Should I drop AJ Dillon? Exploring fantasy projection of Packers RB ahead of Aaron Jones’ possible return

For AJ Dillon, things could be looking incredibly different for his usage during the Week 4 game against the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football. After starting the previous two games for the Green Bay Packers, the team is expecting Aaron Jones to be available to play, which would relegate Dillon to a backup role once again.

The Packers have been involved in two close games without Jones in the backfield, losing by one point to the Atlanta Falcons before winning by the same margin against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3. With Jones again the starter, should you keep Dillon on the roster?

AJ Dillon' fantasy outlook in 2023

As much as Green Bay Packers fans love Dillon, the simple truth is that he's not a good enough running back.

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Now in his fourth season with the Packers, he remains a liability running the ball. He's at a 2.7 yards-per-carry average this season, a big drop from his 5.3 average in 2020, his rookie year. The offensive line has downgraded with time, and so has his production.

With only 107 rushing yards from three games and 39 carries this season, it's clear that AJ Dillon is not going to earn lots of praise from fans. He did not produce when he was the starter, so waiting for him to be a useful fantasy football player as a backup is ludicrous.

Should I drop AJ Dillon in Week 4?

There's absolutely no reason for AJ Dillon to start for your team in Week 4 - and mind you, even if Aaron Jones is a surprise inactive, you should not put Dillon as the starter.

His performances this season are not good enough, and the Packers are not producing enough offensively for you to take a shot with the running back. Green Bay is controlling games with their defense and not running a lot of plays or running and explosive offense, meaning that Dillon is not going to be useful for you.

There are better running back options for your team in free agency and certainly on your roster. Don't start Dillon on Thursday.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Green Bay Packers Fans! Check out the latest Packers Schedule and dive into the Green Bay Packers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Henrique Bulio