We all know the story. The Lions were 30 minutes away from their first Super Bowl appearance ever before coming up just short against a very good 49ers team. The Lions offense was great in 2023, ranking #2 in yards per game (394) and #5 in points per game (27.4), but they struggled in the secondary, ranking at the bottom of the league in points allowed and yards allowed. It makes sense that Detroit’s offseason focused on the defensive side of the ball, with four new players in the secondary. On offense, they rewarded their top players with big contracts, looking to remain dominant into the future.
However, the most significant move of the Lions’ offseason was retaining their entire offensive coaching staff. The most important is Ben Johnson, who is considered one of the best offensive coordinators in the league and is largely credited with reviving Jared Goff’s career. Hank Fraley returns to lead arguably the best offensive line in the league, and Scottie Montgomery is in his second year as running game coordinator. Mark Brunell (QB Coach), Antwaan Randle El (WR Coach), and OC heir apparent Tanner Engstrand (Passing Game Coordinator) all turned down offers to remain with the team. With this consistency, I only see the Lions’ offense improving.
Goff finished QB7 in fantasy scoring last season, although he was only QB13 in fantasy points per game. But this year, those numbers could improve, making him a viable QB1. When playing indoors last year, he completed 69 percent of his passes and threw for 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 2,981 yards with a 104.0 quarterback rating. Outside, he completed just 64.5 percent of his throws and threw for seven touchdowns, four interceptions, and 1,594 yards, with a QB rating of just 87.9. This season, Detroit will play 14 of their first 15 games in a dome! If I can’t get one of the top 3 quarterbacks, I am happy to load up on skill players and take Goff late as my starting quarterback.
Gibbs saw just over 50% of the Lions’ offensive snaps last season, starting only three games and being limited early in the season. He had 182 carries and 52 catches on 71 targets, averaging 5.39 yards per touch, 945 rushing yards, and scoring 11 TDs. Don’t forget that was his rookie season. While fantasy owners were disappointed in his limited route tree, Detroit’s coaches have actively talked about expanding Gibbs in the passing game, especially from the slot. The idea is that you would see both Gibbs and Montgomery on the field together, which was rare in 2023. Jahmyr is definitely a Top 5 fantasy back and with his increased focus in the passing game, possibly #2 overall.
He scored a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns on 219 carries in 2023, averaging XX yards per carry. He doesn’t do much in the passing game (16 catches on 24 targets), but he should still reach 200 carries and be the primary goal-line back. He is more valuable in non-ppr and half-ppr leagues but is a solid RB2 in all formats.
He led the Lions and finished third in the NFL with 1,515 yards on a career-high 119 catches (T-2nd) and 10 touchdowns (T-4th) this season. He was voted First Team All-Pro and signed a massive four-year extension in May. He is a consistent player who has improved every season. Last year, he won a lot of fantasy leagues and was the only non-QB to score 20+ PPR points every week in the Fantasy Football Playoffs. The Sun God is an Elite WR1.
Jamo has the most potential to break out this season but with a high risk that will scare away fantasy players. We saw his potential in the NFC Championship game and he enters training camp as Detroit’s WR2. He has improved route running, ball tracking, and contested catches this off-season, and the departure of Josh Reynolds has freed up 64 targets. Depending on how much risk you are willing to handle, I see Williams as a middle WR2 on draft day with a high ceiling.
As a rookie, LaPorta had 86 catches for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns to finish as the overall TE1. It’s hard to see how he can improve on those numbers, but Detroit has questions at WR2 with the exit of Josh Reynolds. In his second year in Ben Johnson’s offense, he should see improvements in route running and depth of target. He is what Travis Kelce was like in the last few seasons. He is a TE worthy of being drafted ahead of many WRs.
In 2023, the Detroit Lions took a huge step forward on offense, ranking third in yards, third in touchdowns, and fifth in points. With minimal changes and retaining the offensive coaching staff, the Lions will continue to have a top-five offense. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs are elite players worthy of early picks in your fantasy draft.
