Fantasy Upside
With Reggie Bush battling injuries for much of last season, Joique Bell took over the Detroit starting RB position and had a breakout season. The former Wayne State product posted career-highs in carries (223) and rushing yards (860) and tied his high of eight total TDs. He totaled over 100 yards four times in ’14 and is a bruising back at 229 pounds, but with soft hands – averaging 46 receptions in his three NFL seasons.
Fantasy Downside
Bell had off-season knee and Achilles tendon surgeries, forcing him to miss spring workouts. The Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah and you can expect to see him splitting time with Bell, possibly similar to the role Bush played when healthy last season. Joique does not have a 100-yard rushing game in his career and despite his solid year, Detroit still ranked just 28th in rushing.
Bottom Line
Joique will receive the majority of the carries out of the Detroit backfield, but don’t expect him to have more than about 20 total touches per contest (he averaged 17.1 touches last year). With Abdullah and Theo Riddick capable of carrying the backfield load as well, the Lions will look to use all three RBs and keep Bell fresh as the season wears on. Bell recently predicted a 1,200-yard rushing season; but if he’s over 1,000 and close to double-digits in touchdowns, it’ll be a good year.