The Packers’ offense has looked impressive over the last few weeks, with their passing game especially potent in wins over the Panthers and Patriots. Green Bay has won five of its last six games, but the team suffered a big blow Sunday when running back Josh Jacobs (finger) suffered a fractured finger that will require surgery. After he left, Kaleb Johnson stepped up with his best game of the season, but will Johnson be the primary option going forward? How long will Jacobs be sidelined, and can Johnson be a strong option from the fantasy football waiver wire heading into Week 10?
Let’s look at the latest injury news on Jacobs, and break down Johnson’s potential fantasy impact moving forward.
Josh Jacobs injury update
After missing the first six games of the season on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List, Jacobs came back with back-to-back big games of over 20 FPTS against the Lions and Panthers. In Week 9, though, he only had four carries for five yards before fracturing his right ring finger while attempting to stiff-arm a defender. After making two trips to the locker room to add protection to his finger and attempt to return to the game, the team determined that Jacobs would not have been able to grip the football if he had returned.
On Monday, coach Matt LaFleur confirmed that Jacobs will need surgery. Initially, the timeline for his recovery was reported at one to three weeks, but LaFleur said that all options were on the table when asked about an IR stint. The fact that he didn’t rule it out is especially interesting since the Packers have a Week 11 bye. If Jacobs were to go on IR, he would need to miss a minimum of four games, putting his earliest return in Week 15 against the Dolphins. The fact that LaFleur didn’t rule that out could be an indication that Jacobs is going to need to miss more than just one game.
Kaleb Johnson Takeover?
After Jacobs left, the Packers turned to Kaleb Johnson. Johnson played 26 snaps (39%) and took a team-high 14 carries for 68 yards and his first touchdown of the season. He platooned a little bit with Pierre Strong Jr., who had eight carries for 22 yards while playing 30 snaps (45%). MarShawn Lloyd (knee) was inactive, and Chris Brooks (ankle) remains on IR. Both could return soon, but Johnson definitely seems to have the inside track.
The Packers acquired Johnson just before the season began from the Steelers, who drafted him in the third round out of Iowa in 2025. He struggled in his rookie season, so the Steelers were ready to move him at the end of training camp this year.
With Jacobs out earlier this season, Johnson worked his way into the timeshare after Lloyd got the first chance to lead the backfield. He seemed to be about to take over the backfield, but then had a costly fumble near the goal line against the Bucs. Lloyd had a little success after that and then Jacobs returned, leaving Johnson in a very small role.
Now that Lloyd is banged up and Jacobs could be out for multiple games, Johnson seems to have a window to be the top option in the backfield. Even when he was healthy earlier this season, Brooks played a high volume of snaps but didn’t get many carries or targets. Strong is also more of a complementary third-down back rather than a true all-around solution like Johnson has the potential to be.
When he’s healthy, Lloyd will likely return to the timeshare, but Johnson has a chance to seize the lion’s share of the work until Jacobs returns.
In Week 10, the Packers have a tough matchup against an excellent Vikings’ run defense, but Johnson still brings touchdown-dependent upside. He could be even better, though, after the team’s Week 11 bye, since the Packers play the Rams the following Wednesday, Nov. 25, which kicks off Week 12. If Jacobs lands on IR, Johnson would have an even bigger window of opportunity.
The Bottom Line: Add Kaleb Johnson in all formats
Johnson is a FLEX play with RB2 upside this week against the Vikings, especially if Lloyd misses another game. If Jacobs goes on IR, he’ll be an even more important option to have going forward in the Packers’ productive offense.
For DFS fantasy football contests, like the NFL $2.5M Fantasy Football Millionaire [$1M to 1st] on DraftKings, Johnson is an elite value option at only $4,600. Even though the matchup is tough, he will get enough work to be a strong value play, even though he may be too chalky for tournament lineups, depending on how much hype he gets the rest of the week.
