The Green Bay Packers‘ offense has been improving without one of its feature players in the lineup over the last two games. Will RB Aaron Jones return to the starting lineup against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in Week 14? What’s the latest information on his availability?
Is Aaron Jones Going To Play Week 14?
Jones has been one of the consistent and durable fantasy RBs over the last four seasons, but he could be in serious jeopardy of missing his sixth game of the year while dealing with a knee injury.
According to a recent report from Tom Pelissero, Jones isn’t expected to play against the Giants on Monday night because his knee isn’t ready to go quite yet.
This is likely very disappointing news for fantasy managers who rolled the dice on Jones yesterday in hopes of him taking the field on Monday. Jones appeared to be trending in the right direction after practicing in a limited capacity for all three practices this week.
Prior to this year, Jones has never missed more than four games in a season. He is in serious jeopardy of finishing with fewer than 1,000 yards from scrimmage in a season for the first time since 2018. He has produced just 414 total yards and three scores in seven games played, which is certainly not what fantasy managers were expecting when they drafted him with an early-round pick this offseason.
Potential Fantasy Options If Jones Is Out Includes AJ Dillon
The story continues to be the same for the Packers’ backfield when they are without Jones in the lineup in 2023. 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.
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Despite a mostly modest fantasy performance in Week 13, Dillon’s 73 yards on 18 carries against the defending Super Bowl champs was actually one of his best games of the season. The fantasy ceiling still may not sniff the top 10 at the RB position, but Dillon proved to be a useful fantasy asset against a stout Chiefs defense.
Dillon’s usage will continue to be his fantasy calling card without Jones in the lineup. Unfortunately, Dillon simply hasn’t produced enough splash plays to get fantasy managers excited about starting him in 2023.
Fortunately though, 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.
Despite the offense starting to generate more scoring chances over the last month, Dillon hasn’t found pay dirt in seven straight games. The Giants’ offense is a bit of a wild card heading into this matchup. But if rookie QB Tommy DeVito struggles to sustain drives, a favorable game script could produce a season high in the opportunities department.
With Jones unlikely to take to the field against the Giants, Dillon projects as a top-24 option at the RB position for Week 14.
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