Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Fantasy Football Matchup Breakdown For Week 7
Fantasy

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers Fantasy Football Matchup Breakdown For Week 7

John Laghezza breaks down the NFC North clash between two powerhouse offenses in the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers for fantasy football.

Published Updated

Between Detroit’s defense and Green Bay’s ground attack, the Lions and Packers are proof positive a team can be deeply flawed yet maintain a winning record. Packers and Lions face off on the fast-track of Ford Field in the game with the highest implied total of the weekend. Fireworks, anyone?

Lions vs. Packers Matchup Breakdown For Week 7 Fantasy Football

GB_packers-logo.svgGreen Bay Packers Fantasy Preview For Week 7

Green Bay’s doing its best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde impression between phases. Boasting a bottom-5 offensive success rate and just 21.2 PPG, you’d never think we’re talking about one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. Jordan Love still hasn’t finished outside the top-20 in any given week, though the ceiling’s been capped somewhat due to accuracy issues (59.7% completion, 14.2% off-target). However, that critical off-target rate’s sinking like a stone from 17.5% through four weeks all the way down to just 6.9% over the last two. And with it has come the production we’re dreaming of going forward: 21.8 fantasy points/game, 321.5 passing yards/game, 103 passer rating. Let’s go!

Perfectly aligned with fantasy interests, the Pack consolidates the offense almost exclusively around three pass catchers: Christian Watson (WR3), Matthew Golden (WR9), and Tucker Kraft (TE15). No other team owns two of the top-15 spots, let alone top-10. The trio has commanded +62% of all team targets, including an absurd +83% of GB’s air yards, leaving very little for anyone else. Perhaps my pro-Tucker Kraft bias is bleeding through, as he’s definitely fallen short of preseason expectations. However, I’m trying to grant him some grace in recovery, given he’s earned +5 targets in three straight, as well as a pair in the end zone. If Kraft’s been rage-dropped, I’d scoop him up or look to add him as a toss-in for a trade.

The green-and-yellow national nightmare that is the Packers’ run game is over … right? Guess it depends on what you think of Josh Jacobs, who at the very least should get as many touches as he can stomach, since GB’s currently dead last in yards/carry (2.9), yards after contact/rush (2.11), and success rate (36.0%). Even with Detroit’s defense unable to stop anyone, I highly doubt we’re looking at some new juggernaut ground game, but it can’t be any worse than what they’ve delivered thus far (hopefully).

  • Start: Jordan Love (QB2), Josh Jacobs (RB18), Christian Watson (WR6), Matthew Golden (WR14)
  • Sit: MarShawn Lloyd (RB53)
  • Sleeper: Tucker Kraft (TE7)

DET_lions-logo.svgDetroit Lions Fantasy Preview For Week 7

Could rostering Lions in fantasy be any simpler? Start ‘em if you got ‘em. Not only is Detroit’s offense fantastic and playing indoors, but they also get the added benefit of the NFL’s worst defense in terms of plays (72.0) and yards/game (404.4) — for reference, no other teams allowed more than 69.0 and 388.0, respectively. Would you even believe we’re six full games into the season and games involving Detroit are responsible for 62.4 total points/game? Wow.

Somehow the overall QB3, despite rushing for just 16 yards all season, Jared Goff’s thrown an incredible 12 TDs without a single pick (for the record, no one else has more than 5). He hasn’t finished worse than QB18 in any given week, including two in the top-5. Wheels all the way up … at least until it starts getting cold outdoors.

I’d recommend starting Jahmyr Gibbs even if the defense were allowed extra players to defend him, since no one’s shown the ability to do it with just 11. Already averaging more than 3 points/game than the field, Gibbs logged three overall RB1 performances in just five weeks. I’m getting peak Michael Jordan vibes here — you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

We might say something similar about Amon-Ra St. Brown, fantasy’s WR5, good for over 11 targets/game. Not finding the end zone has left him short of a top-15 finish each of the last three weeks, but that’s the inherent variance of this game of ours — his 16 red zone targets lead the NFL. Then there’s Jameson Williams, who I hope you didn’t drop when we knew it was coming. After three somewhat brutal weeks to kick off 2026 (7.6 fantasy points/game), he’s gotten back in the groove over the last two (17.5 fantasy points/game). There may be spots in the future to sit him; this isn’t one of them. And oh yeah, Sam LaPorta’s awesome, reeling in +5 grabs in four of five.

  • Start: Jared Goff (QB3), Jahymyr Gibbs (RB1), Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR5), Jameson Williams (WR26), Sam LaPorta (TE5)
  • Sit: N/A
  • Sleeper: Isaac TeSlaa (WR51)

Published Updated