Fantasy Alert: Packers' AJ Dillon Wants to Play 'More Reckless' and Punish Defenses

Opposing defenders may want to steer clear of Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon this season.

Dillon told the Associated Press' Steve Megargee he intends to play with an added edge and physicality.

"I think I just really need to play just a little bit more — it's hard to put a word on it — but like passionate," he said. "I think I need to go out there and just play a little bit more reckless, so not trying to play perfect, not trying to play perfect football. Nobody does. Just kind of go out there and for a lack of words, kind of make defenses feel me."

Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans laid out a similar goal earlier in the offseason. He told reporters in May he believes Dillon "could've been playing at a more aggressive level."

"And then we talked about it, watched the tape, he saw what I was referring to and then he applied what we talked about to moving on," Sirmans said.

Dillon didn't quite reach the heights some were expecting last season. His total yards (770) and yards per carry (4.1) were both below where they were in 2021.

Aaron Jones restructured his contract to solidify his future in Green Bay, and he's likely to remain the No. 1 option in the ground attack. Dillon may nonetheless have a bigger platform in 2023 if the Packers intend to emphasize the ground game more with Jordan Love replacing Aaron Rodgers.

The 25-year-old clearly has a strong incentive to deliver as he approaches the end of his rookie contract. The running back market has clearly cratered, but he still might have the opportunity to collect a nice raise on his $1.3 million salary for 2023 along with added long-term security.

Some fantasy football managers may still feel burned a bit if they forecasted Dillon to enjoy a bit of a breakout in 2022. This might be when the stars finally align for him.