Fantasy Impact of a Potential Josh Jacobs Suspension: Who Steps Up in Green Bay?
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The Green Bay Packers' Week 1 starting RB is slated to be Josh Jacobs. However, that is not a certain.
Jacobs was arrested back in May on five domestic abuse-related charges. Jacobs is currently participating in the Packers’ training camp while his case is still ongoing, and it is also currently being reviewed by the NFL. With decisions still looming, the Packers General Manager, Brian Gutekunst, made it known that they would be ready if a suspension were to be handed down.
Packers GM Comments On Potential Josh Jacobs Suspension
Packers beat writer for The Athletic, Matt Schneidman, on X said the following: “ Brian Gutekunst said they’ve been preparing for a scenario of Josh Jacobs being suspended, just to cover all their bases in case that happens. He’s confident in the RB room behind Jacobs but doesn’t rule out an additional move. Said they’ll tackle that if/when something happens.”
The Packers do have RB depth concerns behind Jacobs, so that could force them to go a different route, an option Gutekunst mentioned. A player currently not on Green Bay who immediately comes to mind and was briefly a fantasy-relevant player in 2025 is Arizona Cardinals RB Trey Benson.
Trey Benson
Many people have touted Benson as a great fit in Green Bay. They did have a chance to claim him off waivers after the Cardinals waived him on Aug. 24, but they did not claim him, nor did any of the other 31 teams in the NFL. Because of that, Benson is now on the Cardinals’ injury reserve. There is still a path to him being an option for the Packers; he and Arizona would just have to reach an injury settlement, and when he gets waived again, he would become a free agent.
Benson in 2025 had 160 rushing yards and 64 receiving yards in four games. He was due to be the starter for Arizona when James Conner went down with an injury, but that was short-lived, as he only logged one start before he went down with an injury of his own.
Even if the Packers did end up with Benson on their roster, no move should be made by fantasy managers to add him to their roster until he proves he would have a big role in the Packers’ backfield. Benson getting cut while the Cardinals still have four RBs on their depth chart could be telling.
Fantasy Outlook: Marshawn Lloyd
The Packers’ current RB2, Marshawn Lloyd, has only played in one game since being taken by the Packers in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He has dealt with multiple injuries, including a lingering hamstring injury that led him to miss all of 2025.
Lloyd in Green Bay's last preseason game against the Denver Broncos had a solid outing. He had 28 total scrimmage yards, which included an 11-yard TD reception he caught from Green Bay’s starting QB, Jordan Love.
If Jacobs were to be suspended and Green Bay made no notable RB additions, a now-healthy Lloyd would be a decent waiver pickup.
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Gray Deyo is a Nashville-based sportswriter who graduated with a sports management bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He has covered prep sports, college sports, the WNBA, and the NBA for the past four years. In addition to writing for SI, Gray also currently contributes to Prep Girls Hoops