Fantasy football projections, Week 15: Packers-Bears featuring Aaron Rodgers, Ty Montgomery, Alshon Jeffery, more

The Week 15 matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears features division rivals squaring off for the final time this season. We’ve got the fantasy projections courtesy of numberFire.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has had issues with his hamstring and calf muscle lately, but that hasn’t stopped him from producing for his fantasy owners. A-Rod scorched the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14. He needed just 18 completions on 23 passing attempts to put together 246 passing yards and a trio of touchdowns. Rodgers posted 326 yards and three touchdowns against the Bears earlier this season. Week 15 should yield more of the same production from No. 12, which will be enough to get him past his projections and give fantasy owners a chance to advance further in the postseason.

When the Packers decide to run the ball, it will end up in the hands of Ty Montgomery. Head coach Mike McCarthy stated during the week that Montgomery is now permanently a running back and not a receiver. Neither Christine Michael nor James Starks has been effective out of the backfield, so the move makes sense. Throw in the fact that Montgomery will also see some screen passes from Rodgers given that he’s used to playing the receiver position, and Montgomery has even more value in PPR formats. This should be a high-scoring game, and Montgomery could surprise people and be a top fantasy option in Week 15.

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery will be back in the lineup against the Packers. His four-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs is now over. Quarterback Matt Barkley is playing surprisingly well and Green Bay’s defense has been suspect all year long. Don’t be surprised if Jeffery ranks among the league’s top fantasy receivers this week. While that’s certainly an optimistic outlook heading into Sunday’s game, fantasy owners should keep in mind that Jeffery has just one touchdown catch in 2016.

The more likely Bears player to score a touchdown on Sunday is running back Jordan Howard. After scoring three times against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, Howard posted 86 yards on 13 carries against the Detroit Lions. That’s an impressive 6.6 yards per carry. If the Bears can find a way to keep Green Bay close throughout the afternoon, Howard could surpass 100 yards rushing. Those kind of numbers would put him well past his projections in Week 15.