The newly acquired Green Bay Packers running back, Josh Jacobs, put his power-running game on full this play during his 5 years with Raiders. Last year he battled through injuries and missed 4 games, but still showed that bruising mentality in the Antonio Pierce era. Going into year 6, Jacobs has rushed for 5,545 yards and 46 touchdowns, while having 1,448 on the catching end.
In his 13 starts last season, Jacobs ran for a career-low 3.5 yards per carry and 6 total touchdowns. Although these stats may look rough, Josh has been one of the most consistent backs around the league and even was a near guaranteed 100-yard/game back in 2022. With a new system in Green Bay now, his impact will be necessary for the rising star quarterback Jordan Love to win a Super Bowl.
Josh Jacobs 2023 Stats
Last season was really not the best year to judge Jacobs as he played under 2 different head coaches and played through leg problems. Finishing with 805 yards on the ground and 1,101 total, he really picked up the pace from Week 8 to 12 finishing with 4.1 yards a touch. Clear frustration with the organizational turmoil, he genuinely was not happy in the place he was as an upcoming free agent.
He did finish with 181.1 PPR points during the season which was 28th amongst all qualified running backs. For someone who missed 1 month+, he still managed to average 13.9 fantasy points per game throughout the season. This was a key point to note because he finished above running backs like Javonte Williams and Ezekiel Elliot, who started every game for their team.
Josh Jacobs Fantasy Outlook 2024
Now that Jacobs has an opportunity to shine in an offense once again, there will be a lot more touches for him entering one of the most creative systems. For someone like him, this is a vital move because he can go up by 300 yards to 1,100+ total rushing yards. The anticipation this season is for him to finish with 1,500+ all-purpose yards and 9 or more combined touchdowns.
On a much stronger offensive line, he goes from one that was ranked 19th last season to now number 8. With these increased holes on a line anchored by Elgthon Jenkins and Sean Rhyan, Jacobs will easily exploit them and use his downhill style to punish linebackers. Even less pressure will be released on him as many defenses will have to worry about the threat of AJ Dillon and the pop he brings as a backup runner.
With a big season incoming for Jacobs, he should be over 220 fantasy points this year in PPR leagues. Ranked 16th amongst backs in mock drafts, this is someone really worth taking during the early fourth-round pick according to experts. His ceiling is massive and many analysts could see this being the steal of the draft that could help someone win, especially if taken at RB2.
Our Final Say
With a chance of redemption and proving that he is not washed, Josh Jacobs is entering one of the biggest years in his career at Green Bay Packers. In an offense led by Matt LeFluer, a lot of pre snap motion will be used with tight end like Tucker Kraft or Luke Masgrave to run pitch plays well on the outside. As there will be a ton of two-back sets, there should be way more long runs expected as many could fear the threat of AJ Dillon lowering his shoulder against defenses.
Although Jacobs is an extremely strong and powerful back who can have 20+ carries a game this season, his receiving skills will be on full display as well. With receivers like Dontayvion Wicks and Christian Watson being extremely muscular on the outside, they will be key in blocking on various different designed screens for Jacobs. With several corners trailing other stars like Jayden Reed and Romeo Doubs from behind, Josh will run his preferred curl flats routes and could potentially have a career year in receiving.
Jordan Love is going to get a lot of help in the run/pass option as they will tend to go on the ground 50% of the time. This could lead to a more productive passing game and the Packers have been known to keep hard-nosed running backs like Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, and Eddie Lacy for deep playoff runs. With this key information, Josh Jacobs should be someone who could have first-round potential, but should be taken in the second to third round as a very high-end 2nd RB or one of the best Flex options there can be.
Read More – Chris Godwin Fantasy Outlook 2024
