Green Bay Packers fans and Allen Lazard fantasy owners alike can rejoice as they will be getting their WR2 back for the first time since suffering an injury to his core back in Week 3. While Lazard’s return obviously improves his value, the Marquez Valdes-Scantling fantasy value may be the biggest winner in Lazard’s return to action.
As much pressure as it takes off the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers to have a guy like Lazard back after so many weeks off, there are many reasons why MVS could have the most to gain.
Early Struggles for MVS
Marquez Valdes-Scantling has all the speed in the world. That has never been in question for the young receiver out of USF, who stands 6-4 and registered a 4.37-second 40-time at the 2018 Combine.
He possesses the speed and the ability to get open, but crucial drops in big moments have left fans clamoring for more.
Packer fans have been begging for additional top level talent at the WR position for more than a couple of years now. The Packers front office seemed convinced they had all the talent they needed at wideout, which they proved by drafting Jordan Love in lieu of literally anyone else who could actually help the team.
The public opinion in Green Bay did not change one bit early on in the 2020 season, when fans were treated to even more drops by MVS, multiple of which were in the end zone or had clear paths to scoring a touchdown.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling Fantasy Boom
After placing Lazard on IR following Week 3, the Packers desperately needed MVS to step up and contribute on a level he had not yet reached.
He continued to disappoint, with eight total catches for only 91 yards and zero touchdowns in the four games that followed the Lazard injury. This forced the Packers to look elsewhere and lean on big time performances from the likes of Jamaal Williams and Robert Tonyan.
Many thought that may have sealed the deal for MVS as a reliable target in the Packers offense, as it put him at the forefront of an attempted trade for the likes of Will Fuller V and maybe a few others.
Ultimately, no deal was made and the Packers chose to roll forward with the offense they had.
Finally, seemingly out of nowhere, something seems to have clicked between Rodgers and MVS.
In the last two weeks, MVS has essentially matched or topped his stats from the previous six weeks of the season in every category. In just two games, he has hauled in six targets for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Marquez Valdes-Scantling fantasy owners know this is good for 44.2 fantasy points.
With Lazard back on the field, MVS should be facing even easier coverage than he has seen in the last two weeks. He has an opportunity to continue on as a real difference maker in this Packers offense, and maybe even solidify himself as an unlikely fan favorite.
The Packers face the sixth-best passing defense on Sunday in the form of the Indianapolis Colts, providing a prime opportunity for MVS to showcase the kind of player he will be for the remainder of the season. We know deep shots will be there in this offense, so MVS has the chance to make plenty of noise down the stretch.
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