Fantasy Football 2019 Team Previews: Detroit Lions

Detroit Lions

Must Own

Kerryon Johnson, RB (ADP: 38): Johnson is a beast who averaged 64 yards per game as a rookie on just 11.8 carries per game. He averaged a strong 5.4 yards per rush, and caught 32 passes for 213 yards and a touchdown. Johnson is a well-rounded back, and with LeGarrette Blount vanished – and replaced by C.J. Anderson – he should serve as a three-down workhorse. This ADP is actually a little low for what Johnson is capable of producing, because with a full workload he can be a dominant RB1. Draft him confidently, and wherever you’re drafting, if you think he won’t get back to you, it’s not a reach. This ADP is low.

Kenny Golladay, WR (ADP: 42): Golladay has the kind of talent you drool over, and he’s about to see a nice target increase with Golden Tate out of the picture in training camp. Tate has long been Matthew Stafford’s favorite target, and a staple of the Lions passing game. Now the offense will revolve around Johnson on the ground, with Golladay’s big play ability keeping the box clean. Golladay turned 119 targets into 70 receptions, 1,063 yards and five touchdowns. He has the potential to creep toward 85 catches and 1,200 yards, but the touchdown total will be what pushes him into the elite category. If he can get to eight, we’re looking at league-winning value at this ADP.  

Marvin Jones, WR (ADP: 92): Jones, while very good, duplicates Golladay’s skill set a bit. I think big things are in the offing for Golladay, which could come at Jones’ expense. He was on pace for a pretty strong season in 2018, which would’ve been on par with his monster 2017 campaign minus about 200 receiving yards or so. The difference, though, was his mark of 14.5 yards per reception, down significantly from the previous two seasons. That’s because those deep shots belong to Golladay now, with Jones serving more as an intermediate threat. Between his reduced yards per target, emphasis on the run, and new additions to the receiving corps, it’ll be tough for Jones to hit his ceiling. This ADP is okay, but it’s probably the earliest you should consider drafting him.

Fantasy Relevant

T.J. Hockenson, TE (ADP: 144): Fantasy community, meet the new addition to the Lions receiving corps threatening Marvin Jones’ action. Hockenson, a first rounder, won’t wow you with his college stats. That’s because he was sharing work with a fellow first-round TE in Noah Fant. Hockenson put up 760 yards on 49 catches in his final season at Iowa, scoring six touchdowns. And if his numbers don’t impress you, his athleticism will.

Hockenson is not here to block. He’s here to catch passes, and make plays after the catch. He’s here to serve as the safety blanket that Golden Tate once was. That’s way too tall a task for a rookie tight end, but we’ll see plenty of glimpses of that future in 2019. He should be a startable TE for the entire season, and although his ADP is low I’ve got him inside my Top 12 at the position.

Matthew Stafford, QB (ADP: 180): Stafford has fallen far out of favor with fantasy owners, and for good reason. He fell hard out of the 4,000-yard club, only tossed 21 touchdowns, his fewest in four years and is leading a team that’s about to turn the offense over to a stud RB. Even if the yardage returns, Stafford’s lost his best target for many years (Tate) and he doesn’t offer any value on the ground. If the downside is 240 passing yards per game, and it can’t be offset by rushing figures, you’ve got yourself a very low-end option. Stafford will continue to have value as a streaming option, and I view him as a high-upside QB2. Unfortunately, his days of being drafted in one-QB leagues are over unless there’s a change of scenery.

Handcuff(s)

C.J. Anderson, RB (ADP: 201): Fantasy owners aren’t buying the C.J. Anderson renaissance of 2018 with the Rams, when he essentially took over the lead role from Todd Gurley. His chunky body has belied a dirty little secret about Anderson. He’s quietly pretty damn good, having never dipped below four yards per carry and delivering a 1,007-yard season in 2017, the only time he’s been given 200+ carries. He hasn’t been great, ever, though, and in Detroit he could be an afterthought if the Lions wise up and ride Kerryon Johnson ‘til the wheels fall off. If there’s a glimmer of hope for Anderson’s fantasy prospects, it’s that the Lions inexplicably foisted 154 LeGarrette Blount carries upon the world, which led to five touchdowns. That kind of workload would make Anderson relevant. It might also foment a violent revolution from Lions fans, so don’t count on it, and don’t draft Anderson.

Deep Sleepers

Danny Amendola, WR (ADP: 308): Amendola’s always been the guy we think might be sneaky good and then isn’t. That’s the likely outcome here too, but he should be mentioned because he’s stepping into a high-volume role once occupied by Tate. Amendola is not Tate, but if he assumes the same target share he’ll find himself with some PPR relevance.