2021 NFL Betting and Fantasy Team Preview: Detroit Lions
I am sorry Detroit fans, this isn’t going to be a fun season. After finishing the 2020 season with a 5-11 record the Lions enter 2021 with a less talented roster after shipping Matthew Stafford away to Los Angeles for Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick. The Lions are expected to be a bottom-two team this season alongside the dumpster fire that is the Houston Texans.
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Detroit Lions Team Betting Preview
Win Total (over):5 (100)
Games Favored:1
Games as a TD Favorite:0
Games as a TD Underdog:10
Speaking of the Houston Texans, they are the only team that the Lions have a higher Win Total than. This might feel as crazy to read as it is to write but even five games seems like a lofty expectation for this iteration of the Detroit Lions. We have the Lions projected as the second worse offense in the league and it’s tough to envision how they will score enough points to win games with this bad of a roster. Jared Goff was poor as a game manager in Los Angeles and will now be throwing to some combination of Breshad Perriman, Tyrell Williams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown at receiver. D’Andre Swift and T.J. Hockenson figure to be bright spots for this offense but will likely see limited scoring opportunities with this team’s expected inability to move the ball. Unfortunately, things don’t look a whole lot better on the defensive end as we have them projected as the fifth-worst defense in the league.
PICK: Lions Under 5 Wins
Detroit Lions Team Projections Preview
Projected Offense Rank:31
Projected Rush Offense Rating: Below Average
Projected Pass Offense Rating: Weak
Projected Points Earned:348.75 (Rank 32)
Rushing Opponents:
Projected Difficult Rush Defenses Faced:10
Projected Soft Rush Defenses Faced:2
Passing Opponents:
Projected Difficult Pass Defenses Faced:5
Projected Soft Pass Defenses Faced:7
Team Defense Rank:28
Projected Rush Defense Rating:Weak
Projected Pass Defense Rating:Weak
Projected Points Allowed:450 (Rank 2)
If you’re looking for a bright spot, there isn’t one. Sharp Football ranks Detroit’s schedule as the fourth toughest in the league and that bears itself out in the number of difficult rush defenses they face (10). While the Lions are expected to see less resistance through the air, they simply don’t have the talent to take advantage of it.
Detroit Lions Fantasy Football Preview
Noteworthy Depth Chart
QB: Jared Goff – Underdog Rank: QB28 (ADP QB30)
RB:D’Andre Swift – Underdog Rank: RB17 (ADP RB15)
RB: Jamaal Williams – Underdog Rank: RB40 (ADP RB44)
WR:Amon-Ra St. Brown – Underdog Rank: WR73 (ADP WR80)
WR: Breshad Perriman – Underdog Rank: WR74 (ADP WR73)
WR: Tyrell Williams – Underdog Rank: WR76 (ADP WR75)
TE: T.J. Hockenson – Underdog Rank: TE6 (ADP TE6)
What’s New?: Jared Goff, Jamaal Williams, Breshad Perriman, Tyrell Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown
Perriman profiles as the “field stretcher” while St. Brown should see time in the slot. Williams joins Cephus to round out Detroit’s top four receivers.
What’s Uncertain?: Running Back rotation
Gone are Adrian Peterson and Kerryon Johnson and in is Jamaal Williams. This should theoretically be good news for D’Andre Swift but old-timer Anthony Lynn has already hyped up Williams as his “A” back and someone he can envision on the field for all three downs. Swift still has a solid ceiling as a talented pass-catcher on an offense that is expected to be trailing on a majority of its plays in 2021 but it is probably wise to temper expectations.
Top Fantasy Play(s): D’Andre Swift, T.J. Hockenson
Detroit is missing 369 targets from last season and the athletic Hockenson is the leading candidate to be Goff’s favorite target.
Image Credit: Imagn