Aaron Rodgers Just an Average Quarterback in Fantasy Leagues in 2022
Even though former Cal star Aaron Rodgers was named the NFL MVP each of the past two seasons and is now the highest-paid player in pro football, fantasy football experts consider him just an average quarterback at best.
Anyone with just a passing interest in the various fantasy football leagues knows that stardom on the field does not necessarily translate to stardom in the statistics-laced, make-believe world of fantasy football. But the status of Rodgers is particularly interesting, considering many consider him the best quarterback in the game and one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
None of ESPN.com’s six fantasy football experts rank Rodgers better than the ninth-best fantasy quarterback for the 2022 season, and the composite average of the six experts ranks him as the 12th-best fantasy quarterback and the 107th-best fantasy player overall in PPR and non-PPR fantasy leagues. The Fantasy Pros website similarly ranks Rodgers 13th among quarterbacks and 100 overall.
---Click here for the difference between PPR and non-PPR leagues---
Then we come to the CBS Sports Dynasty fantasy rankings, which place Rodgers as the 23rd-best fantasy quarterback, behind the likes of Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Daniel Jones, Zach Wilson and Tua Tagovailoa.
Mind-boggling to those unfamiliar with the workings of fantasy football.
One problem with Rodgers as a fantasy player is that he doesn’t run much, and that is a factor in fantasy point scoring.
But that does not explain everything. Afterall, Sports Illustrated fantasy football expert Michael Fabiano rated Rodgers among the top six fantasy quarterbacks immediately after he signed his contract extension with the Packers. Fabiano said this:
Heading into his age-38 season (he turns 39 in December), Rodgers will remain one of the top six quarterbacks in fantasy football. His presence in Green Bay is also expected to lead to the return of pending free agent Davante Adams, who will remain one of the two best wideouts in fantasy football. The Packers do have other questions in the rest of the passing game, as Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard (RFA) and Robert Tonyan are all slated to become free agents. The Packers also have a miserable cap situation, as they’re in the bottom three in the NFL in terms of salaries, per Spotrac.
Adams is the issue. Soon after Rodgers signed, Adams was traded to the Raiders, so Rodgers will be missing a key piece of a passing combination that could rack up fantasy points. The Packers also lost Marquez Valdez-Scantling to free agency.
So when experts updated their Dynasty fantasy rankings, Rodgers’ status hit the skids, as noted here by CBS Sports.com
The biggest losers since the last update are Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers. Mayfield, because it's looking more and more like he won't have a starting job in 2022. Rodgers, because even with Christian Watson I don't believe the Packers have a No. 1 receiver and without a No. 1 receiver I don't believe Rodgers is a top-12 quarterback this year. If you're 38 years old and not currently a difference-maker, it's hard to get excited about your Dynasty value.
---Click here for an explanation of how Dynasty fantasy leagues work---
Fantasy Pros went even further, suggesting fantasy-league participants might want to make Rodgers the backup quarterback on their team:
At age 38, Rodgers is still one of the best pure passers in the game, and there have been no discernible signs of decline. But make no mistake: Losing star WR Davante Adams is going to damage Rodgers' fantasy value. Expect at least incremental declines in both passing volume and efficiency. Rodgers has led the league in passer rating for two straight seasons and rarely throws interceptions, but he does very little running anymore. Without Adams, Rodgers' ceiling is probably low-end QB1, and it's probably best to view him as a high-end QB2.
Rodgers as a backup? Now that’s a fantasy.
The best fantasy choice among former Cal players is Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen. He is ranked ninth among wide receivers in ESPN.com’s PPR wide receivers and 14th among non-PPR wide receivers. More importantly, he is ranked No. 28 overall by ESPN’s Matthew Berry, while Rodgers is 90th. Wide receivers in general have more value than quarterbacks in fantasy football, but that is a big gap.
Fantasy Pros ranks Allen 30th and Rodgers 100th.
Former Golden Bears wide receiver Marvin Jones barely gets a sniff. Fantasy Pros rank him the 71st-best fantasy wide receiver and the 192nd-best fantasy player overall.
It's a good thing fantasy performances don't count in the standings or when Pro Bowl selections are made.
.
Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Benny Sieu, USA TODAY Sports
.
Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53
Find Cal Sports Report on Facebook by searching: @si.calsportsreport or going to https://www.facebook.com/si.calsportsrepor
