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The Green Bay Packers are in unfamiliar territory. They have missed the playoffs in the past two seasons. Some have been quick to criticize Aaron Rodgers and how the quarterback has handled his business.
Earlier this offseason, the Packers announced they were hiring Matt LaFleur to replace Mike McCarthy after McCarthy spent 13 seasons with the franchise. Now, LaFleur is expected to rejuvenate the Packers' offense.
Last season, Rodgers had a tibial plateau fracture that he played with through the entire season. To people who don't know what that is, to put it simply: It hurts. The injury prevented the Packers' quarterback from being as mobile as he usually is.
Therefore, the All-Pro quarterback had a “down” season in 2018 with Green Bay. Rodgers threw for 4,442 yards, 25 touchdowns, and two interceptions.
In 2018, Rodgers finished with 312.6 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues. Even in a disappointing season, Rodgers had more fantasy points than Drew Brees (304 fantasy points). Can Rodgers return to being a reliable fantasy football option at quarterback in 2019?
As long as the veteran quarterback can avoid injuries, it's an inevitability. Just because Rodgers didn't play up to standards due to injury in 2018, that doesn't mean he isn't one of the league's best quarterbacks.
After all, Rodgers is two years removed from throwing 4,442 yards and 40 touchdowns. What should we expect to see from Rodgers this year in terms of fantasy football?
As it pertains to passing yards, Rodgers has eclipsed 4,000 yards through the air in seven out of the 11 seasons he has started. Only one of the seasons in which he missed 4,000 yards came when he played in all 16 games.
Therefore, it's safe to assume that Rodgers will throw for over 4,000 yards if he plays all season. It's likely that Rodgers will air the ball out for at least 4,400 yards in 2019 for the Packers.
Getting the ball into the end zone is very important in the NFL… and for your fantasy football team. Touchdowns were hard to come by for Rodgers; the Packers ranked 20th in the NFL in passing touchdowns per game in 2018.
Now, with LaFleur, the offense should look a bit different. Green Bay should get more opportunities to score. With Davante Adams plus Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Geronimo Allison, touchdowns should be plentiful in 2019.
If healthy, Rodgers should return to throwing over 30 touchdowns for the first time since 2016. This season, Rodgers will throw for at least 34 touchdowns in the new-look Packers offense.
Turnovers have never been an issue for Rodgers. With that being said, Rodgers is actually historic — in a good way — with his interception rate. In his career, Rodgers has 338 touchdowns to 80 interceptions.
That means Rodgers throws an interception (on average) every four touchdowns or so. In comparison, Nathan Peterman has thrown 67% of Rodgers' career interceptions in just four starts.
As expected, Rodgers will throw six or fewer interceptions in the upcoming season. Anything more than that and we could begin to worry about Rodgers.
All in all, Rodgers could be looking at a season in which he throws for 4,400 yards, 34 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Packers' quarterback could also tack on a few rushing scores on his way to being a viable fantasy quarterback once again in 2019.
