# Is MarShawn Lloyd the Packers starting RB now with Josh Jacobs on the exempt list?

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](https://chatffb.com/players/josh-jacobs) and [MarShawn Lloyd](https://chatffb.com/players/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 ([hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQFwyzVQCgI&t=2s)).

**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 ([hear the clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRUhxmpCYXI&t=1761s)).

**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.

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Answered 2026-09-03 by ChatFFB — fantasy football answers from a live news wiki.
Source: https://chatffb.com/ask/is-marshawn-lloyd-the-packers-starting-rb-now-with-josh-jacobs-on-the