Packers Get Bad News on Jamaal Williams and Kamal Martin

The Green Bay Packers are going to be really shorthanded at running back this week. With Aaron Jones' status still up in the air due to a lingering calf issue, the team was set to rely on the one-two punch of Jamaal Williams and A.J. Dillon for the third straight game.

Unfortunately, the rookie Dillon tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week, while Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin were deemed close high-risk contacts. All three players will be out for Green Bay's Week 9 Thursday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers.

#Packers RB Jamaal Williams and LB Kamal Martin were both designated high-risk close contacts to A.J. Dillon, source said. They're out for Thursday night.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 3, 2020

If Jones can't go, Green Bay won't have any proven options available at running back this week. It looks like the Packers would have to turn to Tyler Ervin and Dexter Williams if Jones is also ruled out.

Ervin profiles as more of a pass-catcher than a pure rusher, seeing 9 targets to 4 carries on the year. Williams, meanwhile, has yet to see a carry or target in 2020, though he did have 5 rushing attempts (for 11 yards) last season.

Hopefully Jones can get back on the field this week. With his status still up in the air, FanDuel Sportsbook's Week 9 odds have Green Bay as a 4.5-point road favorite over San Francisco.

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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.