MarShawn Lloyd Start or Sit Advice for Week 2
The Green Bay Packers will be without Josh Jacobs (personal) for another game as they visit the New York Jets in Week 2. Without Jacobs, Lloyd got plenty of preseason hype and attention as the potential replacement. He still has huge upside in the long-term, but he landed with a thud in Week 1.
Lloyd did serve as the lead back against the Vikings, playing 30 snaps (44%) and taking his team-high 13 carries for 37 yards. He didn’t catch his only target, and in fact, no running backs caught any passes out of the backfield even though Jordan Love attempted a whopping 42 passes. The Packers were actually playing from ahead for most of the game until the Vikings rallied late, which isn’t a good indication that the team is confident enough to lean heavily on the run game.
Lloyd will likely get double-digit carries again in Week 2, but he hasn’t proven that he can be effective enough to guarantee that he deserves to be started. The Jets were very solid against the Titans’ running game in Week 1, allowing the second-fewest FPTS in the league.
According to the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook, he has the second-shortest odds in the game to get into the end zone, and the shortest of all the Packers. He did get two chances in the red zone in Week 1, compared to just one for Chris Brooks. Jordan Love did throw eight passes in the red zone, though, again showing the pass-heavy lean of the game plan. This week could be different, for sure, but since the Jets were better against the run than the pass, it makes sense to follow a similar template coming into the game.
Lloyd is a viable FLEX play in deep leagues if you are desperate since he has touchdown-dependent upside, but there are much more established options in better spots in most situations. Lloyd is worth holding in all formats since he has the potential to grow into a starting role down the road, but for now, he’s best left on the bench until he proves he can deliver.
