Detroit Lions DVOA, Stats, & NFL Rankings

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has had arguably the best season of his career in 2024-25. He's appeared in 16 games, throwing for 4,398 yards. The 30-year-old has also tossed 36 touchdowns and completed 71.7% of his attempts, both the highest marks since entering the league in 2016. With the Lions looking to lock up the No. 1 seed in the NFC, Goff and company will meet the Vikings in Week 18. Minnesota has allowed only 18.8 points per game this season, the fourth-best mark in the National Football League. However, both the Lions and Vikings combined for 60 points when these clubs met back in October, with Goff going for 280 yards and two touchdowns through the air. With Sunday night's contest expected to be another shootout, the signal-caller should remain a priority for the remaining redraft managers. Goff should also see attention in DFS contests.

According to Nolan Bianchi of the Detroit News, running back David Montgomery (knee) has been ruled out and running back Craig Reynolds (back) is listed as questionable for Week 18. Montgomery has been sidelined since suffering an MCL sprain during their Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Montgomery is currently eyeing a potential return in the postseason. Reynolds popped up on the injury report on Friday as a non-participant which is not a positive sign for his status for Sunday night. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Jahmyr Gibbs to lead the backfield once again and carry elite RB1 upside. If Reynolds were to be ruled out, Jermar Jefferson will likely slot in as the No.2 option. Jefferson saw a handful of carries near the goal line last weekend but Gibbs led the way as he tallied over 160 yards and a touchdown against the 49ers.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Kalif Raymond (foot) was a full participant in practice for the second straight day on Thursday. Raymond was designated to return from the injured reserve last Thursday. Afterwards, Raymond was a full participant in practice, but remained sidelined for Monday's game against the San Francisco 49ers. It remains to be seen if the Lions will let him back get on the field for the regular season finale against the Minnesota Vikings this weekend. Raymond has 16 receptions for 204 yards and two touchdowns this season. If active, fantasy managers shouldn't expect Raymond to be a difference maker during Sunday's game.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Allen Robinson II brought in his lone target for 21 yards during their victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday evening. Robinson's lone reception came in the third quarter. While the vast majority of the passing opportunities went to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs, it is a positive sign for Robinson to see more targets than the presumed No.3 option, Tim Patrick. Robinson has now seen at least one target in two of his past three contests. However, given how often Jared Goff looks to his top pass-catching options, Robinson may only see a handful of targets in each game moving forward. As a result, fantasy managers should not view Robinson as a viable play in Week 18 and in any postseason competitions.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Tim Patrick did not see a target during Monday's victory over the San Francisco 49ers. While he was not targeted, Patrick did catch a two-point conversion during Monday's victory. Instead, quarterback Jared Goff relied on his top playmakers, Amon-Rs St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs, who all saw the vast majority of targets and attempts. This was Patrick's second time this season not seeing a single target in a game. Last weekend, during their victory over the Bears, Patrick saw just one pass his way but was unable to bring it in. This is a significant drop off compared to the solid 5.2 targets per game he saw during Weeks 11 through 15. During this stretch, he averaged 40.4 yards per game with 3.5 receptions per game. Being deployed as the clear No.4 option in this offense makes Patrick a difficult player to project weekly. Fantasy managers should continue to view him as a high-risk, desperation flex play heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.