Green Bay had three different running backs with some fantasy appeal at various points last year. Those players return in 2018, and early indications are a probable headache for fantasy teams. Might be tough to extract much value out of any one of them this season.
"The fact of the matter is we're going to go running back by committee," said Mike McCarthy in an interview. He left open the possibility that that would change ("If one of them would emerge as that full-time guy then you have to have that ability to ... adjust to that"), but risky to count on which one.
The fact is that the three have different strengths, and each shone in different areas last season. The numbers suggest Aaron Jones was the best runner, Jamaal Williams the most effective receiver and Ty Montgomery the best combination of the two.
| PACKER BACKS: RUSHING | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Lg |
| Aaron Jones | 81 | 448 | 5.5 | 4 | 46 |
| Ty Montgomery | 71 | 273 | 3.8 | 3 | 37 |
| Jamaal Williams | 153 | 556 | 3.6 | 4 | 25 |
| PACKER BACKS: RECEIVING | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Tgt | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD |
| Jamaal Williams | 34 | 25 | 262 | 10.5 | 2 |
| Ty Montgomery | 31 | 23 | 173 | 7.5 | 1 |
| Aaron Jones | 18 | 9 | 22 | 2.4 | 0 |
| PACKER BACKS: TOTAL YARDS | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | G | Run | Rec | Tot | Y/G |
| Ty Montgomery | 8 | 273 | 173 | 446 | 56 |
| Jamaal Williams | 16 | 556 | 262 | 818 | 51 |
| Aaron Jones | 12 | 448 | 22 | 470 | 39 |
In the Experts Draft in the magazine, Jones and Williams went with back-to-back picks, Montgomery several rounds later.
So which one to draft? One approach would be to take the one available latest. But I think that even if Jones is the most talented runner -- and he seems to be -- he's the least likely to be featured, since he's the least reliable in the passing game, as a receiver and in pass protection. That's critical in the Packers offense.
Williams might be 3rd among the backs on talent. But with his running and receiving combo, he looks like the best bet to play the most.
--Andy Richardson