Running Back 34 – AJ Dillon GB
AJ Dillon is entering the fourth year of his contract, and has been a fantasy football darling partially due to his large legs. The Green Bay Packers no longer have Aaron Rodgers and that should benefit their running backs (RB). Dillon saw a decrease in rushing and receiving yards as well as receptions last year. He ended the season with 7 touchdowns, which he had the year before. The truth is starter Aaron Jones is a better RB, but Jones is better than almost all RBs in the NFL, he is elite. This will always hamper Dillon’s upside, but so did Aaron Rodgers. With Rodgers gone Dillon’s volume should go up.
AJ is reliable. He played all 17 games for the second season in a row, and started three in 2022, a career high. He does get high volume for a back up, he did have over 210 touches for the second straight season. He is in a contract year, and wants to stay in Green Bay. He will have to have the stats to validate paying him, so must deliver. There is plenty of motivation and opportunity for him in Green Bay this year. He currently is being drafted as RB 32, and anywhere from the 85th to 110th overall pick.

Linebacker 34 – Shaquille Thompson
Shaquille Thompson is the second longest tenured Carolina Panther, and is a captain of the team. He restructured his contract to remain a Panther, and new Head Coach, Frank Reich, was calling him everyday to let him know he wanted him to remain as a key linebacker (LB). Defensive Coordinator Ejiro Evero will hope to maximize Shaq Thompson’s skills, which come from film preparation and instinct. Thompson is a tackling machine, with over 100 combined tackles in each of his last four seasons. He set career highs last year in games started (17), combined tackles (138), solo tackles (78), and assisted tackles (57). He also had 8 tackles for loss, 3 quarterback (QB) hits, and 4 passes defended. Although starting his ninth year he could be at his peak performance. Playing with what could be a horrific offense with, a new head coach, and rookie QB he could equal his career highs from last year. However, fellow LBs Frankie Luvu, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Deion Jones, and Brandon Wooten are great too, and it makes for a crowded interior. This could limit some of Thompson’s snaps, but if he wears the ‘green dot’ (communication/speaker in the helmet) he should be out there for most snaps. Thompson is worth a roster spot in 2023.

Thank you for reading Mano y Mano. Check in tomorrow for RB & LB #33.
Bet Smart, Be Lucky – Iggy

*Stats come from FantasyPros, Pro Football Reference, Sleeper, and NFL/Next Gen.
*Rankings are based on .5 PPR format and FF7s.