Game Info
Kickoff: Thursday, December 5th, 2024, 8:15 ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
Network: Prime Video
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
Green Bay Packers
Quarterback
Jordan Love: Start, QB1
For the first time all season, the Detroit Lions allowed a QB to throw multiple touchdown passes against them when Caleb Williams put up 256 yards and 3 TDs on Thanksgiving Day. Meanwhile, Jordan Love and the Packers torched the Dolphins on Thanksgiving, with the QB putting up 2 TDs of his own without committing a turnover for the second straight week. The Lions’ defense is banged up, but they will be getting Carlton Davis back in Week 14’s scrum against the Packers. While the Lions have been stout against QBs this season, these trends point to a situation in which Love can succeed in a crucial divisional matchup. He’s a back-end QB1 this week–let’s hope he can continue to protect the football.
Running Back
Josh Jacobs: Start, RB1
Emanuel Wilson: Sit
Chris Brooks: Sit
The positive touchdown regression has finally hit for Josh Jacobs, who is riding a streak of three straight top-5 PPR finishes, scoring 5 touchdowns in that span. The Lions are a tough team to run against, especially in the interior, allowing the third-fewest points to opposing RBs, but volume is king for RBs, and Jacobs has that in spades. The upside isn’t as high in most weeks against this tough run defense, but Jacobs is still an RB1 thanks to his workhorse role. Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks are bench stashes at best and shouldn’t be started.
Wide Receiver
Jayden Reed: Start, WR2
Christian Watson: FLEX Option, WR4
Dontayvion Wicks: Sit
Bad news for Romeo Doubs owners, as the Packers’ receiver will be missing this week’s contest with a concussion. This is good news for the rest of Green Bay’s receivers, however, as this clears things up a bit in terms of target dispersion for the week. Despite not seeing more than 3 receptions or 26 yards since their bye, Jayden Reed remains the best option in this receiving group thanks to his nose for the end zone. The Lions are also weakest against slot receivers, as Keenan Allen displayed last week, which bodes well for Reed, who takes 78% of his snaps in the slot.
Christian Watson is a big-play desperation FLEX that I’m not too excited about, even with a clearer path to relevance with Doubs out. I prefer other players of the same archetype this week, such as Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Dontayvion Wicks hasn’t shown enough to be trusted as a starter, even with Doubs out, and should be left on waivers.
Tight End
Tucker Kraft: Start, TE1
Tucker Kraft rounds out our TE1 ranks this week, slotting in as our TE12. Kraft tied his second-highest yardage total in Week 13 with 78 yards and has maintained a strong role in the red zone, so he’s best viewed as a “Streamer+” option for the remainder of the season. The Lions do allow the fewest points in the league to TEs, but the red zone usage keeps Kraft as a startable option this week. He’s a good option this week for those of you missing players such as Mark Andrews.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: Start, QB1
Jared Goff has been an extremely consistent QB for the Lions this year, but it hasn’t always translated to elite fantasy production. In the first matchup against Green Bay this season, Goff threw for 147 yards and 1 touchdown in a torrential downpour as the Lions relied on the run game after going up big early. Goff has negative rushing upside but has also thrown for multiple TDs in eight of twelve games this season. I slightly prefer Love in this matchup, but Goff is a fine back-end QB1 as well in a week featuring several good QBs on bye, especially with lockdown corner Jaire Alexander missing this game.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: Start, RB1
David Montgomery: Start, RB1
The answer to the “Jahmyr Gibbs or David Montgomery” question has more often than not been “both” in the 2024 fantasy season. Both RBs see plenty of high-value touches and passing game work behind an elite offensive line in one of the NFL’s best offenses. Sonic’s elite speed and big-play potential give him a higher weekly upside, but Knuckles is a threat to score multiple times any given week as well. Start both of these guys with confidence in Week 14 and through the fantasy playoffs.
Wide Receiver
Amon-Ra St. Brown: Start, WR1
Jameson Williams: FLEX Option, WR3
After scoring in eight straight weeks, Amon-Ra St. Brown has failed to find the end zone in the top two weeks, keeping him outside the top 24 WRs in both performances. That doesn’t deter us from ranking him as a high-end WR1 in Week 14, where he’ll look to get back in the end zone and replicate his headstand celebration against Green Bay. The target volume hasn’t been at the same elite levels this season, but he’s still the overall WR2 in PPR leagues. There isn’t a world where you bench him this week.
Jameson Williams, on the other hand, has enjoyed a surge in his target share this season while being a prototypical boom-or-bust receiver. Without Jaire Alexander in the Packers’ secondary, the boom chance is higher this week for Jamo. He’s a solid FLEX option with high upside.
Tight End
Sam LaPorta: Start, TE1
Hey, Sam LaPorta found the end zone twice in a week for the first time this season! …and had 6 total yards. LaPorta is always a threat to score in the Lions’ creative playbook, but he’s been extremely boom or bust this season. He has five finishes inside the top 9 TEs and five as the TE23 or worse. He’s a risky back-end TE1 in this week’s divisional tilt.