Jahmyr

Gibbs

The talented third-year back finishes the 2025 season right in line with his overall RB3 valuation entering the year, a spot he appears likely to occupy once fantasy drafts pick up this spring. The Lions retain the bulk of their primary supporting cast this offseason and have one of the best offensive lines in football, giving no reason to avoid drafting Gibbs in the middle of the first round after amassing 1,223 yards on 243 carries, 77 catches for 616 yards, and 18 combined touchdowns. Fantasy gamers will need to monitor the Lions’ offseason with respect to their offensive play caller after head coach Dan Campbell took over those duties half way through the season this year, but it’s unlikely that the new hire will reach the conclusion that Gibbs isn’t worthy of this year’s workload.

The Lions tried to run the football with the Detroit offensive line unable to effectively protect Jared Goff, but didn’t find much room. Gibbs was also unable to get going as a receiver in what was an ugly result for the 23-year-old for many a fantasy manager in their championship game. Gibbs and the Lions will have one last meaningless game against the Bears in Week 18.

It’s rare that we feel the need to lead with a running back’s receiving line, but Gibbs truly got nothing going on the ground. His best carry of the day went for six yards and he was routinely hit well behind the line of scrimmage. Gibbs, of course, is one of the league’s best pass-catchers out of the backfield and had no issues making up for his lack of rushing with an elite receiving line. Playing from behind in the second half, Jared Goff peppered him with check-downs, including a four-yard walk into the end zone late in the fourth quarter. Gibbs is impervious to negative game script and thrives when the Lions get going downhill. He will continue to contend for the RB1 overall crown in Week 17 against the Vikings.

The Rams simply bullied the run game from Detroit all day, holding Gibbs to a long carry of just six yards. He was able to bounce a few plays outside, he broke plenty of tackles ... but PFF’s early charting has Gibbs with just 0.4 yards before contact per attempt. Gibbs will remain a high-end RB1 against the Steelers last week, hopefully we’ll look back on this one as a small blip.

All three of Gibbs’ scores came on the ground, but Gibbs was largely bottled up on the ground. Gibbs saw 19 of his 43 rushing yards come on a 19-yard run in the first quarter, but the versatile speedster ripped off 77 yards through the air while hauling in all seven of his targets. Gibbs’ third and final touchdown on the day, which officially put the game out of reach, gave him 47 for his career, tying hall of famers Barry Sanders and Randy Moss for the most touchdowns by a player before they turn 24. Gibbs doesn’t turn 24 until March and is on pace to shatter that record. It’s possible he’ll stand alone in that category next week when he faces the Rams in Week 15, where he will be a high-end RB1.

The Packers’ defense played very well in this one, though the Lions also featured RB David Montgomery in the wildcat in goal-to-go situations this afternoon. Although Gibbs was held out of the end zone, he still notched a typically impressive play by lining up as a wide receiver at the Packers’ 10-yard line against CB Keisean Nixon and beating him for a six-yard reception. Gibbs is an elite RB1 against the Cowboys next week.

Gibbs is in just his third year with the Lions and will undoubtedly have his fifth-year rookie for the 2027 season exercised this offseason, but the Lions would be smart to secure the 23-year-old back for the long term. Arguably the best dual-threat back in the league, Gibbs has rushed 155 times for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns this season and has caught 48 passes for 379 yards and another three scores. He ripped off a 49-yard touchdown run in Week 12 to put the Lions within three points of the Giants, and secured the win for them in overtime on a 69-yard touchdown run. Gibbs won’t turn 24 until next offseason and is already among the best backs in the league. It would be wise for the Lions to get him under contract sooner rather than later.

Jahmyr Gibbs had the game of his life, going for 219 rushing yards and 45 receiving yards along with two touchdowns against a Giants rush defense that ranks among the NFL’s worst. Montgomery was limited to breather back duties a week after being held to six carries for 27 yards against the Eagles. Gibbs has fully taken over the Detroit backfield with Dan Campbell calling offensive plays. Montgomery is a bench stash in most 12-team leagues and one of the best contingency options in fantasy.

Every time you looked up, Gibbs was ripping off another chunk gain as the centerpiece of the run-heavy Detroit offense facing off against the NFL’s worst run defense. Gibbs averaged a stunning 14.6 yards per carry, often going untouched through gaping holes in the New York defensive line. His 69-yard scamper proved to be the winning score in overtime after the Giants choked away a fourth-quarter lead with inexplicable fourth-down decisions. Gibbs’ 12 targets were second on the team; he now has 25 targets over his past three outings. With increased touches since Dan Campbell took over as the Lions’ offensive play caller, Gibbs is an every-week fantasy matchup-flipping player with a CMC-like workload. Unlike CMC, Gibbs can outrun every defender on the field. He’ll be an elite option on Thanksgiving against the Packers.

The 107 yards through the air set a new career high, besting his previous mark of 82 yards set earlier in the season against the Buccaneers, while accounting for 47 percent of the team’s total yards on a night the Lions went 0-5 on fourth down tries. Gibbs also caught five of Goff’s 14 completions through unrelenting pressure on the front end and lockdown coverage on the back end. The Lions have traded wins and losses for the previous five weeks, falling to third place in the NFC North in the process, but get a slight reprieve when they host the Giants in Week 12 before a marquee rematch with the Packers on Thanksgiving. Gibbs remains a top tier RB1 in fantasy circles.