There were significant questions facing Green Bay Packers former first-round pick Matthew Golden entering his second NFL season. While Golden did not show many signs of life in his rookie year, his Week 1 performance has already got fantasy football analysts excited about his potential in 2026.
Heading into Week 2, Golden is becoming one of the biggest risers in the fantasy football landscape.
Green Bay Packers WR Matthew Golden is a Fantasy Football Buy
Eric Moody of ESPN previewed the game, and his biggest takeaway is that the Packers wide receiver should be in for a big game.
“Love threw for 387 yards — the second-most of his career — in Week 1 and attempted 42 passes,” wrote Moody. “Green Bay struggled to run the ball without RB Josh Jacobs (commissioner exempt list), and its offensive line ranked 25th in run block win rate (71.5%). The Packers would be wise to continue leaning on the passing game, benefiting Love, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden.”
The Packers leaned on Golden in Week 1, and he produced six catches for 95 yards. Still, it was not just the raw production. Matthew Berry of Fantasy Life noted that the metrcis behind Golden’s production suggest he is a player who can continue to thrive in fantasy football.
“In Week 1, Matthew Golden led the Packers in both target share (30%) and route participation (87%),” added Berry. “The Packers won’t have 42 pass attempts in most games, but his usage was significantly better than what we saw from Jayden Reed.
Golden is the WR2 you want in Green Bay. And might be the WR1A (I’m still a huge Christian Watson believer).”
Watson produced six catches for 147 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. So, Golden cannot quite dethrone him for the top spot.
Still, Golden was targeted 12 times while Watson was targeted eight. Meanwhile, Jayden Reed was targeted seven times and caught just three passes.
Watson was more efficient in Week 1, but as Berry notes, if Golden keeps getting work like that, he will be argued the top threat in Green Bay.
Golden is Emerging as WR1 For Packers Offense
Golden did not produce out of the gate with 361 yards as a rookie. He averaged just 25.8 yards per game. However, the Packers had both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks last year. Doubs is with the New England Patriots, and Wicks is with the Philadelphia Eagles now.
Watson and Reed were hurt last year, so Golden had chances to step up as a rookie. However, the team drafted Golden to replace Doubs and Wicks, not complement them. He was miscast in his role and did not fit into the offense.
Golden was averaging 1.53 yards per route run as a rookie. In one week, his yards per route run is up to 2.38. So he is more efficient when he is seeing the field.
The optimists for Golden were correct after one week. We will see if Golden can string it together for multiple games.
Packers Former 1st-Round Pick Deemed Fantasy Must-Buy in Week 2