Obviously things are not going well for the Detroit Lions right now, and that starts at the team level and goes down to the individual players. Though the offense has been acceptable, it has not been enough to overcome the defense’s issues, and there is too much talent on this team to not be putting up more points.
Accordingly, many Lions have also been frustrating from a fantasy perspective. Matthew Stafford sits at QB14, which is probably fair from a historical view, but is well below where some projected him to be after his 2019 start. As expected, the running backs have been as mess with Adrian Peterson (RB32) and D’Andre Swift (RB37) on the cusp of playable and Kerryon Johnson (RB51) all but over.
Kenny Golladay (WR15) is fine when healthy, but Marvin Jones (WR67) has been an absolute ghost, which looks even worse considering Golladay was out for two games. Danny Amendola (WR76) is a non-factor, as is Jesse James (TE33), but at least we are finally seeing the start of a consistent T.J. Hockenson (TE8).
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which Lion’s fantasy output is most likely to change?
My answer: To begin with some positives, I think Hockenson is locked in as a Tier 2 tight end now, meaning you can play him every week and expect decent production, though he is not quite ready to break into the elite. Golladay could creep up toward the WR1 range and Stafford should rise too, as both deserve the benefit of the doubt for some positive regression.
So whose output is most likely to change? The easy answer is Jones, as his numbers can basically only go up. However, do not be surprised if they come in a shade other than Honolulu blue. The other answer is Swift, who I could see being closer to RB24 from here on out. That will require fewer touches going to Peterson, but I think it is clear which back gives the offense a better chance at succeeding. The elder running back is one of the few Lions who I would expect to see a decrease in fantasy production going forward; just about everyone else is either underachieving or stable.