The Detroit Lions may push Ameer Abdullah as the starting running back over Joique Bell and Theo Riddick and fantasy football owners should take notice heading into Week 2 of the season. The Lions come in after a loss to the Chargers and the team has Matthew Stafford dealing with a minor elbow issue, but he is expected to start on Sunday.
The Lions and Chargers had a big offensive game and while the Lions lost 33-28, the team saw rookie Ameer Abdullah emerge as a strong option on offense. Abdullah showed his versatility in the game, putting up nearly 200 combined total yards rushing, receiving and returning kicks. Abdullah was drafted in the second round of the draft this year and many around the league expected Abdullah to be a main contributor on offense with Bell.
This preseason Bell was banged up and that left Abdullah to get reps and now that work is paying off. Abdullah had more snaps and more touches than Bell and while the Lions still plan on using all three of their running backs, Abdullah could be the one to take the lead from here on out. According to the Detroit Free Press, head coach Jim Caldwell said that Abdullah will have that "kind of role" again moving forward and that he will be used a lot "for the most part." Bell and Riddick will still get their time, but if Abdullah continues to perform like he did in Week 1, he could be the starter.
Matthew Stafford is dealing with a slight elbow injury, but according to NFL.com, the quarterback said that he will be "good to go" for the next game for the Lions. Detroit plays against the Vikings on Sunday and Stafford was able to practice on Monday without any issues. Stafford needed an elbow sleeve for part of the game against the Chargers and he comes in after throwing for 246 yards with two touchdowns and two picks in the loss.
According to Pro Football Talk, Abdullah is the first rookie since the early days of the NFL to have at least 50 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards and 100 return yards in the first game of his career. Abdullah showed his versatility at Nebraska and now he has brought that to the NFL and he could be one of the best rookie options from the 2015 class. Fantasy owners should go with Abdullah until Bell proves he can stay healthy and productive. Abdullah had 50 yards on seven carries with a TD on Sunday and added four catches out of the backfield.
Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate remain the best starters for the Lions for fantasy football owners, as the team is going to be passing the ball quite a bit even with the emergence of Abdullah. Tate had four catches on Sunday and he will be looking to bounce back this week against the Vikings. Last season Tate had a career year with 99 catches for 1331 yards and four touchdowns. Johnson had only two catches in Week 1 and fantasy owners will be expecting much more moving forward.
