Before we get into the viability of the Packers’ backfield in Week 10, we have to understand what went wrong in Week 9. Green Bay was blitzed by Los Angeles in the early going of an eventual 26-11 loss, spending most of the contest trailing by two-plus scores. Because of that distinct and lopsided game-script, the Packers ended up throwing the ball on an insane 77.6% of their offensive plays - of which there weren’t all that many of to begin with. The regularly slow-paced Chargers were content to run the clock out, so Green Bay finished last weekend with only 10 carries between both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams. That led to some very unhappy fantasy owners. Its like the Circle of Life, but, you know, far less important in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, I wouldn’t be too concerned about a repeat performance. Carolina is a dream matchup for running backs from both a volume and an efficiency standpoint. On a seconds between plays basis, the Panthers run the NFL’s fourth-fastest offense and, because of that, they’ve surrendered the second-most opponent plays per game (68.1). They’ve also just been getting absolutely gashed on the ground. Carolina comes into this weekend’s slate owning the worst run defense in the league according to DVOA, a stain on the team’s resume that’s not aided by the fact that they’ve conceded 1.8 opponent rushing touchdowns per contest - by far the most in all of football.

Fantasy Football Analysis, Green Bay Packers RBs Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones

You know you’re at the point where you’re starting Jones each and every week, but Williams is a more interesting case. Sometimes its hard to trust the RB2 in a committee, even one as balanced as the Packers’ backfield. Still, at the end of the day, Williams has played roughly 45% of Green Bay’s offensive snaps since returning from a concussion and, in that time, he’s garnered 19 targets and scored a touchdown in all four contests. In a matchup this good, he’s at least locked in as a FLEX option.

Start/Sit Recommendation

Start Williams. Start Jones.