Jahmyr

Gibbs

Gibbs scored the first touchdown of the game on the first play following the two-minute warning, sending the Lions into the half with a 10-3 lead. He would then see most of the backfield work in the third quarter before ceding the bulk of the usage to David Montgomery in overtime. Expect a relatively even split in backfield opportunities for the Lions moving forward, although Gibbs could have the upper hand for touches against the stout run defense of the Buccaneers in Week 2.

Gibbs described his training camp hamstring injury as a “little tweak” and that he’s feels about 98-100%. This is great news for fantasy managers as the second-year player says he feels more confident heading into year two. While Gibbs will continue to share the backfield workload with David Montgomery, expect Gibbs to be more involved overall with the offense.

This is good news for Gibbs, who was first reported to be dealing with a hamstring injury back on August 12. With nearly two weeks to go before the start of the season, it doesn’t sound like there’s any real concern around Gibbs and his Week 1 availability. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, fantasy managers wondering whether or not they can take Gibbs in the late first/early second round of drafts can do so with confidence. Gibbs finished as the RB8 in fantasy points per game last season in full-PPR leagues and should have another high-end RB1 fantasy season in him heading into his second year as a pro.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said Wednesday morning that Gibbs — who picked up a hamstring injury on Monday — is “gonna be fine.” Schultz confirmed Gibbs’ injury isn’t a long-term issue, and barring any setbacks in the coming weeks, the second-year back should suit up for Week 1 against LA. In Detroit’s postseason win over the Rams last season, Gibbs had 25 yards on eight carries and four catches for 43 yards.

“I think we’re gonna be fine here,” Campbell said during a Wednesday radio interview. “So, I think we’ll be good.” It’s not much to quell the concerns about an extended absence for Gibbs, but it suggests the second-year back’s hamstring injury won’t be of the long-term variety. Even so, it wouldn’t be a surprise for Gibbs to sit out practice for days or even weeks as the team preps for its Week 1 game against the Patriots. David Montgomery would likely work as an every-down back if Gibbs were to miss any time in the regular season.

This updates previous reports that the second-year running back left practice early with what was being called a leg injury. The severity of the injury will dictate whether or not Gibbs misses any regular season time, but we’ve seen multiple instances of preseason hamstring injuries lingering into the regular season over the previous two years. Gibbs’ expected absence for the remainder of camp should allow more opportunities for Craig Reynolds and rookie Sione Vaki to run with the ones.

Woodyard, who covers the Lions for ESPN, said the second-year running back did not finish practice Monday after sustaining what is currently being called a leg injury. Unfortunately for us, that leaves a rather wide range of outcomes as to the severity of the injury. We’re sure to hear more from Lions camp after further evaluation.

According to Gibbs, the team’s goal is to use him as a slot receiver in addition to running back. The second-year pro is well-renowned for his abilities as a pass-catcher. As a rookie, he caught 52 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown but is hoping to expand on that role this upcoming season, which could spell wonders for fantasy managers. Gibbs finished as the RB8 in fantasy points per game (16.4) in PPR leagues last season but averaged 18.8 fantasy points per game in Weeks 7-18. While he’s still at risk of losing valuable goal-line touches to David Montgomery, his stand-alone value, even with Montgomery in the lineup, makes him an enticing pick in fantasy drafts.

Lions GM Brad Holmes said two weeks ago said the team is ramping up the second-year back for a heftier workload in 2024. Montgomery said the team needs Gibbs “to go from a passing game standpoint is go to the next level. ... I do think there’s a certain difference between being a really efficient check-down versus a great route-runner, a guy that can run all types of choice (routes). We know we’ve seen him do those things. But now can you go into the slot and a little bit more down the field, some intermediate stuff. Can we continue to grow him there, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” This is standard fare for offseason talk of a talented pass-catching running back. Gibbs in 2023 ran 9.2 percent of his routes from the slot. We could see a slight bump in that slot usage but it doesn’t change much about his statistical profile.

While you shouldn’t expect David Montgomery to completely fade away, Gibbs should get a larger share of the touches in 2024. “I definitely would expect him to see more of a load, but David Montgomery will still be here too,” Holmes said. Despite being out-touched by Montgomery, Gibbs still finished as RB10 in total fantasy points. More touches for Gibbs means he’s a realistic threat to be a top five running back in fantasy football this season.