Christian Watson
25-Year-Old
2023 Receiving Stats
REC
28
YDS
422
TD
5
AVG
15.1
TAR
53
2024 Projections
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Watson got the boom-or-bust label coming out of FCS North Dakota State in 2022 and landing with Green Bay at No. 34 overall. It turns out he's been both, with health the main issue rather than being overwhelmed by NFL competition. Watson had a minor knee surgery before training camp his rookie year, then missed Weeks 3, 6 and 7 with hamstring injuries. He didn't take a full-time role until Week 10 when fellow rookie Romeo Doubs was sidelined by an ankle injury. Once unleashed, Watson immediately showed why the Packers had made a big bet on his unusual combination of size (6-4, 208) and speed (4.36 40). He had 317 receiving yards and seven TD catches during Doubs' four-game absence, adding another 49 yards and an eighth touchdown on the ground. Watson slowed down a bit after a Week 14 bye but still played well, catching 16 of 25 targets for 210 yards over the final four games. He naturally entered Year 2 with big expectations, largely assumed to be the top weapon for new starting QB Jordan Love. Unfortunately for Watson, his hamstrings stole the show again, causing absences Weeks 1-3 and later Weeks 14-18. The second injury was especially frustrating because he'd just gotten hot again, recording 186 yards and four TDs over a three-game stretch. The talent is obviously there, but now Watson faces serious questions about snap/target competition in addition to durability, as his absence opened things up for fellow 2022 draft pick Romeo Doubs (fourth round) and 2023 rookies Jayden Reed (second round) and Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round). The latter even split snaps with Watson when he came back for the playoffs, during which Watson managed just 20 yards and three targets in two games. Long story short, it's no longer clear Watson will be a primary beneficiary of Love developing into Green Bay's next franchise quarterback. 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
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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
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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.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
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.
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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