New York Jets star quarterback Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon mere moments into his team debut in a game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. It’s a devastating blow for a team that has suffered tremendously from incompetent QB play over the last several seasons. With Rodgers now out for the remainder of the season, the Jets will be forced to turn back to former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson to lead the offense. Here’s what that means for fantasy football.
It’s Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook season
It was expected that the Jets’ two top running backs, Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, would command a tremendous portion of the team’s offensive opportunities, but that notion will be even more evident with Wilson at QB. On Monday night, in his first game back from an ACL injury, Hall showed off how dynamic of a back he can be. After ripping off a 26 yard run on New York’s first snap, he broke loose for an 83 yard gain early in the second quarter. In all, Hall tallied 10 carries for 127 yards.
Meanwhile, Cook managed 13 carries of his own. He wasn’t nearly as efficient after compiling 33 rush yards, but it’s a signal that he’ll be true 1B to Hall’s 1A. As both Hall and Cook become further removed from injuries, it can be expected that their workload will increase. Double-digit touches can be a weekly assumption for both, though opportunities for touchdowns are likely lower without Rodgers at the helm. Hall’s explosiveness and age make him the better fantasy option and player in real life. Still, Cook’s volume will make him a FLEX option at the very least.
Downgrade all Jets receivers
If Rodgers’ injury should haunt anybody, it’ll likely be fantasy managers that own Garrett Wilson. After making tremendous strides to build chemistry over the offseason, Wilson was poised for a second-year breakout with Rodgers. Those hopes have all but vanquished at this point. He did manage five catches and a touchdown with Zach Wilson under center on Monday, but the score was more the result of an acrobatic effort by the receiver than a well-placed throw by the QB. Wilson should be able to maintain WR2 status in fantasy football with his new signal-caller, but a WR1, potentially top-five finish is no longer a consideration for the 2023 campaign.
All other Jets receivers, including Allen Lazard, Tyler Conklin and Randall Cobb are off of the FLEX radar. Lazard may pass as a WR4, and Conklin a TE2.
Opposing defenses to the moon
The Jets were a formidable opponent without Rodgers last season, and about the same can be expected with Wilson returning under center. Hall and Cook will lead the offense and push for points on occasion, but the expertise and leadership of Rodgers will be dearly missed where QB play is concerned. We’ve seen New York suffer because of poor QB play in the past, and until Wilson proves otherwise, we can expect that he’ll severely cap the potential of his teammates on offense. That is great news for teams playing the Jets who have much less to worry about while defending Wilson than they would defending Rodgers.
