Fantasy Upside
Like a lot of the Packers' skill players, AJ Dillon relies on efficiency. His efficiency mostly happens at the goal line, but he’s also a player with an exceptionally high first-down rate (25.3%, fifth in the NFL). He also rarely gets stopped at the line and despite being a bigger guy, he still commands 2.5 targets a game despite sharing the backfield with Aaron Jones. Dillon’s upside comes from being in offense with a great offensive mind and while the Packers will have a new quarterback this year, it’s likely the team will rely on the running game more than previous years. Taking over the goal-line duties last season also helps Dillon’s upside.
Fantasy Downside
The downside is pretty obvious. If the Packers offense is worse, they likely won’t be down near the goal line as often as last year and Dillon’s touchdowns, which buoyed his down year last year, will shrink and hurt his stock even more. After a fantastic sophomore season, Dillon took a bit of a downturn last season in efficiency, especially through the air. While he still does get targeted and it isn’t a total zero in the passing game, it’s more likely Jones maintains his fantasy value if the offense struggles.
2023 Bottom Line
Dillon isn’t a fade at his eighth-round ADP, as he is going a few spots after we have him ranked, but he’s the most likely of the skill position players on the Packers to be impacted negatively if the offense sputters. Be cautious with Dillon depending on your team structure to that point.