Lions @ Bengals
Final Score: Lions 37, Bengals 24
Writer: Christian Otteman (@COttemanPL on Twitter)
A homecoming game for David Montgomery made him the star of the show as he threw and ran for a touchdown in an easy victory for the Lions on the road in Cincinnati. While the game was never in question, both Sam LaPorta and Ja’Marr Chase put together the type of fantasy outings that their managers have been waiting for. The Lions move to 4-1 and face the Chiefs on Sunday night in Week 6, while the Bengals travel to Lambeau Field for a difficult matchup against the Packers.
Three Up
- Sam LaPorta — Was involved early and often for the Lions and showed why he’s a premier after-the-catch threat at the position.
- Ja’Marr Chase — Turns out the most talented receiver in the league can produce with a tank commander at the helm.
- Andrei Iosivas — An expanded role in this game, but it shouldn’t be enough to consider him as an add in all but the deepest formats.
One Down
- Jameson Williams — Extremely limited usage for the prototypical boom-bust receiver once again. Notching only two fantasy points as his team racked up 37 is not an inspiring showing.
Detroit Lions
Quarterback
Jared Goff: 19/23, 258 Yards, 3 TD | 2 Carries, -2 Yards, Fumble (LOST)
It was a perfect start to the game for Jared Goff on the team’s first drive, as he led the offense to an easy score by peppering Sam LaPorta with targets. Goff was efficient and produced a solid fantasy line, even on a low-volume day. Goff rarely needed to get creative in his throws and simply found the open man for easy gains whenever possible. His only blemish was that he lost a costly fumble near the red zone in the second drive on a good play by Trey Hendrickson. Goff won’t single-handedly win you your fantasy matchups with how low his rushing ceiling is, but he can deliver multi-TD performances on any given week.
Running Back
Jahmyr Gibbs: 12 Carries, 54 Yards | 2 Targets, 33 Yards, TD
Jahmyr Gibbs didn’t light up the box score to the extent managers hope, but he is still plenty explosive, shifty, and powerful. His catch-and-run TD was his most impressive play of the day, as he dragged multiple Bengals into the end zone with him while keeping his legs churning. Gibbs will have a tough matchup against the Chiefs’ run defense in Week 6, but his athleticism keeps him in the RB1 ranks.
Sonic screen score!#DETvsCIN 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/TO47MOGW1I
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) October 5, 2025
David Montgomery: 18 Carries, 65 Yards, TD | 1 Target, 1 Reception, 6 Yards | 1/1 Passing, 3 Yards, TD
The Lions were bound to make some magic happen for David Montgomery playing near his hometown, and his big moment came in the second quarter when he threw his second career TD pass to Brock Wright. Monty found the end zone a second time with a TD run in the second half, putting an exclamation point on a productive, if not peculiar, fantasy day. Montgomery still looks strong and heavily involved in this Lions offense and should be one of the most prominent touchdown scorers throughout the season. Still, he will have down weeks as he did with 1.2 points in Week 5, so his floor and ceiling remain much lower than Gibbs.
DAVID MONTGOMERY TD PASS
DETvsCIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/Nion9aNUhv
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Amon-Ra St. Brown: 9 Targets, 8 Receptions, 100 Yards
There is very little I can add to this write-up that you don’t already know about Amon-Ra St. Brown. This was his first game without an end zone trip since Week 1, yet he still produced a solid fantasy performance, which is exactly what you’re hoping for from your first-round pick. Keep rolling him out there and reaping the benefits.
Sam LaPorta: 6 Targets, 5 Receptions, 92 Yards, TD
A Sam LaPorta spike game! Plenty of Lions players have been eating over the past three weeks, but LaPorta was one player who’s been left to pick up the scraps while his teammates feasted on fantasy points. That changed in this game, as LaPorta was the focal point of the offense early on, snagging a big gain and making an acrobatic touchdown for Detroit’s first score of the game. LaPorta also broke off a chunk gain in the second half where the entire Bengals’ secondary appeared to be asleep. LaPorta is a rock-solid TE1 with a relatively safe floor and high ceiling.
Sam LaPorta's flipping for TDs!
DETvsCIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/s8wtWDAneJ
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Jameson Williams: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 9 Yards | 1 Carry, 1 Yard
If there’s one player I’m concerned about in the Lions’ offense, it’s Jameson Williams. Jamo doesn’t seem to be a priority in this offense, though he wasn’t exactly needed in a game the Lions had in control from the first drive. Williams should receive more looks in the closer contests they’re expected to play in the coming weeks, but it’s becoming difficult to trust him with this nonexistent floor.
Isaac TeSlaa: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 12 Yards, TD
The tweet below says it all: Isaac TeSlaa has the talent, but not the utilization, to rely on him as a fantasy asset. Keep him on your dynasty taxi squads but out of your lineups.
Isaac TeSlaa has three NFL catches.
Two have been for TDs 🦁
DETvsCIN on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXnxV pic.twitter.com/hbF8Scvy9L
— NFL (@NFL) October 5, 2025
Brock Wright: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards, TD
Brock Wright was the recipient of the Montgomery TD pass, but was otherwise an afterthought in this team’s game plan. He should remain on waivers.
Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback
Jake Browning: 26/40, 251 Yards, 3 TDs, 3 INTs | 4 Carries, 31 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)
Wow. Now that is certainly a stat line for Jake Browning. In a game the Bengals trailed by multiple touchdowns the entire game, Browning was certainly given opportunities to fill up the stat sheet, and for better or for worse, he obliged. Browning took a sack in the second half that would have been a safety had it not been for a Terrion Arnold holding penalty. He followed up this gift by throwing a pick to Amik Robertson moments later. Browning was also the team’s leading rusher — I’ll let you conclude that thought for yourself. While this was the most productive outing leading the Bengals’ offense, it wasn’t exactly inspiring for those needing to rely on him in Superflex formats. He should be avoided in all formats in his next matchup at Lambeau Field.
Running Back
Chase Brown: 8 Carries, 27 Yards | 8 Targets, 7 Receptions, 21 Yards, Fumble (Recovered)
Another day, another unproductive outing for Chase Brown. Brown was once again given zero, and sometimes negative, room to run behind the Bengals’ offensive line, and the game script further limited his opportunities in the second half. On the bright side, Brown once again benefited as a checkdown merchant, giving a clearer picture of his floor as part of the Browning Bengals. Unfortunately, it may be within inches of his ceiling.
Samaje Perine: 4 Carries, 27 Yards | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 2 Yards
Samaje Perine looked like the more explosive back on a couple of his carries, but if he doesn’t provide receiving upside over Brown, there is no reason to roster him.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ja’Marr Chase: 10 Targets, 6 Receptions, 110 Yards, 2 TD
Hey, so Browning can support Ja’Marr Chase as a fantasy receiver! If you’re a Chase owner, you’re likely breathing a sigh of relief after this one, but don’t get too comfortable. Almost all of Chase’s production came in fourth-quarter garbage time, meaning he was held under 30 yards before the final 15 minutes. Chase still showed why he’s among the best players in the league with both of his touchdowns, the first one especially showing his elite footwork and ability to high-point the ball. If you roster him, now is a great time to sell — the previous weeks still paint a picture of extreme risk for Chase’s rest of season production. The image below will live in infamy as a perfect descriptor of the Bengals’ 2025 season.
Jake Browning is so bad he's got Ja'marr Chase putting up Travis Hunter stats. pic.twitter.com/9Rot87XmCc
— The Brohioan (@TheBrohioan) October 5, 2025
Tee Higgins: 7 Targets, 3 Receptions, 22 Yards, TD
Take almost everything stated about Chase above and apply it to the team’s WR2 to a lesser extent. Tee Higgins is still a talented receiver, but the separation in talent between him and Chase is even more evident in this offense. I can’t recommend Higgins as more than a flex option with a low floor as long as Browning is leading this offense.
Andrei Iosivas: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 82 Yards
Andrei Iosivas more than tripled his season yardage total in Sunday’s outing. As the third wide receiver in a Browning-led offense, there shouldn’t be anything else you need to hear to convince you to avoid chasing these targets and points next week.
Mike Gesicki: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards
Drew Sample: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 1 Yard
If we’re having trouble recommending Chase and Higgins as fantasy options, you need to keep the Bengals’ TEs as far away from your fantasy lineups as possible.