The Indianapolis Colts plan to roll with a one-two punch in their running game for a Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Deon Jackson, along with rookie Evan Hull and Jake Funk will be the only ball carriers in the active lineup on Sunday.
Jackson is a proven veteran with recent success in the Colts’ RB1 role, but how will Hull’s presence offset his overall value? Let’s discuss whether or not Jackson belongs in fantasy lineups in Week 1.
Fantasy Football analysis: Colts RB, Deon Jackson
Coming off a campaign where he posted 84.5 PPR fantasy points, Jackson has earned a legitimate shot to go out and secure the Colts’ RB1 job for the 2023 season. He is a powerful downhill runner, and is capable of hauling in some passes in the open field. The caveat is, he has just two NFL starts under his belt, heading into his third year.
Start or sit in Week 1 PPR leagues?
YES. In Jackson’s Week 6 start against the Jaguars last year, he recorded 121 yards on 22 touches and one touchdown. It’s going to be difficult to go back to back with those numbers, but at least the previous volume holds some value in PPR leagues. Jackson is startworthy in 12-14 team formats as an RB2/FLEX option.
Start or sit in Week 1 standard leagues?
NO. The Jaguars allowed just 4.2 yards per carry (seventh-lowest in 2022). Given the shared opportunities that Jackson, Hull and perhaps Funk on some occasions will see in this game, it’s best to find other options in standard formats.
Players you would start ahead of Deon Jackson
Jackson is listed as the overall RB40 in fantasy football this week, and ranks as the 128th best FLEX option. To put that into perspective, he sits higher on the projections list than Rashaad Penny and Devin Singletary, but lower than AJ Dillon and Dalvin Cook.
