Green Bay Packers at New Orleans Saints
Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 8:20pm
Line: Saints -3

Aaron Rodgers – It has been a great start for Rodgers but getting games against the Lions and Vikings to begin the season will help you for sure. In fact, I was a little disappointed by his output in Week 2, but the team got so far ahead they just pounded the run. It will be a much different story this week against a Saints offense that can score points and a Saints defense that is typically pretty solid and can rush the quarterback. The way he has started it would be tough to not play Rodgers, but I am not expecting a top five fantasy quarterback kind of game from him. 

Aaron Jones – He might not get 19 touchdowns again this season, but Jones is on a great roll to start 2020 for sure. He decimated the Lions on Sunday and has scored in both games so far. He will find it to be a tough one this week against the Saints who did hold Josh Jacobs to under 100 yards despite 27 carries. It isn’t a reason to sit Jones because the Packers offense is firing on all cylinders right now, but I would find better options for your DFS games. 

Davante Adams – He missed time in the last one due to a hamstring injury, but all signs are pointing to Adams playing without restriction this weekend. He would certainly draw the blanket coverage of Marshon Lattimore , but even one of the best corners can’t hold this guy down for an entire game. Adams might not have one of his big explosion games, but there is no reason that he can’t top 75-80 yards and perhaps find the end zone. 

Allen Lazard – Even with Adams not playing the whole game, Lazard still only had three catches for 45 yards. He is some nice bye week insurance and belongs on the end of rosters, but he isn’t someone that you should be excited about playing week to week, especially with Marquez Valdes-Scantling playing well at the moment. Again, it isn’t time to drop Lazard unless someone unexpected is on your bench, but he is a flex play at best, and even that might be a stretch. 

Marques Valdez-Scantling – He continues to make a couple of big plays a game that make him fantasy relevant, but I remind you again the level of competition that Green Bay has been facing has been very low. Valdes-Scantling did have two more targets than any other receiver (remember Adams didn’t play the whole game) but still had 41 of his 64 yards on one catch. He needs to have a bomb in each one or he will come up near empty. He is a low-level flex play in a game that will likely be lower scoring than the first couple the Pack have played. 

Drew Brees – He and the Saints offense are obviously missing Michael Thomas (d’uh), and it showed on Monday against the Raiders. He still threw for 312 yards, but a good deal of that was trying to have a passing charge to get back into the game. Brees had just one touchdown, and clearly has to come down a peg. He should be about the same against a Packers defense that hasn’t been bad through two weeks. They have a couple good corners, and while Brees might pile up the yards again, I wouldn’t be shocked if he had just one touchdown again. 

Alvin Kamara – This guy is just ridiculously good, and with Thomas out, look for them to run a bit more. It also helps that they are going against the Packers who are far from a good run defense. I mean they just let Kerryon Johnson have a running touchdown against them. This is a home run week to play Kamara not only in your seasonal leagues, but he will also be a great guy to roster in DFS games. 

Emmanuel Sanders – I expected him to be the main beneficiary of the Thomas injury, but instead he had just one catch for 18 yards on three targets. There will be better days ahead for Sanders but predicting them might be difficult. The Packers secondary is fairly stout, so if you have options that you feel better about over Sanders, feel free to let him ride the pine this week. 

Tre’Quan Smith – He surprisingly led the receivers in catches and yards, even if he didn’t have the touchdown. Smith is a very curious player. He has great skills and play making ability, but he is inconsistent, and his hands aren’t always reliable. He isn’t likely to hit his five catches for 85-yard production that he had Monday night, but he is at least worth a flex play for Week 3. 

Jared Cook – He did have a touchdown and he did have five targets, but he had just two catches for 13 yards. He was another guy that I thought would get more looks with Thomas out. And not that five targets is bad, but I expected more after his solid Week 1 performance. I am chalking this one up to the offense having to change gears completely without their top weapon and the whole team will perform better this week against Green Bay. 

Summary: The Saints are coming off a tough loss on Monday night and stay in prime time with a tougher opponent. The offense clearly wasn’t the same without their star receiver, and the Packers may be without theirs as well. I still think that Davante Adams plays in a game as important as this one, and as good as the Saints defense is, it can’t hold Green Bay down forever. This one should be a lot of fun but Green Bay takes it.

Pick: Packers 31, Saints 27