The Green Bay Packers are entering the 2019 campaign with a lot of hope, as they addressed a lot of their issues defensively (or at least they hope) and have made a coaching change that could (should) be a breath of fresh air in the locker room.
While most of us are focused on what Aaron Rodgers will do and how he will handle a receiving corps that has a lot of question marks behind Davante Adams, perhaps the biggest X-factor in the Packers' offense going into next season is running back Aaron Jones.
When healthy, Jones is one of the most efficient halfbacks in the league, but the operative phrase there is “when healthy.”
Jones has been in the league for two years, and in both seasons, he played in just 12 games due to knee issues, with a sprained MCL being the culprit this past year.
When he was on the field, the 24-year-old rushed for 728 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging a league-best 5.5 yards per carry in 2018, and in addition to his rushing totals, he caught 26 passes for 206 yards and a score.
So, what should we expect from Jones in 2019, and how good of an option will he be for Fantasy Football owners?
Well, the thing with Green Bay is that while it is usually always an explosive offensive team, it has not run the football all that much since Rodgers took over as quarterback back in 2008.
As a matter of fact, the Packers ranked 22nd in the NFL in rushing offense this past season.
However, it's not like Green Bay has had a whole lot of talented running backs over the last decade, either, and Jones may very well be the best back the Packers have had during the Rodgers era.
Also, let's keep in mind that Mike McCarthy is no longer at the helm as head coach, as Matt LaFleur is now in charge.
Taking all of that into consideration, it's entirely possible that the Green Bay will have a different offensive approach this year, which could mean big things for Jones.
With the Packers lacking certainty in the passing game, as Adams and tight end Jimmy Graham seem to be Rodgers' only reliable targets at the moment, LaFleur could end up using Jones quite a bit to take some pressure off of Rodgers and open up the field.
Jones has certainly made the most of his touches thus far in his career, as he also averaged 5.5 yards per attempt during his rookie campaign.
Think about this for a second: Jones carried the ball just 133 times in 2018, which ranked 37th in the league. And yet, he still racked up over 700 yards. Imagine what he can do with more touches?
Jones will probably carry the ball at least 200 times this year, which would likely put him around the top 15 in rushing attempts. Based on his efficiency, you should then expect the UTEP product to rack up at least 1,000 yards on the year while punching in around 10 touchdowns to boot. Plus, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Jones catches 40 passes for around 300 yards and a couple of scores.
This could very well be a Pro Bowl-caliber season for Jones, so if he stays healthy, he could be worth a featured back role on your fantasy team. But, you do need to keep in mind that he has a penchant for getting hurt, so he is a bit of a risky play.
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