Getty Allen Lazard of the Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers have been hungry for playmakers on the outside ever since pro-bowl wide receiver Davante Adams went down with a turf toe injury back in Week 4. Fortunately for them, little-known player Allen Lazard seems to have emerged at just the right time.
The Packers will once again be short-handed in terms of pass catchers this week as Davante Adams has already been ruled out, Geronimo Allison is doubtful, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling is listed as questionable ahead of their matchup with the Oakland Raiders.
Lazard seems primed to inherit the wide receiver one role in Green Bay, even if it’s just for one week. Does that make him a must-start in your fantasy football lineup? Let’s discuss.
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Allen Lazard’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Oakland Raiders
Allen Lazard was the surprise star of last week’s Monday Night Football contest. The former Iowa State Cyclone enjoyed a game of firsts in the team’s divisional win over the Detroit Lions. First Lazard hauled in his first-ever catch thrown by Aaron Rodgers, he quickly followed that up with his first-ever career touchdown.
So who exactly is Allen Lazard? Well, for starters, he was a stud during his time in college. The 6’5” nearly 230 pound wideout dominated the competition, finishing as a first team-all Big 12 in his final two seasons at Iowa State. Despite, his production and superb stature, Lazard was passed up by all 32 NFL teams during the 2018 draft. He was eventually signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent the majority of his rookie season on the team’s practice squad. This is the situation in which Lazard credits his growth into the player we all saw on display last Monday night.
“I was going against Jalen Ramsey every single day,” Lazard stated. “And so just to be able to sit there and go against him, and really, I was studying, watching him, how he reacted against me and how he played me. I sat there and talked to him, asked him questions. What was he doing here? What was he thinking?”
So is Lazard a one-hit wonder? Or is he a viable fantasy option moving forward? The fact that Aaron Rodgers lobbied to get Lazard on the field last week should speak volumes on Lazard’s staying power.
Yet, while it’s clear Lazard has gained the trust of his quarterback, certainly a major plus, does that mean he is destined to produce at a high level for your fantasy team in Week 7?
Lazard will serve as the likely pseudo WR1 for an injury-riddled Green Bay Packers receiving corps against the quietly improving Oakland Raiders. While Oakland may be the middle of the pack in terms of total defense (ranked 16th in the NFL) they have had tremendous trouble at containing wide receivers in terms of fantasy output. The Raiders allow the seventh-most points to opposing wideouts this season on a per-game basis. Teams’ top targets at receiver have averaged a staggering 21.18 points against Oakland this season, while none has scored below 12.3 points. The team also allows the fifth-most receiving touchdowns (1.6) per game to the receiver position this season.
Should You Start or Sit Allen Lazard in Week 7?
With Adams out, Allison likely out, and MVS a question mark heading into Week 7, Green Bay has no choice but to involve Lazard in their passing game.
The former Big 12 standout has garnered the trust of Aaron Rodgers, and he should earn yours as well. Start Lazard as a WR3 with WR2 upside in a plus-matchup against the Oakland Raiders secondary.
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