Lions, Rams Wild Card Playoff Fantasy Football Takeaways: Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and More

The Wild Card Round has delivered some shocking results through two days, so before we wrap up this round of the NFL playoffs, let’s take a look back at what’s transpired.

We already looked at the Houston Texans’ win over the Cleveland Browns, the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Miami Dolphins and the Green Bay Packers’ win over the Dallas Cowboys, so now it’s time to tackle the Detroit Lions’ win over the Los Angeles Rams.

Lions Hold on Late

Detroit led from start to finish in an eventual 24-23 win. The Lions had 334 total yards of offense, while the Rams finished with 425. Neither team committed a turnover, and it was easily the best game of the first two days of playoff action.

Quarterback Jared Goff was efficient, completing 22-of-27 passes for 277 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions. 

It wasn’t a monster outing for Goff, but he took care of the ball and led his team to several scoring drives. The Lions’ offense is loaded with playmakers, and Goff simply got the ball into the hands of the skill players and let them handle the rest.

It’s a formula that worked for the Lions all season, and it allowed Goff to be one of the better fantasy quarterbacks. He’ll be a strong value pick later in fantasy drafts going into next season, especially if Detroit adds another offensive player or two to the mix.

Both running backs - David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs - enjoyed solid games. Montgomery rushed 14 times for 57 yards and a touchdown, while catching an 11-yard pass. Gibbs went for 25 yards and a touchdown on eight rushing attempts, while adding 43 receiving yards on four catches and targets.

I was a little surprised that Montgomery finished with six more carries than Gibbs, but the rookie’s involvement in the passing game allowed him to still deliver a solid fantasy point total. 

It’s worth noting that Montgomery played 30 snaps to just 19 for Gibbs. Detroit might simply trust the veteran Montgomery more, so that could mean he’s the preferred starting option as long as the team is still alive. Gibbs can still put up good numbers in limited chances, so both might be startable still. We’ll cover the team’s next matchup later this week, so be sure to check back for that.

No shocker here, but Amon-Ra St. Brown was Goff’s favorite target. He went for 110 yards on seven catches and nine targets. 

St. Brown is simply a fantasy stud and needs to be in starting lineups every week. It doesn’t matter the matchup, St. Brown is going to get his numbers one way or another.

Josh Reynolds had a surprise 80-yard showing for Detroit. He caught five of his seven targets. Jameson Williams was held to 19 yards on two catches and targets.

Kalif Raymond missed the game with an injury, so that afforded Reynolds and Williams some more snaps and looks. If Raymond returns next week, it’ll make it that much tougher to start Reynolds and Williams. St. Brown is the only Detroit wide receiver you can absolutely trust each week.

Tight end Sam LaPorta ended up playing and he factored in with three catches for 19 yards and a touchdown on three targets. 

I highly doubted LaPorta would be able to play in this one, and while he wasn’t super involved, he made a difference with his touchdown grab. He played 80% of the team’s offensive snaps, so if he didn’t suffer any setbacks, he’ll be back to being a fantastic starting option for the next round.

Detroit’s defense made some big stops, but also gave up plenty of yards and a decent amount of points. The next matchup for the defense is likely going to be a pretty favorable one, so they still might be worth starting - we’ll discuss that later in the week.

Rams Cannot Finish

The difference in the game was basically Los Angeles not being able to finish off drives with touchdowns. The Rams settled for three field goals in the contest, and they were all under 30 yards.

Matthew Stafford was 25-of-36 in his homecoming game. He finished with 367 passing yards and two touchdowns, while not throwing an interception.

Stafford was fantastic down the stretch for the Rams, and helped them to a surprise playoff berth. He’s got a few years left on his contract, and with some of the emerging offensive playmakers on offense, Stafford should remain a solid fantasy option for a couple more seasons at least.

Rookie wideout Puka Nacua was the star for LA, catching nine of his 10 targets for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Nacua was a star during his rookie season and was easily Stafford’s favorite target in the biggest moments. He’s surpassed Cooper Kupp as the team’s No. 1 option, but having Kupp around is only going to help Nacua in the years to come. I’m curious as to just how high Nacua will be drafted going into next season.

Kupp was targeted nine times, but made just five grabs for 27 yards. 

I’m hoping that the offseason will allow Kupp to heal up from his couple injuries this season. He’s still a talented receiver and should have a few good seasons left in him, but the days of him being a top-end fantasy wideout might already be over. With Stafford as a quarterback, Kupp can still be a good fantasy option despite being a No. 2 option.

Demarcus Robsinon hauled in half of his six targets for 44 yards.

Robinson was a great asset for the Rams’ offense in the second half of the season. I’m fascinated to see if he returns to LA, or latches on with another team. He showed he can be a decent fantasy option with a good quarterback in place.

Tutu Atwell had a surprise 38-yard touchdown grab in the game. Atwell was a good fantasy piece at the start of the season, but the return of Kupp and emergence of Robinson pushed Atwell to a secondary role. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see the team move on from Atwell this offseason, especially if they re-sign Robinson. Atwell has shown he can be a solid fantasy threat, but he’d probably need a pretty good quarterback to be that guy going forward.

Tight end Tyler Higbee was able to suit up, but failed to haul in his only target. He’s feared to have suffered a torn ACL during the contest, so that puts the start to next season in jeopardy for him. It’ll probably mean he goes undrafted in fantasy drafts.

Talented running back Kyren Williams was injured during the contest, which definitely limited the Rams a bit offensively. He finished with 61 rushing yards on 13 attempts and caught a 9-yard pass.

Williams was an absolute workhorse this season when he was healthy. He’s going to be one of the focal points of the offense for at least another season or two. Williams will be one of the top RBs drafted next year as a result.

Ronnie Rivers might be the No. 2 option out of the backfield. He went for 44 total yards on just six touches on Sunday.

Rivers missed several games this season, but has shown flashes of promise when on the field. If he wins the No. 2 job, he probably won’t be utilized a whole bunch, but he might still be worth a late round pick as a handcuff.