Josh Jacobs spent the last five seasons with the Raiders (four in Las Vegas), etching his name alongside some of the franchise’s great players. Jacobs leaves the organization that drafted him in 2019, as the 3rd all-time leading rusher and 4th all-time in rushing touchdowns in team history.
This past week saw Jacobs sign with the Green Bay Packers on a modified, four-year, $48 million contract. Now, questions loom about the fantasy football impact this move has, so let’s dive in.
New City Same Result?
Jacobs finished within the top 20 in fantasy production among running backs from 2021-2023. In 2022 specifically, he finished as the number one running back. That season, Jacobs led the league with over 2,000 total scrimmage yards.
Luckily, Jacobs is heading to a team known for a balanced-running attack. Since 2013, Green Bay has had a 1,000-yard rusher six times.
Green Bay has a slate of stout pass defenses to go against next year, so establishing a successful running attack will be the team’s mentality. With Jacobs having turned 26 last month, he still has a handful of prime play years ahead of him. Jacobs still has years to go before hitting the “scary 30-wall” many running backs hit and soon leave in the NFL.
You can expect the former Alabama star to enjoy a solid next four seasons in green and yellow.
Josh Jacobs Fantasy Football Impact
With backup- AJ Dillon resigning with the Packers on a one-year deal, he could still be in the mix for carries. However, with Jacobs known for withstanding high volume, Dillon should not dip into Jacobs’s touches enough to hinder his value.
FantasyPros currently has Josh Jacobs as the running back 14 just behind Buffalo’s James Cook and Seattle’s Kenneth Walker. After signing with Green Bay, he remains in the borderline RB1 range going forward. Green Bay is in a better situation for Jacobs than his prior home.
The coaching in Green Bay is an improvement, offensively Jacobs will have more weapons around him and more importantly, he will get a quarterback upgrade. Jordan Love uplifted the Packers offense last year and he is the sure-fire guy for the future.
Ex-lead back Aaron Jones flourished in this Green Bay scheme and Jacobs has a similar skill set yet is bigger and has fewer miles. Jacobs will take on less pressure as Love’s arm can do much damage on its own. But Jacobs can still hold the same fantasy value even if he takes a volume decrease as Love can bring out Jacobs’ receiving ability. Green also possesses an improving offensive line, therefore the holes will be there for Jacobs.
Far too often last season, Jacobs had to create when the offense was declining around him and the offensive line was weak. In Green Bay, he can follow correct blocks, run more efficiently, and as a result, produce RB1-type numbers in 2024.
What Josh Jacobs leaves behind
In Las Vegas, Jacobs is leaving behind a Zamir White-led backfield. Last season while Jacobs was out for the three-straight weeks, White put together 397 yards and averaged nearly five yards per carry. The shifty back was the RB8 over this time.
Currently, White is ranked as RB 31 going into the season. This ranking will likely improve as we get closer to 2024.
Jacobs will always be a franchise great and his production and overall presence will be heavily missed among Raider fans. All you can do as a fan though is respect Jacobs for what he brought to your team and wish him well as he takes his career in another direction.
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Desmond Ordonez is an avid sports fan and resides in Boise, Idaho. Desmond frequently covers NFL and NBA news. Follow him on Twitter at @des_ordo21 and follow us @TotalApexSports for more content.
