Over the course of the past three weeks, the Lions have been winning. Unfortunately for some Lions’ fans, losing is still occurring on Sunday if they play fantasy football and are inept at forming a good fantasy football team. Here is a fantasy performance analysis on the most important players that play for the Lions.
Jamaal Williams: A
Having a career year in 2022, Jamaal Williams has been consistently a threat in the run game. This consistency appears to have made him jump ahead of star running back D’Andre Swift on the depth chart, who has been playing in a limited role over the last couple of weeks. The reason why Williams is one of the most dependable options to start on a fantasy team is his touchdown productivity. In Week 11 during the Lions vs. Giants game, he pounded the ball in the touchdown three times for a league leading 12 rushing touchdowns on the season. This touchdown productivity should not decrease any time soon and he should be seen as a safe start for the amount of touchdowns he produces.
Amon Ra St. Brown: A-
After being derailed from a historic record due to injuries, Amon Ra St. Brown is finally back at a consistent level for the Detroit Lions. Last week, he exploded back on to the scene with a 22.1 fantasy point game. This week, he had a modest 15 fantasy point game off of seven receptions for seventy-six yards. The star second year wideout should be back to his regular self and should be WR #2 at the very least.
D’Andre Swift: B-
The biggest hurdle for star running back D’Andre Swift through his career has been injuries. Over the last couple of weeks, the Lions have seemingly played it relatively safe with Swift and only have allocated him a few snaps per game. However when Swift is in, his snaps are meaningful and it has been shown through his fantasy performances. The last four weeks, he has had 8 or more fantasy points per game. While this is nothing special, it is worthy to note that Swift is giving fantasy owners something. Perhaps sometime soon, he will return back to his explosive nature and break out for a monstrous game. This reason is why Swift is still a player that needs to start.
D.J. Chark: F
He produced absolutely nothing in fantasy after being injured for the last seven weeks. Even before his injury, he was not producing enough to allocate him a starting spot on your fantasy team. He should not start any time soon, even if you have a depleted wide receiver core.
Lions Defense: B+
The Lions defense played yet another wonderful game (Lions vs. Giants) filled with sacks, a fumble recovery, and interceptions. The Lions defense being led by breakout rookies, Aidan Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph, who both had an interception, has turned around this once historically bad defense into a defense that could start in fantasy football. Next week is a tough matchup as the improved defense goes against the Buffalo Bills. I would wait another week before starting or adding this defense to your roster, but if the defense plays another impressive game then this could be a dependable defense to rely on to get your team fantasy points.
