Editor's Note: This story — and our experts' advice — was updated Tuesday after news broke that Allen Lazard would be out for the Packers' Thursday Night Football game.
The 6-1 Packers placed star wideout Devante Adam on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, putting his status in question for Green Bay's Thursday Night Football matchup against the undefeated Cardinals.
Players are placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list after either testing positive for COVID-19 or being in close contact with any infected individuals. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Adams tested positive for COVID-19, meaning he would need two negative PCR tests 24 hours apart to suit up on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Allen Lazard joined Adams on the reserve/COVID-19 list, creating further concerns for the Packers' depth at the position. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Lazard was placed on the list due to a close contact and is unvaccinated, meaning he is unable to play Thursday.
Slot receiver Randall Cobb and other Packers pass catchers could see their fantasy stock increase should Adams miss time. Cobb's best performance this season came in Week 4, when he caught five of six targets for 69 receiving yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers.
With Adams' status in question for Week 8 and Cobb still available in 91% of Yahoo! leagues, we asked our fantasy football analysts to weigh in on what to expect from Cobb should Adams miss this showdown in Arizona.
How To Target Randall Cobb On Fantasy Waiver Wire
Sean Koerner: If Adams is out in Week 8, players across Green Bay’s roster will see their stock shift.
With Lazard out, Cobb could have the highest floor of Packers pass catchers this week as he will likely soak up a handful of Adams' leftover targets, likely of the higher-percentage variety.
Aaron Rodgers would drop from QB9 to a fringe QB1/2 option without his top receiver. The Packers would likely lean on Aaron Jones even more this week with Adams out in both the run and pass game. Should Green Bay opt to run at a higher rate with Adams out, AJ Dillon would benefit as well — but as underdogs against the Cardinals, this might not be a great game script for Dillon.
Equanimeous St. Brown and Amari Rodgers should see more playing time in the WR3 role this week if Adams is out. Either player could pop up into the WR4 or WR5 discussion if we get word on either seeing their role increase. Be sure to keep an eye on my up-to-the-minute rankings to see which players to target in this volatile situation, but certainly keep in mind that anyone will truly just serve as a one-week rental — bid accordingly.
Samantha Previte: Lazard being out and Adams’ status being in question makes Cobb the top add at just 9% rostered in Yahoo! leagues. He has been the third-most targeted receiver on the team behind Adams and Lazard.
I would also keep an eye on whether Marquez Valdes-Scantling gets activated. MVS (5% rostered) is on injured reserve but is someone who could definitely see some targets. Amari Rodgers (1% rostered) could be a deep league add in light of the recent attrition — and assuming he doesn't also end up on the COVID-19/list. The rookie has just two catches for 33 yards this year.
Aside from the waiver wire guys, I think this definitely helps pass-catching running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, as well as tight end Robert Tonyan, who should all see more targets and touches this week against the Cardinals.
Losing Lazard and Adams will be a slight downgrade for Aaron Rodgers from a fantasy perspective. I assume he'll be a low-end QB1 this week.
Chris Raybon: The Packers will likely go with an RB-centric game plan on a short week to compensate for the absence of Adams, which is great for Aaron Jones and makes AJ Dillon a high-end RB3/flex play.
Cobb played 91% of the snaps last week and dropped a 5/60/1 line on six targets, so he’s in the low-end WR3 mix as well. I would bid around 10-15% of your FAAB on rostering or Cobb. Check my up-to-the-minute rankings to see how to best handle this situation, and remember most of these players will truly only serve as a one-week rental.
Tonyan is worth a desperation start for owners feeling the bye-week crunch from Darren Waller or Mark Andrews, but he is still a low-end TE1 at best.
