Getty Danny Amendola of the Detroit Lions
Heading into Week 8, much of the buzz around the Detroit Lions receiving corps revolved around Marvin Jones following a four-touchdown performance the week prior.
However, lost in Jones’ marvelous showing in Week 7 was the fact that fellow Lions wideout Danny Amendola saw 11 targets and eclipsed 100-yards receiving. Amendola would then double-down on stellar performances racking up his second consecutive 17+ fantasy point outing in as many weeks.
Has Amendola done enough to warrant a place in your starting lineups for Week 9? Or does the fact that he is undeniably the third option in the Lions passing game end all hopes of consistent fantasy success? Let’s discuss.
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Danny Amendola’s Fantasy Outlook vs. Oakland Raiders
Danny Amendola was essentially fantasy irrelevant heading into Week 7. This is evident by the fact that his ownage percentage in Yahoo leagues shot up 36% over the last day, yet he’s still owned in just 45% of leagues. Those low numbers are certainly understandable, as they coincide with his low statistical output for much of the season.
From Week 2 through Week 6 the former New England Patriot averaged just 3.1 fantasy points. That includes a goose egg back in Week 2 and a one reception, six-yard outing in Week 6.
However, Amendola has come back with vengeance over the last two weeks, hauling in eight receptions in back-to-back weeks and averaging 100 receiving yards. Those types of statistics have earned the receiver a two-game points per game average of 18 fantasy points. Not only does that average eclipse what Lions WR1 Kenny Golladay has produced over that same time span, it places Amendola as the 10th highest scoring fantasy player at his position from Week 7 on.
Some may question why Amendola is seeing such a random uptick in usage of late, and whether or not it is sustainable. I would argue that Amendola’s elevated usage isn’t random in the slightest, but rather a clear answer to Lions running back woes. Starter Kerryon Johnson left Week 7’s contest vs. the Vikings with a knee injury, one that will likely sideline him for the entirety of the regular season. Since Johnson went down with the injury, no Lions running back to carry the ball at least eight times in a game has averaged more than 2.9 rushing yards, and no running back has eclipsed 34 rushing yards in a game regardless of the amount of touches.
So in short, Amendola, the slot-maven, is simply an extension and an improvement on a non-existent run game.
Amendola will have another opportunity to pad his stats in Week 9 vs. a horrendous Oakland Raiders secondary. Oakland currently allows the third-most passing yards per game, and the second-most passing touchdowns this season. They’ve also surrendered the sixth-most fantasy points to opposing wide receivers.
Even better news for Amendola owners is the fact that Oakland has allowed opposing receivers who play predominantly out of the slot to average 13.3 PPR fantasy points against them over the first eight weeks of the season.
Should You Start or Sit Danny Amendola in Week 9?
Detroit announced on Saturday that they have placed running back Tra Carson, the player that led them in carries one week ago, on injured reserve. The move further decimates an already abysmal running game for the Lions. In return, expect Matthew Stafford to lean heavily on his budding security blanket, Amendola, as a way to muster up easy yardage to chip away at the defense.
Amendola is a PPR WR3 on Sunday, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he exceeds those expectations with a great matchup on deck. In standard leagues, however, he does dip down to a WR4.
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