Fantasy Football Player Notes

Last year, Jahmyr Gibbs finished as the RB3 in fantasy points per game. After Week 10, his usage got a massive bump as he didn't play less than 68% of the snaps in any game for the rest of the season while averaging 20 touches and 114.9 total yards pre game. This stretch of games from Weeks 11-18 also coincided with Sam LaPorta's absence, which increased Gibbs' passing game usage. In Weeks 1-10, Gibbs had a 12.7% target share, 25.2 receiving yards per game, and an 11.1% first-read share (per Fantasy Points Data). In Weeks 11-18, Gibbs saw a huge increase in work through the air without LaPorta, with a 19% target share, 48.6 receiving yards per game, and a 19.6% first-read share. Gibbs led all running backs in those statistical categories in the final eight games of the season. Gibbs is in the running for RB1 overall for 2026, but if the rest of the weapons for Detroit remain healthy all season, it could be tough for him to do so. I still expect him to be a top-three back this season who is insanely efficient with his passing game and early down work. Last year, he ranked ninth in explosive run rate and third in missed tackles forced per attempt. Gibbs will and should be a top 3-5 pick in every fantasy draft this year.

Amon-Ra St. Brown continued his remarkable consistency in 2025, finishing as a top-3 fantasy WR for the third straight season. The Lions star once again dominated high-value usage, leading the NFL in red-zone targets. Even with Detroit transitioning to a new offensive coordinator in 2026, St. Brown's elite target share and reliable weekly production give him one of the safest floor/ceiling combos at the position. Expect another top-5 fantasy finish from the Sun God.

Jameson Williams finally delivered on his first-round pedigree in 2025, topping 1,000 receiving yards and finishing as a fantasy WR1 after a massive second-half surge. Much of that breakout coincided with Dan Campbell taking over play-calling duties and Sam LaPorta missing time, as Williams' production dipped noticeably when the Lions tight end was active. The explosive upside remains obvious, but Williams still operated with just a 17% target share and carried one of the highest bust rates among top-20 fantasy WRs. With a new offensive coordinator and returning target competition entering 2026, Williams projects as a high-variance WR capable of week-winning performances, accompanied by super frustrating lows.

Before his 2025 season was lost to a back injury, Sam LaPorta was the TE7 in fantasy points per game. Despite the injury-shortened season, LaPorta was still one of the most explosive tight ends in the NFL on a per-route basis. Among 59 qualifying tight ends, he ranked tenth in target share (17.8%), sixth in receiving yards per game (54.3), fifth in yards per route run (2.14), and eighth in first downs per route run (0.100, per Fantasy Points Data). The concerning thing for LaPorta during those nine games was his six red zone targets and only one end zone target. Considering that light usage near paydirt, it's not shocking that he had only three touchdowns. That is worrisome, but touchdowns can be a fickle game to project year-to-year. Painting a positive light on that usage is the fact that despite those numbers, LaPorta was still second on the team in not only target share but red zone targets during that stretch. The arrival of Drew Petzing as the offensive coordinator should be viewed as a plus for LaPorta if we are to extract anything from his time in Arizona and his usage of Trey McBride. LaPorta should turn in a strong 2026 season as a top-eight fantasy tight end with top-five upside.

Jared Goff has become a paragon of consistency. He's strung together four consecutive 4,000-yard seasons, averaging 4,551 passing yards and 32.5 TD passes per season over that span. Goff hasn't missed a game since 2021. But Goff has finished outside the top 12 in fantasy points per game (five starts minimum) in three of the last four years. He's a fine passer but offers next to nothing as a runner, with 195 rushing yards and two TD runs over the last four years. Goff's high-floor, low-ceiling profile makes him an unsexy target in fantasy drafts, but his high-floor makes him an ideal backup in 1QB leagues or QB2 in superflex leagues.

Isiah Pacheco lands with the Lions as the change-of-pace back/handcuff for Jahmyr Gibbs. Pacheco's health has been an issue for the last three years. In a complementary/goal-line role, he could pay dividends for Detroit. If he can recapture any resemblance to the player that posted a 5.4% explosive run rate and 2.77 yards after contact per attempt in 2023 in Detroit, he should pay off for the Lions in 2026 (per Fantasy Points Data). If Gibbs were to miss any time, Pacheco would likely be an RB2 option for fantasy gamers.

Isaac TeSlaa barely saw the field as a rookie, but he flashed intriguing upside by turning just 16 receptions into six touchdowns. Detroit clearly believes in the former third-round pick after trading up for him in 2025, and Dan Campbell has already hinted at a potential Year 2 leap. With Kalif Raymond gone, TeSlaa has a clear path to the Lions' No. 3 WR role behind Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. He's still more dynasty/deep-league upside stash than reliable redraft option, but the athletic traits and red-zone usage are worth monitoring closely.

The Lions have the easiest schedule in the NFL (specifically through the first 5 weeks of the season). With them also due to experience positive injury regression on the defensive side of the ball, they are an easy sleeper DST to snag with your last pick. Generated the 4th-most passes defended last year (but just 13 interceptions) and a top-10 defense according to DVOA. Also dropped the second-most interceptions (9).

Lions kicker Jake Bates has one of the strongest legs in the NFL, and he plays for a team that can really pile on the points. Bates has led the NFL in extra points in each of the last two seasons, making 64 of them in 2024 and 54 of them in 2025. Perhaps the worst thing about having Bates as your fantasy kicker is that Lions head coach Dan Campbell is hyper-aggressive about going for it on fourth down, which robs Bates of some FG attempts. But Campbell is also willing to let his kicker try some long-range bombs. Bates was 4-of-9 on FG attempts from 50 yards or longer last season, and two of the misses were from 67 and 65 yards.