The bandwagon was starting to fill up. Bags were being used for sack lunches instead of makeshift Halloween (read: Sunday home game) masks.
On Monday morning, panic officially set in on the revitalized Detroit bandwagon. The Lions had already lost first-round selection Nick Fairley to a broken left foot at the start of camp. The Twitter-verse and the Facebook world lit up with the word “jinx” as news developed about the leg injury sustained by second-round selection Mikel Leshoure. It didn’t take long for head coach Jim Schwartz to confirm that Leshoure had, in fact, sustained a torn left Achilles tendon. And suddenly, the roar of a rising lion quieted.
The Lions anticipated that Leshoure would work in tandem with speedster Jahvid Best to form the classic “thunder and lightning” backfield. Best’s speed and Leshoure’s tough-nosed efforts between the tackles and goal-line prominence were expected to create balance with Matthew Stafford’s downfield passing efforts. Detroit envisioned a 20-10 split of the workload or thereabout, with the sizable Leshoure taking on the rough-and-tumble touches in short yardage situations.
Best’s stature isn’t suited for goal-line work, and he struggled to stay healthy as a rookie (turf toe). As such, it stands to reason that the Lions will be in the market for a veteran complement in short order. The lone experienced player currently on the roster is Maurice Morris, but he’s been sidelined because of a fracture in his right hand. Morris scored a career-high five touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry (90 carries). Aaron Brown, a third-year player with 206 touches under his belt, will take advantage of the sudden depletion of the running back position and try to keep a job.
There are still a number of veteran options available in free agency, including Jerome Harrison and Clinton Portis, not to mention Tim Hightower, whose fumbling issues might get him dropped out of Washington in short order, or Chester Taylor, who might be on the outs in Chicago. Former Heisman winner Ricky Williams was removed from the short list when he signed a two-year deal with Baltimore on Monday morning.
Now, let’s get back to Best for a moment. He set the fantasy world aflame with five total touchdowns (one receiving) in his first three games. Of course, Best didn’t score again until Week 16, but he displayed a desire to play through pain in the second half while affected by the aforementioned turf toe issue. Best averaged 15.2 touches and 69.5 total yards per game, including seven games with at least 76 total yards, and caught four or more passes in 10 games (58 total).
Best opened at No. 26 in my preseason rankings (he’ll be higher in PPR settings) with expectations of Leshoure siphoning off a good number of touches. News of Leshoure’s injury combined with positive reports about the return of Best’s electrifying burst will push Best up a few spots in the next update (I suspect a boost to No. 21 or 22 is in order). But temper your giddiness. The overall philosophy will not change. There will be another back in the mix to spell Best and keep him healthy.
As I told the trucker on Sunday, “Generally speaking, you don’t want us talking about your team right now.” I believe that today’s news underscored my position quite well.
Editor's Update: The Lions have signed Jerome Harrison and Mike Bell - click here for updated fantasy impact.
