2026 Team Previews Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers 2026 Preview

All ADP data is courtesy of Fantasy Pros.

** = target in drafts at this ADP

Drafted Everywhere

**Josh Jacobs, RB (ADP: 27, RB14): Jacobs is perennially a wee bit underrated, and typically enters Draft season as one of my predicted values. This season is no different. While we have some added concerns such as another season of heavy wear and tear in the books as well as potential legal issues, when we keep it strictly focused on the on-field product Jacobs is consistent as rain. He’s not the most explosive player we’ve ever seen nor is he highly efficient all the time. He is an absolute touchdown machine since joining the Packers though, and a reliable workhorse who has averaged over 15 carries per game in all but one of his seven NFL seasons.

Jacobs has scored double-digit rushing touchdowns in four of his NFL seasons, and has scored 30 total touchdowns in the past two seasons with Green Bay. He continues to operate as the very clear bell cow for the Packers with very little credible threats to his workload in sight, and he also contributes meaningfully as a pass catcher. Flashier backs are often taken ahead of Jacobs, but he’s been a rock solid RB1 for some time, and due to unclear reasons he’s now dropped to a high-end RB2. He wouldn’t last that long in my drafts.

Christian Watson, WR (ADP: 65, WR29): Watson returned pretty early from a torn ACL last season to the Packers’ lineup, and my expectations weren’t high. I had never been a huge fan of Watson’s game, and coming back off a major injury on a sped-up timeline looked like a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, we got 35 receptions, 611 yards and six touchdowns in 10 games. It was an extremely pleasant surprise, and a deeper look at his best season yet, even if it was abbreviated, shows that he returned a better player than he’s ever been.

Once upon a time, Watson was a big fast deep threat guy who could rack up a lot of points on not a lot of targets or catches, but it was volatile. He’s still going to be more volatile than you’d want from a WR2, but his Reception Perception charting shows a guy whose separation skills are improving a lot. 20% of his routes were still go routes, and he was successful on 61% of them. This is how he can contribute on chunk plays and still do damage even when his targets are low, but playing that way can lower your floor. Watson’s improved though on digs and outs, and working the intermediate areas will be a big deal for him drawing increased looks. The Packers’ WR room thinned out some this offseason with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks clearing out. This could mean steadier X receiver work for Watson, and we can’t say for sure what impact that would have on his usage, routes or volume. What we can say for sure is that 131 targets were vacated by those departures, and Watson’s presence on the field appears to be the safest bet among the remaining receivers. I’m not entirely certain Watson provides big value on this ADP, but the improvements in his game certainly make it likelier.

Tucker Kraft, TE (ADP: 68, TE6): Kraft had a bit of a breakout in 2024, and was on his way to cementing himself as an elite fantasy TE in 2025 before injury robbed him of the second half of the season. In only eight games Kraft had nearly matched his 2024 touchdown total, and had raced up 32 receptions for 489 yards. He was the Packers’ obvious top target in the red zone – which might change with Watson in the mix from the jump – and he was highly efficient at 15.3 yards per catch.

It’s likely that Kraft would be going earlier than this had he not suffered a big injury, and that could be built in value at this ADP. But the Packers are a team that loves to spready the ball around, and Kraft’s game is reliant on his special athleticism much more than it is on refined route running. Kraft has to prove he’s all the way back athletically to justify this ADP, and TE is a position that, to me, is deeper than how most are treating it. This isn’t a terrible place to take a stab at a season-long TE, and I’d be shocked if Kraft isn’t a TE1. The problem is that top-12 TE production isn’t always difference making, and if Kraft puts up low-end TE1 production then it’s damaging at this ADP. I like the player, the price is reasonable, but it’s still more risk than I want to take at this position.

Interesting Players

**Jayden Reed, WR (ADP: 117, WR47): Reed was a disaster last season, injured early and often and he finished with 19 receptions, 207 yards and one score in seven total games. It’s a season that people should really just throw away, but one that creates potential huge value for those who still believe in the talent.

Reed’s biggest issue isn’t his play, it’s getting on the field. He’s been pigeonholed by the Packers as a slot guy, and when it’s time for heavy sets he’s been coming off the field. That may still happen, and clearly the community is baking that risk into the ADP, but with Doubs out as the entrenched X receiver, Watson is the logical fit in those formations. That leaves the flanker spot up for grabs, and Reed still showed in 2025 he’s got the goods. Reed was at 69.6% success vs. man coverage, a 58th percentile mark that he managed while being hurt the whole year. That was a 74th percentile mark in 2024 with health, and if he’s healthy again doing that with more playing time he’s going to be a bargain. His injuries clearly sapped explosiveness, and that showed up in his efficiency – 15.6 yards per catch in 2024 vs. 10.9 last year – and in his routes, as his post routes dropped dramatically in favor of digs, outs and flats. He was also a touchdown maven which disappeared in 2025, but should return with better health and an increased role.

At this ADP, if Reed doesn’t progress he’s an easy player to move on from. But if you believe his biggest hurdle in 2025 was health, then increased volume for a player who was productive in limited work prior to 2025 should scream value at you.

Matthew Golden, WR (ADP: 141, WR51): Golden, the rare first round Packers WR, also stands to benefit from the vacated targets in this offense. I’m of the mind, however, that it will be either Reed or Golden to see this glow up, and not both. Golden has the pedigree, and clearly the fantasy community is undecided in this batter, but I’m going with Reed because he’s proven himself to be a quality NFL pass catcher. 2025 was bad for both guys, but Golden’s all projection and pedigree at this point.

This WR corps was crying for an alpha, and nobody stepped up besides Kraft until Watson returned and put his stamp on the aerial attack. Golden finished with 29 receptions, 361 yards and zero touchdowns, an astoundingly disappointing campaign for a first round pick whose team was searching for WR stability. Golden was adept at burning downfield with his elite speed, turning in a 60% success rate on nine routes, but his most-run route, the dig, was an issue for him (68.4%). Golden was solid on outs and posts as well, and that looks to me like a player who can make splash plays and have some blowups but lacks the consistency to stick as a regular fantasy weapon. He was below average vs. man (64.4%, 33rd percentile) and he was worse vs. zone (74.8%, 23rd percentile). If you’re going to be small, mediocre vs. man and average vs. press then you’ve got to kill zone coverage as a slot player. Golden didn’t do that, and it doesn’t bode well. It’s a low-risk ADP, but I’m placing my chips elsewhere.

Jordan Love, QB (ADP: 139, QB19): Love has struggled to recapture the magic of his 2023 breakout season, in which he threw for 4,159 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first season as a starter. Since then he hasn’t cleared 3,400 yards nor has he surpassed 25 touchdowns, and he’s been a spike week dart throw of a waiver guy. It’s fair to expect more of the same this year, as his receiving corps hasn’t really improved, and in fact, he’s lost options. I’d argue, however, that the 2026 pass catching group offers more upside with Watson as a more dynamic leader than Doubs, and Reed/Golden flourishing with more assured roles and volume. Throw in, hopefully, a full season of Kraft and there’s a fair amount of upside here among a talented group with continuity.

I’m not advocating a full punt at QB and throwing all your hopes and dreams into Jordan Love, but I am saying if you like to wait on the position grabbing Love + another player and taking multiple cracks at it might lead to a deeper squad with a very similar ceiling to pricier pocket passers.

Deep Cuts

MarShawn Lloyd, RB (ADP: 255, RB64): Lloyd is the presumed backup and handcuff to Jacobs, but with almost zero NFL production this is a major part of the case for Jacobs being very, very undervalued.

Chris Brooks, RB (ADP: 334, RB92): Brooks has done more than Lloyd in the NFL, but not that much more. The handcuff of choice last year was Emanuel Wilson, who is now gone to Seattle, so in the event of a Jacobs injury it’s a pure guessing game. Trying to handcuff Jacobs on Draft Day is inadvisable unless the Packers make a signing.