The key to winning at dynasty fantasy football is to identify and follow trends and patterns. There is a crystal clear indication that we are hurtling toward a third-year breakout for the one they call “Quadzilla”. The nimble behemoth in Green Bay is a business decision running on proverbial tree trunks. When the tundra at Lambeau Field freezes over, the Packers can bank on their 247-pound weapon to snap arm tackles like a machete through wispy vines. A.J. Dillon might be in a clear timeshare with Aaron Jones this season, but there are many reasons why that won’t matter in the lens of dynasty managers going forward.
Offensive Scheme
The departure of alpha receiver Davante Adams means it’s inevitable that Matt LaFleur will need to look to someone else for Aaron Rodgers to count on to move the chains and score in the red zone. LaFleur is a disciple of the Shanahan offensive coaching tree, thus it can be expected that more jumbo packages and exotic run-play packages are on the docket for 2022 and beyond. Dillon piled on over 200 touches last season with only a 45% opportunity share, per PlayerProfiler.com. Aaron Jones’ injury history has been increasingly extensive the last couple of seasons, leaving little doubt that Dillon’s prospects of earning more touches are pointing skyward.
The key to winning at dynasty fantasy football is to identify and follow trends and patterns. There is a crystal clear indication that we are hurtling toward a third-year breakout for the one they call “Quadzilla”. The nimble behemoth in Green Bay is a business decision running on proverbial tree trunks. When the tundra at Lambeau Field freezes over, the Packers can bank on their 247-pound weapon to snap arm tackles like a machete through wispy vines. A.J. Dillon might be in a clear timeshare with Aaron Jones this season, but there are many reasons why that won’t matter in the lens of dynasty managers going forward.
Offensive Scheme
The departure of alpha receiver Davante Adams means it’s inevitable that Matt LaFleur will need to look to someone else for Aaron Rodgers to count on to move the chains and score in the red zone. LaFleur is a disciple of the Shanahan offensive coaching tree, thus it can be expected that more jumbo packages and exotic run-play packages are on the docket for 2022 and beyond. Dillon piled on over 200 touches last season with only a 45% opportunity share, per PlayerProfiler.com. Aaron Jones’ injury history has been increasingly extensive the last couple of seasons, leaving little doubt that Dillon’s prospects of earning more touches are pointing skyward.
Versatility
While Jones is the obvious starter while healthy, and a better receiver, Dillon is no slouch in the passing game. His catch rate was 91.9% last season (second in the NFL), pulling in 34 receptions for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers is perhaps the most intelligent quarterback in the NFL and knows full well what it means to get a monster like Dillon into open space as a ball carrier. Jones has a notorious nose for the end zone as a rusher and receiver; Dillon is the unstoppable force at the goal line the Packers will likely need without the greatest route runner in the NFL wreaking havoc on the defense. Dillon isn’t just a slow power back. He comes in with 98th-percentile speed and burst scores, which means he is terrifyingly athletic for his size.
Upside
The current running back landscape in the NFL is a cacophony of shrieking committees. Predicting usage is opaque and unbearably convoluted. The Green Bay Packers offer a refreshing clarity in this department. Assuming health, they will rotate Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in a near 50/50 split without much separation in their expected responsibilities. If either misses time due to injury, the other is primed for outstanding production and weekly RB1 upside. Dillon’s injury history in the NFL only consists of fractured ribs last postseason, while the 27-year-old Jones has fought through knee sprains, shoulder, and calf injuries over the past few seasons. It is reasonable to expect Dillon to continue to see his workload increase to preserve Jones’ availability over the remainder of his contract. Dillon is the Packers’ present and future at the running back position, thus giving him even more opportunities to produce RB1 weeks (and seasons) for dynasty managers who can acquire him at the value of a low-end RB2 (ADP 84).
The twilight of Aaron Rodgers’ career has been spectacular, but his back-to-back MVP awards could not have been realized without the staggering dominance of Davante Adams. I predict a seismic shift in philosophy in 2022 for the Green Bay Packers to continue their winning ways. Where most coaching staffs in the NFL would not be trustworthy enough to warrant investment in this type of undertaking, LaFleur et al get my stamp of approval. The team invested heavily in the trenches and added a couple of talented wide receivers through the draft. Their intent is blatant: They want to take the pressure off of Aaron Rodgers and win with a lethal running game with play-action, along with a nasty and opportunistic defense. The Packers cannot replace Adams, nor are they trying to. It is high time that a new star emerges in America’s Dairyland. I believe the Green Bay Packers wish it to be former Boston College Eagle, A.J. “Quadzilla” Dillon.
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