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How should you approach Jordan Love against the Packers in Week 9 of the NFL?

With Jordan Love expected to play, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson all get a boost. But can Reed break out of his latest crisis? Zach Thompson speaks out.

The Packers host the Lions in a big game Sunday afternoon for supremacy in the NFC North. This is great news for Green Bay and the viewing public in general: Jordan Love ($7,000) is on track to play, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. What does his availability mean for Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft, Josh Jacobs and the rest of the Packers offense in this tough Week 9 fantasy football matchup? Let's take a look

Jordan Love's influence on Jayden Reed

So far this season Jayden Reed ($6,400) was the Packers' best receiver. He had two monster games with over 30 fantasy points to start the year and was actually the highest scoring receiver in the NFL at one point.

However, things went wrong for Reed in the last few weeks. He had just two catches in each of the last two weeks and managed just 10 yards against the Texans and 55 yards against the Jaguars. He only had seven goals in total in these two games after averaging 6.5 goals per game in his last four meetings.

After Love left with his injury, Reed became particularly quiet, and had Love not returned there would have been serious doubt as to whether Reed was fit to start.

However, with Love in the mix, Reed's big-play abilities and high ceiling are enough to earn him a spot as a high-risk WR2. Depending on your league, you may have better and more reliable options, but Love's availability makes him an option to use against the Lions, who have given up the third-most fantasy points in the NFL to opposing WRs as teams throw one had to be low when playing from the back.

Jordan Love's influence on Romeo Doubs

Romeo Doubs ($5,700) Reed excelled for the second straight week in Week 8, completing 3 of 6 targets for 72 yards and a touchdown en route to a third straight week of double-digit fantasy points.

In Week 7 against Houston, Doubs was targeted 10 times while no other Packer was targeted more than six times. He rushed for a season-high 94 yards in the contest.

Given the extra attention he's received since his one-game suspension in Week 5, Doubs is actually my preferred Packers WR for DFS contests like that NFL fantasy football millionaire worth $2.75 million [$1M to 1st]. He's cheaper than Reed and less reliant on big games for all the volume he's won.

However, Doubs' ceiling isn't quite as high as Reed's, so in full-season contests I would still prefer Doubs as a WR3 or FLEX rather than a WR2 like Reed.

Jordan Love's influence on Tucker Kraft

The matchup for tight end Tucker Kraft ($4,600) is more difficult than for Doubs and Reed. Opposing tight ends scored the fewest DraftKings points in the NFL against the Lions.

Kraft has been very good this season, averaging over 11 fantasy points per game. He led the team with 78 yards and a touchdown last week and had more than 12 in four of his last five fantasy points.

He should be more concerned with love than if he were Malik Willis Having started, he's still a tough player unless you have no other options this week. Love's availability and willingness to push the ball down the field raises Kraft's ceiling but also lowers his floor because receivers are more involved than Willis' run-first approach.

Jordan Love's influence on Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs ($6,900; Ankle) is also questionable for this game, although he said he will play. If Love had been out, the Packers likely would have structured the game around Jacobs being the focal point, and he has already proven himself up to the task this season.

Last week, he ran for 127 yards, two touchdowns and finished with 28.5 fantasy points before suffering an ankle injury. He's scored over 20 fantasy points in each of the last two weeks and has been heavily involved as a receiver and rusher regardless of who the QB was.

Love's presence raises the ceiling of the entire offense and therefore makes it more likely that Jacobs will score a touchdown or two, even if he doesn't get quite as many carries, as if Willis were under center.

Jordan Love's influence on the final result

The Packers are Three-point home underdogs this week. Love Passing yards over/under is 233.5 with the over at -115, but I like his Passing touchdown over 1.5 at -120 even better. Before last week, Love had thrown multiple touchdowns in every game he played this season and had 15 passing scores in five games. If he's healthy and able to play the entire game, he should be able to throw multiple passing touchdowns as the Packers do everything they can to keep up with the high-scoring Lions.

It should be a great game and I'm glad we'll see both teams at near full strength in a game that has the potential to be a classic at Lambeau Field.

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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds are subject to change.

I'm a promoter at DraftKings and also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson). Sometimes I play the games I give advice on on my personal account. Although I have expressed my personal opinions on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the opinion(s) of DraftKings and are not a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment when compiling their lineups. I may also use players and strategies other than those recommended above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to non-public information.

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