Just as Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff is coming off his best game of the season, he finds himself set to potentially miss Week 16 after testing positive for COVID. What is the latest regarding Goff’s status, could he yet suit up in Week 16, and what should fantasy football managers do with him and the other Lions’ players?
Update 12/26/21: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jared Goff is not expected to play today against the Falcons. Backup Tim Boyle will get the start.
Is Jared Goff playing in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons?
After playing his best game of the season in Week 15, Goff self-reported symptoms that he described as a “pretty much mild cold.” Goff then tested positive for COVID on Monday, and the Lions placed him on the reserve/COVID list ahead of Week 16. That has left his status for Week 16 somewhat up in the air.
The good news is that Goff is vaccinated. Therefore, he is eligible to “test out” of the COVID protocols if he tests negative or his viral load drops below the benchmark set by the NFL. If that is the case, the league could consider him non-contagious and able to play Sunday in Atlanta.
Goff has been attending meetings and practice virtually this week in order to ensure he is prepared. On Wednesday, Dan Campbell told the media, “We had the iPad out there as the plays are being called and run. So, it’s like he’s here as much as he can be without actually being in the building. So, he’s preparing that way, and then we’ll see where it goes.”
The Lions will be hoping to have Goff available as they look to build on their Week 15 victory. Winning their second game of the season saw the Lions drop out of the top spot in the 2022 NFL Draft order. However, for Detroit, winning with their new head coach is arguably more important than having the first overall selection in the draft with no clear top prospect available this year. On Friday, Campbell described Goff as doubtful to play Sunday.
Who could start for the Lions this week?
If Goff is unable to play, Tim Boyle would start his second game this year. Boyle started against the Cleveland Browns in Week 11 when an injury sidelined Goff. In that game, he completed 15 of 22 passes for 77 yards with 2 interceptions.
Nevertheless, Campbell told the media that if Boyle has to start this week, he will be better prepared than in Week 11. Boyle was coming back from injury before his previous start and had not thrown a football for 11 weeks. Yet, even better prepared, the drop-off from Goff to Boyle is significant for Detroit and fantasy managers with Lions players on their roster.
What would Goff’s absence mean for fantasy assets on the Lions?
There will be concerns about the drop-off from Goff to Boyle for anyone who has a Lions player on their fantasy roster this season. A prime example would be Amon-Ra St. Brown, who has developed a good rapport with Goff in recent weeks.
In the last three games, St. Brown has turned 35 targets into 26 receptions, 249 receiving yards, and 2 touchdowns. Whether he would have the same connection or ceiling with Boyle is questionable.
The situation is somewhat similar with D’Andre Swift this week. If Boyle is under center, the Falcons would be much more likely to stack the box against the run game. If Swift is not back, Craig Reynolds would become a risky play for fantasy managers.
Another player that could concern fantasy managers is Josh Reynolds. In the last four weeks, Reynolds has turned his 23 targets into 16 receptions for 259 yards and 2 touchdowns. In his first game as a Lion, he had 0 receptions on 3 targets with Boyle under center.