Will Reed Play in Week 13? Fantasy Impact and More

Jayden Reed has emerged in recent weeks as not only a promising NFL prospect but also a fantasy asset, given his upside and potential to assume an involved role in this Green Bay Packers offense. But how does Reed’s chest injury impact how fantasy football managers should view the explosive rookie?

Latest Injury Update on Jayden Reed

Entering Week 12, Reed was a midweek add to the injury report with this chest injury. Those midweek adds are often concerning, but Reed wasn’t just able to take the field on Thanksgiving. He saw eight targets and was handed the ball twice in the upset win over the Detroit Lions.

The target count matched a season high, and the rush attempts reflected Green Bay’s recent usage patterns for their second-round pick, indicating that the team wasn’t worried about his physical condition.

Editor’s note: Reed returned to practice on Friday after back-to-back missed practices to begin the week. 

Will Reed Play This Week?

He was able to play through this injury last week on short rest and now gets the benefit of a “mini bye” to prepare for this prime-time game, leading me to take an optimistic stance on Reed.

The Packers are technically in the NFC playoff hunt, and with that being the case, it shouldn’t be surprising that they’ve been cautious with this promising young talent in practice this week (DNP on Wednesday).

At this moment, it’s clear that Reed is at less than 100% health, but it’s also clear that the team views him as a critical part of their offense and is looking to have him as close to full strength for Sunday Night Football as possible.

What Does This Mean for Reed’s Fantasy Ranking?

Reed was my highest-ranked Packers WR entering last week, and he fills that same role this week, landing him on the fringe of my top 30.

The versatile usage and high-end upside he has shown with the ball in his hands have impressed. And when you consider that Green Bay will have to keep up with Patrick Mahomes in this game, Reed figures to be given every opportunity to return nice fantasy numbers.

This is a situation to monitor, given the late kickoff, but I’m comfortable penciling the rookie into fantasy lineups and pivoting if needed with news. Due to the Packers lacking a true alpha receiver, I don’t think Reed gets the L’Jarius Sneed shadow treatment, which helps elevate his target floor to a spot where I’m comfortable.

For reference, I prefer Reed this week to more established names like Chris Godwin, Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens.

MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor

Moving forward, Reed has league-winning upside, given that it costs you very little to acquire him. The usage of Green Bay’s receivers is something I will continue to track with time. The Packers have a very favorable run out as the fantasy season wraps up:

• Week 14 at NYG
• Week 15 vs. TB
• Week 16 at CAR
• Week 17 at MIN

If your league runs through the final week of the NFL regular season, a home game against the Chicago Bears continues this trend.

We’ve seen rookie receivers improve with time, something that clearly appears to be the case with Reed. If he can parlay that with continued growth from Jordan Love, top-25 production for the final month+ of the fantasy season is very much a plausible outcome.

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