The Green Bay Packers are coming off of a victory against the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday, but they could be in trouble on offense, as both Randall Cobb and James Jones were injured in Week 6 and now Jordy Nelson and Jarrett Boykin are the top fantasy football options for the Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The team will be without Cobb for at least a few weeks and this comes after he was injured on low hit to his left from Ravens safety Matt Elam. After the play Aaron Rodgers was jawing with Elam and after the game he came out against the play. According to ESPN.com, Cobb could be out for at least three weeks with a leg injury, but other reports have said that Cobb could be out for twice that long with a fractured fibula. ESPN.com also reports that Jones could be back for the game next week, as his injury is likely a sprained knee.
Cobb and Jones are the two leading receivers for the Packers and after they went down, Jordy Nelson came through in a big way, adding four catches for 120 yards and a touchdown and now Boykin could be a solid fantasy option, as he could get more looks now that Cobb is down. While Boykin had just one catch in the game, it went for 43 yards and he could be a solid sleeper option as a deep threat. Boykin has just six career catches, but if Cobb has to be out for longer, he could be the one who benefits the most.
Cobb came into the game as the top option for the Packers and he started the season with a bang, opening with at least 100 yards in the first two games and scoring two touchdowns over that span. He has had double digit targets in three of five games this season and he ended up with four catches for 53 yards on Sunday in the win over the Ravens, which came after a four catch, 35 yard performance against the Lions the previous week. The Packers have now won three of four games since losing to the 49ers and they will need to try and overcome the loss of the explosive Cobb.
Cobb is tops on the team in receptions and Jones are first on the team in yards and if they miss any time, the Packers could suffer on offense. The team is currently ranked fifth in the league in rushing yards per game and fourth in passing yards per game and they will have two slightly "easier" games against the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings before a big matchup on Monday night football with the Chicago Bears in Week 9. That game starts a tough stretch that includes the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Giants and that game could be a big one for the Packers if Cobb can return.
While Rodgers was upset after the game, Ravens coach Jim Harbaugh said he felt it was clean and now Nelson is the top ranked player for the Packers in receiving yards and if Boykin doesn't step up, the team also added receiver Reggie Dunn to the practice squad. Boykin had six targets in the game and dropped two passes and he could end up being a solid option for Rodgers.