The risk is there, but a discount on an unquestioned role attached to a plus offense is worthy of your consideration in all formats. Josh Jacobs’ name has been a hot-button topic this summer because of an ongoing legal situation, and his ADP will naturally ebb and flow with the twists in that story.
On the field, he’s scored 30 touchdowns in 32 regular-season games with the Packers, blending volume and versatility at a high level. Should we count on more of the same in 2026?
Should You Draft Josh Jacobs in Fantasy Football?
Jacobs is going in the third round, and the range around that pick has been unusually wide given the legal cloud hanging over his offseason. Strip that away for a moment, and the on-field profile is exactly what you want from a bell-cow back. He’s averaged 20.1 touches per game across a six-year, 105-game career, and he’s caught 35 or more passes in five straight seasons.
Behind him on the depth chart sit Chris Brooks and MarShawn Lloyd, neither of whom projects to take meaningful work off the plate of a 28-year-old who remains central to what this offense wants to do late in games. When the score was within one score in the fourth quarter last season, Jacobs scored six touchdowns. They called his number when it mattered most, and that’s unlikely to change at any point in 2026.
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His yards per carry were also 10.5% higher in the second half of the season than in the first. If Father Time is circling, it hasn’t shown up in the numbers yet.
Green Bay is building around a playoff push, and that matters for Jacobs beyond his own touches. Jordan Love has averaged 13.3 yards per completion off play-action over the past three seasons, a mark ahead of 2025 MVP Matthew Stafford and fantasy’s top QB Josh Allen over that same stretch. Those shots gain equity when a defense actually respects the ground game, and Jacobs is the reason it does.
Jacobs’ Dynasty Fantasy Football Value
Jacobs is on the back half of his career, and that’s always the uncomfortable part of a dynasty valuation. That doesn’t mean a blind sell is the answer, but it should encourage you to consistently be thinking about your options. There’s a case for finessing the situation rather than reacting to it.
Green Bay’s early schedule is light on stout run defenses, which sets up a potential sell-high window at midseason rather than right now. The Week 11 bye could land at an awkward point for a manager needing a stretch run, with the Rams up next and a stingy Texans defense waiting in Week 17, Super Bowl week in most leagues. If Jacobs avoids a suspension, a fast start out of the gate could actually boost his trade value before that stretch gets harder.
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Right now, he’s close to an impossible trade, given how unresolved his legal situation remains. Savvy managers are watching the room temperature rather than forcing a move before there’s more clarity.
