The Green Bay Packers offense is going to look very different this year. The departure of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is opening up 224 targets from last season. Green Bay did not make any significant moves to fill that void. They signed Sammy Watkins through free agency. But we have not seen him play a full season since his rookie year due to injuries.

The Packers drafted three wide receivers in this year's NFL Draft. They took Christian Watson out of North Dakota State with their second round pick 34th overall. In the fourth round, the Packers drafted Romeo Doubs out of Nevada. They weren't done though as Green Bay went back to the well and took Samori Toure in the seventh round out of Nebraska.

All three receivers made it through cuts and are on the active 53-man roster. But one has to wonder if they will have much of an impact this season. After all, Aaron Rodgers has already thrown them under the bus during training camp. That should leave Lazard as the top choice in Green Bay's passing game.

Fantasy Football Outlook for Packers WR Allen Lazard

Allen Lazard is currently being drafted as the 36th wide receiver off the board. He's going around pick number 92 overall, which is toward the end of the eighth round in 12-team leagues. If you can get him there, you are getting great value.

It's certainly not a lock that Lazard will take a huge leap and become Aaron Rodgers favorite target. But he is certainly the front runner to lead the team in targets. Unless I am forgetting something, Rodgers is still throwing passes in Green Bay. He is the two-time reigning NFL MVP and one of the most accurate passers in NFL history.

Last season, Lazard did not suit up in the game that Adams missed. But the last time that occurrence happened in 2020, Lazard blew up. On September 27, 2020, Lazard caught six of eight targets for 146 yards and a touchdown. I'm not crazy enough to say that I expect that to be anywhere close to the norm. But Lazard has shown in the past that he has the ability and most importantly, the trust of Rodgers.

We all witnessed in the Packers playoff loss how Rodgers was unwilling to throw the ball to anyone beside Davante Adams. The second half, he basically only targeted Adams. It didn't matter if he was double or triple teamed. Of course, that was part of the reason the team lost, but has not fantasy significance.

Lazard caught 40 passes for just over 500 yards last season. It is within the realm of possibility that he doubles those numbers as the top receiver in Green Bay.

Watkins has never lived up to the hype after a breakout rookie season with the Buffalo Bills. Even Patrick Mahomes couldn't make him consistently relevant. There's no reason to think he will be in Green Bay. The rest of the pass catchers are either rookies or injured. Lazard is healthy, has the trust of Rodgers, and does not have much competition for targets. That's a recipe for a solid WR2 at worst, but he is being drafted as a bench player.

In the middle to late rounds of fantasy drafts, it's all about upside. You are not likely to find anyone with more upside than Lazard in the ninth round.