Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones appeared to be on his way to being another top-10 running back for fantasy football with a dominant performance in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears, but a hamstring injury that he suffered on a long touchdown reception sidelined him for Week 2.
Where do things stand with Jones’ injury recovery, and should fantasy managers expect to have him in their lineup for Week 3?
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Latest News Surrounding Aaron Jones
Fantasy managers are desperately hoping to see Jones on the field for the Packers’ Week 3 bout against the New Orleans Saints, but that doesn’t exactly appear to be a guarantee at the moment.
Jones was not seen on the field for practice to begin the week on Wednesday as he works through his hamstring injury, which puts his availability in jeopardy for Sunday.
Aaron Jones warmed up with team inside with a helmet on, but he didn’t come outside for the start of practice open to reporters.
Christian Watson is practicing.
David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins are not. Everybody else on the 53 is.
Here’s Watson: pic.twitter.com/WYeHUEDypJ
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) September 20, 2023
The practice reports for Thursday and Friday will be critical to monitor to ascertain whether or not Jones will be out there for Week 3. If he doesn’t get at least a limited practice in on Thursday, fantasy managers should begin to make backup plans again.
Update: Jones returned to practice on Thursday and Friday, but it listed as questionable for Week 3.
Will Jones Play This Week?
At the time of writing, it’s too early to tell whether or not Jones’ hamstring injury will prevent him from making his way back into the Packers’ starting lineup.
MORE: Fantasy Football’s Week 3 Burning Start/Sit Questions
If he can return to practice later this week, he’ll have a good chance of suiting up. We’ll be updating you regularly as new information comes out, so make sure to check back in frequently.
What Does This Mean for Jones’ Fantasy Rankings?
If Jones is able to log a limited practice throughout this week, he’ll most likely be out there for this matchup against the Saints. However, that doesn’t mean that he’ll receive his normal workload or that he’ll be 100%.
We should expect Jones to see anywhere between 5-10 touches, which means that he’s more of a low-end RB2 in fantasy rankings than a lock for starting lineups. It may be best to have Jones miss this next game against a tough opponent, rest up, and then come back fully ready in Week 4.
If Jones can’t go, AJ Dillon moves into the top 15 RB conversation due to the volume that he’ll see. He hasn’t made the most of his opportunity so far this season, but the guaranteed work that he’ll see makes him a viable starter with so many other starting running backs dealing with injuries.