The Green Bay Packers are still figuring things out this season. They made some good progress against the Chicago Bears in Week 2 with a 27-10 victory after getting blown out in Week 1 by the Minnesota Vikings, It's clear the Packers are a work in progress, but they are still in the process of finding their offensive identity in the early going here.
The big thing the Packers are working on figuring out is how to replace the loss of star wide receiver Davante Adams. They don't really have a top pass-catcher who can replace him, but they do have a strong running back duo in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon and a top-tier quarterback in Aaron Rodgers leading the way. Despite their odd start to the season, the Packers should still be expected to win more games than they lose.
Still, someone is going to have to catch passes from Rodgers, it's just that no one really knows who the main guy is going to be yet. That makes this veteran wide receiver a very tantalizing sleeper in most fantasy leagues, and Week 3 could be the perfect time to add him to your team. Let's take a look at who this player is and why he holds so much fantasy value.
Packers Week 3 fantasy football sleeper
WR Sammy Watkins
Sammy Watkins has never really been a source of consistent fantasy football production throughout his career, and that may ultimately not change this season with the Packers. Watkins signed with Green Bay this offseason to help out their barren wide receiver corps, and it looks like he may be in store for a big role moving forward if he can continue to develop a rapport with Rodgers under center.
Watkins, much like the rest of Green Bay's offense, had a slow start to the season in Week 1 when he hauled in just three passes for 18 yards. It wasn't a horrible debut, and it at least showed that Watkins was on Rodgers' radar, even despite all the various names they have competing for targets this season.
Week 2 offered a glimpse at what Watkins could become in Green Bay's offense this season. Watkins once again hauled in just three passes, but instead of picking up 18 yards, he turned it into 93 yards against the Bears. Watkins got behind Chicago's secondary on a couple of occasions and made them pay in a big way.
Throughout his career, that's primarily been Watkins' value; get behind the secondary and rip off some big plays. Some games he does it more than others, but when he connects on deep passes, Watkins has a lot of fantasy value.
Now more than ever, Watkins could be a viable fantasy option. Not only is he a deep threat who could pop off for an explosive touchdown at any given moment, but he also has the ability to become one of Rodgers' most trusted targets on underneath routes too. Allen Lazard is probably Rodgers' top target, but after him, the second wide receiver role is up for grabs.
Watkins may end up having an inside track for that role, which would be interesting given how he didn't make a ton of noise during training camp and is still working on his relationship with Rodgers. But Watkins strong Week 2 performance shows that he has upside as a solid secondary wide receiver for fantasy owners this season.
Until he commands a larger target share in the Packers passing game, starting Watkins is probably the riskiest move you can make. His fantasy production throughout his career has been extremely volatile, and through two weeks with Green Bay, that trend has continued. But there's a chance that Watkins will step up and command more targets from Rodgers as the season goes on.
Adding Watkins to your team ahead of Week 3 may be a shrewd move. He's already proven that he can make plays in the Packers offense, and as he becomes more comfortable with Rodgers it's safe to expect his role to increase. After all, the Packers need pretty much all the help they can get at wide receiver, and Watkins has certainly proven to be a reliable option when he gets thrown the ball throughout his career.
Watkins isn't an addition that is going to pay off right away; if he was, he wouldn't be a sleeper. There's a decent chance that Watkins' role within the Packers offense will expand as the season progresses, and he could end up becoming a dangerous player with Rodgers throwing passes to him. Sammy Watkins may ultimately remain the boom or bust player he always has been, but there's a chance his tenure with the Packers this season will be different, and adding him to your fantasy team wouldn't be a bad idea.
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