Detroit Lions DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Detroit Lions running back Sione Vaki's (shoulder) shoulder injury, which forced him out of practice on Thursday, isn't a long-term concern, head coach Dan Campbell told reporters at Friday's training camp. The Lions grabbed Vaki in the fourth round of this past spring's NFL Draft to bolster their backfield depth chart, but he'll most likely be a healthy inactive on game days this fall while co-starters David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs are healthy. The 23-year-old rookie tailback out of Utah should see a decent amount of run in the preseason, however, which starts up on Thursday against the hosting New York Giants in the Meadowlands. For the time being, Craig Reynolds will serve as Detroit's No. 3 back at practice.

Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) was officially placed on injured reserve. While the team has already acknowledged his injury was season-ending, the latest marks an official end to his 2024-25 campaign. The 26-year-old has played for the Chargers, Titans, Colts, Bears, and Lions since 2018. He's made 98 of his 119 kicks while also missing just seven of his 175 extra-point tries. Although Badgley isn't the best fantasy kicker, he's undoubtedly a better option than others. But now he's heading for surgery, with the Lions anticipated to quickly move to fill the position.

With the news that Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) had suffered a significant season-ending hamstring injury, the Lions worked out a horde of potential replacements. During the workout, Detroit tried out Matt Ammendola, Lucas Havrisic, Matthew McCrane, and Andre Szmyt. Badgley didn't start for Detroit until Week 15 of the 2023 season, but he was a reliable option for them from then on. He went 7-of-7 on field goal attempts from that point forward while also knocking in 23-of-25 extra-point attempts. It is unclear which direction they will go to fill their need. Still, this situation requires monitoring as they project to be one of the highest-scoring offenses in 2024, and whoever ends up kicking for them will be a valuable asset for fantasy managers.

Detroit Lions kicker Michael Badgley (hamstring) reportedly suffered a torn hamstring getting ready for practice on Thursday. According to Ian Rapoport, the injury will force Badgley to miss the entire season and the Lions will now try out new kickers to take his place. The 28-year-old joined the Lions in 2022 and appeared in 12 games while playing four games for them in 2023. Riley Patterson played in 12 games for the Lions last season, so he may be one of the kickers trying out for the spot this season. For now, fantasy managers will have to wait and see who wins the position in Detroit.

Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been working in wide receiver drills early in training camp. The young back was banged up due to a soft-tissue issue but that appears to be behind him. At the moment, Gibbs is taking part in receiving drills but is focusing on his route running. He has been learning alongside All=Pro teammate Amon-Ra St. Brown which is never a bad idea. The former 12th overall pick could end up being a dual-threat option heading into next season. Fellow back David Montgomery figures to handle a larger workload in the backfield, so more looks as a receiver is good news for the fantasy value of Gibbs.