Justin Jackson

Justin Jackson

27-Year-Old Running BackRB
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
After spending the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Chargers, Jackson caught on with the Lions in 2022 and rushed 42 times for 170 yards and one touchdown while catching 12 of 19 targets for 101 yards and another score in 16 games. Currently unsigned, the 27-year-old is a candidate to resurface as a depth option on his next team, but wherever he lands, Jackson seems unlikely to garner steady enough volume to make much of a fantasy impact. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a one-year, $1.08 million contract with the Lions in July of 2023.
Hangs up cleats
RBDetroit Lions
Undisclosed
August 10, 2023
Jackson was placed on the reserve/retired list Thursday.
ANALYSIS
Jackson re-signed with the Lions on July 23 after appearing in 16 games with the team last season. He was expected to be competing with Craig Reynolds, Jermar Jefferson and Mohamed Ibrahim for the team's No. 3 running back spot, while also possibly handling kick-return duties. Instead, he'll choose to pull himself out of the running and retire. If he does change his mind, Detroit will retain his rights and be able to bring him back in.
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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2018
2022 NFL Game Log
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2021 NFL Game Log
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2020 NFL Game Log
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Receiving Alignment Breakdown
See where Justin Jackson lined up on the field and how he performed at each spot.
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2023 Justin Jackson Split Stats
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Justin Jackson See More
2023 Detroit Lions Preview: Roster Moves, Depth Chart, Schedule, Storylines and More
251 days ago
In Year 3 of the Dan Campbell era, the Lions will be striving for a rare division title, powered by a strong offensive line and the continued connection between Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Backfield Breakdown: 2022 Running Back Recap and Early 2023 Fantasy Rankings
January 11, 2023
Jerry Donabedian looks at top performers from 2022 and checks in on players rehabbing serious injuries or potentially headed for free agency.
Box Score Breakdown: Snaps, Routes, Air Yards & Usage Rates from Week 18
January 9, 2023
James Cook got more snaps and carries than Devin Singletary even with the Bills playing their starters for the entire game Sunday.
Sunday Night Football DFS Breakdown: Green Bay vs. Detroit
January 8, 2023
The Lions have used D'Andre Swift sparingly in 2022, but they likely need a strong game from him to keep pace with Green Bay.
Weekly Rankings: Week 18 Value Meter
January 3, 2023
Christian McCaffrey has another plus matchup in Week 18 against Arizona.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
In contact with Browns
RBFree Agent
May 3, 2023
Jackson has been in contact with the Browns regarding a contract, according to NFL analyst Noah Schaefer.
ANALYSIS
Jackson has an impressive career average of 4.9 yards per carry, so he would be the favorite to slot in as the backup to Nick Chubb if Jackson were to sign with Cleveland. The 27-year-old running back is a free agent after logging 42 rushing attempts with the Lions in 2022.
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
Though he averaged 5.4 yards per carry on 68 totes while adding 22 receptions for 178 yards in 14 games during his final season with the Chargers in 2021, Jackson remained on the open market until shortly after the start of training camp before finally catching on with the Lions. Though the 2018 seventh-rounder's strong past production makes him an interesting depth option in his new locale, Jackson wasn't guaranteed to have a path to a rotational role in Detroit with D'Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams in the backfield. Indeed, Jackson was a casualty of roster cuts in late August.
Injuries continue to be the story of Jackson's career, and he's missed 16 of 32 games the last two seasons with quad and knee issues costing him time in 2020. Given his thin 6-0 frame, it's perhaps not surprising that he can't stay in the lineup, but when he's been healthy he's been productive, and more than three-quarters of his scrimmage yards last year came in only three games. Jackson's best traits are his balance through contact and plus elusiveness, which make him hard to bring down and allow him to deliver both big plays and consistent yardage, leading to a career 4.9 YPC. He's also a solid pass catcher, though in a backfield with Austin Ekeler he hasn't had to use those skills much.
Melvin Gordon's holdout last season gave Jackson a bit of sleeper appeal, but when Austin Ekeler proved capable of shouldering the load as the lead back and then Jackson had trouble staying healthy, his window to make a splash quickly closed. A seventh-round pick in 2018, the Northwestern product has the elusiveness and balance in traffic to break through to the second level with regularity, and despite his limited workload in the NFL he's been a big-play threat on the ground, gaining at least 20 yards on three of his 29 carries last year. He's worked hard to bring his receiving skills up to average, but his thin frame (6-0, 199) isn't an advantage in pass protection. With Gordon now in Denver, Jackson is penciled in as the No. 2 back, but 2020 fourth-round pick Joshua Kelley offers more size and power and could ultimately prove himself to be a more effective complement to Ekeler in the Chargers backfield.
The 2018 seventh-round selection was forced into action during Week 12 of his rookie campaign thanks to injuries to Melvin Gordon and Austin Ekeler. He ended up recording 190 rushing yards, 116 receiving yards and two touchdowns during a four-game stretch, which also included his lone start. This offseason, the Chargers didn't add any notable options to their running back depth chart, but they do have some turmoil in the form of Gordon's contract holdout. Jackson and Ekeler are getting the first-team snaps at training camp, potentially headed for a committee in September if Gordon can't work things out with the team.
Jackson was a wrecking ball during his four-year collegiate career with Northwestern, eventually finishing as the university's all-time leading rusher with 5,440 yards. That production was thanks in part to an uncharacteristically high workload, but the added wear and tear shouldn't mean much in the immediate future given he figures to merely be a rotational option for Melvin Gordon. Not necessarily known as a receiving threat, Jackson will likely cede snaps to last year's standout rookie running back, Austin Ekeler, but should Gordon suffer an injury, it wouldn't be a surprise for Jackson to see the majority of the carries.
More Fantasy News
Headed to Detroit
RBDetroit Lions
July 22, 2023
Jackson signed with the Lions on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
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Emerges as kick returner
RBDetroit Lions
February 4, 2023
Jackson rushed 42 times for 170 yards and one touchdown while catching 12 of 19 targets for 101 yards and one touchdown over 16 games in 2022.
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Snaps scaled back in return
RBDetroit Lions
January 12, 2023
Jackson played six of the Lions' 60 snaps on offense and carried once for two yards while adding an 11-yard reception in Sunday's 20-16 win over the Packers.
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Full participant Wednesday
RBDetroit Lions
January 4, 2023
Jackson (hip) was a full participant during Wednesday's practice.
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Won't face Bears
RBDetroit Lions
Hip
January 1, 2023
Jackson (hip) is inactive for Sunday's game against the Bears.
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