What Aaron Rodgers' planned signing means for DK Metcalf's fantasy value

A future Hall of Famer, Rodgers is no longer considered an elite QB in fantasy. As of Thursday, ESPN ranks him as the No. 29 QB in PPR (points per reception) leagues, behind Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks, Geno Smith of the Las Vegas Raiders and Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers.

More importantly, Rodgers no longer elevates a team's No. 1 WR. 

Rodgers played just one game for the New York Jets during the 2023 season after tearing his left Achilles in Week 1. According to Pro Football Reference, Jets WR Garrett Wilson finished with 221.2 fantasy points in 17 games in DraftKings leagues. (DraftKings uses a PPR scoring system.)

When Rodgers played 17 games in 2024, Wilson had 265.9 points in DraftKings leagues. To put that into perspective, Atlanta Falcons WR Drake London finished with 289.8 points, despite splitting time with QBs Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. 

However, Rodgers seemed to favor WR Davante Adams, whom he played with for eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers. After the Jets acquired Adams in a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2024, he had 114 targets in 11 games. Wilson had 87 targets during this span.

After trading WR George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys in May, two-time Pro Bowler Metcalf could be the target Rodgers will trust the most. 

"Beyond Metcalf, the Steelers don't have any other wideouts to get excited about in terms of fantasy leagues," wrote Sports Illustrated's Michael Fabiano in a story published Thursday. "Calvin Austin III is probably the most attractive option, but he won't have more than late-round appeal." 

Playing with Rodgers instead of Mason Rudolph or rookie Will Howard slightly boosts Metcalf's fantasy value, but doesn't make him a surefire WR1. 

Last season, the Steelers ranked 27th in the league in passing yards (192 YPG). It's hard to imagine Pittsburgh's inept passing attack will improve substantially with a 41-year-old QB.