Green Bay Packers - Fantasy News

Jordy Nelson - Not expected to take pay cut

2/28/18

NFL

Green Bay Packers

Jordy Nelson

After returning for the 2016 season after missing the previous campaign while recovering from a torn ACL, Nelson wasn't the downfield threat he had been in his prime years, but was nonetheless supremely impressive in finishing with 97 receptions for 1,257 yards and 14 touchdowns. That showing was expected to make Nelson a safe early-round fantasy selection in 2017, but the wideout instead saw his numbers crash in dramatic fashion, averaging a career-worst 9.1 yards per reception while scoring just six touchdowns, his lowest total in any season since 2010. While the absence of franchise quarterback Aaron Rodgers (collarbone) for the bulk of 10 games surely factored into the downturn in productivity, Nelson still didn't look like his usual self in the six contests Rodgers completed, reeling in 22 of 33 targets for 258 yards, with only three receptions of 20-plus yards. It appears the Packers aren't planning to limit Nelson's role or ask him to take a pay cut as he heads into his age-33 campaign, but his diminished explosiveness means that fantasy players shouldn't necessarily expect a dramatic bounceback from the receiver in 2018 even with a healthy Rodgers back in the fold.