Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Tahj Brooks

Tuesday, August 26, 5:11 PM

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) was placed on Injured Reserve on Tuesday and has been designated to return, according to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. It means that Lloyd can return after missing the first four games of the 2025 campaign. Head coach Matt LaFleur had already said that the oft-injured second-year RB would miss time to start the year due to a hamstring injury that he suffered in the preseason finale last weekend. The 24-year-old cannot seem to shake his hamstring injuries, as he also dealt with the same issue in his rookie season, among other things, and ended up suiting up in just one game. Green Bay has a bye in Week 5, so the earliest Lloyd can return will be in Week 6 on Oct. 12 versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Fantasy managers can avoid him for now in 12-team leagues, while Emanuel Wilson becomes the primary handcuff option for those that draft Josh Jacobs.

Saturday, September 6, 11:53 AM

Cincinnati Bengals running back Tahj Brooks was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after a lengthy collegiate career at Texas Tech. While he didn't do much in his two preseason contests, he reportedly looked good throughout training camp. With that in mind, Chase Brown is the undisputed No. 1 option out of the backfield. Samaje Perine is back in the mix after signing a two-year deal in the offseason. That leaves little room for Brooks, who will likely get the residual scraps left over by Brown and Perine in Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns. That arrangement will likely extend moving forward. Unfortunately, that won't him a viable option in any format on Sunday and beyond, so he shouldn't be starting in any fantasy lineup.