Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook Skyrockets Following Aaron Jones Injury Update

Green Bay Packers star running back Aaron Jones missed the team's Week 7 game due to a calf injury. Backup RB Jamaal Williams stepped up with Jones sidelined, handling 19 carries for 77 rushing yards and a touchdown, adding another 37 receiving yards on 4 catches.

Fantasy managers who picked up or started Williams last week may be in luck, as that calf injury could keep Jones on the shelf for Week 8 as well.

Aaron Jones Injury Update

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur didn't sound confident about Jones' availability for his team's game against the Minnesota Vikings, hinting Green Bay may elect to play it safe with Jones.

That makes a ton of sense, as the 1-5 Vikings don't seem like a particularly intimidating opponent. It'll be crucial to monitor Jones' status throughout the week, but it sounds like he's in danger of missing his second straight game.

Jamaal Williams Fantasy Outlook

If Jones is sidelined, Williams should find himself back in the low-end RB1 conversation. He handled a ton of volume last week, seeing 24 opportunities (19 carries plus 5 targets). He was also clearly working ahead of rookie RB A.J. Dillon, who played just 14 snaps to Williams' 55.

That workload could be fantasy gold in this matchup. Minnesota is a below-average defense against the run, ranking No. 20 in Football Outsiders' DVOA metrics. The game script is also likely to be favorable to Williams this week.

The Packers are sizable 6.5-point favorites over the Vikings on FanDuel Sportsbook, meaning Williams will likely be called upon to run out the clock assuming Green Bay jumps out to a big lead.

There's a lot to like about this matchup for Williams, and he should be a top-12 play at running back in Week 8. But that's entirely dependent on Jones' injury status, so it'll be crucial to monitor Packers' practice reports throughout the week.

GET AN INSTANT DEPOSIT BONUS UP TO 500! We'll match 20% of your first deposit on FanDuel Fantasy Sports. Max bonus $500

Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.