Conventional wisdom suggests that if Packers RB Josh Jacobs misses games this year, backup Marshawn Lloyd will fill his shoes. It's a zero-sum way of looking at it. Before drafting, managers should consider the alternatives.
Because of injuries, Lloyd has racked up only six carries and one reception in the regular season since getting drafted in 2024. Excluding pre-seasons, that marks his only game action since late November 2023 -- nearly three years ago. The notion that Green Bay would make him their bell cow seems far-fetched.
The talent certainly is there (Lloyd is a former third-round pick). But he's as much of a mystery as Carolina's 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks, who has only 12 touches since late November 2023. The difference
between these two is that Brooks averaged 21.2 touches as the bell cow in his final college season. At the same time, Lloyd had double-digit carries on four occasions in his final college season after a relatively light early college career.
Lloyd's ADP has jumped dramatically over the past two weeks, particularly in the past two days. He's one of the trendiest flyers in fantasy drafts because managers, of course, want to pounce on a cheap player who could yield monster production. But managers should be aware that the Packers are more likely to mix in other running backs -- and potentially even sign a journeyman free agent to help carry the load -- putting Lloyd on the verge of becoming overvalued.
For a deeper dive into the deceptively complex Packers backfield, listen to this recent podcast episode.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Josh Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd: complicated fantasy situation
