Draft or Pass: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers

Everyone is down on Aaron Rodgers after a mediocre 2019 and Green Bay's selection of Jordan Love. Is he now a value option with so many quick to turn against him?

Jaime Eisner | May 18, 2020

It's never too early to start your fantasy football research, and we here at SI Fantasy want to provide you with the best information possible heading into your drafts. Our "Draft or Pass" video series takes a closer look at a fantasy player that will be debated often leading up to fantasy drafts. Are our hosts targeting this player specifically? Are they avoiding him entirely?

Today's video focuses on Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Draft or Pass at current ADP: 95.9 (QB11)

It wasn't too long ago that the only question surrounding Rodgers in fantasy drafts was whether you believed in being the first or second person in your league to draft a quarterback. He was an elite option many fantasy managers hoped to build their team around. Flash forward to 2020, the question is whether or not he's a QB1 anymore in 12-team leagues.

On the surface, it seems crazy, but Rodgers is coming off a less-than-ideal fantasy season. He finished as the QB11 in total points, but was the QB15 on a per-game basis, behind players like Matthew Stafford (injury), Drew Brees (injury), Ryan Tannehill (didn't start until Week 7) and Daniel Jones (didn't start until Week 3). With those four players back healthy and starting Week 1, along with the returning Ben Roethlisberger and newly-drafted Joe Burrow, it's not unfair to question Rodgers' status as a QB1—especially given all the other distractions that now surround him in Green Bay .

However, there's also something to be said for Rodgers' consistency over the years. He was the QB4 in 2018, QB7 in 2017, QB1 in 2016, QB8 in 2015, QB2 in 2014 and QB4 in 2013 on a per-game basis. The weapons around him have deteriorated over time, but they're not any worse in 2020 than they were in 2019. He does have some injury history, but his extended absences in 2013 and 2017 are countered by ten other seasons with one combined missed game due to injury.

If anything, Rodgers is the latest and greatest example as to why you should wait on drafting a quarterback in single-QB formats. I'll gladly have Rodgers as my starting quarterback as the 11th passer off the board.

MORE FROM SI FANTASY

Published May 18, 2020

JAIME EISNER