Jordan Love, Christian Watson, More Packers Fantasy Outlook After Aaron Rodgers Trade

The Green Bay Packers will have a whole new look in the 2023 season. That could have fantasy managers wondering just how to approach this roster before their drafts.

With Aaron Rodgers now a member of the New York Jets, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Jordan Love Era is upon us in Green Bay. Can he be trusted in fantasy?

Probably not. (At least not right away.)

The issue here is sample size. Love has appeared in 10 games in his career but has only made one start as a rookie back in 2021. In that game—a 13-7 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs—he finished 19-of-34 for 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception, taking one sack. He also rushed five times for 23 yards.

In total, the 24-year-old has thrown for 606 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions during his career. So, how exactly do we determine whether he's worthwhile as a fantasy option?

It's easier to find warning signs than indications of a breakout season incoming. The Packers don't have a ton of weapons in the passing game aside from Christian Watson. Allen Lazard, their leading receiver from last season, is joining Rodgers on the Jets. The Packers haven't been particularly busy in free agency.

Early in his career, when Rodgers was called upon to spell Brett Favre, he flashed hints of brilliance. We haven't seen as much of that from Love in his brief cameos.

At this point, Love is best considered a shot-in-the-dark QB2 consideration. Maybe he'll surprise everyone and become a sneaky QB1 and feel-good story. More likely than not, he's going to go through some growing pains.

As for the rest of the offense, Watson is the one player with legitimate big-play potential, which should keep him in the flex ranks next season. But again, if you can't trust the quarterback, it's hard to trust the receiver, especially one entering his second season. Watson may take a step forward, but not enough to expect him to enter top-25 territory at wideout.

Beyond that, the only players worth trusting on this offense are running backs Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The former remains a low-end RB2, while the latter has breakout potential if he gets a bigger workload. Regardless, Dillon is a solid flex option for now.