The Detroit Lions have a high-flying offense, but last year there was really only one wide receiver who could be counted on by fantasy football managers: Amon-Ra St. Brown.
The team will be hoping that former first-round pick Jameson Williams can take the next step to join him as a consistent weapon, with Kalif Raymond set to play the third WR role.
Can Williams or Raymond join St. Brown as a consistent fantasy asset for the 2024 season, and are any of the Lions receivers a good value on draft day?
Amon-Ra St. Brown Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 345.3 (213.4 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 131.9
- Receiving Yards: 1505.4
- Receiving TDs: 8.8
In early drafts, St. Brown is coming off the board with the eighth overall pick (WR5). I’d argue that is more of a floor ADP than an expectation, as I have him ranked one spot higher positionally (ahead of Justin Jefferson) and would slide him ahead of the non-Christian McCaffrey running backs (fifth overall).
He has shown great consistency by ranking as a top-10 receiver in both catches and yards in consecutive seasons, flashing the type of scoring potential late last season that gives him the path to be the top fantasy receiver in 2024.
- Seasons 1-2: 11 touchdowns on 196 catches
- Season 3: 10 touchdowns on 119 catches
I like Jameson Williams as much as anyone in 2024, but I very much believe that there is room for his breakout alongside continued dominance from St. Brown.
We know Williams has the tools to threaten defenses downfield, and while St. Brown is capable of doing that, the fact that he hasn’t had a catch gain more than 30 yards in 22 of his past 26 games, including the playoffs, leads me to believe that his bottom line won’t be impacted in a major way if Williams takes the step I’m projecting.
In 2022, St. Brown scored all of his touchdowns at home (57.7% of his yards came in front of the Detroit faithful as well). We know that Goff can be a different quarterback at home than on the road, so this was a minor concern of mine entering 2023 — a concern I no longer have after St. Brown found the end zone seven times on the road.
They say you can only lose a draft in the first round. You’re not doing that if you select St. Brown.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Jameson Williams Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 166.4 (120.9 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 45.4
- Receiving Yards: 761.5
- Receiving TDs: 7.0
I view Williams as a player that can earn you the top seed rather than being a league winner.
Williams could put you in a position to win your league, but with a game that could be impacted by weather against a developing defense in Week 16 (Chicago Bears) and an elite defense in Week 17 (49ers), Williams’ run of strong production could come up just short.
Williams is priced outside of the top 100, which puts him in the Brian Thomas Jr. and Courtland Sutton class of wide receivers, one that I think he’s well ahead of.
I rank Williams as my sixth-best receiver in the NFC North (ahead of the secondary Packer options and Jordan Addison), which puts him inside the top 40 in ADP.
You’ll need to get the temperature of the room for your draft specifically, but I’ll be aggressively targeting Williams the moment my starting lineup is in place.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst
Kalif Raymond Fantasy Outlook and Projections
- PPR Fantasy Points: 96.7 (60.0 non-PPR)
- Receptions: 36.7
- Receiving Yards: 473.9
- Receiving TDs: 1.4
Raymond debuted in 2016 and has six touchdowns on his NFL resume. Yes, he currently sits as the WR3 on this ultra-talented roster, but does it matter?
This offense allocates as many targets as any team to their WR1 and TE1, something that limits the opportunity upside if Raymond were to emerge. We all like Jameson Williams to continue his ascent that we saw at the end of last season and this is a team that ranked 27th in red zone pass rate a season ago.
Without a clear path to dangerous looks or target volume, Raymond only deserves to be on radars should an injury occur ahead of him on the depth chart.
– Kyle Soppe, Fantasy Football Analyst