Why Christian Watson is a Fantasy Football Sleeper in 2022

Why Christian Watson is a Fantasy Football Sleeper in 2022 

Drew Epstein

6/14/22

While nobody will be Davante Adams for the Packers in 2022, somebody will need to receive his targets. With the greatness of Aaron Rodgers, somebody is bound to receive the opportunity of a lifetime with the departure of Adams in Green Bay. My pick to benefit the most? Second-round rookie Christian Watson out of North Dakota State. The 23-year-old 34th overall pick arrives on scene with a chance to factor into the Packers’ offense right away with the potential to be an elite standout.

Even with the two-headed monster of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the backfield, and losing arguably the best receiver in football, the Packers will throw the ball often as long as Rodgers is behind center. Many people are looking at Allen Lazard to step into the role of the top target, or perhaps the newly signed Sammy Watkins, but I've shifted my attention to Watson. The book on Watson is that he's got an ideal blend of size and speed in his 6’4” 208 lb frame. In twelve games during his senior season in 2021, Watson had forty-three receptions for 800 yards and seven touchdowns, while tacking on 114 rushing yards and a touchdown. Throughout his career, Watson had over 2,100 receiving yards and averaged an absurd 20.4 yards per reception. He also handled some kick returning duties in all four years and had two kick return touchdowns in 2020. It was clear that NDSU wanted the ball in his hands by any means necessary. While he likely won't see too many rushing opportunities in the NFL, he could be a top target and continue to pile on receptions for Rodgers and the Packers. 

Watson was an explosive playmaker during his time in college, granted he wasn't facing the highest competition in the FCS. This will make for a sizable adjustment with this larger-than-usual step up to NFL secondaries. With that said, the Packers had a plan to help Watson grow accustomed to the level of competition he’ll now face. There have been times when Watson is challenged by the coverage of one of the best cornerbacks in football, Jaire Alexander, who just inked a four-year $84 million contract. Alexander and the Packers understand the value of this and he makes life as difficult as possible on the rookies knowing it will only be a benefit come gamedays. He told Packers.com, “I’m going to make it as hard as I can for those guys because I know on Sunday it’s going to pay off. Iron sharpens iron. However I can help to make them better, I’m going to do that.” Considering the biggest concern from a rookie out of an FCS school is typically competition, this is an extremely welcome sight that Watson is getting these reps against one of the best in the league. 

Watson’s current average draft position in PPR leagues is in the 115-180 range early on. This is a price that I would be willing to pay for a tall and speedy receiver catching passes from Aaron Rodgers. The Rodgers factor is a large boost for any Packers receiver to step on the field and I like the skillset Watson brings to the table to combine with his opportunity. You just never know when it comes to rookies, especially out of a school like NDSU, but I'm willing to find out firsthand what Watson can do if I can draft him as a bench piece to start the season. I would say that he has the potential to grow into a FLEX player in any fantasy league, and one that you may get at a cheap price. Sign me up.