Josh Jacobs' May arrest went months without any news or steps toward a resolution. That all changed leading up to the NFL's mandatory deadline to set rosters at 53 players on August 30, as Jacobs was charged with battery and criminal damage to property last week and then placed on the commissioner's exempt list on Sunday. When a player is placed on that list, he still gets paid but cannot play nor practice with the team until he's off it.
For Fantasy football managers preparing for their drafts over the next two weeks, there's no telling how long Jacobs will be out. Could be six games, could be the entire season.
Nearly every player previously placed on the commissioner's exempt list specifically after getting charged for domestic violence-related crimes did not play that season after being placed on it. That includes Adrian Peterson and Greg Hardy in early September 2014, and Kareem Hunt and Reuben Foster in mid-to-late November 2018 (both of whom were ultimately released from their teams). Jabrill Peppers was placed on the exempt list in 2024 but was taken off seven weeks later because he had already sat out the equivalent of the minimum six-game suspension players get for domestic violence-related issues. That's notable because Peppers' exempt-list stay was during the current collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and its players.
The Packers may have telegraphed their expectations for Jacobs' availability by acquiring second-year running back Kaleb Johnson from Pittsburgh for a sixth-round pick in 2028. He bolsters the Packers' running back depth chart behind MarShawn Lloyd and Christopher Brooks, both of whom are expected to handle rushing duties until further notice.
How Fantasy managers should approach Packers RBs
Fantasy Football is trivial in such serious matters, but those drafting and managing rosters want some guidance on what to do.
At this point, Jacobs could be subject to a suspension that lasts a minimum of six games per the NFL's personal conduct policy. However, such a suspension would end by mid-October, a full month before his first court appearance. If circumstances are similar to the Peppers case in 2024, it's possible the NFL removes Jacobs from the list after six games, though facts surrounding the case may or may not change that. A stay on the exempt list through the initial court appearance would mean Jacobs misses the team's first 10 games, putting him back on track to play Week 12, though the results of the court appearance could impact that.
And, of course, there's a chance he sits for the whole season just as players before him did. This could especially be the case if the NFL is made aware of the severity of the incident.
Given the facts made public thus far, Fantasy managers shouldn't draft Jacobs with any reasonable expectations to play anytime soon. He may not play at all. With that a possibility, you may choose to either take a chance on Jacobs with a late-round pick or let someone else take him.
If you've already drafted Jacobs, then there's no reason to release him until you're sure he won't play this season. Hopefully you drafted Lloyd with Jacobs; if you didn't, you could consider spending another bench spot on Brooks, who seems ticketed for the same type of passing-downs role he's played in Green Bay previously.
If you haven't already drafted then expect Lloyd to be a top-80 pick, if not in the top 60. Lloyd has landed praise from practice onlookers and teammates alike for his work this summer and should finally be ready to play football after two years of barely playing due to injuries. The timing for him could not have worked out better. His opportunity to showcase his all-around good game while being at full health squarely puts him into No. 3 running back territory in drafts with upside to finish as a No. 2 RB.
Brooks has far less appeal because he might fit in exclusively as a passing-downs back this season. He has zero career games with even eight PPR points and zero career games with seven or more touches. Of course, he's played in zero games where he's had this kind of opportunity. He's worth chancing with a pick late in PPR formats.
Then there's Kaleb Johnson, a third-rounder of the Steelers in the 2025 draft. The physical runner isn't particularly elusive and had feast-or-famine elements to his game at Iowa, and he tends to be more of a gets-what's-blocked kind of RB. It's hard for me to get excited about him as long as Lloyd is healthy, but he'd theoretically be the next man up if Lloyd misses time and Jacobs isn't available.
Worth noting: A Packers running back has finished top 13 in PPR points per game in six of Matt LaFleur's seven seasons as the team's head coach and play caller.
Don't forget about the Packers' passing game
Jacobs' placement on the exempt list does make the Packers' passing game more interesting. While Green Bay has committed to the run ever since Matt LaFleur has been their head coach, this seems like the perfect time for Jordan Love to be entrusted with the passing game. Over the past two seasons the Packers have been exactly 50% pass and 50% run, but in specific neutral-pace situations with Love on the field and Jacobs off of it, it's tilted closer to 55% pass and 45% run. A small but helpful difference.
Hand in hand with that is a Packers receiving room that's thinned out this offseason. Christian Watson seems like Love's favorite target followed by Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden and Jayden Reed. If the Packers are to throw more then every one of these pass-catchers should be in line for at least a small target boost. Watson and Kraft should be considered in the Round 6 range, Golden and Reed in the Round 9 range. And Love looks like a top-15 Fantasy quarterback with the upside to finish top 10, worthy of a late-round pick in one-QB formats and a top-50 overall pick in Superflex/two-QB leagues.
