Injuries continue to mount in the 2023 NFL season. It is inevitable that every fantasy football manager will navigate at least some of them throughout the season. Green Bay Packers RB Aaron Jones strained his hamstring in Week 1 and hasn’t played since. What is the latest on his status? Will he return against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night?
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Latest News Surrounding Aaron Jones
After getting in two limited practices last week, I tentatively expected Jones to suit up. His hamstring strain appeared very minor, and it felt as though the Packers held him out of Week 2 as a precaution.
My guess is the Packers are exercising an abundance of caution with their star running back. I believe Jones would’ve played last week had the Packers not been scheduled for Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
MORE: Early Week 4 Waiver Wire Pickups
NFL teams almost never hold real practices on short weeks. Monday is typically a rest day on a normal week. When teams play on Thursday, Monday’s practice is a walkthrough, if they hold one at all.
The Packers listed Jones as limited on Monday’s estimated practice report. That’s great news, as he opened last week with a DNP. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo is optimistic about Jones returning against the Lions.
#Packers RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) would’ve been limited in practice today, as he was late last week, Matt LaFleur says. Sounds like he’s got a good shot to return on Thursday against the #Lions.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 25, 2023
What Does This Mean for Jones’ Fantasy Ranking?
Suffice it to say the running back position has been a challenge in fantasy football this year. Jones sure looked like an RB1 in Week 1, but it’s only a one-game sample size.
Interestingly enough, what has transpired in the NFL in Jones’ absence has only increased his value. It’s not just that AJ Dillon looks like the worst running back in football.
Since Jones went down, so have Nick Chubb, Saquon Barkley, and Austin Ekeler. Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs have disappointed. Najee Harris is already a mega bust. Jahmyr Gibbs hasn’t launched like expected. Dameon Pierce can’t find any running lanes. It’s been a really down year for more than half of the top 18 or so running backs.
Our PFN Consensus Rankings don’t go live until after the current week ends, so we don’t yet have our Week 4 rankings up. However, you can firmly expect Jones to be ranked in the top 12. If he plays on Thursday, fantasy managers should have no reservations about inserting him back into lineups.