Who Should I Start? MarShawn Lloyd or Will Shipley

Thursday, July 17, 10:38 PM

Last year, Green Bay Packers running backs Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks shared backup duties behind bell-cow Josh Jacobs. But their biggest challenger for the No. 2 job in 2025 comes from MarShawn Lloyd, writes Packers.com's Mike Spofford. The third-rounder out of USC in 2024 was derailed by injuries in his rookie season, first by a hip injury early in training camp and then a hamstring injury in the preseason. Lloyd injured his ankle in his lone regular-season appearance in Week 2 and then had appendicitis that required emergency surgery when he was on the verge of coming off Injured Reserve. The 5-foot-9, 220-pounder offers an intriguing mix of speed, shiftiness and power that will make him an interesting handcuff option for fantasy managers that draft Jacobs. In addition to beating out Wilson and Brooks, Lloyd will need to solve ball-security issues he had in college.

Wednesday, May 21, 2:38 PM

Philadelphia Eagles running back Will Shipley is expected to fill the RB2 and two-minute offense role vacated by Kenneth Gainwell, according to team reporter Jimmy Kempski. "My understanding is that the Eagles were very encouraged by what they saw from Will Shipley during practice throughout the season and in games," he wrote. The team signed former Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon this offseason, but he's unlikely to have much of a role unless Saquon Barkley gets banged up. Shipley, a 2024 fourth-round pick out of Clemson, rushed 30 times for 82 yards and caught four passes for 35 yards in 16 games last season. The 22-year-old can be stashed in deeper setups, but it would be a surprise if he's playable in lineups given Barkley's workhorse role. That said, he would have plenty of upside if Barkley has to miss any time in 2025, and the former Giant has missed at least three games due to injury in four of his seven NFL seasons.