Matthew Golden Fantasy Stats

The Green Bay Packers are "clearing the way" for wide receiver Matthew Golden to move up the depth chart as he heads into his second season in the NFL, writes Rob Demovsky of ESPN. The Packers let Romeo Doubs walk in free agency and then recently traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers never made Golden, a first-rounder (23rd overall) in 2025, a focal point of the offense last year, and he finished with just 29 catches for 361 yards and no touchdowns in 14 regular-season games. Golden caught four passes for 84 yards and his first career touchdown reception in the playoff loss to the Chicago Bears. "I think his ceiling is very, very high. We're very, very excited about what he's going to do for our football team moving forward," general manager Brian Gutekunst said. Christian Watson will be the Packers' No. 1 wideout and big-play threat, but he's also been very injury-prone in his career. Jayden Reed is also expected to have a bigger role, but with both Doubs and Wicks out of town, Golden should be much more involved in 2026 after he let his frustration with his rookie role be known. In single-year leagues, Golden will be a WR4/flex option with big-play abilities and still plenty of upside.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden had a relatively quiet rookie year in 2025, recording 29 receptions for 361 yards and zero touchdowns on 44 targets across 14 games played. However, offseason movement around the former first-round pick in Green Bay may be clearing a path for Golden to take on a much larger role in 2026. Former Packers wideout Romeo Doubs signed with the New England Patriots in free agency, and Green Bay traded wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. While the Packers still have a pair of talented pass-catchers in wideouts Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, Golden should be in line for more playing time as a result of the moves. In dynasty formats, Golden's value is trending upward despite his underwhelming production as a rookie.

When the Green Bay Packers made Matthew Golden only their sixth ever first-round wide receiver, and the first since 2002, many in the fantasy space feared he may have been overdrafted, and a disappointing rookie season did little to quell those concerns. Golden finished the 2025 season with only 361 yards on 29 receptions, and he failed to find the end zone until the Packers' lone playoff game, at least offering a glimpse of what a year two breakout could look like, also topping 80 yards for only the second time on the year. The list of NFL receivers who have become fantasy stars after similarly low-impact rookie seasons is not a particularly long one, and even those who were able to turn things around tended to show more than Golden's 1.35 yards per route run from 2025. The Packers allowed their leading receiver, Romeo Doubs, to walk in free agency, which should open a path to more work in two-receiver sets. However, both Christian Watson and Tucker Kraft, who each missed significant time last year, are expected to be healthier in 2026 and could help to maintain the fantasy jumble we've seen for years from Green Bay's wide receivers.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden had a very frustrating rookie season. Despite being a first-round pick, he caught just 29 passes for 361 yards and zero touchdowns. He played 14 games but finished as just the WR89 in PPR leagues. Dynasty managers are rightfully concerned, but it's too early to completely hit the panic button. Year 2 is a common time for receivers to break out, so managers should be patient and allow Golden more time to take a step forward. Plus, he's expected to step into a larger role next season. Green Bay watched Romeo Doubs depart in free agency, leaving Golden in the mix to start alongside Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. In the NFL playoffs, the speedy receiver showed flashes of being able to handle more opportunities. During the Packers' Wild Card loss, he caught four of five targets for 84 yards and a touchdown. Managers shouldn't necessarily buy low at his slightly reduced price tag, but it's also far too early to panic sell. He's purely in the "hold" range in dynasty leagues for now.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden had a disappointing first year in the NFL in 2025 after he was taken with the 23rd overall pick out of Texas. The 22-year-old caught 29 passes for 361 yards and no touchdowns in 14 regular-season games on just 44 targets. It was surprising that he had so few targets, especially with tight end Tucker Kraft tearing his ACL in Week 9. The Athletic's Matt Schneidman expects Golden "to be a much bigger part of the game plan next season" in his sophomore season. It would be premature to expect Golden to be above Christian Watson or Jayden Reed in the pecking order, but Schneidman "wouldn't hesitate to use him over Dontayvion Wicks." Romeo Doubs is expected to depart in free agency, opening up a big role in the passing attack for Golden. Fantasy managers in dynasty/keeper leagues shouldn't sell low on him, and he could end up being a nice value pick in redraft fantasy leagues this fall.

As his team's first first-round wide receiver selection since 2002, Green Bay Packers wideout Matthew Golden entered the 2025 season with plenty of hype. However, the 22-year-old failed to carve out a consistent role as a rookie, finishing the year with 29 receptions for 381 yards and zero touchdowns on 44 targets across 14 regular-season games. From Week 9 onwards, Golden played fewer than 50% of Green Bay's offensive snaps in every game but two. With another offseason to develop chemistry with Packers quarterback Jordan Love and earn the trust of his coaching staff, Golden could be in line for a significantly larger role in 2026. However, Green Bay will likely still roster plenty of competition for playing time at the wide receiver position, even with veteran wideout Romeo Doubs set to hit free agency. Between Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks, Golden will have to fight for playing time with three wide receivers who were all ahead of him on the team's depth chart at different times in 2025. While he remains an intriguing long-term prospect, Golden's value to fantasy managers in dynasty leagues has taken a hit relative to where it was this time last year.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden caught four of his five targets for 84 yards and one touchdown during Saturday's Wild Card loss against the Chicago Bears. Golden was disappointing during the regular season, amassing just 29 catches and 361 yards during his rookie season, but he showed up when it mattered most, scoring the first touchdown of his pro career. However, his effort came up short as Green Bay blew a three-score lead and lost to the Bears for the second time in one month. Golden will look to shake off this year's inconsistencies and carry momentum into his second pro season in 2026. Green Bay has a crowded receiver room, but he could be headed for increased opportunities if Romeo Doubs departs in free agency.

Green Bay Packers rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden (Achilles) should be good to go for Wild-Card weekend against the division-rival Chicago Bears this Saturday night after being listed as a full participant at Tuesday's practice. Golden played all of the team's offensive snaps in the Week 18 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, with the Packers resting some of their regulars, but the 22-year-old still wasn't able to capitalize with Clayton Tune running the offense. Golden caught one of his three targets for only eight yards to close out what was a disappointing first year in the NFL. The Texas product was a popular rookie breakout candidate in the preseason, but he ended up with only 29 receptions for 361 yards and no touchdowns in 2025. Green Bay's receiving corps is pretty healthy heading into the playoffs, making Golden pretty hard to trust in fantasy lineups.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said on Friday that rookie first-round wide receiver Matthew Golden has a "very bright future" in Green Bay, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN. The Packers' coaching staff was singing Golden's praises during training camp and the preseason, too, leading many to believe that a breakout was coming in Year 1 for the Texas alum. It has not happened in 2025, as Golden has been buried in Green Bay's crowded receiver room. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson have missed time with injuries this year, but Golden has just been unable to become a consistent part of the team's passing attack alongside the likes of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Golden enters the Week 18 regular-season finale against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings with only 28 catches on the year for 353 yards and zero touchdowns. He has only one target in two of the team's last three games.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden has had an underwhelming rookie season, recording 28 catches for 353 yards on 41 targets across 13 games. The 22-year-old is still searching for his first NFL touchdown heading into the team's regular season finale in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings. Golden has also been impacted by injury in the second half of the season, missing multiple games in November due to a wrist injury. On a more positive note, Golden played 53% of Green Bay's offensive snaps in Week 17, his largest snap share in any game since Week 8. Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks (concussion) suffered a concussion early in Week 17, allowing a pathway to playing time for Golden. Green Bay enters Week 18 locked into the number seven seed in the NFC playoffs, so the team has little incentive to rush Wicks back to the field. The Packers could also choose to be cautious with top wideouts Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed. Golden could be in line for a significant uptick in playing time in Week 18 against the Minnesota Vikings.