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If the season started today, one Lions player would be their biggest fantasy bargain, another a likely bust, and a third a likely wild card.
The bargain I’m targeting isn’t even on their roster yet. He might not even be in the league. By trading David Montgomery, this franchise is suddenly very top-heavy at running back. Jahmyr Gibbs – the only RB they’ve drafted in the past four years – racked up 322 touches (including the playoffs) in 2024 and 320 last year. We should not expect him to take on all or even most of Montgomery’s lost touches.
Instead, the Lions likely will acquire their next 1B in the draft or in free agency. While Gibbs deservedly will command elite fantasy value, his direct backup should be viewed as a coveted handcuff capable of cracking the top 30. That’s good news for managers, as this as-yet-unnamed 1B probably won’t have an ADP inside the top 36.
How can Amon-Ra St. Brown be a bust? It’s not fair, right? One of fantasy’s most consistently “great” WRs is uber-safe. But we need to look beyond the obvious numbers. Based on his history, St. Brown probably will fetch an ADP around WR3 or WR4. However, recently he’s been working harder to earn elite production. He averaged 2.02 fantasy points per target in 2023, followed by 2.24 per target in 2024. Last year? Only 1.88 on a career-high 10.1 targets per game. Those targets are likely to go down rather than up. A finish outside the top five seems realistic.
The wild card is Sam LaPorta, who hasn’t been able to match his breakout rookie numbers, and last year, he missed nearly half the season. A healthy and productive LaPorta could return to near-elite form. But that remains a notable “if.”
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 2026 Lions fantasy preview: Biggest bargain, bust, and wild card
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The bargain I’m targeting isn’t even on their roster yet. He might not even be in the league. By trading David Montgomery, this franchise is suddenly very top-heavy at running back. Jahmyr Gibbs – the only RB they’ve drafted in the past four years – racked up 322 touches (including the playoffs) in 2024 and 320 last year. We should not expect him to take on all or even most of Montgomery’s lost touches.
Instead, the Lions likely will acquire their next 1B in the draft or in free agency. While Gibbs deservedly will command elite fantasy value, his direct backup should be viewed as a coveted handcuff capable of cracking the top 30. That’s good news for managers, as this as-yet-unnamed 1B probably won’t have an ADP inside the top 36.
How can Amon-Ra St. Brown be a bust? It’s not fair, right? One of fantasy’s most consistently “great” WRs is uber-safe. But we need to look beyond the obvious numbers. Based on his history, St. Brown probably will fetch an ADP around WR3 or WR4. However, recently he’s been working harder to earn elite production. He averaged 2.02 fantasy points per target in 2023, followed by 2.24 per target in 2024. Last year? Only 1.88 on a career-high 10.1 targets per game. Those targets are likely to go down rather than up. A finish outside the top five seems realistic.
The wild card is Sam LaPorta, who hasn’t been able to match his breakout rookie numbers, and last year, he missed nearly half the season. A healthy and productive LaPorta could return to near-elite form. But that remains a notable “if.”
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 2026 Lions fantasy preview: Biggest bargain, bust, and wild card
Continue reading...
