The Detroit Lions will face the Green Bay Packers in Week 14. Here’s fantasy football start-sit advice for every Lions skill player who has the potential to make a fantasy impact during the game.
Looking for more lineup advice? Head over to our Week 14 Fantasy Start-Sit Cheat Sheet, where we cover every fantasy-relevant player in every game.
Jared Goff, QB
Jared Goff has multiple touchdown passes in three of his last four games and hasn’t thrown an interception since the five-pick disaster against the Texans. Quality of attempts hasn’t been an issue this season for Goff, it’s been a quantity issue.
With 30+ attempts in each of his past two games, Goff is trending closer to a fantasy asset. He’s been willing to take what the defenses give him all season long; with the Packers allowing the ninth-highest short completion percentage (75.1%), I’m comfortable starting Goff in most formats due to an elevated matchup floor.
It only required 22 pass attempts from Goff to win the first meeting, though that was an outdoor game. On the fast track, I’m happy to take my chances with him as a top-10 signal caller.
David Montgomery, RB
A shoulder injury slowed David Montgomery during an abbreviated work week, but you wouldn’t know it based on his usage against the Bears on Thanksgiving. He notched his first 20-carry effort since September and, again, caught all three of his targets, something he has done in four of five games.
The average touch count is lower than you’d normally want from your RB2, and the explosive plays aren’t a part of this profile (he hasn’t had a 15-yard run since Week 6), but as long as this offense is averaging north of four red-zone trips per game and six yards play, his role as the drive finisher makes him a locked-in fantasy asset that you can bank on.
Montgomery turned 19 touches into 96 yards in the first meeting with the Packers. Asking for double-digit PPR points again on Thursday is plenty fair.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB
Jahmyr Gibbs lost his first fumble of the season and set season-lows in both carries (nine) and touches (11) on Thanksgiving against the Bears. But because he’s Jahmyr Gibbs, he still cleared 100 total yards and didn’t ruin your holiday as much as that profile would suggest.
Gibbs’ efficiency is nothing short of amazing and splash plays have become the expectation, not the exception. He’s averaging 6.0 yards per carry over his past three games (246 yards on 41 attempts) and has a 15+ yard run in 11 straight games — the only player to have a streak longer than that before the age of 25 was someone named Adrian Peterson, as he did so bridging the 2008 and 2009 seasons).
Factoring into that streak was a 15-yard score in Lambeau back in Week 9. While the Packers run defense has looked good in consecutive weeks (Christian McCaffrey and De’Von Achane totaled just 45 rushing yards on 18 carries against them), I’m attributing much of that success to a positive game script that I find unlikely to be in effect on Thursday night.
Kick your feet up on Thursday night and love having Gibbs on your roster as opposed to having to sweat opposing him.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR
Amon-Ra St. Brown hasn’t scored in consecutive weeks, something that feels like a prolonged slump at this point. He has, however, caught at least five passes in five straight games and remains the unquestioned top threat in arguably the most efficient offense in the sport.
You should have zero concerns about Detroit’s WR1 this week, next week, and for the next handful of years. St. Brown caught all seven of his targets with a three-yard score in the first meeting with the Packers (Week 9), and I’m ranking him as a top-five receiver without a second thought for Thursday night.
Jameson Williams, WR
I loved seeing Jameson Williams with a pair of catches on Detroit’s 15-play opening drive last week and am interested in him in this matchup. On the surface, this looks like a full fade spot — the Packers are the sixth-best defense at limiting deep yardage and the very best in the NFL at taking the ball away on those vertical shots.
Has Williams’ game developed enough to produce in a spot where the opponent’s strength matches up with his primary path to fantasy goodness?
If last week proves to be the start of something, this week could serve as a true turning point. Williams caught all five of his passes thrown less than 10 yards downfield on Thanksgiving — the catch rate is nice, but the volume of such looks is even better.
Williams’ expected PPR points by week:
- Week 7 at Minnesota Vikings: 1.7 points
- Week 10 at Houston Texans: 7.9 points
- Week 11 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 10.3 points
- Week 12 at Indianapolis Colts: 11.9 points
- Week 13 vs. Chicago Bears: 13.7 points
I’m Flexing Williams this week, and if he can come through in this matchup, we might be looking at a sprint to the finish line where he is a top-20 producer at the position as Detroit looks to secure the NFC’s top seed.
Sam LaPorta, TE
Sam LaPorta was able to make a six-yard performance work for you last week thanks to a pair of scores — 42.9% of his PPR points this year have come on touchdowns (2023: 35.8%). The reliance on touchdowns is terrifying, but a little less so for a player tied to the most efficient offense in the NFL.
I don’t blame you if you’re disappointed with what you’ve gotten from LaPorta this season. I wish I could tell you that things will get better down the stretch, but I’m not so sure.
Jameson Williams missed Detroit’s first meeting with the Packers, and yet, LaPorta saw just three targets (two catches for 28 yards). We saw LaPorta struggle with efficiency against Green Bay during his 2023 breakout (103 yards on 13 targets), and if that’s going to be the case, the floor simply isn’t high enough to love this spot.
LaPorta is better than what is readily available on your waiver wire due to the TD equity. This is a bet on the Lions’ offense more than the player himself.