This article is part of our NFL Observations series.
The perils of picking games on Wednesday morning before you learn one team is missing its starting WR and left tackle due to COVID. I suppose it could have been worse -- at least I got the an all-time great garbage-time TD in several leagues from Jerick McKinnon with four seconds left in the game. Much respect to Kyle Shanahan for using timeouts and caring about getting me that score.
- Aaron Rodgers missed one throw all night, to a wide-open Davante Adams, but was more or less perfect against a depleted 49ers defense.
- Aaron Jones (15-58-0, 5-5-21) got way too much work in the second half given the Packers lead and his importance to the team, but as long as he has a clean bill of health, there's no reason to worry about his modest stat line. He looked good.
- Davante Adams (12-10-173-1) is the top fantasy receiver. The Packers were trying to force-feed him up 31-3 in the fourth quarter to pad his stats and gave him a several looks inside the 10. He also made a great catch on his TD, getting his foot and elbow down just before his knee hit out of bounds. Adams wasn't even open, but he's DeAndre Hopkins-esque in his instincts near the sideline.
- I picked up Tyler Ervin (8-24-0, 5-4-48) everywhere in the event Jones was out, but got cold feet on using him once everyone convinced me Dexter Williams would get the carries. It was moot as Jones played, but it looks like Ervin would have been a great start had Jones been scratched.
- Marquez Valdes-Scantling (4-2-53-2) scored twice, but also had a drive-killing drop. He's taller and much faster than Adams, but he'll never be the complement the team needs
- I love Nick Mullens. The guy is always ignoring the check-down option, attacking deeper over the middle of the field and paying the price with helmet-to-helmet hits. He threw one pick and lost a fumble, but could have had at least two more interceptions, and he was lucky the one he did have didn't go to the house.
- McKinnon (12-52-1, 4-3-16) paid off thanks to that epic garbage time TD. JaMycal Hasty (4-3-0, 2-2-10) did not.
- Richie James (13-9-184-1) had a monster game, though he did have a drive-killing drop. You wonder what Brandon Aiyuk or Kendrick Bourne might have done had they not been put on the COVID list.
