Aaron Jones helped his fantasy football owners take home an opening-week victory despite missing the final quarter-and-a-half due to a hamstring injury. After two weeks on the sidelines, his owners are wondering when they’ll be able to stack more W’s with Jones in their lineups. They just might get their chance in Week 4, as early-week updates indicate the star RB is trending toward playing on Thursday night against the Lions.
We’ll continue to update this article with news on Jones until the official active/inactive report comes out on Thursday around 6:50 p.m. ET.
MORE TNF: Montgomery update | Watson update
Is Aaron Jones playing Thursday night Week 4?
After limited practices last Thursday and Friday, the feeling on Sunday morning was that Jones (hamstring) would be cleared to play against the Saints, but the Packers ultimately decided he wasn’t ready to go. He was an estimated “limited” for practice on Monday and Tuesday, and the early expectations are that he’ll suit up against Detroit on Thursday night. WR Romeo Doubs apparently said as much after practice on Tuesday, and QB Jordan Love also implied that Jones would be out there.
WEEK 4 STANDARD RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Jones has played in just two-and-half quarters this year, but he still has an impressive 127 total yards and two TDs. To put that in perspective, AJ Dillon has managed just 132 total yards without a score despite operating as the Packers’ lead back in the past two-plus games. Dillon will once again be a volume-based flex if Jones is out, but clearly, his ceiling is low.
WEEK 4 PPR RANKINGS:
QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | D/STs | Kickers
Should you start Aaron Jones in fantasy if he plays in Week 4?
If the Packers feel as if Jones is healthy enough to play, fantasy owners shouldn’t hesitate to put him back in their lineups. Detroit has actually defended the run well this year, holding Isiah Pacheco (23 yards on eight carries), Kenneth Walker (43 yards on 17 carries), and Bijan Robinson (33 yards on 10 carries) all under 50 yards. Walker managed two rushing TDs in Week 2, but that’s really the extent of the damage done by RBs against the Lions.
Still, Jones is talented enough to break through on a short week, and his pass-catching prowess gives him multiple ways to rack up points. Jones is also efficient and explosive, making him a must-start when healthy in all formats.