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2008 Team Preview by RotoExperts.com Staff Writer Jon Williams.
OVERVIEW
Detroit Lions Head Coach Rod Marinelli believes he has finally put his team in place. This team is supposedly rid of the bad influences. The players that did not give proper emphasis to conditioning and maintaining a positive attitude are playing for another team in 2008. This house cleaning has also come with a simplification of the offensive and defensive schemes. The Lions will be spending 2008 teaching their young players to play in the NFL. They can only pray that Lions fans will continue to be patient. |
As fantasy owners we have had a reason to look at the Detroit Lions that other NFL fans may not have appreciated: Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz. With Martz in control of the offense the Lions were guaranteed to throw the ball a lot. Quarterback Jon Kitna and his wide receivers were easy money to collect positive fantasy value in this extremely pass heavy system. Mike Martz is in San Francisco these days and new Offensive Coordinator Jim Colletto plans to increase emphasis on the running game and passing to outside receivers like Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson on deeper routes. Because of Martz’s departure, Fantasy expectations have dropped like a ton of bricks, so much so that the Lions have become a great source of sleeper fantasy talent. PROJECTED DEPTH CHART Players listed in order of fantasy relevance. Recommended round to draft in standard 10 to 12-team leagues with 16 rounds in parentheses. Quarterback: Jon Kitna (10), Dan Orlovsky, Drew Stanton Running Back: Kevin Smith (6), Tatum Bell (10), Brian Calhoun Wide Receiver: Roy Williams (7), Calvin Johnson (10), Shaun McDonald, Mike Furrey Tight End: Michael Gaines, Dan Campbell Kicker: Jason Hanson (16)  | ENGEL EYE ON: THE DETROIT LIONS | I don't want Jon Kitna on my team, even as a backup, because he is simply too unpredictable. Kitna has always tried to play above his abilities, sometimes with disastrous results. He tries to make throws into tight windows, but he doesn't get the job done and will simply get his passes picked off or batted down. He forces the issue under pressure, and you never know what is coming from him, no matter what the matchup is. Maybe if Kitna weren't so erratic, we might see more consistent production from Roy Williams. |
NOTABLE PLAYER MOVES Additions: TE Michael Gaines, DT Chartric Darby, CB Leigh Bodden
Subtractions: RB Kevin Jones, OL Damien Woody, DT Shaun Rogers, DE Kalimba Edwards 2008 ROOKIES TO WATCH Round Two: LB Jordon Dizon
Round Three: RB Kevin Smith TOP POSITION BATTLE
NONE 2008 SCHEDULE Top fantasy matchups in bold Sept. 7: at Atlanta Falcons
Sept. 14: Green Bay Packers
Sept. 21: at San Francisco 49ers
Sept. 28: BYE
Oct. 5: Chicago Bears
Oct. 12: at Minnesota Vikings
Oct. 19: at Houston Texans
Oct. 26: Washington Redskins
Nov. 2: at Chicago Bears
Nov. 9: Jacksonville Jaguars
Nov. 16: at Carolina Panthers
Nov. 23: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dec. 7: Minnesota Vikings
Dec. 14: at Indianapolis Colts
Dec. 21: New Orleans Saints
Dec. 28: at Green Bay Packers
2008 FANTASY POSITIONAL OUTLOOKS Quarterback:
It would be extremely easy to dismiss the gains that Jon Kitna made over the course of the last few seasons as simply the result of Mike Martz’s pass-focused system. It would also be wrong. It's true that he won’t be quite as likely to approach 4,000 passing yards again. So what, Kitna should still be an acceptable starting fantasy quarterback and a great backup, assuming the Lions grant him a little protection in the pocket. Kitna definitely has his flaws, as demonstrated by his 20 interceptions last season and 17 fumbles. Despite his weaknesses and the change in offense, Kitna should remain productive as long as he has the starting job. Drew Stanton is the quarterback of the future. He missed the 2007 season with a knee injury, but if healthy, he should begin to inspire some quarterback controversies. Still, the Lions won’t make a change at quarterback until Stanton proves that he is truly ready to lead the team and that his presence behind the center will be an improvement over the very solid Kitna. Running Back:
Almost everyone is predicting Kevin Smith to be the starting running back for the Lions this season. No, the guy who made Clerks, Mallrats, and Daredevil is still making movies and reading comics. This Kevin Smith is the rookie tailback from the University of Central Florida that the Lions selected in the third round of this year’s draft. Smith ran for 2,567 yards and 29 touchdowns last year and has to be thrilled to see the Lions installing a zone running scheme similar to the one UCF utilized. In fact, UCF offensive coordinator Tim Salem once worked under Colletto at Purdue. Smith should be a very good choice in the middle rounds of your fantasy draft. Tatum Bell re-signed with the Lions and had hopes of being the starting running back. Instead, he will be lucky to win a share of the job with Smith. Bell should definitely be handcuffed to Smith in all fantasy leagues. Bell is a great pick for running back depth, because he has excelled in a similar system with the Denver Broncos. You would be nuts to draft a Lions’ running back any deeper on the depth chart than Bell. Wide Receiver:  | Calvin Johnson currently stands as the #19 WR in our preseason rankings. Photo Credit: Dave_Hogg |
Prepare yourself for a major shock. Are you ready? Shaun McDonald will not lead the Detroit Lions in receptions in 2008. Not if things go according to plan anyway. McDonald led the 2007 Lions in receptions with 79 catches averaging 11.9 yards each. He also led the team with six touchdown receptions playing in Mike Martz’s pass heavy system. This is because the slot receiver is a frequent target in Martz's system. Colletto has stated that the Lions will not use as many three and four wide receiver formations. The new scheme should send McDonald’s fantasy production plummeting back to earth. Shaun McDonald should still be a solid wide receiver for depth, but Roy Williams is the receiver you’ll want on your fantasy teams. Williams has the classic wide receiver body and should excel with the passing game’s focus back on him. It also doesn’t hurt that this is the last year of Williams’ contract, and he wants a huge deal with a winning team in 2009. Money is motivation. I’m expecting a career year from Roy Williams in 2008. Calvin Johnson is very similar to Williams in body and talent. He suffered through a injury plagued rookie season, but if he can stay healthy, he should enjoy playing opposite Williams in the new offensive scheme...especially if the running attack can pose any sort of threat. Johnson will be Reggie Wayne to Williams’ Marvin Harrison. Tight End:
Under Mike Martz, the Lions used their tight ends primarily as blockers. In Jim Colletti’s new system, that shouldn’t change very much. Michael Gaines was brought in as a free agent, because Dan Campbell is still dealing with complications from last season’s elbow injury. Gaines is a very good blocker but is only starting for the Lions until Campbell can return to action. Coach Marinelli believes that Campbell brings an intangible to the team’s offense through his attitude and toughness. Campbell, if healthy, could benefit from the change in offense (he is a good receiver), but it is unlikely to be a dramatic enough improvement to interest most fantasy team owners. Kicker:
Jason Hanson has been around for what seems like forever and has missed just one game in his career. He is a more-than-passable fantasy kicker but has been downgraded on most lists because of the change in offensive coordinators. Hanson is great at hitting from long distance and may have a little extra value in yardage leagues, but he is not likely to match the fantasy points he recorded in 2006 and 2007. Defense/Special Teams:
The Lions feel they have a solid defensive line with DE Dewayne White, DT Cory Redding, DT Chartric Darby, and DE Jared DeVries. They also hope that LB Paris Lenon can build on his 2007 career year that included 118 tackles. If rookie Jordan Dizon is everything the Lions expect him to be, he’ll start in the middle and the Lions will shift Lenon to the strong side. That should give them a solid linebacking core, with Ernie Sims covering the weak side. The Lions brought in CB Leigh Bodden to be the play maker in the backfield that the Lions so desperately needed. This is an improving defense with many talented players, but not one that you want as part of your fantasy team. Offensive Line:
One of the many reasons the Lions are switching to the zone blocking scheme is to play to the talents of their personnel. There were lots of complaints from the Lions’ offensive linemen and some of the coaching staff, claiming that Mike Martz's scheme had set the linemen up for failure. Even with the new scheme, the Lions probably won’t have great pass protection (losing Damien Woody didn’t help). They do have a talented run blocker in RT Gosder Cherilus. LT Jeff Backus and C Dominic Raiola should both be happy with the zone blocking scheme that caters to their strengths. Send your questions and comments to Jon at
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