In the past 998 days, MarShawn Lloyd has netted only seven regular-season touches and nine preseason touches. He's on the cusp of fantasy relevance.
It would be an understatement to say that this 2024 third-round pick has been limited by injuries. But he's in a prime spot to help managers. While he's operating behind mainstay bell cow Josh Jacobs, the rest of the backfield consists of former undrafted free agent Chris Brooks and journeyman Pierre Strong. A healthy Lloyd should win the handcuff role.
That, in turn, would give him a decent shot at earning at least a couple of spot starts. The generally reliable Jacobs is at risk of being suspended by the league for off-the-field issues. Even if he escapes punishment, the 28-year-old missed two games last year and four games in 2023. In fact, he's played in more than 15 games only twice in his seven-year career.
If Lloyd can separate himself enough from Brooks and Strong to take on nearly all of the backup duties, he could rack up 125+ touches. Last season, Green Bay RBs combined for 450 touches. The year before, even with Jacobs playing all 17 games and collecting 337 touches, handcuff Emanuel Wilson tacked on 114, finishing as fantasy's RB47 in total points. Brooks added 47, while Lloyd had seven. So yes, 125+ for Lloyd in 2026 is entirely doable.
Given how little we've seen of him in recent years, Lloyd remains a mystery. But we're about to catch our first long glimpse of what he can do.
For more on Lloyd's and Jacobs' fantasy outlooks, listen to this recent podcast episode.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: MarShawn Lloyd's long-awaited moment: why fantasy managers should care