Jacob Saylors Fantasy Stats

Entering 2026, Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors appears poised to open the year as his team's RB2 behind superstar back Jahmyr Gibbs. Saylors appeared in 16 games for Detroit in 2025 but saw most of his action on special teams, recording just 11 rushing yards on two carries. However, with Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (back, knee) on Injured Reserve, Saylors will likely be the one to spell Gibbs when he needs a breather early in the season. In Week 1, Saylors and the Lions will host the New Orleans Saints. The Saints were around league-average as a rush defense in 2025, ranking 19th in total rushing yards allowed (2,050). Still, while Saylors will likely see a few touches and some third-down snaps, he's unlikely to see a fantasy-relevant workload as long as Gibbs remains healthy. Saylors is worth rostering as a handcuff running back option, but fantasy managers should avoid starting him in Week 1.

Fourth-year running back out of East Tennessee State, Jacob Saylors, is in line to potentially back up one of the best running backs in the game and the consensus No. 1 fantasy running back, Jahmyr Gibbs. Important to note that head coach Dan Campbell did come out Monday and said that the team's RB2 role behind starter Gibbs will be by committee, according to Brad Galli; however, Saylors is listed as the team's RB2 on the depth chart, and with how potent this Lions offense is, that makes him a valuable bench option on the off chance Gibbs goes down with an injury. Saylors went undrafted in 2023 and has two career rushing attempts in the NFL, so he is truly a handcuff option for the Lions, with no standalone value to start the season. The Lions' former RB2, David Montgomery, was picked up by the Houston Texans during the offseason, opening the door for the 25-year-old. Fantasy managers looking to stash a handcuff should be looking in Saylor's direction.

Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell said on Monday that the team's RB2 role behind starter Jahmyr Gibbs will be by committee, according to Brad Galli. Campbell thinks that both Jacob Saylors and Sione Vaki will be ready when Gibbs needs a breather. The head coach sees Vaki getting carries, but knows that Saylors will contribute on offense and special teams. The news makes it hard for fantasy managers in deeper leagues to pinpoint the preferred handcuff option for Gibbs. For what it is worth, Vaki is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues, while Saylors is rostered in just 2% of leagues. Vaki, a former fourth-rounder from Utah in 2024, has seen only seven carries for 18 yards and has three catches for 37 yards in 27 games (zero starts) in his first two NFL seasons. Saylors, a former undrafted free agent out of East Tennessee State, ran the ball twice for 11 yards last year and was not targeted as a receiver. Neither RB will have any standalone fantasy appeal as long as Gibbs is healthy, and if Gibbs misses time with an injury, Vaki and Saylors would likely split the backfield down the middle.

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors runs hard and "has earned the trust of the coaching staff" for his play on offense and special teams during training camp, according to Tim Twentyman of the team's official website. Saylors led the team in total scrimmage yards during the preseason (31 carries for 187 yards and five catches for 40 yards) and could be in the mix to return kicks on special teams if he is active on game days. The chances of Saylors being active for Week 1 of the 2026 regular season went way up when the Lions placed Isiah Pacheco (back) on Injured Reserve to start the year. All-Pro RB Jahmyr Gibbs will handle the lion's share of backfield work, but Saylors could open his second year in the NFL as the No. 2 over Sione Vaki. The former undrafted free agent out of East Carolina appeared in 16 games for the Lions as a rookie in 2025, but he only had two carries for 11 yards on offense. Even with an elevated role to open his sophomore campaign, Saylors is only in consideration as a handcuff option for Gibbs in deeper leagues.

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors has carried the ball only twice since coming into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023, but he could open the season as the team's primary backup behind three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs. After trading away veteran David Montgomery, the Lions signed Isiah Pacheco (back, knee) to a one-year free agent deal, but with the former Chief dealing with back and knee injuries and his Week 1 availability up in the air, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Saturday that he'd be comfortable playing Saylors in that role if necessary, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "I'm comfortable with those guys. And I just like the thought of having a guy in our system, think that's important. Knows our terminology, knows our guys, knows the protections. Just kind of knows it all, man. Understands our quarterback and how he thinks. I just think that's important." Saylors, who has seen the Lions' heaviest running back rush share in each of the past two preseasons, ran for 100 yards on 17 carries in Saturday's 25-16 win over the Colts, and he is now a player to pay attention to as a potentially critical handcuff to begin the 2026 season.

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors impressed in his team's preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts on Saturday, recording 17 carries for 100 yards and two catches for 12 yards on four targets. Saylors appeared in 16 games for Detroit in 2025, but he recorded just two carries on the season. Entering 2026, star Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs is firmly atop the team's depth chart at the position. However, RB2 favorite Isiah Pacheco's (back, knee) availability for the start of the season is currently in question as he battles back and knee injuries. As a result, Saylors looks to be competing with Sione Vaki and Trayveon Williams for an early-season role in the Detroit backfield. Saylors helped his case with a strong performance in the preseason, rushing for 187 yards on 31 carries across three games played. In deeper leagues, Saylors could be worth rostering until more is known about Pacheco's health.

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors led his team's ground attack in preseason action against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night, rushing for 55 yards on eight carries while also logging three catches for 28 yards on five targets. Saylors appeared in 16 games for the Lions in 2025, but his impact mostly came on special teams, as he recorded just two carries for 11 yards. Entering 2026, Detroit has running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and Isiah Pacheco locked in at the top of their depth chart. However, Saylors could be leading the team's RB3 competition, which also features Sione Vaki (nose), Kye Robichaux, and Raheem Blackshear. As long as Gibbs and Pacheco are healthy, Saylors is highly unlikely to play a fantasy-relevant role in Detroit. Still, he could be a name to know in deeper leagues in case one of the two top Lions backs suffers an injury.

Detroit Lions running back Jacob Saylors recorded nine carries for 32 yards and three receptions for 27 yards in preseason action on Saturday against the Houston Texans. The 24-year-old is a long shot to make the team, but he saw an increased workload in the preseason finale with Detroit's presumed RB4 Sione Vaki (undisclosed) sidelined with an undisclosed injury. Saylors finishes the preseason with 164 yards from scrimmage on 40 total touches. If Vaki's injury leads him to miss the start of the regular season, Saylors could find his way onto the Lions' 53-man roster. Still, he's unlikely to be fantasy-relevant in 2025.

The New York Giants are signing running back Jacob Saylors, according to team beat writer Art Stapleton. Saylors was with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the UFL for the 2024 season, where he rushed 94 times for 460 and five touchdowns to go along with 151 receiving yards and three receiving scores. While he may be a long shot to make the team's 53-man roster, New York has one of the worst running back rooms in the NFL, so it could be an interesting development.