Takeaways from Chiefs Lions Game: Isiah Pacheco, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Patrick Mahomes, and David Montgomery
The 2023 NFL season got underway on Thursday evening, with the Detroit Lions taking down the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs 21-20. The matchup showed the Lions could be a team to be reckoned with, while the Chiefs missed some star players and will need to find some other offensive playmakers.
The contest also gave fantasy owners some early indications on how touches might be distributed. Let’s break down what we witnessed and some potential moves to consider to your fantasy rosters.
Detroit’s David Montgomery Was Utilized More Than Jahmyr Gibbs
There was a lot of hype surrounding Gibbs, the Lions first-round selection from the 2023 NFL Draft. The Lions listed Montgomery as the starter on the depth chart, and that’s exactly how the touches were distributed.
Montgomery carried the ball 21 times for 74 yards, also scoring a touchdown. He was not targeted in the pass game, but was the only Lion with double-digit touches in the game.
Gibbs, on the other hand, carried the ball only seven times for 42 yards, adding two receptions for 18 yards.
It’d be easy to overreact to the wide margin in touches, but I expect the touches to even out as the season moves along. Montgomery might lead the way in touches for several weeks, but Gibbs is simply too talented to limit for a whole season. Montgomery averaged 3.5 yards on his touches, while Gibbs was at an impressive 6.7 yards a touch.
Detroit will involve Gibbs more going forward, but it still might be another week or so before I’d feel real comfortable starting him. For the time being, Montgomery is probably worth a start in your lineups.
Several Lions Could Be Valuable Fantasy Assets
Detroit quarterback Jared Goff enjoyed a strong night at quarterback, with 253 passing yards and a touchdown while hitting on 22 of his 35 attempts. It wasn’t the most efficient night passing, but if he can continue to take care of the ball, he’s a quarterback you can trot out there most weeks.
Aside from a solid 1-2 punch out of the backfield, Goff spread the ball around pretty well on offense. Seven players had a catch in the opener.
Amon-Ra St. Brown was the leading receiver when it came to targets, a surprise to no one. He caught six of his nine targets, amassing 71 receiving yards and a touchdown. He barely left the field and is going to likely average double-digit targets a game. He’s a must-start each week at this point.
Josh Reynolds actually led Detroit with 80 receiving yards, with four catches on seven targets. He looked like a reliable No. 2 for the Lions. He’s likely going to be one of the most added players before week 2. If you have an open roster spot, or have a player who doesn’t play all that much, Reynolds is a guy I like for the next several weeks. One thing to keep in mind is that Jameson Williams is due back in week 7 after his suspension, so Reynolds’ stock will take a significant hit at that point.
Marvin Jones was targeted six times, but hauled in just two of them for eight yards. He also fumbled for the first time in his career. It’s a showing that probably hurts his stock going forward, and I’d feel pretty safe releasing him if you happen to be rostering him.
Tight end Sam LaPorta was the other big skill player for Detroit in the opener, catching all five of his targets for 39 yards. While the yardage total isn’t anything crazy, the rookie definitely looked like he belonged and could be a focal point in the offense. If he was looked to as your No. 2 tight end this season, he could be a valuable trade chip for someone lacking at the position. Personally, I’d hang onto him though, as he could become one of the top-producing players at the position this season.
Patrick Mahomes Needs Some Help
Thursday wasn’t a vintage performance fans have come to expect from Mahomes. He threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns, but could have had much better numbers if it hadn’t been for several big drops from pass catchers. He would have completed more than 21 of his 39 attempts and would have not thrown a pick-6.
Not having tight end Travis Kelce definitely affected the Chiefs’ offense, but the team is still going to need better production out of its receivers if they want to win another Super Bowl.
Rookie Rashee Rice, Kadarius Toney and Noah Gray were each targeted five times in the game. Running back Isiah Pacheco ended up leading the team in receptions with four.
Rice looked strong in his first career game, making three grabs for 29 yards and a touchdown reception. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a bigger part of Kansas City’s gameplan starting with week 2. If he’s available in your leagues, now might be the time to pick him up. I’m not completely comfortable starting him yet, but he could become one of your top receivers here pretty soon.
Toney had a miserable game, with just one catch for one yard. One of his drops led to the pick-6, and went backward a yard on a carry. He’ll probably be one of the most dropped fantasy players this week. It’s hard to argue against doing so, but with no true go-to receiver on the team yet, I’d feel best holding onto him for at least one more week. If he struggles again, then you can find a replacement.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling hauled in both his targets for 48 yards. He did enough for fantasy owners that started him, but he’s a boom-or-bust fantasy option at this point and probably should be avoided unless you have no other options.
Justin Watson had a similar statline, with two grabs for 45 yards. He was targeted four times. He’s worth monitoring given the question marks in the receiving room, but I’m not rostering him at this point.
Gray ended up with 31 receiving yards on three grabs, while fellow tight end Blake Bell caught a touchdown. Gray is only worth a roster spot if Kelce misses more time, and Bell isn’t worth a roster spot at this point. Even if Kelce misses time and you decide to add Gray, I’m not a proponent of starting him until at least another week goes by with some level of production.
KC’s Running Back Room Is A Mystery
Isiah Pacheco came into the season looking like a pretty safe bet to dominate the touches this season. That was not the case in week 1.
Pacheco led the running back room with eight attempts, but managed just 23 yards. Pacheco made up for the down rushing game with four catches on as many targets for 31 yards. Clyde Edwards-Helaire got six carries and nearly outgained Pacheco, with 22 yards. Mahomes actually was the team’s top rusher, scrambling for 45 yards on six attempts.
Pacheco’s 12 touches led the team, but it’s certainly not enough to warrant a starting spot at the RB spot. He’s an option at your flex spot, but I’m likely avoiding him until further notice.
Edwards-Helaire is only worth rostering if you have deep rosters, and only worth a start if Pacheco is out.
Jerick McKinnon is another running back that I expected to produce more for KC, but he didn’t get a carry and was targeted just twice, catching one for 10 yards. If you own him, I’d continue rostering him for now, but he’s not worth a starting spot either.
Final Thoughts
With all that said, we’re talking about a single NFL game in an 18-week, 17-game overall schedule. Things change on a weekly basis, which is what makes fantasy football such a tough thing to master for owners.
Still, you can gain valuable insights for weeks to come. One thing I certainly am taking away from this contest is that I’m far more comfortable rostering and starting Lions’ skill players than the Chiefs options.
