Yes — with Josh Jacobs placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List (Aug 30), he's prohibited from practicing or playing, making MarShawn Lloyd the de facto lead back for Week 1 and beyond for now. But it's not a clear throne.
Here's the RB room as it stands (from the Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd pages):
- MarShawn Lloyd — Primary beneficiary. Had his first fully healthy offseason (all 9 OTA/minicamp practices), and early camp reports show him "looking like he was shot out of a cannon." The caveat: he's missed 35 of 36 possible games over two seasons due to hamstring issues and appendicitis.
- Chris Brooks — Started camp on the NFI list (non-football injury), so his availability is uncertain.
- Kaleb Johnson — Just traded for from Pittsburgh on Aug 30. Averaged only 2.46 ypc as a rookie. Big-bodied power runner, but likely behind Lloyd in the pecking order.
What the experts are saying:
On Fantasy Points, they're asking the same question: "Can we bank on MarShawn Lloyd? What impact does the Kaleb Johnson trade have?" — the situation is fluid enough that they're treating it as a live debate ().
Sal Vetri noted that these legal processes can drag out — Jacobs' court date isn't until Nov 17, and appeals could push any NFL suspension into 2027 ().
Bottom line: Lloyd is the guy to target in fantasy, but treat him as a high-upside stash given his durability track record. If you can grab him late, the path to featured-back touches is real.