Green Bay Packers Week 8 Stock Report

The Green Bay Packers haven't played a game since Oct. 18 due to their Week 7 bye, so it wouldn't be fair to judge whether players' stocks are rising or falling based on performance. 

Rather, the Packers desperately needed their bye week to get healthy, think of this week's stock report as a tracker to measure which players are looking like they'll be ready to play in Week 8, and which ones could still need some time to heal. 

Thus, in no way are injured players with "falling" stocks being criticized, but rather their chances of playing against the Denver Broncos are looking poor. 

Let's break down whether prospects are looking up or down for the following five players who entered the bye week injured.  

Rising: WR Davante Adams

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

In what, by this point, is music to Aaron Rodgers' ears, head coach Mike McCarthy expects wide receiver Davante Adams to start on Sunday against the Broncos. 

"I would think so," McCarthy responded Monday before practice when asked if Adams would return in Week 8, per Wes Hodkiewicz of Press-Gazette Media.

Adams has missed nearly four full weeks with an ankle injury, and the offense has suffered as a result. Randall Cobb has faced nearly constant double coverage, and Rodgers has lost a skilled receiver who can run the route tree and keep the offense moving up-tempo. 

In the two complete games he played, Adams was targeted by Rodgers a total of 14 times, demonstrating how much the quarterback looked to Adams prior to his injury. Though Adams was never expected to replace Jordy Nelson in production, he's running many of the same routes. Thus, his return should be a boon to the offense.  

Falling: WR Ty Montgomery

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

While Aaron Rodgers may be getting one receiver back on Sunday, he looks to be without another. 

Rookie wideout Ty Montgomery did not practice on Wednesday as he continues to recover from an ankle injury he suffered in the Week 6 game against the Chargers. 

In an ideal world, the offense would get both Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery back in Week 8, as they do different things on the field.

The former can be an outside-the-numbers threat, while the latter can line up in the slot and backfield, not to mention his special teams contributions. 

Ultimately, however, the most important thing for the rookie is preserving his health, and so at least the potential loss of Montgomery on Sunday is mitigated by Adams' return. 

Rising: SS Morgan Burnett

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On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers will become a much stronger force if strong safety Morgan Burnett, who has missed all but one game this season, returns in Week 8 against Denver. 

Though he has had a small sample size of production this season, Burnett's difference-making against the run has been noticeable. 

Burnett's run defense was missed in Week 1—his first game on the sidelines—as the Packers allowed Chicago running back Matt Forte to gain 141 yards. 

When Burnett returned in Week 2—the only game he has started so far this season—Green Bay held Seattle rusher Marshawn Lynch to 41 yards. 

Micah Hyde has been passable in Burnett's absence, but he specializes more in being a rangy safety. The best—and one of the only—true strong safety on the roster, Burnett's presence will be key to shut down Denver's rushing game. 

Falling: RB James Starks

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Running back James Starks bailed out an apparently ailing Eddie Lacy and had one of the best games of his career in Week 6 against San Diego, rushing for 114 yards and a touchdown and keeping the offense moving on the ground. 

But Starks also apparently suffered a hip injury in that game, one that's been keeping him out of practice this week. 

Head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday he was "hoping [Starks] can do more," per the team's twitter, but at least at this point in the week his status for Sunday night's game is looking doubtful. 

That could be bad news, considering how lackluster Lacy has been to start the year. Against Denver's strong defensive front, the Packers can't afford to be one-dimensional. 

We may not find out if Starks is a go until Sunday afternoon. 

Rising: NT B.J. Raji

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The Packers run defense should get a boost from the return of nose tackle B.J. Raji. The anchor of the line has been missed in both the run defense and pass rush. 

Raji was limited in practice on Wednesday, per Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but is well on his way to returning from the groin injury he suffered in Week 5. 

Even at that time, Raji remained on the sidelines after his injury, rather than going back to the locker room, and with the Week 7 bye to heal up he's in good shape. 

Raji has 13 combined tackles and .5 sacks so far this season, but his contributions go beyond the stat sheet. When Raji is anchoring the line, he can eat gaps and allow linebackers and other pass-rushing specialists to get into the backfield and disrupt the quarterback. 

The Packers will look to do just that against Peyton Manning on Sunday.