Fantasy players should take note of Lions RB Jahmyr Gibbs' significant role change

Jahmyr Gibbs has hinted at a notable role change this upcoming season, which should bode well for fantasy players who own or plan to select the Detroit Lions running back in their drafts.

At his youth football camp at Ford Field in Detroit last week, the RB explained that new Lions offensive coordinator John Morton plans to use him more in the passing game in 2025.

"I gotta learn the formations for being split out," Gibbs said, per WXYZ-TV in Detroit. "I'm being split out like way more than I was in the past two years. That's good. That's going to be fun. I've been waiting on that."

Gibbs, 23, is already one of the top pass-catching RBs in the NFL. In his first two seasons with the Lions, the 12th pick of the 2023 NFL Draft has 104 receptions for 833 yards and five touchdown catches. 

Last season, he finished fourth on the Lions in receiving yards (517 in 17 regular-season games), behind tight end Sam LaPorta and wide receivers Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown. 

This has made him an asset for fantasy players in PPR (points per reception) leagues. According to Pro Football Reference, he scored 369.9 points in DraftKings leagues last season, the most among RBs and the seventh most among all positions. (DraftKings uses a PPR scoring system.) 

Gibbs has split carries with fellow running back David Montgomery over the past two seasons, capping his fantasy production. Detroit will likely continue to feed Montgomery — who has rushed for 1,790 yards and 25 TDs in two seasons with the club — in the ground game.

Gibbs is still an elite option in fantasy. In ESPN's preseason PPR rankings, he's the No. 2 RB behind Atlanta Falcons star Bijan Robinson.  

"[Gibbs has] managed to be an elite fantasy option with the most fantasy points per carry over the last two seasons of any running back," wrote Pro Football Focus' Nathan Jahnke in a column published July 4. "When Montgomery was injured late last season, he showed he could be the best running back in fantasy football if given enough opportunity."

Now that he's slated to get more touches in the passing game, perhaps he will be.