5 Detroit Lions who could be sneaky fantasy football options this year

As draft season goes on, these five Detroit Lions could be sneaky good options for fantasy football managers in 2022.

The energy around the Detroit Lions couldn’t be more different under Dan Campbell than it was under his predecessor Matt Patricia, as will be  evidenced to a national audience by “Hard Knocks”. Players want to play for Campbell, who is, to borrow pieces of a tag line from a famous restaurant, “delightfully unrefined” and a refreshing departure from what we usually see from head coaches.

Fantasy football draft season is here for 2022, and the pieces of an improved Lions’ offense are certainly on the radar. That said, even the players who are well-known could be overlooked and become values in drafts and auctions. To say nothing of players who are lower in the pecking order, with a less-clear path to fantasy relevance or scars of past performance to turn fantasy managers away.

On that note, here are five Detroit Lions who could be sneaky fantasy options this year.

5 Detroit Lions who could be sneaky fantasy options in 2022

5. DE Charles Harris

Harris was about all the Lions’ pass rush had going last year, as he shed the label of first-round bust with a career-best 7.5 sacks. He also posted a career-high 65 tackles, with 10 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Harris was far too easily tabbed as a IDP fantasy football loser after the draft, based on the Lions’ addition of Aidan Hutchinson and Josh Paschal. Paschal may start the season on the PUP list as he comes back from hernia surgery, and incumbent edge rusher Romeo Okwara (Achilles) is almost sure to open the season on the PUP list himself.

Another finish as a top-20 fantasy defensive lineman (DL17 last year) isn’t likely for Harris this year. But with a drop in total tackles could come a push to or a little above 10 sacks, and that shouldn’t be overlooked as the production of a still-bankable fantasy asset in IDP leagues.