The Green Bay Packers head to Minneapolis to take on their division rival Minnesota Vikings with their completely revamped wide receiving corps. Allen Lazard, however, may not be an available target for reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers. The fourth-year wideout missed last week’s practices with an ankle injury sustained the week before and is now considered doubtful heading into Week 1. Here’s what we know.
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Allen Lazard (ankle) is doubtful for Week 1 versus the Vikings
Allen Lazard is reportedly doubtful for Sunday’s Week 1 matchup with the Vikings after being stepped on at practice last week and missing practice this week.
Fantasy Impact
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, as Lazard has been unable to practice all week. The wideout is projected to be Aaron Rodgers’ No. 1 target heading into the season, but they will now have to pivot. Expect rookies Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson (if he takes the field) along with Sammy Watkins to see a boost in targets in Lazard’s absence. However, running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will likely be the focal points of the Green Bay offense.
Related News
- Allen Lazard (ankle) misses practice Friday
- Allen Lazard misses practice Thursday
- Allen Lazard: status uncertain for Week 1
What the Experts are Saying
Lazard is doubtful with an ankle injury and almost certainly a no-go after missing three practices in a row. They haven’t told us if this is of the high ankle or low ankle variety. High ankle usually means two to four weeks for a WR, and a low ankle usually is closer to one to two.
-Deepak Chona
Reports coming out of Green Bay sound pessimistic about Allen Lazard suiting up for Week 1. We’ll discuss his Week 1 prospects as though he’s suiting up and adjust from there. Last year Lazard saw a 10% target share (third on the team) and 15% of the team’s air yards playing 42% of his snaps from the slot. He was third on the team in deep targets. The area of Lazard’s usage that really stands out was his team-leading 23% end zone target share. With Adams gone, Lazard will likely play more outside, matching him up with Patrick Peterson and Cameron Dantzler this week. Peterson surrendered a 57.8% catch rate and 89.0 passer rating last season. Dantzler was quite good with a 52.4% catch rate and 70.3 passer rating in coverage.
-Derek Brown
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