Panthers vs. Lions: Week 5 Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Jared Goff, David Montgomery, Sam LaPorta, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Miles Sanders, Adam Thielen

Welcome to our Panthers vs. Lions fantasy football start 'em, sit' em matchups analysis article for Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season.

Read our matchups analysis, player breakdowns, and lineup recommendations for the matchup and set those winning lineups. Good luck RotoBallers!

Carolina Panthers at Detroit Lions

Spread: Lions -10.0
Implied Total: Panthers (17) vs. Lions (27)
Pace: Panthers (9th) vs. Lions (29th)
Panthers Off. DVOA: -6.2% Pass (22nd), -23.4% Rush (26th)
Lions Off. DVOA: 40.3% Pass (4th), 8.3% Rush (6th)
Panthers Def. DVOA: 0.9% Pass (11th), 21.7% Rush (32nd)
Lions Def. DVOA: -5.5% Pass (8th), -31.0% Rush (4th)

Matchups We Love

David Montgomery (RB, DET)

Coming off an injury in a game he was questionable to play, Montgomery shocked the world with a huge day. He manhandled a familiar foe with 32 carries for 121 yards and three scores. He also added two receptions for 20 yards as the cherry on top. Detroit's offensive line is imposing their will while their defense plays complementary football. The Panthers are a dream matchup for Montgomery.

David Montgomery in prime time 🌟

32 Carries
141 TOT YDS
3 TD

Clear RB1 in Detroit? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/HHc2DyWngn

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 29, 2023

We move to the more pertinent question, which is what's the value of Jahmyr Gibbs? He averaged five yards per carry on his eight rushing attempts and hauled in four passes for 11 yards. It's a long way from the bar many of us set for him when they drafted him No. 12 overall, but the talent remains evident.

He projects to see eight to 12 touches each week as the preferred receiving back for a high-scoring offense that wants to pound the rock. It's going to keep him in play as a flex option because of the workload. The primary issue is that the Lions may not need to air it out nearly as often as we assumed.

Sam LaPorta (TE, DET)

Speaking of talented rookies, LaPorta continues to make splash plays and flash his athleticism. He's quickly ascending to the top of the position for fantasy purposes, averaging almost six receptions on about nine targets per game.

Update: The Lions have listed Amon-Ra St. Brown as doubtful. His absence would bump the fantasy value of Detroit's remaining pass catchers.

Matchups We Hate

Panthers RBs

Miles Sanders has been dependable because of his pass-catching, but he entered Sunday's game with a groin injury that limited him to just 43% of the offensive snaps. It allowed Chuba Hubbard to take on a bigger role, rushing the ball 14 times and earning two targets. It's a brutal matchup for any starting running back, let alone a committee. Unless Sanders is out or fully healthy, the timeshare will sink both their values.

UPDATE: Sanders practiced in full on Friday and is good to go for Sunday. It's still a really tough matchup, but it pushes him back into the flex range.

Other Matchups

Jared Goff (QB, DET)

As we alluded to, Goff didn't need to do a whole lot. He opened the game with an interception but bounced back to complete 68% of his passes for 210 yards and the touchdown to St. Brown. The matchup favors the ground attack, which plays right into the hand of Detroit, lowering the upside for Goff as a streamer.

Adam Thielen (WR, CAR)

The return of Bryce Young sunk the value of this passing attack for everyone outside of Thielen. DJ Chark Jr. was a bust with two catches for 28 yards while Terrace Marshall Jr. led the team with 10 targets. They'll get Jonathan Mingo back from a concussion, but they also recognize their lack of talent in the receiving corps as they've stated they're in the market for an upgrade. It's going to be tough sledding for Young against the Detroit pass rush, making everyone outside of Thielen a bench.

Notable Injuries

• Miles Sanders (groin)
• Jahmyr Gibbs (hamstring)
• Amon-Ra St. Brown (abdomen)

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