RADIO
Jahmyr Gibbs a Must-Start Running Back in Week 8
Through his first six games played this season, Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has combined productivity with a massive workload. The 24-year-old has rushed for 620 yards and seven touchdowns on 134 carries and also hauled in 32 catches for 270 yards and two scores on 40 targets. Gibbs has a very tough matchup in Week 8 against the Minnesota Vikings. Minnesota's defense enters the week ranked third in the NFL in total rushing yards allowed (587) and has allowed just three rushing touchdowns in six games. However, Gibbs has topped 30 touches in each of his last two contests and has recorded at least 27 touches in four out of Detroit's six games. As long as he continues to see that type of volume, Gibbs should have a good chance to produce like a high-end running back for fantasy managers in Week 8.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jared Goff Remains a Low-End Starter in Tough Week 8 Matchup
Across six games in 2026, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff has completed 67.3% of his pass attempts and thrown for 1,788 yards, 14 touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The 32-year-old has thrown multiple touchdown passes in five out of his games this season and currently leads the NFL in passing yards per game (298.0). However, Goff and the Lions face a tough Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Through seven weeks, Minnesota ranks first in the NFL in both total passing yards allowed (1,085) and passing touchdowns allowed (three). Goff also struggled against the Vikings in 2025, throwing two interceptions and taking 10 sacks across two games. Still, Detroit's offense is healthier than it was in 2025, and the Lions may have to throw the ball to stay in the game. All in all, Goff profiles as a low-end QB1 option for fantasy managers in Week 8.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Jahmyr Gibbs is Ready to Go for Week 8
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (shoulder) doesn't carry an injury designation into Sunday's Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Gibbs was absent from practice on Wednesday, but he has been cleared to play after getting in back-to-back full practice sessions. Fantasy managers should expect Gibbs to continue getting his workhorse workload and shouldn't be worried about this shoulder problem impacting his performance. The Vikings rank as the 10th-best run defense, and they've only allowed three touchdowns on the ground this season. It's not an ideal matchup for Gibbs, but he's the best running back in the league, so he's obviously a must-start every week.
Source: Lions Injury Report
Source: Lions Injury Report
Amon-Ra St. Brown Cleared for Week 8
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) has been removed from the injury report ahead of the Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. St. Brown tweaked his ankle during last week's win over the Green Bay Packers. He sat out practice to begin the week, but the injury isn't significant enough to keep him out of action. He'll be ready to go for this huge NFC North matchup against the Vikings. This won't be an ideal matchup for St. Brown against the No. 2 defense against the pass this season. Despite that, St. Brown is listed as RotoBaller's WR6 and is a must-start in all fantasy formats.
Source: Lions Injury Report
Source: Lions Injury Report
Isiah Pacheco Has a Chance of Returning in 2026
Detroit Lions running back Isiah Pacheco (back) has not played a game since signing a one-year deal in the offseason, but head coach Dan Campbell told reporters on Friday that "there's a chance" he could be back in late December. Pacheco, who ran for 462 yards in his final season with the Kansas City Chiefs, is currently on Injured Reserve after undergoing back surgery in mid-September. A late-December return would fall in line with his initially projected recovery timeline of 12-14 weeks. Signed to serve as a backup to three-time Pro Bowler Jahmyr Gibbs, Pacheco's absence has left the Lions to lean on third-year player Sione Vaki to occasionally spell Gibbs, who has handled an 89.3% running back rush share on the way to his current RB1 standing.
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Source: Nolan Bianchi
Amon-Ra St. Brown Back on the Practice Field on Thursday
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) was back at practice on Thursday after he was a non-participant on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Colton Pouncy. St. Brown came out of the Week 7 win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers with some ankle soreness, but after returning to practice on Thursday, the Lions expect him to be fine for their upcoming game on Sunday at home against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. The 27-year-old was most likely just being rested for maintenance purposes on Wednesday in the team's first practice of the week. Fantasy managers should expect the four-time Pro Bowler to be a full-go this weekend, and he will be a must-start in all fantasy leagues despite the tough matchup against the Vikings. The Sun God did not appear to be slowed by his ankle on Sunday against Green Bay, catching nine of 11 targets for a season-high 153 yards. It was St. Brown's second 100-yard game of 2026, and he enters Week 8 action as the WR4 in half-PPR scoring with 46 catches for 525 yards and five touchdowns on 68 targets through only six games played. The Sun God leads all receivers in points who have played only six games this year.
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Jahmyr Gibbs Returns to Practice on Thursday
The Detroit Lions got some good news on Thursday, with starting running back Jahmyr Gibbs (shoulder) returning to practice after he did not suit up on Wednesday, according to Colton Pouncy of The Athletic. The Lions most likely gave Gibbs a rest day in their first practice of the week. Now that the 24-year-old is back on the field a day later, he should be just fine to play in Week 8 in a divisional clash against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Gibbs, who was the No. 1 overall pick in most fantasy football leagues this year, has lived up to expectations and is currently the top overall RB in half-PPR scoring with 620 rushing yards on 134 carries for seven touchdowns, adding 32 receptions on 40 targets for 270 yards and another two scores as a receiver. The former 12th overall pick from Alabama will be going for his third straight 100-yard rushing game this weekend, but the sledding will be tough against one of the top defenses in football. Gibbs should still be a set-and-forget RB in all fantasy lineups in Week 8.
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Source: The Athletic - Colton Pouncy
Amon-Ra St. Brown Absent From Wednesday's Practice
Detroit Lions star wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) is still dealing with an ankle injury and did not practice on Wednesday, according to The Detroit News' Nolan Bianchi. St. Brown apparently tweaked his ankle in Sunday's Week 7 win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, but the 27-year-old still played 78% of the offensive snaps and had a big game for his fantasy managers, catching nine of his 11 targets for 153 yards. The 27-year-old is now on the Week 8 injury report, but the expectation is that he will return to practice on Thursday and be ready to play in Sunday's divisional showdown against the 6-0 Minnesota Vikings in Week 8. The Sun God is a must-start in all fantasy football lineups when he is active. He has exactly 11 targets in each of the last three games and has seen double-digit targets in five of six games, catching 46 total passes on 68 targets for 525 yards and five touchdowns, which makes him the WR4 overall in half-PPR scoring, behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba, CeeDee Lamb, and Christian Watson.
Source: The Detroit News - Nolan Bianchi
Source: The Detroit News - Nolan Bianchi
Jahmyr Gibbs Misses Practice on Wednesday with a Shoulder Injury
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday due to a shoulder injury, per Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News. The severity of Gibbs' injury is not yet clear, but it appears as though the star running back could be in danger of missing Detroit's Week 8 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Gibbs has been one of the better running backs in football so far this season, recording 134 carries for 620 yards and seven touchdowns, and 32 catches for 270 yards and two scores on 40 targets across six games. However, the 24-year-old has also taken on a massive workload, recording an NFL-leading 166 touches despite Detroit already having its bye week. The Lions could simply be playing it safe with Gibbs early in the week, or the fourth-year back could be feeling the effects of his team's heavy reliance on him as both a rusher and a receiver. If Gibbs were inactive against Minnesota, Lions backs Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors would likely handle the team's backfield work.
Source: The Detroit News - Nolan Bianchi
Source: The Detroit News - Nolan Bianchi
Amon-Ra St. Brown Dealing With Ankle Injury
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) tweaked his ankle in Sunday's Week 7 victory over the division-rival Green Bay Packers, according to Richard Silva of The Detroit News. The plan is for the Lions to let St. Brown sit out of practice on Wednesday before he returns on Thursday. St. Brown was not really slowed down by his ankle in the 20-17 win on Sunday, as he caught nine of his 11 targets for a season-high 153 yards against Green Bay. As long as he returns to Thursday's practice, St. Brown should be just fine to play in Week 8 against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, where he would be a must-start WR1 in fantasy leagues despite the tough matchup against one of the best defenses in the NFL. St. Brown played only 78% of the Lions' offensive snaps on Sunday, but the slightly reduced playing time did not hurt his production at all. The 27-year-old four-time Pro Bowler has had exactly 11 targets in each of the last three games and has not seen double-digit targets in just one of his six games so far in 2026. After his big game against Green Bay, St. Brown is the WR3 overall in half-PPR scoring with 46 catches on 68 targets for 525 yards and five touchdowns so far this year.
Source: The Detroit News - Richard Silva
Source: The Detroit News - Richard Silva
Sam LaPorta is a Non-Factor During Week 7 Win
Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta was non-existent during Sunday's Week 7 matchup versus the Green Bay Packers. LaPorta has been one of the best fantasy tight ends this season, but he gave fantasy managers a dud on Sunday. LaPorta hauled in one of his two targets for 18 yards during the victory. The targets, receptions, and yardage were all season lows for LaPorta. Surprisingly, LaPorta was unable to do much in a game where quarterback Jared Goff threw for over 300 yards. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried and chalk this game up as a fluke. LaPorta will almost certainly post better results against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 8.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Amon-Ra St. Brown Sets New Career High in Week 7
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown was unstoppable during Sunday's Week 7 matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The stud wideout had no issues torching this secondary all game long. He hauled in nine of his 11 targets for 153 yards in the win. The 153-yard performance is a new career-high for Brown, topping his 142-yard performance from Week 2. The Lions continue to feed St. Brown the ball with 33 targets over his last three games. Fantasy managers should expect his numbers to take a hit next week against a tough Minnesota Vikings defense. St. Brown is still a strong WR1 despite a tough matchup in Week 8.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Jahmyr Gibbs Avoids Injury Late in Week 7 Win Over Packers
Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs did not find the end zone in Sunday's 20-17 win over the division-rival Green Bay Packers in Week 7, but he still did plenty for his fantasy managers, carrying the ball a whopping 29 times for 116 yards while catching five of his six targets for 27 yards. Gibbs did lose a fumble, and he looked like he might have tweaked something when going down in bounds late in the fourth quarter to set up the game-winning field goal. However, the Detroit Free Press' Dave Birkett reports that Gibbs was fine after the game and avoided an injury when he went down to the turf awkwardly in Detroit. The 24-year-old former 12th overall pick from Alabama has been advertised in 2026 as one of the best all-around RBs in the game. Sunday was the first time this year that Gibbs has not found the end zone, but he has 100-plus scrimmage yards in five of six games and entered Week 7 with a league-high nine touchdowns. Gibbs will have his toughest matchup of the season next week against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings, who have not lost, but he will still be a must-start in all fantasy football leagues with an elite volume share as Detroit's best offensive weapon.
Source: Detroit Free Press - Dave Birkett
Source: Detroit Free Press - Dave Birkett
Jameson Williams Continues Recent Hot Streak in Week 7
Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams had a huge game in his team's Week 7 win over the Green Bay Packers, logging five catches for 91 yards and two touchdowns on nine targets. The 25-year-old got off to a slow start to the 2026 season, logging just 10 catches and zero touchdowns over the first three weeks of the season. However, Williams has picked up his production since then, recording 13 catches for 240 yards and four touchdowns on 21 targets over his last three games. Williams has a long track record of both spike weeks and major letdown games, so fantasy managers should not expect him to provide consistent production. Still, the explosive wideout is capable of monster performances at any time, particularly in games where the Lions are forced into pass-heavy game scripts.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Lions, Sam LaPorta Likely to Reach an Agreement Before Free Agency
The situation between the Detroit Lions and tight end Sam LaPorta is not great right now, but it is "more likely than not" that the two sides will eventually reach an agreement on a contract extension before free agency next March, according to Jonathan Jones of The Athletic. "(Lions GM) Brad Holmes does not like losing his draft picks, especially his high ones," a league source said. The Lions have recently taken their time to get contract extensions to come together for their big players, most recently with running back Jahmyr Gibbs and offensive tackle Penei Sewell. The franchise tag for LaPorta in 2027 would be around $17.5 million fully guaranteed with no salary cap flexibility. LaPorta said earlier this week that he was frustrated by the Lions' apparent lack of interest in getting something done. Contract issues aside, the 25-year-old former second-rounder in 2023 from Iowa has had a strong rebound season in 2026 so far, catching 27 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns on 37 targets in his first five games. He should be considered a top-five fantasy TE coming off the team's bye against the division-rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Source: The Athletic - Jonathan Jones
Source: The Athletic - Jonathan Jones
