Fantasy football managers have plenty to consider when evaluating the Green Bay Packers’ backfield for the upcoming season. Josh Jacobs’ explosive second-half performance last year has him firmly in fantasy football draft discussions as a potential RB1 candidate.
Meanwhile, MarShawn Lloyd’s injury concerns create uncertainty in what could be a crucial backup role for fantasy football purposes. Understanding the dynamics between these two players will be essential for anyone looking to strike gold in their fantasy football drafts.
Josh Jacobs Fantasy Outlook
Jacobs had a phenomenal first year in Green Bay, tallying over 1,300 yards rushing while adding 16 total touchdowns. There are arguments for why Year 2 will be better and why it will be worse for Jacobs after a stellar second half of the year.
Jacobs was the RB21 in PPR from Weeks 1-9 (minimum five games), with only two weekly finishes inside the top 12 at the position. Following the team’s Week 10 bye, though, Jacobs exploded, his 20.4 fantasy points per game ranking fifth among running backs from Weeks 11-18.
Josh Jacobs finds the endzone for the Packers, Dolphins getting destroyed tonight 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZvgIlg6ykW
— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) November 29, 2024
The Packers went into their bye week off the back of a disappointing 24-14 home loss to the Lions, in which QB Jordan Love played through an obvious injury. The quarterback struggled to reach low snaps and was repeatedly unable to move away from pressure in the pocket, while Jacobs diced Detroit for 7.31 yards per carry.
Love’s pass attempts dropped significantly from then on, while Jacobs went on to score 12 touchdowns in the remaining eight games. The reasons for Green Bay’s switch to a more run-focused offense will have a significant bearing on Jacobs’ 2025 outlook.
If the former Raider was simply benefiting from Love’s injury, then Green Bay’s pass/run ratio will likely revert to the mean this coming season. However, if Jacobs was being rewarded for his output, having gotten used to his new team, he should be a candidate for RB1 overall in 2025.
— Cameron Sheath, Fantasy Football Analyst
MarShawn Lloyd 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.
— Cameron Sheath, Fantasy Football Analyst
