The Detroit Lions entered the season with a loaded lineup of fantasy football-worthy players.
Running back Jahmyr Gibbs and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown were surefire first-round picks, tight end Sam LaPorta was an easy choice for a mid-draft tight end, and Jameson Williams and David Montgomery were flex players that could be started with confidence. However, after a dismal Week 11 for the Lions offense without many signs for how to fix things, there’s a marginal reason for concern.
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St. Brown started the season on a tear, but his rapport with Jared Goff has been out of sync for a couple of weeks in a row. Gibbs ate in Week 10 against a porous Commanders defense, but had his second game in three weeks averaging less than four yards per carry despite taking more than 60% of the snaps at running back.
LaPorta missed their game against the Philadelphia Eagles and there’s no timetable for his return to action, instantly putting fantasy managers in a bind with a scarce tight end market at this point in the season. Backup tight end Brock Wright doesn’t particularly inspire starting-level fantasy football confidence.
However, fantasy football is ultimately a game of matchups. The Lions offense will almost certainly bounce back next week against a tricky but flawed New York Giants team, and they still have a Week 14 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys that should prove to be fruitful for everyone involved.
There will be time to look ahead, but let’s break down the fantasy performances from the Lions’ Sunday night loss to the Eagles:
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Jameson Williams: 19.7 points
The brightest note of the night for the Lions was another strong outing for Jameson Williams. He put up his second-highest point total of the season and served as the team’s best option at receiver throughout the night.
He caught four of seven targets on Sunday night, totaling 88 yards and his third-straight game with a touchdown. With Dan Campbell calling plays the last two games, Williams is averaging five catches on seven targets and looking like a clear-cut part of the game plan.
Jahmyr Gibbs: 19.6 points
Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t have a successful game on the ground for the Lions on Sunday night, totaling just 39 yards on 12 carries. However, he salvaged his day with a couple of huge plays in the passing game.
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Gibbs caught five of eight targets — his highest target share since Week 1 — for 107 yards. He didn’t get into the endzone, but the Lions repeatedly left points on the board with failed conversions that ultimately decided the outcome of the game.
Jared Goff: 13.1 points
Quarterback Jared Goff didn’t have his worst fantasy game of the season, but did actually have his worst game of the season passing. Goff completed just 14 of 37 pass attempts while trying to escape the Eagles pass rush on virtually every drop back.
Goff mustered 255 yards and a touchdown for his troubles, but also had an interception knock his point total down even further. He’ll be a difficult start for fantasy managers going forward.
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Amon-Ra St. Brown: 6.2 points
Superstar receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown posted his worst fantasy total since Week 1 of 2024 on Sunday night. Despite his 12 targets, he only connected with Jared Goff for two catches and 42 yards.
St. Brown hasn’t been in sync with Goff for the last two weeks, though this week, much of that struggle can be attributed to the pressure Goff faced for most of the game. St. Brown should be able to return to form as he’s still getting the highest target share of anyone on the offense from week to week.
David Montgomery: 4.7 points
The times of a true two-headed monster in the Lions backfield feel just about over. David Montgomery is still a key piece of the Lions offense, but the interior of the offensive line this season doesn’t seem to support Montgomery’s work running between the tacklers.
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He took 39% of the snaps at running back which is close to his average this season, but he only had six carries for 27 yards to go along with one catch for 10 yards.
Brock Wright: 2.8 points
Backup tight end Brock Wright stepped in for Sam LaPorta on Sunday night in what will be his new role for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately for Wright, Jared Goff couldn’t find him on multiple opportunities that could have bolstered his fantasy total and helped keep the offense going.
Wright earned seven targets but only caught two for eight total yards. The number of targets is promising for his overall involvement in the offense, but his connection with Goff will have to improve for him to become a worthwhile fantasy asset.
This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Fantasy Recap: Are Lions becoming less reliable after Week 11 loss?
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