2013 detroit lions Fantasy Preview
No team threw the ball more than the Lions in 2012. Yet looking at Detroit's fantasy numbers is a vexing prospect. Calvin Johnson (first - 220.40) had an enormous season ... with just five TD catches. Looking for a reliable receiver who isn't Megatron? You might be searching awhile. The next most-targeted wideout (Titus Young) had nearly 150 fewer passes thrown his direction. Matthew Stafford (11th - 275.58) finished with the second-most passing yards in the league, but tied for the 19th-most TD passes. The running game didn't offer much, either. Mikel Leshoure finished 20th among fantasy backs, and will be even less of a factor in 2013 with the addition of Reggie Bush to the Detroit backfield. The only other Motor City Kitty to provide any real fantasy value was the now-retired Jason Hanson (8th - 138.00).
81
Calvin
Johnson
WR - Lions
Aside from Hanson's retirement, the only other notable offseason loss for Detroit was Cliff Avril signing a free agent deal with the Seattle Seahawks. Otherwise, Detroit welcomed quite a few new names. The biggest is undoubtedly is RB Reggie Bush, although SS Glover Quin and K David Akers could be impact players in 2013.
The sleeper shoe might not completely fit Bush, but in an offense that throws the ball so frequently, the veteran back could catch 80-90 balls. Mikel Leshoure should still see a number of touches -- especially around the goal-line -- but his overall production could take a hit as Bush becomes the team's primary back. If Nate Burleson can remain healthy, he should see a number of targets in order to take some pressure off Johnson.
| POS | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD | OTHER |
| QB | Matthew Stafford | Shaun Hill | Kellen Moore | Thaddeus Lewis |
| RB | Reggie Bush | Mikel Leshoure | Joique Bell | Montell Owens |
| WR | Calvin Johnson | Ryan Broyles | Nate Burleson | Mike Thomas |
| TE | Brandon Pettigrew | Tony Scheffler | Michael Williams | Joseph Fauria |
| K | David Akers | Havard Rugland | - | - |
( ) Projected Round
| # | Name | Pos. Rank |
| 1 | Calvin Johnson | 1 |
| 2 | Reggie Bush | 18 |
| 3 | Matthew Stafford | 12 |
| 4 | Mikel Leshoure | 47 |
| 5 | Brandon Pettigrew | 15 |
Photo Gallery
Top 30 Fantasy PlayersOf course Calvin Johnson was going to be on the list of the top 30 fantasy football players for 2013. The question is: who else is on the list? View
