Lions vs. Bears: Marvin Jones set to have a big first game

With Kenny Golladay being doubtful, and Danny Amendola being questionable, this leaves Marvin Jones as the only Detroit Lions veteran WR fully healthy.

It seems like every year the Detroit Lions have the stars aligned, something misfires. Most of the time, it happens once the season is already underway. But this time, it’s happened in the preseason.

Earlier this week, Lions’ wide receiver Kenny Golladay was listed as questionable for Sunday’s regular season opener against the Chicago Bears due to a hamstring issue. After nursing it for a few days, Golladay was ultimately listed as doubtful on Friday’s final injury report, potentially a huge blow for Detroit.

Wide receiver Danny Amendola was also listed as questionable with a hamstring injury early in the week as well. As of Friday, he’s still questionable for Week One, so hopefully the veteran receiver ends up in the starting lineup come Sunday.

Either way, this opens the door for veteran Marvin Jones, who probably would fall as the Lions No. 2 receiver if Golladay were healthy. Now that he’ll likely be the No. 1 receiver against the Bears, this sets up a perfect opportunity for him to get a terrific jumpstart to this season.

The past two years, Jones has ended up getting injured around the midway point of the season. Both times he ended the year on Injured Reserve. Despite having limited time on the field, he still put up pretty good stats.

In 2018, Jones had 35 receptions for over 500 yards with five touchdowns in nine games. In 2019, he played 11 games, putting up 62 receptions for almost 780 yards with nine touchdowns. Hopefully in 2020, he can pickup where he left off and play the whole 16 games.

While Marvin Jones has a chance to have a big day for himself and the team, fantasy football owners have a chance to have a big day as well. If you’re playing in a PPR-style league, look for Jones to put up some big numbers on Sunday.