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Judge Seals Video Altercation in Josh Jacobs Case
According to ProFootballTalk, Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has requested that the judge seal the video of the altercation in his case. This situation makes it tricky for the NFL going forward. They could tell Jacobs he can't play until the video is released to the public. Otherwise, the league risks another Ray Rice situation, where the media somehow releases the video while they continue to let Jacobs play. For now, Jacobs is on paid leave, and he'll remain there until the NFL determines the correct discipline under the Personal Conduct Policy. It will be difficult for the league to decide on a punishment when Jacobs is having the judge seal the evidence.
Source: Pro Football Talk
Source: Pro Football Talk
Chris Brooks in the Mix for a Week 1 Role in Green Bay
The Green Bay Packers' backfield is in flux entering their Week 1 season-opening matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, with starting running back Josh Jacobs on the commissioner's exempt list for the foreseeable future due to legal issues. That will give Chris Brooks a bigger opportunity than usual to begin the regular season, but as the likely RB3 behind MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson, fantasy managers in deeper leagues probably should not be too excited about using him as a flex to begin the year. The 26-year-old former undrafted free agent from BYU has not seen more than 36 carries in any of his first three seasons in the NFL, combining for 82 rushing attempts for 395 yards and only one rushing touchdown in his 41 games played (zero starts) for the Packers and Miami Dolphins (2023). The best thing going for Brooks is that he has more NFL experience than Lloyd and Johnson combined, but that will not guarantee him a fantasy-relevant role with the Packers in the absence of Jacobs. For now, he remains merely a deep-league bench stash, especially if you have Jacobs rostered as well.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Kaleb Johnson Is Set for Debut with Packers, but Exact Role is Cloudy
Running back Kaleb Johnson will make his debut with the Green Bay Packers in a Week 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings to begin the 2026 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers traded Johnson to the Packers in late August. With running back Josh Jacobs on the Commissioner's Exempt List, the Packers will rely on a committee of MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, and Johnson in the backfield. How exactly that rotation works out is anybody's guess right now, but Lloyd is currently listed as the starter. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur recently said that Johnson could certainly play a role right away for Green Bay. The Vikings allowed 124.1 rushing yards per game in 2025. Johnson enters the matchup with the Vikings as the No. 68 running back for Week 1, according to RotoBaller. It is probably best to leave Johnson, who is rostered in just 9% of Yahoo leagues, on the bench or waiver wire for Week 1 and monitor how things progress.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Look For Solid Game From Jayden Reed In Week 1
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur said he wants to get his top three wide receivers on the field as much as possible this season, so Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, and Matthew Golden should all benefit from that. 26-year-old Jayden Reed should stand to gain from the positive time-share news and looks like a nice target for Week 1 and the matchup at Minnesota. The Vikings' top cornerbacks are Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers. At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Reed can line up on the outside or in the slot to create mismatches. With Jordan Love at quarterback, expect him to find Reed early and often in this game. All three receivers make for good plays, but Reed and Watson specifically. Last season, Reed caught just 19 of his 22 targets for 207 yards and one touchdown in seven regular-season games. Expect Reed to get this season off to another good start against the Vikings.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Tucker Kraft Agrees to Four-Year Extension with Packers
The Green Bay Packers and tight end Tucker Kraft have agreed to a contract extension, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. With Kraft's rookie contract set to expire after the 2026 season, the Packers were able to lock him in for four more years, with the contract now running through 2030. Rapoport reports that Kraft will average $19.66 million over the first three years, and the overall deal is a four-year contract worth $75 million, with a maximum value of $92 million. Kraft will receive a $26.5 million signing bonus. Kraft (knee) suffered a torn ACL last November, but is not on the injury report heading into a Week 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. It is unclear if Kraft will be on any kind of pitch count. Kraft ranks as RotoBaller's No. 5 tight end for Week 1.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
WR3 Treatment for Christian Watson in Week 1
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson is healthy and will look to put up a career season as the Packers head to Minneapolis to face off with the division-rival Vikings in Week 1. Watson got a hefty four-year extension this offseason to stay with the Packers to be their top wide receiver this season. Watson has been insanely efficient in his career, with at least 2.25 yards per route run or better in three of his four NFL seasons. But he's run just 1,058 total routes in that span, missing time in each season of his NFL career. Can Watson stay healthy? Will the Packers' offense consolidate touches after Romeo Doubs left for New England and Dontayvion Wicks was traded to the Eagles? Against the Vikings, Watson is a high-upside WR3 play for fantasy.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Packers D/ST Not Recommended in Week 1 Against Vikings
The Green Bay Packers' defense and special teams unit will have to contend with a good Minnesota Vikings offense as the two teams match up at U.S. Bank Stadium for each team's season opener. With new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon replacing Jeff Hafley, who took the head coaching job in Miami, Gannon will have to play some games at the start of the season without Micah Parsons and his pass-rush. The Packers will switch to a 3-4 defense and they added new pieces like veterans Javon Hargrave and Zaire Franklin, as well as rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse, who will be a Week 1 starter opposite Keisean Nixon. The Packers have talent on defense, but we'll see if Gannon can get the most out of this group without Parsons for a number of games. Against the Vikings in Week 1, the Packers are not a recommended D/ST to slot into fantasy lineups.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Kicker Trey Smack In the Week 1 Streaming Conversation
Green Bay Packers kicker Trey Smack looks to start his career off on the right foot as the team heads to Minneapolis to take on the Vikings in the season opener for both teams. Smack, Green Bay's sixth-round pick in last April's NFL Draft, was a perfect 9-of-9 on field goals during the preseason, with a long of 59 yards. He also booted home all seven extra points and looked every bit like a kicker that has some staying power for the Packers. Of course, kicking in actual games that count is a different story entirely, but Smack seems up to the task. With the Packers being an above-average offense, Smack should get plenty of chances to score points, so for that, he's in the streaming conversation for fantasy kickers against Minnesota in Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tucker Kraft A Mid-Range TE1 Against Vikings
Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft looks to continue his early-season momentum from last season into Week 1 as the Packers head to Minnesota to take on the Vikings. From Week 1 through Week 8 of last season, Kraft was TE1 in fantasy points per game and had five weeks of TE10 or better in those weeks, including two overall TE1 weeks. Kraft suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 9 against Carolina that shut his breakout season down, but he's off the Packers' injury report and is good to go for Week 1. It's possible Kraft's workload may be a bit more managed in the season's first few weeks, but when he's on the field, he's arguably the team's most dynamic receiver and YAC threat. Kraft is a no-brainer TE1 for fantasy against the Vikings in Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Matthew Golden Has Loads of Fantasy Upside In Week 1
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Matthew Golden looks to hit the ground running in Week 1 when the Packers face the Minnesota Vikings in both teams' season opener. Last season's first-round pick, Golden was just a few complete deep passes from a whole different discussion about him for fantasy football this season. With just 40 targets and 29 receptions in 2025, along with sporadic time on the field, Golden was a bust on the stat sheet and for fantasy managers. This season, things could be different in the Packers' receiver room with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks in new locations, so Golden will get every opportunity to stay on the field this season and produce. For fantasy, Golden is an immediate flex-worthy upside play against the Vikings in Week 1, who struggled to contain outside receivers as they allowed the third-most fantasy points to that cohort last season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Flex Treatment For MarShawn Lloyd in Week 1
Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd looks to hit the ground running in his first career NFL regular-season start in Week 1 as the Packers square off with the Minnesota Vikings. With Josh Jacobs (commissioner's exempt list) not playing in this contest, Lloyd is the starting running back and is expected to carry the bulk of the load for Green Bay. Lloyd's lone game action in the NFL consists of exactly one game: Week 2 in 2024, where Lloyd touched the ball seven times (six carries, one reception) and turned that opportunity into 18 yards. Expecting Lloyd to produce with so little real game-time experience takes a leap of faith, but the Packers' brass are behind him. For fantasy purposes, consider Lloyd more of a flex play in Week 1 against a middle-of-the-road Vikings front that allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to opposing running backs last season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jordan Love More of a QB2 in Week 1 Against Vikings
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love is looking to kick off his 2026 season in style as the Packers travel to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Vikings in their season opener. Love's 2025 season was a lot like his 2024, with very efficient play, but ultimately saddled by low pass volume that doesn't make his play pop in fantasy football. Yet again, the Packers leaned on Josh Jacobs and the running game, turning Love into a game manager. The receiving room has condensed in 2026, as Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are in new locales, so the hope is that Christian Watson, Tucker Kraft, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden can condense targets in this offense with some added pass volume. For Week 1, Love is a QB2 option, best suited to start in 2QB leagues rather than single-quarterback leagues.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tucker Kraft Unlikely to Receive Extension Before Week 1
The Green Bay Packers and tight end Tucker Kraft are unlikely to agree to terms on an extension before the start of the season, per Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kraft is reportedly seeking a top-of-market deal as he enters the final year of his rookie contract with Green Bay. The 25-year-old had his 2025 season cut short after he suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 9. However, Kraft was in the midst of a breakout campaign before suffering the injury, recording 32 catches for 489 yards and six touchdowns on 44 targets across eight games. As long as he can stay healthy, Kraft profiles as a high-end TE1 option for fantasy managers entering 2026.
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Tom Silverstein
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Tom Silverstein
Packers to Lean on Three Starting Wide Receivers
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur plans to lean heavily on his three starting wide receivers -- Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden -- this year, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. "We need them out there for as many plays as humanly possible," LaFleur said. It is a different tone for the Packers' offense than in years past, and it makes sense, with both Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks now gone. Behind Watson, Reed, and Golden, Green Bay's receiving corps takes a steep drop to Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, and undrafted free agent Michael J. Sturdivant. Watson has the most fantasy upside of the group because of his big-play ability, but past injury concerns make him more of a boom/bust WR2 for fantasy managers. Reed has shown a nose for the end zone, but he, too, has missed valuable time due to injuries early in his career. Golden could be the X factor for both the Packers and fantasy managers. The former first-rounder did not really get going as a rookie until later in the year, but he has the skills and opportunity for a Year 2 breakout.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
Source: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
Josh Jacobs Remains on Commissioner's Exempt List
The NFL issued a statement on Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs on Thursday after he pleaded no contest in court to misdemeanor charges of battery and criminal damage to property, according to Mark Maske of Front Office Sports. "We have been closely monitoring all developments in the matter which remains under review of the personal conduct policy. There is no change to his status as he remains on the Commissioner's Exempt list." The NFL will continue to investigate Jacobs, but until his legal process plays out, we might not have a clear picture of how much time he will miss. For now, the 28-year-old will stay on the exempt list and will not be eligible to play in Week 1 this Sunday against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. He should remain stashed in all fantasy football leagues in the meantime, with MarShawn Lloyd the favorite for RB1 duties in Green Bay for as long as he remains out. Kaleb Johnson and Chris Brooks should also work in change-of-pace roles, but Lloyd should have the most fantasy upside as an explosive runner out of the backfield. He is currently rostered in 89% of Yahoo leagues and should be started in all leagues in the season opener against Minnesota.
Source: Front Office Sports - Mark Maske
Source: Front Office Sports - Mark Maske
