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Fantasy value: Jordy Nelson likely tears ACL, Davante Adams' stock spikes

When Jordy Nelson crumbled to the ground after a non-contact injury Sunday in Pittsburgh, the fantasy community held its collective breath. Still reeling from Kelvin Benjamin’s knee setback earlier in the week, most hoped a little dirt-rubbing would cure Nelson’s ailment.

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Though he limped off the field unassisted, the worst possible scenario came to fruition. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the initial diagnosis for the popular fantasy WR1 is a torn ACL. The tear is expected to be confirmed by an MRI. His 2015 season is now lost.

The injury imp strikes again.

Obviously the news is devastating, but in a next-man up league, Nelson’s departure swings open the door of opportunity for several of Green Bay’s young, talented receivers.

Second-year weapon Davante Adams stands to benefit most.

All summer long Aaron Rodgers has talked up the sophomore target mouthing such superlatives as “very polished,” “humungous upside” and “going to be a star." To say the QB has faith in Adams would be a huge understatement.

He isn’t a burner by any stretch, but Adams is physical off the line, can climb the ladder and possesses a rangy frame (6-foot-1, 215-pounds). At times, drops have plagued him, but the organization’s confidence in the kid is sky high.

Rodgers turned a very average James Jones into a fantasy relevant commodity. Adams, far more talented, is now bound to receive the QB’s Midas touch.

Nelson accounted for 151 targets alone last year. Randall Cobb could match that total, but it’s entirely possible Adams exceeds 125 looks this season. In a vertically aggressive offense and tied to an elite passer, he has strong odds of finishing in range of 80 receptions, 1,100 yards and 6-8 TDs. And that might be underselling him. Previously going after pick 100 in average Yahoo drafts, he's worth every penny as early as Round 4 of 12-team exercises. His services should be heavily debated with the likes of Golden Tate, Amari Cooper and Andre Johnson – WRs consistently drafted in the 40-45 overall pick range. 

Workout warrior Jeff Janis, a physically gifted target whose routes and system grasp remain rough around the edges, and rookie Ty Montgomery, a flashy, versatile product who excelled after the catch while at Stanford, are on the deep-league radar. With Adams shifting to WR2, WR3 duties are definitely up for grabs. Whoever secures the gig would be bench worthy in deeper formats. Again, the favorable environment and uptick in targets are major pluses. When the matchup is ripe (e.g. Week 1 against Chicago), either would warrant FLEX consideration, especially if bargain basement options in Daily Fantasy. 

As for Rodgers, I’m not budging on my No. 2 QB ranking. The man is arguably the best QB currently in the game. Jordy’s absence certainly hurts, but I have the utmost confidence he will maximize the efforts of his greener alternatives. His intelligence, accuracy, strong arm and reliability are nearly unmatched. For fantasy purposes, he and Andrew Luck are in a class by themselves.

Want to bull rush Brad? Follow him on Twitter @YahooNoise.