2022 Detroit Lions Odds, Schedule, & Fantasy Football Team Preview
Welcome to the 2022 NFL season preview for the Detroit Lions. The Lions are coming off four straight seasons with double-digit losses and a last place finish in the NFC North. Head Coach Dan Campbell seems to have the respect of the locker room and the roster is starting to accumulate talent. QB Jared Goff has weapons at his disposal as D’Andre Swift, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and T.J. Hockenson all showed big potential at times last season, and new additions D.J. Chark and Jameson Williams add to the depth on offense.
– Detroit Lions Betting Odds: Can the Lions finally get back to relevancy with the offensive weapons they have accumulated?
– Team Matchup Overview: Will the defense continue to be poor enough to constantly put Goff and company in negative game scripts?
– Fantasy Football Drafts: Will D’Andre Swift take another step forward into elite RB1 territory? Will Amon-Ra St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson lose targets to new additions DJ Chark and Jameson Williams?
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2022 Detroit Lions Schedule, Lines, and Best Bets
Projected Odds, derived & modified from data originally published by Sean Koerner here.
Win Total and Total Games Favored:
6.5 (-120) / 4 Games Favored ( 0 Big Favorites / 6 Big Dogs)
The Lions are favored in just four games for the upcoming season, which is understandable considering their 3-13-1 record last season. However, this team is loaded with young talent at the skill positions, and the offensive line should be a strength as well. Number two overall pick Aidan Hutchinson should breathe some life into a defense that was dreadful last season, but the defense figures to remain a weakness.
They do benefit from playing in one of the weaker divisions in football and should be competitive in all six divisional games. Their non-division schedule is also one of the easiest in the NFL, with only a trip to Dallas and a visit from Buffalo looking like daunting matchups.
Best Bet: Over 6.5 Wins -115
A 4-win improvement seems like a lot to ask for, but Detroit showed flashes last season and remained competitive in most of their games. Chicago and Green Bay certainly appear weaker on paper than they were last season, and Detroit should pick up some victories within the division. In addition to the four games they are favored, Detroit has eight games on the schedule where they are 4.5-point underdogs or less. If the defense can take even a small step forward, I think they can get to 7 wins.
Detroit Lions Props
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Favorite Prop: D’Andre Swift Over 6.5 Rushing Touchdowns
There is always risk in taking overs on season-long props as football is a violent game, but Swift seems well positioned for a breakout year.
He had only five rushing touchdowns last season in 13 games as the Jamaal Williams experiment was in effect. I expect Williams to see a bit of a reduced role this year as Swift has been the more efficient back. In his rookie season, Swift had eight rushing touchdowns in 13 games without Williams on the roster and he was running behind a less talented offensive line.
The Lions’ offense should be more efficient in entering the red zone this season with the emergence of St. Brown and Hockenson, with Swift playing a major role as well. If Swift can stay healthy, I like his chances to go over 6.5 rushing touchdowns.
Detroit Lions Fantasy Football Projections
Team Rankings and Ratings
Offense Ranks:Rank 20/ Average Rush / Below Average Pass/ Rank 28 Points For)
Defense Ranks:Rank 27/ Weak Rush / Weak pass / Rank 18 Points Allowed)
Opponent Strength – Rushing:6 difficult vs. rush. 5 soft vs. rush.
Opponent Strength – Passing:6 difficult vs. pass. 6 soft vs. pass.
I am not surprised to see the offense ranked in the bottom half of the league as Goff certainly has his limitations. However, there is more talent at the skill positions than there has been in quite some time, and the offensive line should be above average as well. If Swift, St. Brown and Hockenson can stay on the field, there is upside here for an above-average offense. Newcomers Chark and Williams add depth with an outside chance at being major contributors.
The defense is the far bigger weakness despite adding Aidan Hutchinson at the top of the draft. He should help improve a lackluster pass rush, but there are still major question marks at all levels of the defense.
Detroit Lions Top Fantasy Football Plays & Picks
Noteworthy Depth Chart
QB: Jared Goff – Underdog Rank: 190 (ADP 187 / -1.58% ADP Gap)
RB:D’Andre Swift – Underdog Rank: 14 (ADP 15 / 7.14% ADP Gap)
RB: Jamaal Williams – Underdog Rank: 166 (ADP 179 / 7.83% ADP Gap)
WR:Amon-Ra St. Brown – Underdog Rank: 65 (ADP 62 / -4.62% ADP Gap)
WR: DJ Chark – Underdog Rank: 126 (ADP 152 / 20.63% ADP Gap)
WR: Jameson Williams – Underdog Rank: 163 (ADP 132 – -19.02% ADP Gap)
TE: T.J. Hockenson – Underdog Rank: 72 (ADP 87 / 20.83% ADP Gap)
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New Additions of Note: DJ Chark, Jameson Williams
Departures of Note: None
D’Andre Swift has elite fantasy potential and could be on the verge of a breakout. His receiving prowess makes him particularly useful in full PPR formats and raises his overall ceiling. Jamaal Williams remains on the roster and could steal some goal line work, but Swift is clearly the more talented back and he should continue to separate himself.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was a target monster down the stretch last season posting double-digit targets in each of the final six weeks. He also recorded at least one touchdown in five of those six weeks. His breakout did coincide with an injury to tight end T.J. Hockenson, and there is certainly more competition for targets this year with the additions of free agent DJ Chark and 12th overall draft pick Jameson Williams. Hockenson was in the midst of his own breakout before hand surgery derailed his season.
Jameson Williams is likely to miss the first few weeks of the season as he recovers from an ACL injury. Chark will have his best opportunity to establish a connection with Goff early in the season. If he is unable to do so by the time Williams is on the field he could wind up 5th in line for targets behind St. Brown, Hockenson, Swift, and Williams.
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