The Green Bay Packers began their season with a tough loss in Brazil, then bounced back with a nice win over the Colts even though they didn’t have starting QB Jordan Love. We learned that the Packers without Love will be extremely run-heavy, which means Emanuel Wilson is a must-add fantasy football handcuff moving forward.
The Packers ran the ball 53 times on Sunday, while Malik Willis only attempted 14 passes. Granted, the game script was in their favor since they were playing from ahead, but it was clearly the Packers’ game plan to rely heavily on the ground game.
Most of the work in the backfield was carried by Josh Jacobs, who racked up 151 rushing yards on 32 carries. Jacobs has a history of being a workhorse back from his time with the Raiders, but he did break down at times. If you have Jacobs on your fantasy team and enjoy his heavy workload, you can insulate yourself against potential injury by adding his backup as a handcuff. If that’s your plan, Wilson is the player you should target.
Wilson was the only running back aside from Jacobs to log a carry in Week 1, taking four carries for an impressive 46 yards and catching 2-of-3 targets for two more yards.
In Week 2, Wilson lost some work to MarShawn Lloyd, but the third-round pick only managed 15 yards on six carries and sustained an ankle injury. Lloyd has dealt with hip, hamstring, and ankle injuries in his short time in Green Bay. Even if Jacobs were to go down with an injury, Lloyd would likely not be able to handle the full workload.
Wilson ended up playing three more snaps than Lloyd in Week 2 but only managed nine yards on his five carries and was not targeted in the passing game. Of the two backups, though, Wilson has shown more potential and durability.
Last year, Wilson made the team as an undrafted free agent from Ft. Valley College and had 85 yards on 14 carries, mostly in garbage time. He stepped up with an impressive training camp and had double-digit carries in each of the three preseason games with 67, 41 and 52 yards.
The Packers are invested in his development and seem comfortable with him as their main back if Jacobs were to go down, especially given the uncertainty around Lloyd’s health.
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