Fantasy Football is all about value. You succeed in the draft by acquiring good players at reasonable prices. As such, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson may be one of the more valuable draft picks in recent fantasy memory.
According to ESPN average draft position, Nelson is currently the sixth wide receiver being selected. That's hard to believe given Nelson's elite production over the last two seasons.
"Nelson was one of only two wide receivers last season to post a double-digit total in vertical touchdown passes (scores that occurred on aerials thrown 11 or more yards downfield)," ESPN NFL Insider KC Joyner wrote. "His 10.5 yards per attempt (YPA) mark when facing a starting-caliber cornerback (defined as having faced 32 or more targets last season) tied Nelson with [Odell] Beckham for eighth place in that category. Any durability concerns about him should have been put to rest after Nelson posted 277 targets combined during the past two seasons. He did all of this last year despite battling a painful hip injury that has now been repaired with offseason surgery.
"Combine this with his being the top wide receiver on a team with the best quarterback in the NFL, and it is rather surprising to see five wideouts being taken in front of Nelson in the average ESPN draft room."
Nelson is coming off a season in which he caught 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has appeared in all 16 games in four of the last five seasons. It's hard to find more consistently elite production than that.
If you're looking for one of the game's best pass-catchers, look no further than Nelson. He is less of an injury risk than Julio Jones and more proven than Alshon Jeffery while offering similar upside to A.J. Green.
Seems like a guy to keep your eye on come draft time.
