Can Detroit's Sam LaPorta and Jameson Williams be Weekly Fantasy Football Starters this Season?

It's time to go over the Detroit Lions and their fantasy football outlook.

We have looked at the Steelers, Packers, Titans, Panthers, Chiefs, Falcons, Jaguars, Commanders, Texans, Cardinals and Bengals so far. We will cover other teams in the days and weeks to come, so keep checking back.

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Jared Goff Fantasy Outlook

Goff will lead the Lions' offense again this season.

He was QB6 overall last season but was QB7 on a per-week basis. Goff was the team's No. 2 fantasy performer in 2024. He is QB11 and is going around pick 102 so far.

A lot of people are expecting the Lions' offense to regress in the first year without Ben Johnson. While some regression is definitely possible, I don't see the unit dropping off in a huge way.

That means I view Goff as a potential draft steal at his ADP. He has a good chance to be a top-10 QB again, and has top-seven potential again. Getting him near his ADP could be one of the bigger draft steals of the season.

If you aren't comfortable taking a top-end fantasy quarterback, landing Goff later in a draft is a great plan in my eyes. Pair him with another guy ranked in the teens at the position and you should be set for the upcoming season at QB.

He's being treated as a streaming option to begin the season, but is closer to being a weekly starter in my eyes.

Running Back Fantasy Outlook

Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are one of the better running back duos in the league. If those two deal with injuries, Craig Reynolds or Sione Vaki could get involved in the backfield.

Gibbs is one of the top running backs every year, and is RB3 and going around pick four on average so far. He was the top overall fantasy back last season, but was second on a per-game basis to Saquon Barkley.

Gibbs rushed for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns last season, while adding 517 yards and four scores as a pass catcher. His 1,929 total yards and 20 scores are about as good as it gets for a running back.

I expect another monster season from Gibbs this season, and could justify taking him at any point after the top spot (which I have Ja'Marr Chase in). It's really a coin flip for me between Gibbs, Barkley and Bijan Robinson, but Gibbs is on the best offense of the three (my opinion), so if I needed to choose between them, I'd take him.

Montgomery is RB22 and is going around pick 56 so far. 

He appeared in 14 games last season, racking up 1,116 yards and 12 touchdowns in total. Montgomery had 775 yards and 12 scores on the ground and 341 yards and no scores as a pass catcher.

Montgomery should remain pretty involved offensively for the Lions. Gibbs will take the lead and get more snaps and touches, but Montgomery is still likely going to be a decent weekly starting option.

His ADP seems a bit high, and I'd prefer some of the backs going after him who are slated to be starters, or their team's top back (RJ Harvey, Aaron Jones, etc.). So unless Montgomery falls into the 60s, I'm probably going to skip him in fantasy drafts.

I could also justify taking Montgomery based on what you've drafted to that point. If you loaded up on receivers and need another back, it makes some sense. I'd prefer a starting tight end or quarterback over a team's No. 2 back, even if that No. 2 is Montgomery.

Wide Receiver Fantasy Outlook

Amon-Ra St. Brown is the team's go-to wide receiver. Jameson Williams is another strong fantasy asset, while Tim Patrick is the projected third starter. Rookies Isaac TeSlaa and Dominic Lovett and Kalif Raymond are the top projected backups.

St. Brown is another elite fantasy option. He was WR3 overall last season. ARSB is WR6 and is going around pick 10 so far.

He regressed a bit in the yardage department last season, but made up for it was a career-high 12 touchdown grabs. He more importantly played in 17 games, and has missed just two regular season games in four years. St. Brown had 1,263 receiving yards and the 12 scores on 115 catches and 141 targets.

St. Brown is a borderline first-round pick, but he actually feels a bit underrated to me. There's a chance he continues to see his ADP drop, and the lower he goes, the better a draft pick he becomes.

I already think there's some value in getting St. Brown as WR6, as he's got top-three potential again. He's a weekly starter and a great WR1 to build a fantasy team around.

Be the one to nab St. Brown early in the second round and your fantasy team will be set up for a big year. Pairing him with a top-end running back should help you to a great fantasy finish.

Williams is WR28 and is going around pick 64 so far.

He went for 1,062 total yards and eight scores in his third NFL season, and that was in 15 games. Williams can impact the game as a pass catcher or ball carrier and is the team's big-play threat, so the touchdown potential is really high.

Williams was a borderline top-25 fantasy wideout on a per-game basis, so that lines up pretty well with his ADP. There's room for him to outproduce his draft slot, as long as that mark doesn't increase too much.

I think he has top-20, and maybe even higher, potential, so getting him near that WR25 mark is a fine thing in my eyes. There's a little risk with him only having one big season under his belt, but the upside is high enough to take the gamble.

TeSlaa is WR74 and going around pick 242, while Patrick is WR107 and going around pick 335 on average.

TeSlaa is the eventual successor to Patrick, and the rookie wideout is the more attractive fantasy asset because of the unknown he provides. He was a third-round pick, so the Lions thought pretty highly of him.

There's lots of mouths to feed in Detroit, otherwise I'd guess TeSlaa would be a borderline standard league pick. Instead, he'll start as a deep-league depth option, but he has waiver wire and eventual streaming potential, especially if there's some injuries to players on the offense.

Patrick played in 16 games for the Lions last season, tallying 394 receiving yards and three scores over 33 catches and 44 targets. That's not much, but it at least gives him deep-league potential, albeit just as a depth option.

I'd also prefer to take TeSlaa over him, as I think the youngster will overtake Patrick as the season rolls along. However, at full strength, I'm not sure if either receiver will be very good fantasy assets this season.

Tight End Fantasy Outlook

We got another top-end option here at tight end with Sam LaPorta.

He was TE9 last season overall, and that was considered a down and really poor season after what he did as a rookie. LaPorta is TE4 and going around pick 55 so far. 

In 16 games last season, LaPorta had 726 receiving yards and seven scores over 60 receptions and 83 targets. He saw decreases in every stat, and making one extra start wasn't going to get him near what he did as a rookie.

That makes LaPorta a bounceback candidate in 2025. Things are not all bright going into 2025, as he's already dealing with an undisclosed injury. It's not expected to be a long-term issue, but pre-season injuries are never fun.

It might help drop his ADP, which would make LaPorta an even better draft target. I already think he's going to be a steal near his current ADP mark. I'm all for taking him and rolling him out there as your starting TE all season. 

I'd probably back him up with a late-round TE too, especially when you add in a possible injury now.