Detroit Lions Depth Chart
- NFC North
- Stadium
- Ford Field
- Head Coach
- Dan Campbell
- Offensive Coordinator
- Ben Johnson
- Defensive Coordinator
- Aaron Glenn
- Special Teams Coach
- Dave Fipp
- Defensive Scheme
- 4-3
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams is back from his four-game gambling suspension and will make his season debut in Week 5 against the Carolina Panthers. Head coach Dan Campbell said Williams will likely be in a supporting role in his first game this Sunday at Ford Field. "If he does play, he can't play 60 plays," Campbell said. "That's not smart. So we can't do that to him." The No. 12 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft played in just six games in his rookie year in his return from a serious knee injury, and he finished with one catch and one rushing attempt. Williams also missed more than two weeks of training camp with two different hamstring injuries, so fantasy managers that have been stashing him are going to need to be patient. But when the 22-year-old is fully immersed into the offense, he has the potential to be a big-play threat for an already explosive Lions offense.
Detroit Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson made two tackles and 1.5 sacks in the Lions' 34-20 win over the Packers on Thursday Night Football. According to PFF's unofficial statistics, the second-year standout made a total of eight pressures and two QB hits. That puts him at 27 total pressures on the season, an average of 6.8 per game, both of which lead the NFL. He had 19 pressures in the first three weeks, which is tied for the most of any defensive player who has played three games.
The NFL is reinstating Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams on Monday, two weeks before his gambling suspension was set to end, according to sources. It comes as part of the newly agreed to policies related to gambling. Williams will now be eligible to make his 2023 debut against the Carolina Panthers in Week 5. The 22-year-old was originally scheduled to be suspended for the first six games of the season, so fantasy managers that had been stashing him get a welcomed surprise. The speedy deep threat will add another weapon to an already exciting Lions offense. Williams will inevitably take away targets from Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds and rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, with Reynolds being the biggest loser. Williams has also dealt with injuries early in his career, but when healthy, he could be a game-changer for Detroit. Scoop him up now if he's available in your league.
After not showing up in the box score at all in the Week 3 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions wide receiver Josh Reynolds bounced back in the 34-20 win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football. Reynolds caught three of his six targets for a team-high 69 yards, averaging a healthy 23 yards per reception. It's now the third time in four weeks in 2023 that the 28-year-old, who has excellent chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff, has seen six targets. At least until Jameson Williams returns from his suspension, Reynolds is the best bet to serve as Detroit's No. 2 behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Through four games, he has 12 catches (19 targets) for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta caught four of his five targets for 56 yards in the Thursday Night Football win over the Green Bay Packers. It wasn't a massive boom performance for the rookie tight end, but it should keep fantasy managers in PPR leagues afloat ahead of the full Week 4 slate. LaPorta has seen at least five targets in all of his contests, which is more than can be said about a large chunk of the available tight ends on the waiver wire. He is a must-start in all matchups after being the fantasy TE2 through the first three weeks of the season.
