Another week, another appearance on the injury report for Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones. It is almost unheard of for a player to appear on the injury report for 10 straight games, but it has been that type of injury-riddled season for the veteran running back.
Let’s take a closer look at the most recent news we have on Jones and the potential fantasy football impact this injury could have on the Packers offense.
Latest Injury Update on Aaron Jones
Jones’ RB1 fantasy finish back in the season opener feels like a decade ago for fantasy managers. Well, there may be hope for those who kept Jones on their fantasy roster throughout his injury-plagued 2023 campaign.
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According to a recent report from Wes Hodkiewicz, Jones was seen participating in Thursday’s padded practice. This marks the first time Jones has practiced in any capacity since suffering a knee injury back in Week 11 against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Editor’s note: Jones was listed as a limited participant in practice on Thursday.
Will Jones Play This Week?
This is a question that is likely to torment fantasy managers all week. The Packers are set to face off against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football, making him a very big headache heading into Sunday because a decision will have to be made on whether or not to potentially forego other starting options in hopes of Jones returning to the field in Week 14.
His return to the practice is certainly a very encouraging sign and has him trending in the right direction, but fantasy managers will certainly need to monitor his participation throughout the week before making assumptions regarding his status for MNF.
What Does This Mean for AJ Dillon’s Fantasy Ranking?
You know the drill at this point. Whenever Jones is out of the lineup, the unquestioned biggest fantasy beneficiary is backup RB AJ Dillon. He has seen consistent work out of the backfield all season, whether Jones has played or not.
The Packers offense has certainly shown some signs of life over the last five games, but their 129 yards rushing against a Kansas City Chiefs defense that is among the best in the league was a very encouraging sign for this backfield moving forward.
Sure, Dillon’s 73 yards on 18 carries with no scores against the defending Super Bowl champs isn’t exactly league-winning production, but it did prove he could be a useful fantasy asset while Jones remains out of the lineup.
If Jones can play against the Giants, he’ll remain a very shaky RB2 option for fantasy managers.
It’s hard to rank a talent like Jones outside of my top 15 running backs, but the man has simply been unable to get fully healthy this season. His lingering hamstring, combined with his current ailing knee, make him very hard to trust in your lineup heading into the fantasy playoffs, even with a favorable matchup this week.
If Jones is unavailable against the Giants, then Dillon will get a slight bump in the weekly fantasy rankings and likely sneak inside the top 25 of my rankings at the RB position for Week 14.
New York’s defense has allowed an average of 22.1 points per game, which makes them one of the more favorable fantasy matchups for running backs in the league through the first 13 weeks of the season.
Regardless of whoever is the leading back for the Packers on Monday Night Football, the fantasy ceiling is certainly very intriguing against a Giants team that has fallen very shy of their high expectations in 2023.
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