Game Info
Kickoff: Sunday, November 17, 2024, 1:00 ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Network: CBS
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter)
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Mac Jones: Sit
Filling in for the injured Trevor Lawrence last week, Mac Jones performed about as expected – a 63% completion rate with 2 INTs and no TDs. It was a tough matchup against Minnesota, but he’s got another difficult contest this week against Detroit. Jones lands well within the “avoid at all costs” tier for fantasy this week.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: FLEX Option, RB3
Tank Bigsby: FLEX Option, RB3
This backfield has been hard to pin down, but what we do know is that Detroit has been a black hole for RBs in fantasy. Tank Bigsby had been the more efficient runner for much of the season, but last week, Travis Etienne saw 3x the snaps as Bigsby (30 to Tank’s 10). Given Etienne’s track record from last season and the recent bump in his snap share, he should be the preferred fantasy option of the two this week, but the Lions are one of the most difficult matchups out there, and this game script might get out of hand quickly.
Wide Receiver
Brian Thomas Jr.: FLEX Option, WR3
Parker Washington: Sit
Gabe Davis: Sit
The Jags would be expected to lean into the passing game more if Detroit gets out to an early lead. Mac Jones is a bit of a liability at QB, but talented WRs can still produce with bad QBs, as Malik Nabers has shown with Daniel Jones. Nabers’ former LSU teammate, Brian Thomas Jr., was on a tear to start the season and is one of the more underrated receivers in the league, so he would be a strong consideration for FLEX to low-end WR2 output despite the shaky QB situation. He’s the only receiver that should be considered, though, as the liability with Jones combined with low volume leaves Parker Washington and Gabe Davis at the bottom of the barrel.
Tight End
Evan Engram: Start, TE1
It’s a scary start with Mac Jones under center, but volume is king. Backup QBs tend to lean on their reliable options more, and Engram is leading the way in front of the WRs for targets in this offense. Engram doesn’t need to find the end zone to have a productive day, as he caught 6 of his 8 targets last week. He should be a safe low-end TE1 this week purely due to his slice of the pie.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: Start, QB1
Goff is coming off two sub-par weeks, but this matchup paves the way for a bounce back. He doubled his interceptions on the season with 5 last week but had thrown the 5 previous picks in the first 3 weeks. Following that stretch, he was QB4 in Week 4 with a 292-yard and 2-TD game against Seattle. The biggest risk in this game is if the early scores come from the RBs and the Lions are far enough ahead that they elect to keep things on the ground.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: Start, RB1
David Montgomery: Start, RB2
Not only is this one of the highest-scoring offenses in the NFL, but they run the ball at the fourth-highest rate, and the Jaguars are 30th in points allowed to RBs. Jahmyr Gibbs is clearly the more explosive option, and the stage is set for what should be his third top-10 RB finish in the last five weeks. David Montgomery is also safely in the high-end RB2 discussion with the matchup and has had the exact same number of rush attempts as Gibbs through this point in the season – both have 122 carries. Regardless of if the Lions get out to a big lead early, both should see plenty of touches in this one.
Wide Receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown: Start, WR1
Jameson Williams: FLEX Option, WR3
Kalif Raymond: Sit
While he’s been slightly less consistent than in seasons past, Amon-Ra St. Brown should be locked into your lineup every week. The riskier WR play is Jameson Williams, whose usage has been boom or bust since Week 2. This week, that risk is slightly higher due to how much work may stay on the ground, but all it takes is one deep ball early on for him to make his mark. Kalif Raymond hasn’t shown to be a big enough factor in the passing game, even in competitive contests, because he’s also used in special teams.
Tight End
Sam Laporta: Start, TE1
Laporta hasn’t really fulfilled the returns on his draft price, as he’s having a far less productive season than his rookie year, but we have seen an uptick in his involvement over the past 3 weeks. He was averaging 2.8 targets per game through Week 7, but that number is up to 5 targets per game over the last 3 Weeks. He may not be in the top tier of TEs anymore, but he should still be seen as a safe starter now that he’s getting more looks. He’s considered day-to-day following an AC joint sprain he suffered last week and didn’t practice on Wednesday – monitor his status, but if he’s good to go, he should still make it in your lineup.