Packers RB Aaron Jones is about as reliable as they come for fantasy managers. Jones finished last season with six top-12 weekly finishes and two more inside the top-24. In total, Jones finished as an RB3 or better in 15 of his 17 games. Among 41 RBs who received 100+ carries in 2022, Jones ranked second in PFF rushing grade, ninth in elusive rating, and 11th in yards after contact per attempt (3.20). There's a reason why he hasn't finished outside the top 12 overall RBs in PPR since 2018. However, there's a risk that streak comes to an end in 2023 with new QB Jordan Love under center. It's reasonable to expect the team will help Love by running the ball plenty, but that'll cut into Jones' production as a receiver out of the backfield. The Packers were fairly neutral in run-pass rate last year, though they did finish 18th in Pass Rate Over Expectation. If that drops any further with Love at the helm, Jones' fantasy ceiling will certainly take a hit. His effectiveness as a pass-catcher is already showing signs of decline, too. Of the 17 RBs who saw 50+ targets last year, Jones finished 13th in PFF receiving grade, 10th in yards per route run (1.25), and 14th in drop rate (9.2%). While not terrible, Jones declined in all three marks vs. 2021. So maybe he can bounce back in that department, but we're not expecting much. See where Jones lands in our current RB rankings.
Beat writer Bill Huber believes the Packers “might want to lean more on [Aaron] Jones” in 2023. Huber cites the transition to QB Jordan Love and the trust from HC Matt LaFleur. “[I] can’t say enough great things about him, just the man he is, the player he is, the son he is, the father he is,” LaFleur said of Jones last month. “He’s definitely, I’ll throw it out there... he’s one of my favorites.” Jones, who turns 29 in December, played all 17 games last season. He approached a career-high with 272 touches and did set a personal best in Pro Football Focus rushing grade (91.0, 2nd-best among RBs). Current Draft Sharks projections have the Packers at a balanced 54% pass rate; 46% run rate. Jones checks in as a top-20 option on the RB rankings.
Packers beat writer Bill Huber believes the team’s O-line enters training camp in “fine form.” Green Bay’s projected starters — save for LT David Bakhtairi — played together over the final nine games of last season. We’ll keep an eye on the health of Bakhtiari, nearly 32, but this unit looks like a positive for Jordan Love and the run game. Green Bay ranked top-8 last year in pass and run-block win rate, an ESPN metric. See where Love slots in our QB rankings.
Packers RB coach Ben Sirmans gave his assessment of A.J. Dillon’s 2022 season. Dillion wasn’t anything special efficiency-wise (4.1 yards per carry; 7.4 per catch) but tallied a career-high seven rushing TDs. "This wasn't the type of year and expectations that, not only he had for himself but from what I had for him and what others in this building had for him," Sirmans said. "I think that he's the type of person, at least from what he's shown me, that he's going to respond to that challenge and come out and have a much more productive year. And you saw a lot of great things in spurts, but that was just the problem, it was just in spurts. It wasn't consistent. And that's what our goal is.” Dillion’s 10.9 rushes per game could increase slightly, depending on the performance of Jordan Love. If Aaron Jones remains healthy, though, it’ll be tough to count on the fourth-year back as anything more than a low-end RB2/FLEX.
ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that the Packers and RB Aaron Jones have agreed to a restructured contract, shifting most of his 2023 money to a signing bonus. That keeps Jones with the teams "instead of being released," in Schefter's words. That's what makes this deal significant. Of course, staying in Green Bay will likely find Jones playing with a new QB (Jordan Love). What will moving on from Aaron Rodgers mean for the offense and Jones' production? That's nearly impossible for anyone to know at this point. Rodgers has been the starter since 2008, long before Jones arrived. The 2023 Packers figure to lean on their backfield quite a bit, though. Even with Rodgers still around in 2022, the offense dipped to 18th in neutral pass rate (according to RBSDM.com) from 11th in 2021. The shift from Rodgers to Love, however, could ding Jones' target count (Love will likely run more) and the team's TD efficiency. Fortunately, early best-ball drafts are discounting the Packers RB. He sits 20th at the position in Underdog ADP, going in Round 6 on average. Go ahead and get some shares of him at that price.
Packers RB Aaron Jones is set to count $20 million against the salary cap in 2023. But Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said he expects the veteran to return on a restructured deal. “Yeah, certainly, we expect to have him back,” Gutekunst recently told the media. “Obviously, he’s a dynamic player. It’s amazing. For a guy his size, to bring it every day, he rarely misses a practice, rarely misses a rep. The way he leads that football team, his consistency is amazing.” Indeed, Jones played all 17 games in 2023, setting career highs in rushing yards (1,121) and receptions (59). The 28-year-old’s fantasy ceiling will largely depend on whether Aaron Rodgers returns for another season.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (ankle, knee) doesn't carry an injury designation ahead of Week 18 vs. the Lions. Jones looked healthier last week than he has in a while, ripping off 111 yards on 14 carries. There's no holding back in Sunday night's must-win game vs. the Lions, who rank 19th in Football Outsiders' run defense DVOA over the last 5 weeks.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (ankle, knee) practiced in a limited capacity for the 2nd straight day. We'll see if this persistent injury prevents Jones from suiting up in Week 18 vs. the Lions. Be sure to check back again tomorrow once we have additional information.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee, ankle) logged limited participation on Wednesday. Jones has been dealing with injury for weeks but has yet to miss a game this season. We'll watch out for any updates regarding his status for Week 18 vs. the Lions as the week unfolds.
Packers RB Aaron Jones racked up 111 yards on 14 carries in Sunday's win over the Vikings, averaging 7.9 per rush. That marked a steep turn from most of his production since a Week 10 shin injury. Jones had been averaging just 4.0 per rush since then, compared with 5.6 per carry through Week 10. Jones added meager receiving production -- 2 catches, 2 yards on 3 targets -- and ceded rushing scores to RB AJ Dillon and QB Aaron Rodgers. Dillon checked in just 2 carries short of Jones (going 12-41-1 rushing). Week 18 will pit Jones and the offense against a Lions defense that has been up-and-down as a scoring matchup. He managed just 45 total yards on 9 carries and 2 catches in the 1st meeting.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee, ankle) doesn't carry an injury designation in advance of Week 17 vs. the Vikings. After logging limited practice all week, it seems fantasy managers will have the veteran back as an available option for championship week. Jones has been dealing with this ankle injury since Week 15 vs. the Rams. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reports that Jones felt the team was going to sideline him in Week 15 had it not been for RB A.J. Dillon picking up a concussion. This is important to consider given that Jones only received 8 touches vs. the Dolphins last week. It's unclear how much the Packers will lean on Jones. As such, we consider both Jones and Dillon low-end RB2/flex options in Week 17.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee, ankle) practiced in a limited fashion again on Thursday ahead of Week 17 vs. the Vikings. A full go on Friday would certainly give fantasy managers hope for his availability. Be sure to check back tomorrow once we find out more.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee, ankle) was listed as a limited practice participant on Wednesday. The veteran back has appeared in every game this season, so feel pretty good about his availability for Week 17 vs. the Vikings. If something changes on this front, we'll keep you posted.
Packers RB Aaron Jones said after Sunday's win over the Dolphins that his left ankle got "rolled up on" during his 1st carry of the 2nd half. That likely helped keep the touch count down for a player who also entered the game with a knee issue. Jones carries no game status on the final injury report, but he was limited in practice all week. He finished Sunday's game with just 6 carries and 2 targets, including only 2 rushes and 1 target in the 1st half (before the ankle problem). We'll have to watch his status on this week's injury reports in advance of the Week 17 clash with Minnesota.
Packers RB AJ Dillon rushed 11 times for 36 yards (3.3 per carry) and claimed Green Bay's only rushing score in Sunday's win over the Dolphins. He added 2 catches for 12 yards among 3 targets. RB Aaron Jones carried only 6 times for 25 yards (4.2) and added just 9 yards on 2 receptions. The 34 total yards were a season low for him. Week 17 brings a rematch with the soft Vikings defense. Jones tallied just 76 total yards on 8 touches in their Week 1 meeting. Dillon went 10-45-1 rushing and 5-46 receiving in that contest. Both Green Bay RBs will be in play for fantasy use against what has been a mid-pack scoring matchup for the position.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee) practiced in a limited fashion all week and does not carry an injury designation ahead of Week 16 vs. the Dolphins. Jones figures to be heavily involved in both the running and passing game. Sunday's game should be a fairly high-scoring affair as well. To make matters even better, the veteran back has received 6 red zone opportunities in back-to-back games. Start Jones as an RB1 with good confidence in Week 16.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee) was a limited practice participant on both Wednesday and Thursday to open the week. With so many games on Saturday, it may be a challenge to wait and see with Jones. We consider Jones a top-10 back if he does suit up for Week 16 vs. the Dolphins. Weigh that risk/reward as you make your final roster decisions. Teammate A.J. Dillon has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol already and would stand to benefit greatly if Jones were to be absent on Sunday.
Packers HC Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that RB A.J. Dillon has cleared concussion protocol. He missed the 4th quarter of Monday night's win over the Rams to be checked for a head injury. Prior to exiting, Dillon had tallied 11 carries and 3 targets to Aaron Jones’ 11 carries and 5 targets. Look for a similar split against the Dolphins on Sunday.
Packers RB A.J. Dillon exited in the 2nd half of Monday night's game vs. the Rams for a concussion check. He didn't return, but we've yet to see whether Dillon was actually diagnosed with a concussion. We'll look for an update from the team and monitor the practice reports this week. Dillon's absence against the Dolphins on Sunday would leave RB Aaron Jones in a workhorse role.
Packers RB Aaron Jones led the team in carries (17) and rushing yards (90) in Sunday's win over the Rams. The veteran also added 4 receptions on 5 targets for 36 yards and 1 TD in the receiving game. Teammate A.J. Dillon played a similarly impactful role in the victory, tallying 36 yards and 2 TDs on the ground on top of 3 receptions of his own for 35 yards. Much of the Packers' offense ran through the backfield in Week 15, and fantasy managers looking ahead to a neutral matchup against the Dolphins next week should hope for the same in Week 16. Consider Jones a strong RB1 and Dillon a viable flex-worthy option.
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