The 2019 NFL opener left a bad taste in the collective mouth of Aaron Jones fantasy football owners. The Green Bay Packers running back had an underwhelming day, recording just 39 rushing yards and no receptions. Jones’ performance obviously hurt your fantasy team, but you shouldn’t overreact to one bad week. Jones’ usage and situation suggest that the running back will bounce back in the coming weeks.
Don’t Panic, Aaron Jones Fantasy Football Owners
Aaron Jones Usage
Green Bay’s offense was a mess in Week One, but Aaron Jones was a featured part of that mess. Jones finished the game with 13 carries, eight more than Jamal Williams. This is fantastic news for Jones, and it gets even better. A few of Williams’ carries came during a short stretch where Jones left the field due to a minor injury. For the grand majority of the game, Jones had full control of the backfield.
Based on his usage, Matt LaFleur clearly wants Aaron Jones to be the lead back. Last year, Mike McCarthy minimized Jones’ fantasy value due to his frustrating devotion to Jamal Williams. Aaron Jones is a better player than Jamal Williams, and LaFleur knows that. This refreshing usage should continue throughout the season, which means Jones will have an ideal workload for fantasy.
Additionally, LaFleur showed that he wants to run the ball early and often. Green Bay was one of the most pass-happy offenses in the league last year, but that’s probably going to change in 2019. Aaron Rodgers threw the ball just 30 times while the Packers running backs combined for 18 carries. This is a solid usage, considering the game script. LaFleur established the crap out of the run, sending Jones into the line on early-down situations. While this might not be the most efficient way to operate an offense, it’s great news for fantasy football. Aaron Jones saw the majority of the work, and Matt LaFleur is going to run the ball more than Mike McCarthy did. The results will come in time as long as the offense gets back on track.
The Offense Will Be Fine
Matt LaFleur doesn’t exactly have the most experience, so some Aaron Jones owners may be worried about the state of the offense. While this unit probably won’t be as good as the 2011 Packers, it’s still going to be a top 10-15 offense. In terms of fantasy football, that’s good enough to support a running back like Jones.
The Packers faced the unenviable task of going up against the Chicago Bears to start the season. Chicago, of course, had the NFL’s best defense in 2018 and brought most of the unit back for 2019. New defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano is no Vic Fangio, but he has a history of coaching up elite talents on defense. The Bears can make just about any offense look bad, and that’s what happened in Week One.
It certainly doesn’t help that the Packers essentially punted on the preseason. In what’s becoming a common trend around the league, Green Bay rested the majority of their starters to keep everyone healthy for the start of the season. As a result, Rodgers and the offense came out looking rusty. Green Bay had even less preparation than most teams, as Green Bay’s starters missed additional preseason time thanks to a turf malfunction in Week Three.
The Packers were rusty and going up against one of the most talented defenses in all of football. Starting off slow is to be expected, especially when there’s a first-year head coach in town. To paraphrase Aaron Rodgers, fantasy football owners need to R-E-L-A-X. Aaron Jones is going to be a featured part of this offense, and the offense is going to get back on the right track. Don’t do anything rash based on one week of action.
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