It’s been a while since the Detroit Lions were front page news. The team hasn’t won a division title in 30 years. The last Detroit playoff win came in 1991. The Lions have made the tournament just three times in the 2000s.
Most of those losing seasons weren’t fantasy friendly, either. As great as Calvin Johnson was, mixed with some Matthew Stafford, only one of his teams ranked top 10 in scoring. Detroit fans have been waiting — and suffering — for a long time. Even their two signature players of the past three decades — Johnson and Barry Sanders — shocked the world with sudden retirements before their age-31 seasons.
That’s why last year’s 9-8 team garnered so much buzz; these aren’t the same old Lions. And through five weeks of the fresh season, Detroit has justified the love.
The motto of this team might be “no stars, just talent.” Even without ADP draft darlings Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs on Sunday, the Lions ripped the Panthers, 42-24. This is a fun team, a deep team, and a fantasy-friendly team, no matter who’s on the field. Detroit’s now 4-1, averaging about 30 points a game.
2023 Lions are filled with fantasy rule breakers
Second-contract running backs are fantasy afterthoughts? David Montgomery didn’t play like that here, rolling for 129 total yards and a touchdown. He’s poised to smash his mid-70s ADP.
Rookie tight ends are fantasy picks to avoid? Sam LaPorta keeps mocking that theme. LaPorta has charted as a top 10 tight end in 4-of-5 starts, including a two-touchdown game Sunday. He’s a blast.
It’s no longer sharp to target value picks at quarterback? Jared Goff begs to differ. Goff threw for three touchdowns Sunday and ran for a fourth, placing him as the QB3 when the early-window finished.
If you needed a Detroit sleeper pick Week 5 — perhaps navigating the injury and bye-week blues — plenty of unheralded players came in. Josh Reynolds posted a useful 4-76-1 line, and Craig Reynolds produced in spot duty (7-52-1 on the ground). And at least Kalif Raymond (3-45-0) beat his yardage prop.
It might take a while for Jameson Williams to enter the fun, however. He made his sophomore debut and it didn’t go anywhere — two short receptions, two total yards, three targets. Remember last year was a washout season for Williams, and this year’s summer prep time was curtailed by injury. I need to see Williams produce before I proactively rank or start him.
Detroit’s success is tied to several ancillary factors and subtle things. The offensive line is one of the five best in football. OC Ben Johnson is a rising star, sure to be aggressively pursued by other teams next year. Detroit’s also built a sneaky little home-field advantage, at a time when many teams are struggling to protect their turf. Goff’s quarterback rating jumps around 20 points for Detroit home games, running his stats since the 2021 trade.
Goff’s biggest tests might come in the next two weeks, when the Lions travel to Tampa Bay and Baltimore. Those are plus defenses and unfriendly environments. But Detroit draws plenty of soft landings in the second half of the season, those green-shaded opponents that highlight the schedule. The Raiders, Chargers, Bears (twice), Broncos and Vikings all count as favorable matchups, pinball scoring likely. Get your quarters ready. (It’s a shame the Minnesota rematch is tucked into Week 18, usually fantasy-irrelevant in standard leagues.)
Of course there will be plenty of mouths to feed when everyone heals up, assuming that actually happens. But Goff and Johnson seem capable of spreading the ball around and supporting several bankable options. I’m prepared to start St. Brown, Montgomery, LaPorta and Gibbs any week they’re healthy, with Goff and Josh Reynolds at least worthy of proactive consideration. The 2023 Lions are a team for the fantasy scrapbook, a show we’re likely to remember. I’ll be saving my ticket stub.
Note: This story will be updated with additional fantasy analysis from Sunday.
