Allen Lazard is a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Following the 2018 NFL Draft, Lazard was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars, only to be cut and later signed by the Packers. A native of Urbandale, Iowa, Lazard was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Des Moines Register in 2012. In 2013, Lazard was named as the Register’s Offensive Player of the Year, and also recognized as a USA Today All American. The former three-time All-State receiver holds the Urbandale High School record for career receptions (105), receiving yards (2,349) and touchdowns (34). During his time at Iowa State, Lazard was named First-Team All-Big 12 in both 2016 and 2017, and had college stats that feature a career receiving line of 241-3360-26.
At 6-foot-3, 225-pounds, Allen Lazard brings tremendous size to the wide receiver position, and is compared to former New Orleans Saints wide Marques Colston on PlayerProfiler. While Lazard’s 40 time of 4.55 won’t blow anybody away, he has an elite speed score of 107.9 (88th-percentile) to go with a 74th-percentile burst score and an excellent catch radius. Lazard’s 28.6% college target share and 19.7 breakout age are both in the upper echelon for wide receivers as well.
After a quiet rookie season in 2018, Lazard came into his own with the Packers in 2019, when he posted 35 receptions for 477 yards and three touchdowns, which included a 103-yard performance against the New York Giants. In 2020 he would go on to post similar numbers with a line of 33-451-3, but saw his best season in what was a contract year in 2021.
Packers wide receivers will have a difficult time finding targets playing opposite Davante Adams, but Lazard did manage to finish second among Green Bay wide receivers in targets (60), receptions (40), yards (513) and touchdowns, with eight. Shockingly, Lazard ranked sixth in 2021 in fantasy points per target at 2.38, and was seventh in QB rating per target at 132.8. In regards to fantasy, despite spotty production, Lazard did offer some upside for those who rostered him, as he went for double-digit points six times in 2021, and totaled 57.5 fantasy points during the fantasy playoffs (Weeks 15-17) while finding the end zone four times in three games. Lazard had a fantasy ranking of WR49 with 9.5 fantasy points per game and totaled six drops on the season. He’ll likely never lead the league in snaps, posting a 72.8% snap share in 2021, but has seen success on deep balls in the past. He totaled 660 air yards last season, and was 64th in completed air yards (355).
Now a restricted free agent heading into 2022, there is a possibility that Lazard could be playing elsewhere next season. Even if he returns to Green Bay on a new contract, it's difficult to say what kind of value he would bring to fantasy rosters if Aaron Rodgers is playing elsewhere. Lazard’s ADP will never be one that should keep folks from drafting him. As long as he remains a somewhat reliable touchdown producer, Lazard should have value in best ball leagues, and as a middling WR3 with occasional upside.
