The New York Jets made the splash of the offseason with their decision to trade for superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers. With this transaction, the club is not only looking to snap their 12-year playoff drought, but it's evident that they're gearing up for a shot at their first Super Bowl title since 1969.
Interestingly enough, as realistic as it may be to see the Jets hoisting up the Vince Lombardi Trophy by year's end, when it comes to fantasy championships there could be several members of the organization paving the way for managers.
Aaron Rodgers' arrival in New York not only elevates the organization's potential as a whole in real life but that of various individuals and units in the land of make-believe as well.
With this in mind, here are 3 Jets with skyrocketing fantasy football stock following the April 26 blockbuster.
3) D/ST
Though some fantasy football managers may scoff at the notion of seeing a team's defense/ special teams mentioned on this list, anyone who's had consistent production from the position throughout the years knows just how vital it can be in deciding a game's ultimate outcome.
On the flip side, for those who have had unfortunate luck in this department, seeing your D/ST slot register a whopping zero or even negative points in a close contest is a feeling one rarely forgets.
Last season, the Jets were seen rolling out their defense at an ungodly rate due to their incompetent quarterback play and the club's worst-ranked offense.
Despite this, and the fact that they were almost certainly gassed from constantly being used, New York's defense and special teams unit still placed within the top 10 in points per game, as per the Fantasy Pros.
With a guy like Aaron Rodgers now leading the charge on offense, one should expect this Jets defense to be on the field for fewer possessions than they were in 2022, thus giving the unit more time to catch their breath and be better prepared to put their best foot forward when called upon.
This, of course, should only equate to an even better fantasy season.
2) Garrett Wilson, WR
In his first season in the NFL, wide receiver Garrett Wilson saw four different quarterbacks slinging him the rock, with the best of the bunch being a way-past-prime journeyman in Joe Flacco and the worst being perhaps the most polarizing NFL Draft bust since JaMarcus Russell in Zach Wilson.
Despite this lackluster assortment of talent, however, the 22-year-old still went on to have a highly effective rookie campaign, both from a real and fantasy football perspective.
Playing in every game of the season, Garrett Wilson finished 2022 off with 83 receptions and 1,103 receiving yards. Even with the fact that he only managed to rake in 4 receiving touchdowns, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year still finished the year off as a top-20 receiver in half-point scoring formats.
Adding a sure-fire Hall of Fame signal caller who has won two of the league's past three MVPs into the mix in Aaron Rodgers should only help increase this level of production by a considerable margin during his upcoming sophomore campaign.
1) Aaron Rodgers, QB
Could a bounce-back season be on the horizon for Aaron Rodgers in 2023? You're dang right it could be!
There's no denying that the quarterback's level of play from a fantasy and, frankly, a real-life perspective was highly underwhelming this past year. However, let's not forget, the supporting cast that surrounded him was equally as poor during his final season with the Green Bay Packers.
Seemingly on the fly, Rodgers had to try and transition from having a trusty star target in Davante Adams to throw it to for the better part of a decade to an assortment of both young/ inexperienced receivers headlined by Christian Watson and past-peak elder weapons such as Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins.
His collection of weapons with the Jets with the aforementioned budding star receiver Garrett Wilson leading the charge heading into his second year easily seems to be more enticing.
However, as the late great Billy Mays would say: “But wait, there's more!”
Not only is his new crop of receivers seemingly upgraded, but Aaron Rodgers will officially be reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Nathaniel Hackett, who held play-calling duties during the 39-year-old's two most recent MVP seasons where he registered 8,414 passing yards and a whopping 91 total touchdowns during this two-year span.
Now in a new environment with several familiar faces, the hope is that Rodgers will more closely resemble his 2021 self rather than what we saw in 2022.
The odds already seem to be in his favor.
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