Lions Fantasy Recap: Sam LaPorta stays hot despite struggling offense vs. Chiefs
Man, what a weird night for the Detroit Lions, right? You tune into a primetime showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs expecting a fireworks show, and instead you get… well, whatever that was. The offense, so explosive through the first few weeks, just hit a wall, especially after halftime.It felt like watching a highlight reel stuck on pause. The night started with so much promise—a crisp opening drive, Jared Goff looking sharp, David Montgomery almost waltzing into the end zone on a trick play that would’ve broken the internet.But then, flag. Of course.The touchdown gets wiped, the air seeps out of the building, and you just knew it was gonna be one of *those* games. Even the usually unshakeable Amon-Ra St.Brown, the Sun God himself, had a case of the dropsies at the worst possible moment, a fourth-down letdown that felt like a momentum-swinging scene from a sports movie, but for all the wrong reasons. The game script completely flipped, abandoning the balanced attack for a desperate, pass-heavy approach that never really found its rhythm.It was the fantasy equivalent of ordering a gourmet burger and getting a cold patty on stale bread—deeply unsatisfying for anyone who started the Lions' big names, myself included. But in the wreckage of a 21-point loss, there were a couple of shining beacons, fantasy life rafts in a sea of mediocrity, and they both wore Honolulu blue.Let’s start with the breakout performance we’ve all been waiting for: Jameson Williams. After three straight games where he might as well have been a ghost in your lineup, putting up fewer than seven points and leaving managers tearing their hair out, he finally showed up.And he didn’t just show up; he balled out. Six catches on seven targets for 66 yards and a touchdown? That’s the guy we drafted for his blistering, game-breaking speed.His connection with Goff, which had looked about as reliable as a screen door on a submarine in recent weeks, was suddenly revived. He was the leading receiver, he got into the end zone, and he finished as a top-15 fantasy wideout for the week.It’s the kind of bounce-back that makes you believe the early-season hype wasn’t just smoke and mirrors. Then there’s Jared Goff.Dude came out slinging, completing 23 of 29 passes for two touchdowns and, crucially, zero interceptions. The stat line looks clean, efficient, top-10 QB stuff, which he has been all season.But man, that missed opportunity on the trick play will haunt his dreams. Lining up wrong on what would’ve been a legendary receiving touchdown? That’s a brutal mental error, the kind of thing that gets memed into oblivion on Twitter.It’s a reminder that for all his statistical prowess, the narrative around Goff often hinges on these head-scratching moments. Still, you can’t ignore the overall body of work; he’s been a steady, reliable QB1, and in this game, he was let down by the situation and a couple of key mistakes from his teammates, not his own arm.But the real story, the consistent force in this Lions offense, continues to be Sam LaPorta. The tight end is an absolute cheat code.He’s not just good; he’s operating at a Travis Kelce-in-his-prime level of target share and production right now. For the second week in a row, he saw six targets and found paydirt, hauling in five for 55 yards.He was the TE4 for the week and is sitting pretty as the TE6 on the season. The involvement is insane; he’s being integrated into the offense more than he was even during his stellar rookie campaign, and he’s separating himself as arguably the most reliable tight end not named Kelce in the entire league.He’s a set-it-and-forget-it starter, a luxury in a position that’s often a fantasy wasteland. On the flip side, it was a tough night for the usual suspects.Amon-Ra St. Brown, while still seeing a massive 10 targets and catching nine of them, was bottled up by Trent McDuffie and the Chiefs' secondary.He finished with a paltry 45 yards, his first sub-70-yard game since Week 1. That critical drop on fourth down was uncharacteristic and proved to be a massive turning point.It’s not a long-term concern—St. Brown is as matchup-proof as they come—but it was a reminder that even the elites have off nights.The backfield was a total mess, a victim of the negative game script. David Montgomery, who had that early touchdown called back, became an afterthought, rushing only four times for 24 yards.Once the Lions fell behind, he was phased out, a frustrating but predictable outcome for a power back in a catch-up game. It was a season-low in carries, but his role as the primary early-down and goal-line hammer is secure; this was an anomaly, not a trend.Even more concerning was Jahmyr Gibbs, who turned in his worst fantasy performance of the year. He managed 65 yards on 17 carries on the ground, but his bread and butter—the passing game—vanished.He caught only one of two targets for zero yards. As the Lions abandoned any pretense of a creative, multi-faceted offense and resorted to straight dropbacks, Gibbs’s dynamic playmaking ability was rendered useless.This was the second-worst fantasy output of his young career, a real stinker for managers who started him. The talent is undeniable, but his weekly ceiling is tethered to game flow and offensive creativity, which were both absent in Kansas City.So, where does this leave us? The Lions' offense hit a speed bump against a Super Bowl-caliber defense. It happens.The sky is not falling. For fantasy, the takeaways are clear: LaPorta is a golden god, Williams might finally be arriving as a consistent threat, and the weekly floor for St.Brown remains sky-high. The running backs are a bit more volatile, dependent on script, but both are too talented to bench.It was one ugly primetime loss, a reality check in a loud Arrowhead Stadium. They’ll get a chance to bounce back next week in another primetime slot against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and you can bet Goff, St. Brown, and the crew will be looking to put on a show that’s much more worthy of the hype.
JA
Jamie Wilson123k2 days ago
ugh as a lions fan this one hurt smh the sun god drop was brutal
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