The Detroit Lions have Joique Bell set to be the starter over Ameer Abdullah to open the season, but fantasy football owners would be smart to handcuff the players with how Bell has been banged up this offseason. Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate and Eric Ebron are strong fantasy picks for Matthew Stafford, as the Lions pass the ball as much as anyone in the league.
The Lions had Bell on the PUP list for part of the summer and he was taken off in the preseason and looks like he will be ready to play in Week 1. MLive.com reports that Bell is the number one running back "for now, at least" and he will likely split some carries with Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick. Bell and Riddick are strong pass catchers out of the backfield and that is something the Lions should continue to do on offense this season.
Last year Bell was very productive, putting up a career best 860 rushing yards in 15 games. Bell should continue getting a lot of touches and he could be the goal line back for the team and that could be big for fantasy owners. Last season Bell dipped in his receptions a bit with just 34 compared to 53 the year before, but as long as he is healthy, expect those numbers to come up again. Bell had 52 catches in 2012 and he comes in now after scoring eight total touchdowns last season.
Abdullah is a rookie, but he is a highly touted player and he has some expectations for the Lions after playing his college career at Nebraska. Abdullah has explosive ability and according to the Detroit Free Press, Abdullah is listed in as the second back on the depth chart. Riddick was solid last season while playing in 14 games, putting up 34 catches for 316 yards and rushing for 51 yards. Riddick is not going to be one of the main running backs based on his rushes from last season, so expect Abdullah to be the main backup.
Calvin Johnson is one of the top receivers in the league as always and he is worth a top pick for fantasy owners. PPR league owners should also look at Golden Tate, as he put up some very strong numbers last season as well. Tate had 99 catches for 1331 yards and four touchdowns and he is another name to watch this season.
The Lions have also added Tim Wright to the mix at tight end after acquiring him in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team signed Brandon Pettigrew back on a four-year, $17 million contract and got rid of Joe Fauria and now Eric Ebron and Wright are depth options behind Pettigrew. Ebron has dealt with some inconsistency in his rookie season and that could give Wright the chance to get some playing time.