Fresh off a game where he handled a whopping 32 carries, Josh Jacobs popped up on Wednesday’s practice report with a back injury.
Should fantasy football managers be worried about the Green Bay Packers RB’s status ahead of a Week 3 showdown with the Tennessee Titans?
Will Josh Jacobs Play in Week 3 vs. the Titans?
You never want to see players on the injury report. Even a single limited practice causes the fantasy platforms to slap that “Q” label next to a player’s name. As we well know, not all “Q” labels are created equal.
Jacobs first appeared on the injury report last week with a back issue. He avoided a final injury designation entirely, played on Sunday, and handled 32 carries. Jacobs was a true workhorse in every sense of the term.
Following that heavy workload, it is not exactly a surprise that the team is being careful with Jacobs at practice. Fortunately, fantasy managers have no reason to worry.
Head coach Matt LaFleur said he’s not concerned about Jacobs’ status for Sunday’s game.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Jordan Love was limited.
LaFleur wouldn’t say how limited.
LaFleur said Josh Jacobs was also limited but he’s not concerned about him for Sunday. pic.twitter.com/U8jSKMZNs6
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) September 18, 2024
LaFleur’s comments are notwithstanding, reading the tea leaves in Green Bay, it is clear they are taking a cautious approach regarding practice.
Jacobs was a limited participant for the second day in a row on Thursday. As long as he doesn’t suffer a setback on Friday, he should be good to go. I expect he won’t even have a final injury designation.
Should You Start Jacobs in Fantasy Lineups?
Through two weeks, Jacobs is only the RB24 on the season. Of course, that’s largely a mirage, as touchdowns are everything in fantasy football, and he has none of them.
Per TruMedia, Jacobs’ expected fantasy points would put him at RB10. That means based on his usage and performance, he should have a whole lot more fantasy points than he does.
The Titans just allowed Jets running backs to score three times against them. Only one was on the ground, but fantasy managers don’t care how their running backs find the end zone.
In fact, Jacobs anytime touchdown is one of my recommended prop bets for this week. I believe he scores for the first time. He may score more than once.
Jacobs is an every-week must-start RB1.
Who Are the Other Fantasy Options To Consider on the Packers?
The Packers are a tricky team for fantasy right now because the amount of options worth considering is entirely dependent on Jordan Love’s status.
If Love sits another week, Jacobs is the only Packer worth starting. If Love is able to return, Jayden Reed gets back into every-week WR3 territory, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson both elevate to worthy WR4 fliers, and Tucker Kraft becomes a high-end TE2.
Love was able to return to practice on a limited basis Wednesday, but is still just two weeks removed from spraining his MCL. It still feels like he is a long shot to play in Week 3.
The good news is the Packers play in the early slate. If Love ends up drawing a questionable tag, we will know in advance how usable the rest of the non-Jacobs Packers are.