After going nearly two months without their quarterback and nearly three without one of their top wide receivers, the Green Bay Packers will have both Aaron Rodgers and Randall Cobb active for the season finale Sunday, at 4:25 p.m. ET against the Chicago Bears.
Aaron Rodgers, Randall Cobb both active Sunday; Rodgers has more fantasy value
Both Packers players should play Sunday. We break down the fantasy implications.
Wesley Hitt
Rodgers was injured in the Packers' Nov. 4 game against the Bears. The team was 5-2 at the time of his injury, and has gone 2-5-1 since, with Sunday's game being a winner-take-all matchup for the NFC North crown. Rodgers has 2,218 passing yards on the season, with 15 touchdowns and four interceptions. His replacements -- Seneca Wallace, Scott Tolzien, and Matt Flynn -- have combined for 2,002 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Cobb, meanwhile, suffered a broken leg in Week 6 against the Baltimore Ravens. He had 378 receiving yards, 78 rushing yards, and two touchdowns at the time of his injury. In his absence, wide receiver Jarrett Boykin has seen increased playing time.
Fantasy impact: The team has already said Rodgers will start Sunday, a welcome return for any fantasy owners who somehow made it to Week 17 without their stud quarterback. Unless you lucked into Nick Foles as your quarterback in Rodgers' absence, his return makes him a must-start, even with the slight risk of rust; the quarterback is that good. His return also bodes well for rookie running back Eddie Lacy, who already has a dream matchup against the Bears' defense and now knows the opposition must protect against a star thrower.
Meanwhile, it’s nice to see Cobb return, but it’s hard to imagine anyone relying on him (or, with his return, Boykin) in Week 17. He simply doesn’t have the chance of being as dominant as Rodgers, and that makes both his floor and his ceiling much lower.
• Week 17 fantasy football position rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | D/ST
