Injury has struck again for Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd, with head coach Matt LaFleur revealing that the sophomore RB is “gonna miss some time” due to his latest hamstring injury.
The 2024 third-round pick was limited to just one game in his rookie year and was widely regarded as a potential breakout star for 2025, but he will again have to wait his turn while recovering from an injury. Here’s the latest on Lloyd’s status.
Packers Running Back MarShawn Lloyd Set To Miss More Time
Lloyd can’t seem to catch a break in Green Bay, and his misfortune has continued with his latest injury. Packers running backs coach Ben Sirmans weighed in on the player’s run of bad luck, going so far as to say that he’s never seen anything like this before.
Green Bay has recently placed Lloyd on the injured reserve, and the running back will miss at least the first four games of the season.
This was Marshawn Lloyd’s final play of yesterday’s Preseason matchup against the Colts, a perfectly executed wheel route for a 33 yard gain. The injury he suffered on this play is being reported as a hamstring issue. Hoping its nothing because he showed flashes with his reps. pic.twitter.com/lDfXUP7hIP
— Packerfan Total Access- Clayton (@packers_access) August 17, 2025
The second-year back was making his first appearance of the preseason against the Indianapolis Colts, having missed Week 1 with a groin issue. While making an impressive 33-yard sideline grab on a pass from Malik Willis, Lloyd injured his hamstring.
It’s the worst possible news for a player looking to push on with his NFL career. The powerful former USC back is light-years behind where he would have hoped to be at this stage.
For the Packers, though, Josh Jacobs has proven himself more than capable of handling a full-time workload, and the team shouldn’t be too affected in the short term.
Fantasy Football Impact of Lloyd’s Hamstring Injury
The immediate fantasy football landscape remains unchanged after Lloyd’s injury. Many considered Lloyd a sleeper handcuff due to the significant work he would inherit if Jacobs missed time. Once again, though, it is Lloyd who will be sidelined and unable to make his mark.
Those with injured reserve spots can stash Lloyd away while he recovers, with Emanuel Wilson the obvious replacement. Wilson did well with his limited opportunities spelling for Jacobs in 2024 and would become very valuable if the bellcow running back went down.
You guys aren’t going to believe this, but MarShawn Lloyd is dealing with another injury (hamstring).
Emanuel Wilson has generally made the most out of his opportunities. Packers sideline loving the finish here. pic.twitter.com/fFgzWQgdJu
— Ian Hartitz (@Ihartitz) August 17, 2025
With both Lloyd and Wilson reliant on a Jacobs injury, though, upside shots like Kansas City Chiefs backup Brashard Smith, or Jacksonville Jaguars rookie RB Bhayshul Tuten could make more sense as a late-round flier.
If Lloyd’s injury has left you wanting a safer floor play, Carolina Panthers WR Adam Thielen is going undrafted in many leagues and should still be a PPR-relevant option in 2025.
Lloyd’s Fantasy Outlook
Lloyd was taken by the Packers in the third round of the 2024 draft, suggesting he would get plenty of opportunities to impress in the NFL. However, injuries have halted his progress so far. After missing almost all of his rookie year, Lloyd has again been dealing with injuries during the preseason.
Despite the injuries and near-complete lack of NFL experience, Lloyd is still being drafted as Green Bay’s RB2, with Emanuel Wilson a complete fantasy afterthought. Wilson finished as the RB47 in PPR last year, but that wasn’t down to inefficiency — he simply had fewer touches than every back who finished above him.
Josh Jacobs is a proven three-down back and will continue his monopoly of opportunities in Green Bay when healthy. Lloyd could be useful if Jacobs gets hurt, but could just as easily be third on the team’s depth chart for the entire year.
If healthy, Lloyd could be more explosive than Wilson, but even that is not guaranteed after the latter picked up 4.9 yards per attempt and five total touchdowns in 2024. That depth chart uncertainty, coupled with his injuries, makes the former Trojan a risky pick compared to other backups being drafted near him.
