The NFL season is nearing its end. As happens every year, injuries are rearing their ugly heads. As fantasy football managers prepare to set Week 15 lineups, it’s important to stay informed on the latest injury news. Josh Jacobs missed some practice time this week due to injury. What is his current status and outlook for this week?
Is Josh Jacobs Playing Week 15?
Jacobs suffered a knee contusion during the Green Bay Packers’ Week 11 matchup against the New York Giants. The injury occurred on the second play of the game when Jacobs banged his knee at the end of a run. He played 10 more snaps before he dropped out because the knee quickly swelled up and he could not bend it.​
This current issue is not a new injury. It is the same one that cost him Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings. Jacobs has played in two games since and looked no worse for wear.​
Jacobs did not practice on Wednesday. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic suggested Jacobs’ absence was likely just maintenance for the knee injury that he played through the past two games. Rob Demovsky of ESPN reported that Jacobs was riding a stationary bike and doing work off to the side while his teammates practiced Wednesday.​
This was not ideal, but not exactly a concern at that point. Wednesday practice absences are largely meaningless for evaluating a player’s availability, especially for veterans dealing with minor ailments.​
However, things took a turn on Thursday when Jacobs was once again absent from practice. Of course, Jacobs is a veteran who could easily go DNP-DNP-LP and play. But head coach Matt LaFleur’s comments did not exactly inspire optimism.​
Per Demovsky, LaFleur told reporters Thursday that Jacobs has been battling through the knee issue and the team would see how it progresses. Clearly, this issue has been ongoing since Jacobs first injured the knee. He has been playing through it, but obviously it flared up last week.​
Jacobs returned to practice on Friday in a limited capacity. The star running back said he is managing swelling in the knee but that it feels good.
Jacobs is the type of player who has historically played through injuries and wants to be on the field. His reputation as a tough, durable back who rarely sits out games is well-established throughout his career.​
While far from a guarantee, the fact that Jacobs was able to practice on Friday suggests he is more likely than not to play Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. The limited practice designation indicates he participated in some drills and demonstrated enough mobility for the coaching staff to feel encouraged about his availability. Had Jacobs missed Friday’s practice as well, his status for Sunday would be significantly more in doubt.​
On Saturday night, Adam Schefter reported that Jacobs is expected to play.
Jacobs’ Fantasy Football Outlook
Jacobs has just three red zone touches over the past two weeks, 1.3 fewer than he was averaging PER GAME through his first 10 of this season and the scoring equity isn’t set to spike against an elite Broncos defense.
There’s nothing to do here.
The gravity that Christian Watson is providing for this offense has a positive trickle down effect across the board and could be part of why Jacobs has a 15+ yard run in three straight.
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We know the rushing volume is locked in (17+ carries in four of his past five games) and while his role in the passing game has been a bit sporadic, we at least have five examples of him catching 4+ passes this season.
This matchup has him sitting just outside of my top 10 at the position: a slight downgrade, but not enough to truly impact your decision making.
— Kyle Soppe, PFSN Fantasy Analyst
