Jahmyr

Gibbs

While fantasy managers wanted Gibbs to put David Montgomery away for good in his second season, that was never going to happen, nor did it need to. Montgomery remained the team’s primary short-yardage in 2024 with Gibbs serving as the thunder to his lightning. Despite seeing more work as a sophomore, Gibbs’ efficiency numbers improved drastically. He went from 5.2 yards per carry as a rookie to 5.6 this year. On 250 attempts, that was good for 1,412 yards and 16 scores. Gibbs caught 52 passes, the exact same total as his rookie campaign, but upped his yardage to 517 and found the end zone four more times, giving him a league-best 20 touchdowns in total. These numbers were all juiced by a mind-bending run of 487 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns with Montgomery sidelined over the final three weeks. Gibbs cemented himself as a first-round fantasy pick before Montgomery went down and showed his game-breaking upside in those final three games. He will rightfully be taken near the top of fantasy drafts in his third NFL season.

Montgomery practiced in full Tuesday after missing two games with an MCL injury. “It’s just refreshing kind of to be back in the position where I can help the team,” Montgomery told reporters Tuesday. “I wouldn’t be out there if I wasn’t ready.” If Montgomery suits up against Washington, The Detroit Free Press’ Rainer Sabin said it remains “unclear” how much he will play in his return to action. Jahmyr Gibbs should remain the Lions’ lead back in a matchup against a soft Commanders rush defense that should have a tough time containing Detroit’s league-best rushing attack.

Gibbs managed all four touchdowns from the Lions on a night they clinched the top seed out of the NFC. After starting the game with one yard on his first six carries, Gibbs broke free off the right tackle for a 25-yard score at the end of the first quarter before adding three additional scores in the second half, two rushing and one receiving. The four scores took his season total to a league-leading 20 in the regular season and helped clinch both home field advantage and the lone bye out of the NFC.

Gibbs again operated as the clear lead back against the 49ers, although he did cede seven carries and two targets to Craig Reynolds and three carries to Jermar Jefferson. Even so, he returned yet another elite fantasy score in the absence of David Montgomery, the latter of whom was not sent to injured reserve as he attempts to come back in the playoffs. The Lions head into a Week 18 home matchup with the 14-2 Vikings to decide the winner of the NFC Conference and recipient of the lone playoff bye out of the NFC. Gibbs should be busy once again in the winner-take-all affair.

As expected, Gibbs dominated the backfield opportunities sans David Montgomery. No other Detroit back earned more than five touches and they became more involved as the game got out of hand. Gibbs proved more than capable of taking on the entirety of the backfield, running for 4.7 yards per carry while averaging nine yards per target. The only sour note for the game was a near goal line stand from the Bears. Gibbs was taken down at the one and then proceeded to be stuffed inches from the paint two times in a row. Montgomery had typically seen the goal line work for Detroit and rarely got stood up, let alone twice in a row. Gibbs ultimately punched it in on his third try. Goal line hiccup aside, this was everything fantasy managers were hoping for from Gibbs. He remains the RB1 overall for Week 17 against the 49ers.

A brutal day for the Lions gets even worse as Montgomery goes from out indefinitely to out for the season. Montgomery finishes the season with a 185/775/12 rushing line as well as 36 catches for 341 yards. He just signed an extension this season, but with the late date of this injury and the quick “out for season” call, it’s possible the torn MCL has Montgomery missing time this offseason. This firmly places Jahmyr Gibbs as high as RB2 overall in the fantasy ranks this week, behind only Saquon Barkley. It’s also possible it creates a fantasy role for Craig Reynolds.

According to Schefter, Montgomery is undergoing additional tests on his knee and getting a second opinion, while adding that the veteran running back “could be lost for the season.” He also added that there are some in the Lions’ organization who believe Monty will be out for the season. It’s a brutal blow to the Lions, and Montgomery’s fantasy managers, as Monty has played a key role in the team’s offensive success both on the ground and through the air. Serving as the “Knuckles” to Jahmyr Gibbs’ “Sonic,” Montgomery has rushed 185 times for 775 yards and 12 rushing touchdowns this season. His 12 rushing touchdowns are tied for second-most amongst all running backs, while his 1,116 yards from scrimmage ranks 18th amongst all backs. Montgomery’s absence should set up Gibbs for high-volume weeks in the fantasy playoffs, while backup Craig Reynolds could also see an increase in playing time. Reynolds’ unpredictable workload will keep him off the fantasy radar in Week 16, although he does make for an interesting stash in deeper leagues for those still in the hunt for a championship.

The Lions were down multiple scores early, so they all but abandoned the run game early on. They were also only able to gain 3.2 yards per carry on the ground against the Bills, and Gibbs’ touchdown came after he was stood-up at the goaline but pushed in by one of his offensive linemen. However, Gibbs was able to feast in the passing game, including a nice 11-yard touchdown catch where he made two defenders miss and brought the Lions to within 10 points with 12 minutes to go. Gibbs can beat defenses all over the field and should be locked into fantasy lineups every week.

The rushing output was actually Gibbs’ lowest total since Week 1, though the six receptions were his second most of 2024. The Lions were struggling in short-yardage situations all evening, but Gibbs got home for a first quarter score by running a perfect angle route. On the lowlight reel, the Lions called a super risky fourth down run from their own 31 in the third quarter and Gibbs got stood up on the edge. On to Week 15, where the Lions will be facing the Bills’ vulnerable run defense. Even with bye weeks over, Gibbs will remain safely inside the top 12 for the first week of the fantasy playoffs.

Gibbs’ post was a Snapchat video that showed a whiteboard of some of the Lions’ code words for plays. Campbell said, “if we’re gonna lose because of code words, then we’re not good enough anyway.” Both Campbell and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson showed little concern over the team code words being on display and seemed to have handled the matter with Gibbs internally. Nothing they said indicates Gibbs will be in the doghouse. He can be fired up as a fantasy RB1 for Thursday against the Packers.