Justin Jackson

Justin Jackson

26-Year-Old Running BackRB
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2022 Fantasy Outlook
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. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
$Signed a contract with the Lions in September of 2022.
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.
ANALYSIS
After returning just five kicks in his previous four seasons, Jackson suddenly became a respectable kick returner while averaging the seventh-most yards per kick return (26.7) among players with at least 15 attempts. Thanks to an early season injury to Craig Reynolds, the Northwestern product also operated as a capable No. 2 or 3 running back most of the year depending on the availability D'Andre Swift. Now set to hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent, Jackson seems set for a raise relative to the one-year, $980,000 contract he honored this past season.
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NFL Stats
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Fantasy/Red Zone Stats
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Advanced NFL Stats
How do Justin Jackson's 2022 advanced stats compare to other running backs?
This section compares his advanced stats with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average. The longer the bar, the better it is for the player.
  • Broken Tackle %
    The number of broken tackles divided by rush attempts.
  • Positive Run %
    The percentage of run plays where he was able to gain positive yardage.
  • % Yds After Contact
    The percentage of his rushing yards that came after contact.
  • Avg Yds After Contact
    The average rushing yards he gains after contact.
  • Rushing TD %
    Rushing touchdowns divided by rushing attempts. In other words, how often is he scoring when running the ball.
  • Touches Per Game
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) he is averaging per game
  • % Snaps w/Touch
    The number of touches (rushing attempts + receptions) divided by offensive snaps played.
  • Air Yards Per Game
    The number of air yards he is averaging per game. Air yards measure how far the ball was thrown downfield for both complete and incomplete passes. Air yards are recorded as a negative value when the pass is targeted behind the line of scrimmage. All air yards data is from Sports Info Solutions and does not include throwaways as targeted passes.
  • Air Yards Per Snap
    The number of air yards he is averaging per offensive snap.
  • % Team Air Yards
    The percentage of the team's total air yards he accounts for.
  • % Team Targets
    The percentage of the team's total targets he accounts for.
  • Avg Depth of Target
    Also known as aDOT, this stat measures the average distance down field he is being targeted at.
  • Catch Rate
    The number of catches made divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Drop Rate
    The number of passes he dropped divided by the number of times he was targeted by the quarterback.
  • Avg Yds After Catch
    The number of yards he gains after the catch on his receptions.
  • % Targeted On Route
    Targets divided by total routes run. Also known as TPRR.
  • Avg Yds Per Route Run
    Receiving yards divided by total routes run. Also known as YPRR.
Broken Tackle %
7.1%
 
Positive Run %
78.6%
 
% Yds After Contact
65.9%
 
Avg Yds After Contact
2.7
 
Rushing TD %
2.4%
 
Touches Per Game
3.4
 
% Snaps w/Touch
30.7%
 
Air Yards Per Game
1.2
 
Air Yards Per Snap
0.11
 
% Team Air Yards
0.5%
 
% Team Targets
3.4%
 
Avg Depth of Target
1.0 Yds
 
Catch Rate
63.2%
 
Drop Rate
10.5%
 
Avg Yds After Catch
9.2
 
% Targeted On Route
18.6%
 
Avg Yds Per Route Run
0.99
 
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2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
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2021 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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2022 Justin Jackson Split Stats
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Justin Jackson See More
Backfield Breakdown: 2022 Running Back Recap and Early 2023 Fantasy Rankings
68 days ago
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
70 days ago
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
71 days ago
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
76 days ago
Christian McCaffrey has another plus matchup in Week 18 against Arizona.
Backfield Breakdown: Week 17 RB Usage and Week 18 Waivers Preview
77 days ago
Cam Akers took on the third-largest snap share of all running backs Week 17, playing more than three-fourths of the Ram' snaps for a third straight week.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
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
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.
ANALYSIS
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Full participant Wednesday
RBDetroit Lions
January 4, 2023
Jackson (hip) was a full participant during Wednesday's practice.
ANALYSIS
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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.
ANALYSIS
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Added to injury report
RBDetroit Lions
Hip
December 30, 2022
Jackson (hip) was added to the injury report Friday and is listed as questionable for Sunday's matchup with Chicago, Tim Twentyman of the Lions' official site reports.
ANALYSIS
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Set to remain in backup role
RBDetroit Lions
December 30, 2022
Jackson's teammate Jamaal Williams is not listed on the injury report in advance of Sunday's game against Chicago.
ANALYSIS
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