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MarShawn Lloyd was drafted in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. A dynamic, explosive playmaker from USC, Lloyd quickly established himself as the clear second-string RB and will back up lead-back Josh Jacobs in 2024.
Unfortunately, Lloyd is dealing with a hamstring injury, which has put his status for week 1 in doubt. Hamstring injuries are notoriously recurrent, so fantasy football managers who own Lloyd are rightfully concerned.
Will Lloyd play in 2024? If he does, will he play in week 1? Let's dive into the details of Lloyd's situation.
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Will Lloyd Play This Season?
It's not likely that Lloyd's injury is season-ending unless he re-aggravates it in a big way. Hamstring injuries, while typically nagging, aren't usually season-ending. The Packers may choose to be cautious with Lloyd, but they certainly won't hold him out for the entire season.
The average time to return to play from hamstring injuries is around 12.9 days, so if Lloyd does miss time, it may be no more than a few weeks. We've seen players miss anywhere from no time at all to five-plus weeks, but a season-ending hamstring injury is exceedingly rare unless it was torn off the bone.
Will MarShawn Lloyd Play In Week 1?
UPDATE: Lloyd has been ruled out for Week 1
Lloyd's week 1 status is a bit more up in the air. The good news is that he was upgraded to limited in practice, and Matt LaFleur offered an encouraging update on his progress. He's ramping up his activity level at practice.
#Packers HC Matt LaFleur on how MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) is looking:
“We’ll see. We’ll give him the week to watch him as he progresses. Certainly, we’re gonna be smart with him, and he was limited today, but he’s doing more and more, and we’ll see where he’s at.” pic.twitter.com/1fIFXath63
— The Coachspeak Index (@CoachspeakIndex) September 1, 2024
However, the Packers have a history of being cautious with hamstring injuries. Former Packers RB Aaron Jones struggled with hamstring issues in 2023 and played in just 11 games, with under 15 touches in four of those games, despite being the clear lead back. The Packers may err on the side of caution with Lloyd.
UPDATE: The Packers activated RB Ellis Merriweather off the practice squad. While this proves nothing definitive yet, it's a sign Lloyd may miss tonight's game vs the Eagles.
RB Ellis Merriweather activated off the practice squad for the Packers. A sign MarShawn Lloyd might not be playing
— Nathan Jahnke (@PFF_NateJahnke) September 6, 2024
MarShawn Lloyd 2024 Fantasy Outlook
Lloyd impressed at USC and was one of the best tackle avoiders and most elusive running backs in the 2023 draft class. Lloyd is projected to gain an immediate role, especially as a pass catcher, in Green Bay's offense. The Packers typically prefer committee backfields, and this is expected to continue once Lloyd is healthy.
Lloyd is a nice handcuff with great potential to contribute in PPR if he can heal up and take the field at full strength. This week, you're better off keeping Lloyd on your bench, but when he returns and gains his full workload, he could be worth a start in deeper leagues. For now, though, keep him out of your starting lineup.
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