Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Jahmyr Gibbs on short list of running backs with the loftiest fantasy potential
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

A lack of early season usage last year had a segment of the fantasy football community up in arms, but managers who were patient regarding Jahmyr Gibbs were rewarded handsomely. Internally with the Detroit Lions, and surely outside the building, the expectations for Gibbs this year are for a bigger overall workload and some evolution as a pass catcher.

The path to Gibbs maximizing his fantasy ceiling this year will be paved with touch volume, and backfield mate David Montgomery is not exactly going away as a key piece of the Lions' offense (much to the chagrin of many of those who have drafted or will draft Gibbs).

The nature of the running back position has been clearly reflected in fantasy football. The last time someone repeated as the RB1 was Priest Holmes in 2002-2003. Christian McCaffrey was the RB1 last year, over 100 PPR points clear of the RB2 (Breece Hall), and he is among those who failed to repeat as the RB1 after doing so in 2019.

Jahmyr Gibbs makes list of candidates to unseat Christian McCaffrey as the RB1 in fantasy

We talked about Gibbs' possible path to finishing as the RB1 in fantasy this year a few months ago. On the premise of who are most likely to unseat McCaffrey this year, Jamey Eisenberg of CBS Sports put the Lions' second-year back on his list of six candidates, with mention of the Montgomery factor. But Eisenberg leaned into Gibbs' upside if Montgomery were to be out (as evidenced by a few games last year), his scoring prowess when his workload increased late last season and and overall favorable situation.

"It's a huge plus that he plays behind one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, and the Lions only have three outdoor games this season (Week 9 at Green Bay, Week 16 at Chicago and Week 17 at San Francisco). Gibbs should produce standout production with Montgomery as his running mate, but Gibbs would be elite if Montgomery missed any extended action this year."
-Jamey Eisenberg, CBS Sports

Gibbs's path to being the RB1 in fantasy this year is simple: More touch volume, maintaining last year's rushing efficiency to a large degree and taking a step in his evolution as a pass catcher. The odds he actually gets to that lofty spot is another conversation, but in this case it's good to be in the conversation.


This article first appeared on Side Lion Report and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Steelers Get Major Jauan Jennings News
NFL

Steelers Get Major Jauan Jennings News

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the market for another wide receiver before the regular season begins, though it appears one of their potential trade targets isn't available at the moment. On Tuesday, San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan both expressed that Jauan Jennings has not formally asked for a trade and will participate in the team's first practice of training camp on Wednesday. "I won't speak for Jauan, but had a good visit with him," Lynch said, per ESPN's Nick Wagoner. "[We] anticipate him being out there. You guys know our feelings on JJ. He embodies what we think a Niner is all about, plays the right way and we love him ... All that stuff, we're not going to get into the contract talks and all that. That takes care of itself, but we love him and he's here." Early last week, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Jennings was looking for a new deal and would ask for a trade if he didn't receive one before camp began. That didn't turn out to be the case, however, as the 28-year-old reported on Monday and is ready to suit up in Santa Clara, Ca. alongside his 49ers teammates despite not yet signing an extension. Jennings in entering the final year of a two-year contract worth $11.890 million that he agreed to last offseason as a restricted free agent. He's guaranteed $3.275 million in salary this season and will carry a cap hit of $4.258 million, according to Over the Cap. A seventh-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jennings is coming off a career year for the 49ers in which he posted 975 yards and six touchdowns on 77 catches. The possibility remains of an official trade request from Jennings if negotiations with San Francisco don't progress, but he'll hold off from doing so for the time being. The Steelers satisfied their need for another skill position player by acquiring tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins on June 30, but there's still room for an additional receiver on the roster.

Milwaukee Brewers: Eugenio Suarez Trade Rumors Heat Up, MLB Analyst Gives 1 Reason Team Could Have Upper Hand
MLB

Milwaukee Brewers: Eugenio Suarez Trade Rumors Heat Up, MLB Analyst Gives 1 Reason Team Could Have Upper Hand

The Milwaukee Brewers, at 61-41, lead the Chicago Cubs by one game in the two-team race for the National League Central Division and currently have the best record in all Major League Baseball. With 60 games remaining, though, the season is far from over and several other contending teams are about to get a whole lot better very soon. This, of course, is because the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline is right around the corner. Many teams, including Milwaukee’s biggest challengers in the National League, have been rumored and linked to various stars that are on the trade block. One of the biggest names that is expected to be moved is Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez, a two-time All-Star who is hitting .252/.325/.593 with 36 home runs and a Major League-leading 86 RBI. And while he has been linked to many teams, including the Cubs, one MLB analyst thinks the Brewers will have the upper hand if they choose to pursue him. Why the Milwaukee Brewers Could Land Eugenio Suarez in a Trade Brewers third baseman Caleb Durbin is making a case for himself to be considered for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, hitting .260/.345/.376 with five home runs and 35 RBI. But one thing that Milwaukee is seriously lacking on offense is a power hitter who can consistently hit home runs and elevate the rest of the team around him. The Brewers score many runs by utilizing small ball and taking advantage of mistakes made by opposing defenses. With so many hitters that are younger and do not have a consistent power swing, many analysts think that the Brewers would want to trade for Suarez ahead of the deadline. And one of these analysts thinks there is one thing that would tip the scales in Milwaukee’s favor in a bidding war: their pitching depth. “The vibes are immaculate right now and just about everything is going right. Why stir the pot at the trade deadline? I don’t see it that way. I see an excellent team that is as well-positioned to make a World Series run as any point in franchise history. Caleb Durbin has been red hot the last few weeks at third base, though Suárez would still be an upgrade, plus smart teams figure out how to make the “more good players than lineup spots” thing work. “Milwaukee might finish with only three double-digit home run guys this year. Suárez has game-changing power and is an excellent clubhouse guy, plus the Brewers are pretty much the only contender with rotation depth to spare. The Diamondbacks are said to be seeking young pitching in any trade. The Brewers have it. They match up very well as trade partners.” As one can see, CBS Sports believes that Milwaukee can part with one of their young controllable arms to win the Suarez sweepstakes. The big question, though, is if they would be willing to do so. Jose Quintana and Nestor Cortes will be gone next season, leaving in free agency. Freddy Peralta only has one more year left on his contract. Brandon Woodruff’s future with the team is unknown despite the good vibes surrounding his long-awaited comeback. In other words, the Brewers will need to restock their starting rotation next year, making parting with any of their current pieces a difficult decision.

New York Knicks Predicted to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns For Dallas Mavericks Star
NBA

New York Knicks Predicted to Trade Karl-Anthony Towns For Dallas Mavericks Star

The New York Knicks have had a busy summer thus far as they have made multiple additions to their roster to try and improve off their run to the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Of course, the Knicks also made a head coaching change to begin the summer as they fried Tom Thibodeau and replaced him with two-time Coach of the Year winner Mike Brown. During free agency, New York added Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to upgrade their bench at a cheap cost, which is an area that they struggled with last season. The Knicks do have one more roster spot open which they will likely use to add another veteran player to their bench. While the Knicks have focused on upgrading their depth this summer, Sports Illustrated’s Jackson Caudell recently created a mock trade that would see New York send Karl-Anthony Towns to the Dallas Mavericks for one of their star players along with depth. In the trade, the Knicks would acquire Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington from the Mavericks while Dallas would land Towns and Vit Krejci. The Atlanta Hawks are the third team involved in the trade and they would receive Caleb Martin and two second-round picks from the Mavericks. For the Knicks, it would be a tough decision to move on from Towns but they would be able to fill some glaring holes in their roster with their return in this deal. Thompson would give them a much-needed three-point sharpshooter in their starting lineup while both Washington and Gafford would be major additions to their frontcourt, especially on the defensive end. Despite this, the Mavericks may not want to move on from three of their key players to acquire Towns, who struggled in the playoffs last season, primarily on defense. While that may be the case, making this trade would be a massive upgrade to the Knicks’ lineup and depth that could make them the team to beat in the Eastern Conference next season.

Raiders' Star Details Difference Between Pete Carroll and Antonio Pierce
NFL

Raiders' Star Details Difference Between Pete Carroll and Antonio Pierce

The Las Vegas Raiders struggled last season. One of their bright spots last season was tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers played out of his mind in his rookie season. Bowers set different records in the National Football League last season and is now considered by many as the best tight end in football. That is something huge for a player who his only entering his second season in the league. Bowers was selected with the 13th overall pick by the Raiders last season and by former head coach Antonio Pierce. That was a huge pick for the Raiders and Bowers can be seen as the best player in his draft class so far. But now Bowers will head into next season with a new head coach. His former coach, Pierce, was only the head coach for one season, and the Raiders decided to move on from him. The Raiders will now turn to veteran head coach Pete Carroll to lead the way for the Silver and Black next season. The Raiders are looking to get things going right away next season, and they felt like Carroll gives them the best chance to win and bring success to the franchise that has been looking to be consistent in winning games. Former head coach Pierce took over as the interim head coach halfway turn the 2023 season, and he showed that the Raiders can play better with him running the show. And heading into last season, there was a lot of excitement about getting the Raiders to be a better team. But Pierce did not have a good season in his first season as a head coach, and it was not good enough to keep him around for his second season. Bowers recently talked about the different coaching styles of Carroll and Pierce. “They’re pretty different, I’d say. AP was awesome. He was a true players' coach. He was always working with us and everything,” Bowers said on Bussin' With The Boys. “But Coach Carroll has a way of bringing everyone together.” It is going to be fun to watch Bowers go back to work next season. We will see what the second-year tight end has in store after his record-breaking rookie year. Bowers will have a much-improved quarterback as well. Find us on X (formerly Twitter) @HondoCarpenter and Instagram @HondoSr and talk to us in 2025 about Bowers and more. While here, check out our Facebook page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE to discuss all Raiders content in 2025.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!