 shutout loss on Sunday. Credit the inconsistent Jaguars for finally performing on defense as they did a season ago and after many fantasy managers gave up on the D/ST unit; but Luck scored only 9.5 fantasy points, the first time he failed to reach double digits this season. Let us call this performance aberrant. Luck has certainly proven himself in this comeback season. He faces the Houston Texans in Week 14, and earlier this season Luck threw for 464 yards and four touchdowns against them. Luck and wide receiver T.Y. Hilton should remain in lineups for that one.
Third down: The Denver Broncos selected Royce Freeman from Oregon in the third round this past summer, eighth at the position, and it seemed like there was great opportunity here for a relevant fantasy option. Well, stardom might still be pending, but fantasy managers went with the wrong Denver rookie running back months ago, because Phillip Lindsay has played so well lately that he has earned RB1 status. Lindsay ran all over the beleaguered Cincinnati Bengals for 157 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, and he could surpass the rushing mark (since 1970) for an undrafted running back in his first season set by the Colts' Dominic Rhodes in 2001 (1,104 yards). Lindsay has rushed for 937 yards and still has attractive games remaining against the 49ers, Browns and Raiders. It is reasonable to view Lindsay as a RB1 at this point. And those facing the Bengals this month (Chargers, Raiders, Browns, Steelers) should enjoy much fun running the football.
Meanwhile, the most added player in ESPN standard leagues this week was Chiefs running back Spencer Ware, and it all happened since Friday, when starter Kareem Hunt was released by the team. Ware saw the majority of the touches at running back Sunday, turning his 14 rushes into 47 yards and a touchdown and catching a single pass for five yards, good for 12.2 PPR points. That is not great; for perspective, Hunt averaged more than 20 PPR points per game. Ware shared touches with Damien Williams, and the Chiefs might want to integrate Darrel Williams into the offense soon, as the rookie showed versatility at LSU. Continue to roster Ware, of course, but his undistinguished performance against the Oakland Raiders reminds us that opportunity is only part of the deal. Mahomes tossed four more touchdown passes on Sunday, and the Chiefs could become even more unbalanced with the current roster.
Fourth down: Finally, and unfortunately, we need to discuss the injuries, because several longtime fantasy staples might be done aiding managers. Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green returned to the lineup after missing three games with a toe injury, and fantasy managers made him one of the top-20 active options at the position. That did not go well. Green reinjured the toe early in the loss to Denver and needed a cart to get off the field. His reaction to the injury made it seem likely we will not be seeing him back on the field anytime soon. The Bengals have lost quarterback Andy Dalton -- and four games in a row -- and Sunday's defeat was not so competitive, despite the efforts of backup passer Jeff Driskel and reliable fantasy choices Joe Mixon and Tyler Boyd. Keep Green rostered until further word, but Mixon and Boyd should remain in fantasy lineups.
The tight end position suffered another blow when Carolina Panthers star Greg Olsen, who has dealt with right foot problems for two seasons, reinjured the foot and told reporters after Sunday's contest that his season was likely over. Olsen had scored touchdowns in four of his past six games. Fellow Panthers tight end Ian Thomas caught five passes for 46 yards, and with statistical depth lacking at the position, Thomas becomes a deep-league option. As for other tight end disappointments on Sunday, Trey Burton and Broncos fill-in Matt LaCosse caught nary a pass, while New England's Rob Gronkowski, Minnesota's Kyle Rudolph, Tampa Bay's Cameron Brate and Cleveland's David Njoku failed to reach seven PPR points.