MarShawn

Lloyd

Although he notched a receiving score in Week 2, these were the first two rushing touchdowns of Lloyd’s career. Awesome stuff, though a player who was averaging 2.7 yards per carry coming into this afternoon saw that number sit at just 3.1 against the Bears. The Pack also got journeyman Pierre Strong involved in their increasingly frustrating backfield committee. Strong was mostly just absorbing Chris Brooks’ (ankle, injured reserve) lost work, but that of course means Lloyd wasn’t seeing a bigger workload. Although the scores are nice, Lloyd is still lacking an RB2 profile heading into Week 6. He will be a low-upside FLEX vs. the Cowboys.

Brooks suffered the ankle injury in Week 4. He went down in the first half and did not return. Brooks underwent testing on his ankle after the game, though the exact nature of his injury has yet to be reported. He does appear to be on the wrong side of questionable for Week 5. If he can’t go, MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson will split the backfield. Johnson led the team in carries last week but also gave up a goal line fumble. We expect Lloyd to get the start versus Chicago on Sunday.

Brooks left the Packers’ Week 4 win over the Bucs with an ankle injury in the first half. He did not return after the break and LaFleur didn’t have any definitive answers about the injury on Monday. It sounds like his status for Week 5 is very much up in the air. After coughing up a goal line fumble, Kaleb Johnson would likely take a backseat to MarShawn Lloyd once again. Lloyd has some low-end RB3 appeal as the potential lead back, but this is ultimately a backfield to avoid for fantasy purposes if possible.

The Packers largely played in a trailing game script last night. Lloyd does not have meaningful access to passing down snaps, logging just one snap on third down and none in the two-minute drill, making him mostly dependent on decent rushing workloads. He played 45.5 percent of the red zone snaps and took the lone snap inside the five-yard line, but was held out of the end zone. Lloyd’s six touches led the backfield, but are hardly enough to keep him locked in 12-team FLEX spots.

The two backs combined for the only eight running back rush attempts on a night the Packers’ offensive line was completely manhandled by an aggressive and athletic Atlanta front. Lloyd took his four carries for 11 yards while Johnson managed only six on his four totes. Both backs were targeted three times through the air, with Johnson going for 10 yards on one reception and Lloyd managing just seven yards on two grabs. This backfield is a complete mess amidst Josh Jacobs’ absence and mounting injuries along the offensive line, with neither back anywhere near a usable fantasy asset ahead of a Week 4 road matchup with the pass-funnel Buccaneers.

Perhaps more importantly, Lloyd lost a key fumble in the second half and then was barely on the field after that. The 25-year-old had plenty of trouble earning yards in the running game, but he was wide open on a well-designed screen pass in the first half for a touchdown catch. Lloyd played on just 16 of the Packers’ 53 snaps and handled seven of their 19 carries. This is a confusing committee that isn’t giving any running back real value, and Josh Jacobs could return at some point near the middle of the season. Fantasy managers in shallow leagues don’t need to hold onto Lloyd, and others could look to trade him away on the back of his receiving touchdown.

Chris Brooks drew the start in this game and held a carries advantage over Lloyd for a while. Matt LaFleur eventually came to his senses and got Lloyd more involved, though it didn’t result in much production. He averaged a measly 2.8 yards per carry and didn’t catch his lone target. Lloyd will project for more carries than Brooks in Week 2, but he’s a committee back without a role in the passing game. Lloyd will shuffle to the back of the RB3 ranks versus the Jets next week.

The NFL is “closely monitoring all developments in the matter, which remains under review of the personal conduct policy.” We expect Jacobs to receive a suspension, but the league can move at its own pace. Packers RB MarShawn Lloyd is expected to serve as the fill-in starter.

Jacobs’ trial was initially slated to take place on November 17th. That date was recently moved up to today, signaling that Jacobs wanted to wrap up his legal proceedings quickly. He has been on the Commissioner’s Exempt List since the end of training camp. Roger Goodell could have kept him on the list indefinitely, especially with the trial previously scheduled multiple months into the season. With the legal matter now settled, Jacobs will likely serve a minor suspension as a result of the charges. MarShawn Lloyd is expected to handle the bulk of the carries until he returns.

“Asked if there’s a scenario in which the Packers release Jacobs, Gutekunst says he wants to let the process play out,” The Athletic’s Matt Schneidmann said. Jacobs on Sunday was placed on the Commissioners Exempt List while his legal situation plays out. Jacobs in May was arrested and booked on five charges, including felony strangulation. ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Monday that Jacobs’ time on the exempt list was, for now, indefinite, and hinged entirely on how his legal situation unfolds. If damning video evidence is released, Jacobs could miss most or all of the regular season. MarShawn Lloyd would start the year as Green Bay’s lead back and has a chance to be one of fantasy’s best running back values.