Week 17 Monday Night Fantasy Football Takeaways: Lions' Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown Over 20 Points in Win; Ricky Pearsall Stands Out for Niners

Week 17 of the NFL regular season wrapped up with a fun game between the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers.

Detroit won 40-34, and several fantasy players had good showings, with some of those helping fantasy owners to titles. Let’s take a look at some fantasy football takeaways from the contest.

Also be sure to check out other week 17 takeaway stories (Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday/Sunday and the IDP roundup).

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Game Stats

Detroit trailed 21-13 at halftime, but outscored the hosts 27-13 in the second half to grab the win.

The Lions had 439 total yards of offense, with 303 passing yards and 152 rushing yards. Detroit took two sacks, didn’t turn the ball over and committed six penalties.

The 49ers had 475 total yards of offense, with 412 passing yards and 75 rushing yards. San Fran had two turnovers and five penalties, while getting sacked twice.

Jared Goff Good Again

It was a tough matchup on paper for Detroit quarterback Jared Goff, but he again put up monster numbers for fantasy owners. Goff was 26-of-34 passing for 303 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. 

Goff is at a point where you just start him in fantasy, regardless of the defensive matchup. He’s a good option in week 18 when the team battles the Vikings for the No. 1 seed and NFC North crown. Goff was 22-of-25 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in the first meeting between the teams.

As long as Goff is in Detroit and has the playmakers he has around him, he’ll be a good fantasy option. I’m curious to see where he gets drafted for the 2025 season.

Jahmyr Gibbs Dominates Backfield

With David Montgomery out of the picture for now, Jahmyr Gibbs has taken a stranglehold on the Lions’ backfield.

On Monday, he rushed for 117 yards and a score on 18 carries, while adding in 46 receiving yards on four catches and targets. Craig Reynolds got almost all the backup work, rushing for 31 yards on seven carries and adding in 35 yards on two grabs and targets.

The Lions are doing a good job of not overworking Gibbs before the postseason, but he’s still delivering monster numbers with big plays and touchdowns.

He was a must-start fantasy back with Montgomery around, and now could be the top fantasy back each week with him out. Gibbs had 116 rushing yards and two scores on 15 carries, while adding 44 receiving yards on four receptions and targets in the first clash with Minnesota. 

Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams Lead Lions Pass Catchers

The pass-catching trio of Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams all had good fantasy days against the Niners.

Williams scored twice on the day. He caught five of his eight targets for 77 yards and scored on a lateral from St. Brown. Williams rushed for a touchdown in the first quarter.

St. Brown had 60 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions and 10 targets. LaPorta finished with 64 yards and a score on six grabs and eight targets.

In this high-flying Lions’ offense, it’s really hard to not start all three of these pass catchers every week. There’s weeks where they won’t score touchdowns and post average fantasy scores, but their fantasy ceilings are so high that they deserve to be starting pretty much every week.

In the first clash with Minnesota, St. Brown had 112 yards and a touchdown on eight catches and targets. LaPorta had a 25-yard catch across two targets, while Williams had a catch that went backward four yards. I’d throw the numbers of the first clash out of the window and start LaPorta, St. Brown and Williams without much hesitation in week 18. All three should remain good/great fantasy options throughout the postseason too.

Brock Purdy Solid Before Getting Injured

San Fran quarterback Brock Purdy accounted for four touchdowns before leaving with an elbow injury. 

He was 27-of-35 passing for 377 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. Purdy rushed for 12 yards and a score on three scrambles.

I can’t imagine Purdy will play in week 18. He’s due for a long-term extension, and in a meaningless game, there’s no reason to risk anything. If he’s out, the Niners’ offense will take a significant hit. We’ll cover that later in the week depending on the update on Purdy.

Joshua Dobbs would likely get the start if Purdy cannot go. Brandon Allen is also an option after starting once earlier in the season.

Niners’ Running Game Slowed

It was a tough test for the San Fran running backs, and Detroit did a nice job slowing things on the ground.

Isaac Guerendo was the only true running back to get any carries. He rushed for 34 yards on nine carries. Guerendo had 65 yards on four catches and targets to still have a pretty solid fantasy night.

Guerendo would be an interesting starting option in week 18 if Purdy isn’t playing. Patrick Taylor, and any other San Fran back, can be dropped (as long as Guerendo is good to go for week 18).

Ricky Pearsall, George Kittle Lead Pass Catchers

Ricky Pearsall had his best game as a pro, while George Kittle continued his strong season.

Pearsall caught eight of his 10 targets for 141 yards and a touchdown. He also got two rushing attempts, gaining six yards. Pearsall also attempted a pass, but failed to complete it.

I really like Pearsall for the long haul, and think he could become the Niners No. 1 receiver in due time. Pearsall’ emergence could make Jauan Jennings, Brandon Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel Sr. expendable.

Kittle had 112 yards on eight receptions and targets. It was his fourth game over 100 yards and seventh time over 75 yards. He’s been one of the top fantasy tight ends, and should be drafted as such in the 2025 season. Kittle would be one of the better fantasy options for the Niners even if Purdy is out in week 18.

Jennings finished with 67 yards on seven catches and 10 targets. It was his best fantasy outing in the past three games, and just the second time he scored over 10 points in the last six contests. 

Samuel finished with a five-yard touchdown catch on his only target and 16 rushing yards on three carries. It was another slow fantasy day for Samuel, with the touchdown saving an otherwise bad fantasy showing. With Pearsall’s emergence, Aiyuk returning next season, Jennings being better than Samuel most of the season, Kittle being a top-end pass catcher and the team needing to pay Purdy, I wonder if Samuel’s time as a Niner is just about up.

IDP Standouts

Detroit’s Jack Campbell and San Francisco’s Deommodore Lenoir each finished with nine combined tackles.

Campbell has posted seven or more tackles in three straight games. He doesn’t score fantasy points in many other ways, but the healthy amount of tackles makes Campbell a pretty good weekly option.

Lenoir posted his highest tackle total on the season. He has five games with eight or more tackles now, and with 85 tackles on the season, along with a couple splash plays, Lenoir is a pretty solid IDP option, and a bit of an underrated one.

San Fran’s Nick Bosa had two sacks among his eight tackles. He’s one of the better pass rushers in the game, and any game he’s out there, he’s got a pretty high fantasy ceiling and should be starting in a bunch of IDP leagues.

Detroit’s Brian Branch had a sack among his seven tackles. With 103 tackles and several splash plays to his name, Branch is a really good weekly IDP option.

Lions’ Kerby Joseph had two interceptions and six tackles on the night. He has 77 tackles, nine picks and 12 passes defensed, making him one of the top IDP options in the secondary.