Don't say we didn't warn you. Detroit Lions rookie running back Jahmyr Gibbs was lined up to be taken too high in fantasy football drafts, and through four games that has come to fruition. Game scripts have been a factor, particularly in Week 4 against the Green Bay Packers, but those who drafted Gibbs are somehow surprised at his usage pattern.
The Lions were clear about how they'd dole out work in their backfield. David Montgomery would be the proverbial workhorse, while Gibbs is viewed as an all-around weapon. In Week 3, the game Montgomery missed, Gibbs got 19 touches and played 60 percent of the snaps.
Even as Montgomery was helping salt away a victory over the Packers, and the Lions passed the ball eight times in the second half, frustrated Gibbs fantasy managers were and probably still are tilting.
But historically, Gibbs' touch volume is in line with or better than the first four games of the rookie season of some other notable running backs. His fantasy owners just hate seeing Montgomery succeed, and being hit in the face by the difference in ADP and draft value.
Fantasy Football: Buy-low window on Jahmyr Gibbs has never been more open
Gibbs was easy to tab as a buy-low trade target in fantasy after Week 1. If anything, he's even more of a buy-low now.
In the games without Montgomery, he has gotten a touch on 44.3 percent of his snaps. Stretching to all four games, he has a touch of an opportunity on 43.8 (touches) or 47.1 percent of his snaps (opportunities, counting incomplete targets). This is a low-point in his snap count and snap share, though there will be ups and downs there. There will be game scripts that favor him more.
Jason Katz of Pro Football Network captured the fantasy quandary around Gibbs pretty well. He's hard to confidently buy low on, because that involves projecting a drastic usage change in some areas. Selling low is not ideal, or recommended. So most of his fantasy owners will/should just bench him if they can, hold him and see what happens. That may mean he has a big game while on the bench.
There are surely Gibbs' fantasy owners out there who are ready to give up and trade him. It's well worth seeing if one is in your league(s) by floating a reasonable trade offer.