Jayden Reed – 2023 Fantasy Football Outlook
Wide Receiver – Michigan State
5’11” 190 lbs
2nd Round – 19th Pick (50th Overall) – Green Bay Packers
Drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2023 NFL Draft, wide receiver Jayden Reed is a deep ball master out of Michigan State. There, he had one season of over 1,000 receiving yards, which was in 2021.
Reed high-points the ball well, is good about putting defenders into off-balance situations, and his explosiveness off of the line really stands out. Additionally, he tracks the ball in space and is good at shielding defenders.
Reed is a prospect who raised his stock by attending the Senior Bowl. He was often described as difficult to cover for the majority of the week. Not only can Reed do well in the receiving game, but he also does well with variation in his touches. Furthermore, he can be a capable option for slot sweeps as well as return kicks. His vision with the ball in his hands at the second level rivals that of a running back. Additionally, he understands spacing and angles of pursuit in a way that made him the main weapon to guard at Michigan State.
The Packers’ current wide receiver group consists of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, and Bo Melton. Clearly, the common theme is all of these players are from the 2022 class. That being said, Green Bay has a fairly wide open area for their WR2/3 slot as Doubs was shaky at times last season. As for Toure, he saw limited action this past season after a multitude of injuries.
Fantasy Football Outlook
For fantasy football purposes, there is plenty of opportunity in this offense for someone to step up. Watson showed flashes at times and will definitely be one of the top options for the pass-catchers in this offense, but the WR2 and WR3 roles are up for grabs.
Moving forward, Green Bay needs to fill in the production left with Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb both leaving. Even with them both, they were one of the weaker wide receiver groups in the league. Now, Jordan Love will need more weapons in this offense in order to operate and have a chance at success at the next level. Whether it’s Doubs or Reed who steps into that WR2 role, someone is certainly going to need to step up.
Reed comes in to immediately fill the role of the third receiver in this offense with the potential to move into the Y position. This is ideal as he does translate as a slot receiver or Y role due to his lack of size but significant explosiveness. In terms of production, Reed will likely be brought on slowly by the Packers.
2023 Projections:
- 14 Games
- 41 Receptions
- 611 Receiving Yards
- 4 Touchdowns
In redraft fantasy football leagues, Reed is not going to be on your roster unless it’s a 14+ team league or a best ball league with a deep bench. Occasionally, he may make the waiver wire columns during the season, but ultimately you’ll have better occasional Flex options in that department.
Dynasty Outlook
As for dynasty fantasy football leagues, Reed came off the board as the sixth receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. Really, this won’t change much in terms of your rookie drafts and his rookie ADP. As Reed’s versatility and early opportunity will make Reed a middle to late 2nd round pick. Finally, he should be rostered with the idea that he may not be consistent as a producer. However, he has the potential for high gains in an offense lacking in playmakers.
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