How Would an Aaron Rodgers Move to Denver Affect Fantasy Football Values?

Now that Nathaniel Hackett has been hired as head coach of the Denver Broncos, it's fair to ask whether Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will follow his now former offensive coordinator from Titletown to Mile High. Should Rodgers suit up for Denver next fall, there would be a massive fantasy football impact on the Orange Crush.

For starters, the wide receiver room in Denver would get a huge boost. Denver's leading pass catcher last year was Courtland Sutton, with just 776 yards on 58 receptions, 46th-best in the NFL. Whether next year's team leader is Sutton or someone more along the lines of Jerry Jeudy, those numbers would figure to see a dramatic increase. Of course, it's unlikely that Sutton or Jeudy end up being Rodgers' top target. Pro Football Network tweeted a couple of days ago that, per Tony Pauline, Rodgers wants Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling to play with him in 2022, so a Denver offense next year could include, say, Adams, MVS, and Jeudy and make Sutton and Tim Patrick irrelevant for fantasy purposes. In that case, Denver becomes Green Bay West, with Adams and Valdes-Scantling in their normal roles and Jeudy playing the part of Allen Lazard, still an upgrade from his 2021 season.

There's also potential for Noah Fant's stats to see an increase. In the past, tight ends have had big years catching passes from Rodgers, especially Robert Tonyan in 2020, who scored 11 times on just 3.3 catches per game. Like nearly all tight ends in the modern NFL, the fantasy role of a pass-catching tight end is far from a certain, but Fant could be a late-round flier who goes boom if the fantasy gods are feeling right. Tonyan is also a free agent, however, and could decide to follow Hackett, especially if Rodgers, Adams, and MVS head west too.

Finally, there's the running back room. Javonte Williams and Melvin Gordon combined for 1,812 yards on exactly 203 carriers apiece last year. Should both remain with Denver in 2022, their total combined rushes would likely decrease given what would be a heightened ability in the passing game for the team as a whole, thereby reducing their fantasy value as individuals. Gordon, though, is a free agent, and a new team for him would provide a significant increase to Williams' upside regardless of Rodgers' superb ability to get the ball to his pass catchers.

So while Denver's choice of QB for 2022 is still up in the air, the selection of Aaron Rodgers would have a huge impact on the fantasy football relevance of nearly every offensive skill player on the Broncos' roster. What ends up happening will ultimately determine the fantasy value of many Denver players in 2022.