Christian Watson
24-Year-Old
2023 Receiving Stats
REC
28
YDS
422
TD
5
AVG
15.1
TAR
53
2024 Projections
2023 Fantasy Outlook
A North Dakota State product, Watson nearly crept into the first round of last year's draft after blazing a 4.36 40-yard dash at 6-4, 208, with a 38.5-inch vertical to boot. He ultimately went 34th overall to the Packers, still earlier than nearly anyone expected, and after dealing with some early injuries became the big-play threat the team had envisioned. Seven of Watson's 41 catches went for touchdowns, as did two of his seven carries, though all nine of his scores came in a four-game stretch from mid-November to early December. The good news is that he didn't completely disappear thereafter, averaging 4.0 catches for 52.5 yards on 6.3 targets the final four weeks. Fellow rookie wideout Romeo Doubs, meanwhile, failed to build on a promising start to the season and was marginalized in Green Bay's offense by the end of the year. It could be those two second-year guys at the top of the depth chart this spring, only now in a more run-based offense with Jordan Love replacing Aaron Rodgers under center while Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon lead the way out of the backfield. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Team optimistic after testing
The Packers feel like they have a better understanding of Watson's injury issues after he underwent a body scan at University of Wisconsin-Madison earlier this offseason, Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Hamstring problems resulted in multi-game absences three times during Watson's first two NFL seasons, and he was removed early from other contests with a concussion (Week 8 of 2022), chest injury (Week 9 of 2022), hip injury (Week 16 of 2022) and back/chest injury (Week 9 of 2023). It's a worrying list of medical problems for someone with only 953 career snaps -- essentially one season's worth -- but Watson has mostly been effective when available, catching 69 of 119 targets for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and taking 11 carries for 91 yards and two additional scores. The 2022 second-round pick is part of one of the deepest group of pass catchers in the league, with Green Bay having six players who recorded over 350 receiving yards last season, all of them rookies or second-year pros. Watson's 4.36 speed is unique among that group, but durability and workload concerns remain a significant part of the fantasy equation even if the Packers are feeling more optimistic about his chances of staying relatively healthy in 2024.
Hamstring problems resulted in multi-game absences three times during Watson's first two NFL seasons, and he was removed early from other contests with a concussion (Week 8 of 2022), chest injury (Week 9 of 2022), hip injury (Week 16 of 2022) and back/chest injury (Week 9 of 2023). It's a worrying list of medical problems for someone with only 953 career snaps -- essentially one season's worth -- but Watson has mostly been effective when available, catching 69 of 119 targets for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns and taking 11 carries for 91 yards and two additional scores. The 2022 second-round pick is part of one of the deepest group of pass catchers in the league, with Green Bay having six players who recorded over 350 receiving yards last season, all of them rookies or second-year pros. Watson's 4.36 speed is unique among that group, but durability and workload concerns remain a significant part of the fantasy equation even if the Packers are feeling more optimistic about his chances of staying relatively healthy in 2024.
NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
See red zone opportunities inside the 20, 10 and 5-yard lines along with the percentage of time they converted the opportunity into a touchdown.
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Christian Watson's 2023 advanced stats compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank.
The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
Air Yards Per Game
88.8Air Yards Per Snap
1.88% Team Air Yards
17.2%% Team Targets
9.4%Avg Depth of Target
15.1 YdsCatch Rate
52.8%Drop Rate
1.9%Avg Yds After Catch
3.7% Targeted On Route
19.9%Avg Yds Per Route Run
1.58Loading Advanced NFL Stats...
2023
2022
2023 NFL Game Log
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Snap Distribution / Depth Chart
Snap Counts
Snap %
Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Christian Watson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
Detailed
Grouped
Side
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2023 Christian Watson Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Christian Watson's measurables compare to other wide receivers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"Weight
208 lbs40-Yard Dash
4.36 secVertical Jump
38.5 inBroad Jump
136 inHand Length
10.13 inArm Length
32.50 in
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Christian Watson See More
Most of the big ADP changes can be easily explained, but there are also guys like Isiah Pacheco and Kenneth Walker dropping down the ranks for unclear reasons.
Cardinals teammates Kyler Murray and James Conner are two of Jerry Donabedian's favorite 2024 picks based on early ADP.
Puka Nacua was the leader of a 2023 rookie class that outperformed expectations, setting the table for a 2024 class that comes with far more hype thanks to mega prospects Marvin Harrison and Malik Nabers.
Odell Beckham didn't play much in the divisional round, with Baltimore instead leaning on Rashod Bateman and Nelson Agholor alongside No. 1 receiver Zay Flowers.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Could be ready for 2023 debut
Watson said Tuesday he plans to play Thursday night against the Lions, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Watson has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury, but he told reporters he plans to make his debut in Week 4. Coach Matt LaFleur took a more cautious tone Tuesday, however, as he relayed that Watson has not yet been medically cleared to take the field. The wideout was listed as a limited practice participant Tuesday.
Watson has yet to play this season due to a hamstring injury, but he told reporters he plans to make his debut in Week 4. Coach Matt LaFleur took a more cautious tone Tuesday, however, as he relayed that Watson has not yet been medically cleared to take the field. The wideout was listed as a limited practice participant Tuesday.
2022 Fantasy Outlook
In terms of opportunity, Watson probably has it best of the rookie wide receivers, joining an
Aaron Rodgers - Matt LaFleur offense that lost Davante Adams (169 targets) and Marquez
Valdes-Scantling (55). The rub? Watson might not be the most pro-ready prospect, given that
he's 23, played at FCS program North Dakota State and never caught more than 43 passes in a
single season while spending a lot of time blocking in run-first offenses. On the other hand, he
had a dominant share of the Bison's passing game - including 35 percent of the receiving
yards and TDs last year - and then lit up the Combine with a 4.36 40, 136-inch broad jump and
38.5-inch vertical at 6-4, 208. The Packers took Watson at No. 34 overall, boosting a woefully
thin wideout group that otherwise consisted of Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb and
Amari Rodgers. They also grabbed Romeo Doubs in Round 4, but Watson's physical specs and
draft capital make him the long-term upside play of the bunch, while Lazard is the floor play with a guaranteed starting job. Watson did hit a speed bump after the draft, requiring minor knee surgery that kept him on the sideline for the start of training camp, whereas fellow rookie Doubs managed to earn praise from Rodgers in the early days of camp. Watson came back from the PUP list Aug. 15 and thus has a chance to be ready for Week 1 still, though he won't necessarily have a key role.
More Fantasy News
To undergo offseason testing
Watson said Monday that he plans to undergo offseason medical testing to determine why he's battled recurring hamstring injuries in his NFL career, Ryan Wood of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
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Set to play Saturday
Watson (hamstring) doesn't have an injury designation for Saturday's divisional-round contest at San Francisco, Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
ANALYSIS
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Limited session Wednesday
Watson (hamstring) was listed as a limited participant in Wednesday's walk-through practice.
ANALYSIS
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Limited to begin week
The Packers listed Watson (hamstring) as a limited participant on Tuesday's practice estimate, Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports.
ANALYSIS
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One catch in wild-card round win
Watson (hamstring) caught his lone target for nine yards in Sunday's 48-32 wild-card round win over the Cowboys.
ANALYSIS
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