4 Players to Stash in Fantasy Football From the NFC North

Ty Montgomery, WR, Green Bay Packers

The Player

There aren't many wide receivers who are built like Ty Montgomery. Standing at just 6 feet tall and a jacked 220 pounds, it may be easy to mistake him for a running back. Or Anquan Boldin.

And that's the approach that Montgomery brings to the receiving and returning game as well: physical, aggressive, and fearless.

While it was easy to question his hands (16 drops in his final three college seasons), there was no doubting his game-breaking ability in the open field, and the former Stanford Cardinal was an explosive weapon as a return man and a receiver in space. His junior season was particularly impressive, as he racked up 61 receptions for 958 yards (15.7 average) and 10 touchdowns to go along with his 30.3 yard average and 2 touchdowns on kickoff returns.

His senior year was more disappointing and led to a fall to the late third round of the 2015 draft. But as a rookie he flashed his playmaking ability, catching 15 passes and 2 touchdowns in just five games and demonstrating consistent hands.

If he can continue to develop consistency as both a hands catcher and a route runner, an Anquan Boldin-lite type of career is certainly in play.

The Opportunity

Trivia question: of the Green Bay Packers receivers last year, who do you think had the best Reception NEP per target?

If you said Ty Montgomery, I like where your mind is at! But no, you'd be wrong. It was actually James Jones (0.94), who has now moved on to the Chargers.

But Montgomery was second on the team in that statistic (0.69), just above the league average of 0.67, and he demonstrated outstanding after-the-catch ability and the toughness to work over the middle before his season was abruptly ended by an ankle injury.

We all know how dominant Aaron Rodgers is as the quarterback of this offense, especially when Jordy Nelson is healthy and drawing double coverage on the outside. While Nelson and Randall Cobb are the dominant targets in this offense, we have seen in the past how the third target can have value as well.

Players like Jones, Jermichael Finley, Davante Adams have all possessed varying levels of real and perceived value over the years that has made them assets worth owning (and probably trading).

Montgomery has the potential to become what everyone seemingly wants Jeff Janis to be (although possessing a different skill set). He would also get a large bump if Cobb were to get injured, as his ability to work out of the slot is probably his best trait. He is a player worth watching as this preseason unfolds (and as the Janis hype dies when he is released).