Fantasy Football Player Notes
2021 PPR Draft Rankings
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30.
D'Andre Swift
RB - (vs . GB)
There were certainly flashes of what could be a great three-down back with Swift last year, but the Lions seem to have alternate plans. They snagged Jamaal Williams in free agency and signed him to a two-year deal. Then, they drafted Jermar Jefferson. Then, they brought in Todd Gurley on a free agent visit. While they didn't sign him, it's not promising for Swift's outlook, as they clearly want this to be somewhat of a timeshare. It's not to say timeshare backs can't get into the top-12 conversation - they can, but it requires a lot of scoring opportunities, something we're not expecting from the Lions offense. Swift is an extremely talented football player, but situation and opportunity knock him into clear-cut RB2 territory.
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51.
T.J. Hockenson
TE - (vs . GB)
We can talk about all the good things that Hockenson did last year, but it wouldn't matter. His world has been flipped upside down in 2021, as he has a new coaching staff, and more importantly, a new quarterback. The team isn't going to be in scoring position nearly as much, but the good news for Hockenson is that he's now the clear-cut No. 1 target on the team after we watched Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones leave in free agency. Jared Goff has limitations as a quarterback, but his skill-set should actually align with Hockenson's role quite well. It may not be exciting to start Hockenson week-to-week for upside purposes, but he should deliver a rock-solid floor that allows you to start him every week.
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115.
Jamaal Williams
RB - (vs . GB)
I'm not sure I'm seeing the allure that some do to Williams as a handcuff in Detroit. Williams isn't a bad running back by any means, but it's more about the offense and their want to use a timeshare at running back. It's the same reason D'Andre Swift is falling into middling RB2 range of drafts - it's not because of his talent. Even if Swift were to miss time, the Lions would likely bring in another running back to share the workload. They already brought Todd Gurley in for a visit, so they clearly haven't taken their minds off adding another running back. Not just that, but it's also likely to be a low-scoring offense, which just doesn't give you a lot of upside/potential.
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186.
Breshad Perriman
WR - (vs . GB)
Is it possible Perriman is the Lions best wide receiver in fantasy this year? While that may not mean much, it's something. The issue I have believing that is due to his strengths not aligning with Jared Goff's strengths. It's no secret that Goff has struggled to consistently throw the ball down the field, and it's part of the reason the Rams moved on from him. Perriman will be playing in another new offense with another new quarterback, something he knows all too well at this point. There will likely be a few splash weeks, but you should be happy to let someone else draft him.
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204.
Jared Goff
QB - (vs . GB)
If you were thinking the hate went too far with Goff and that he might be a decent streamer/platoon option, think again. His start to the season is a nightmare and it really doesn't get any better as it goes on. The first seven weeks include the 49ers, Packers, Ravens, Bears, Vikings, and Rams. If you want to find a great matchup, you have to wait all the way until Week 16. The Lions offense isn't one you should aggressively attack in fantasy drafts.
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214.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
WR - (vs . GB)
There is a path to St. Brown leading all Lions wide receivers in targets. However, the stat I keep coming back to with him is that I've tracked rookie performances for the last eight years. There have been 35 wide receivers drafted in the fourth round during that time, and none of them finished as a top-50 wide receiver in their rookie year. But now we're expecting Jared Goff to make that happen with St. Brown? There's a possibility, sure, but it's a slim one.
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251.
Tyrell Williams
WR - (vs . GB)
The Lions signing Williams seems to have gone under the radar, but should it? He was likely brought in due to his experience in Anthony Lynn's offense, which gives him a leg up on the competition, as that's the play-caller he had his breakout 1,059-yard, seven-touchdown season under. Unfortunately, Jared Goff hasn't been a great deep passer in the NFL, which is where Williams has made most of his noise, averaging at least 15.3 yards per reception in each of his five NFL seasons played. Still, there should be at least some value in a wide receiver who's likely to lead the Lions wide receivers in targets.
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293.
Quintez Cephus
WR - (vs . GB)
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345.
Jermar Jefferson
RB - (vs . GB)
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374.
Randy Bullock
K - (vs . GB)
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380.
Detroit Lions
DST - (vs . GB)
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459.
Darren Fells
TE - (vs . GB)
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486.
Sage Surratt
WR - (vs . GB)
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497.
Hunter Bryant
TE - (vs . GB)
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512.
Geronimo Allison
WR - (vs . GB)
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518.
Dedrick Mills
RB - (vs . GB)
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563.
Chad Hansen
WR - (vs . GB)
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