Las Vegas Raiders vs. Detroit Lions: injury and fantasy news for Monday Night Football

Week 8 of the NFL season ends tomorrow night as the Detroit Lions (5-2) take on the Las Vegas Raiders (3-4) at Ford Field. The Lions are coming off their most humiliating defeat of the season, a 38-6 thrashing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.

Detroit head coach Dan Campbell is known for his resiliency though. He once famously said that if his team gets knocked down, they will be the type of guys who will bite your kneecaps on the way back up. Well, the Lions have been knocked down, and there are several delicious kneecaps on that Raiders' sideline.

Raiders quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is "good-to-go" though and his return could spell bad news for a Lions squad looking to get back in the win column. That said, even with Garoppolo, the Raiders' offense has struggled to get anything going this season. Through seven games, the Raiders' passing offense has thrown 12 interceptions, the most in the NFL by a wide margin. The next closest team has just nine.

MNF showdown: Monday Night Football betting preview: odds, trends, props for Raiders vs. Lions

Injury Report:

Detroit Lions:

Las Vegas Raiders:

Injury News:

The most impactful injury of the bunch is undoubtedly David Montgomery. His absence in the Detroit Lions backfield means another big week for Jahmyr Gibbs is likely on the table.

In Week 7, Gibbs played his first game without Montgomery alongside him. The Lions trailed for the entirety of that game against Baltimore. Still, despite the negative game script for the rookie running back, Gibbs put up 27.6 fantasy points. Even without his late touchdown, Gibbs still would've put up his best day of his young career.

Outside of Montgomery's injury, the only other fantasy-relevant injury would be Daniel Carlson. After a fantastic 2022 campaign, Carlson has had a slow start to the 2023 season, recording just one game with more than 10 points. Much of that slow start can be pinned on the ineffectiveness of the Raiders' offense as a whole. You can't kick field goals if you never get into field goal range, and unfortunately for Carlson owners, the Raiders don't get into opposing territory very much.

Carlson played through his groin injury last week and went 2-for-3 in field goal attempts. He may be less likely to play through it this week in a game that the Raiders are expected to lose. If he is unable to play, the Raiders would turn to kicker James McCourt, who they signed on Wednesday. That said, head coach Josh McDaniels has refused to rule Carlson out.

Fantasy News:

While Raiders' receiver Davante Adams is good-to-go for Monday Night Football, he hasn't been his usual self in 2023. Instead, the Raiders have favored Jakobi Meyers. Meyers leads the team in receiving touchdowns with five. While he may not have as many targets as Adams, Meyers has done more with what he's been given.

The Lions have been phenomenal against the run this year. Prior to their game against Baltimore, the Lions were the toughest team, fantasy-wise, against opposing running backs. While the Raiders like to lean on their rushing attack, Josh Jacobs has not looked like his 2022 self. He's been inefficient, posting 2.9 yards per carry, a full yard fewer than his previous career low in 2020. His troubles will likely be amplified in this game. Jacobs could get work as a receiver; Jacobs did enter the weekend tied for the league lead in running back targets, but the Lions are much more likely to allow big days from Adams and Meyers.

The Lions have surrendered at least 12 receptions to opposing running backs in all but one game this season – Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons – and Atlanta is known for their run-heavy offense.

In Detroit's Week 2 matchup against Seattle, Tyler Lockett had eight receptions for 59 yards and two touchdowns. Both he and Metcalf recorded double-digit fantasy points. In Week 4 against Green Bay, Packers receiver Romeo Doubs had nine receptions for 95 yards. In Week 5, Adam Thielen had 11 receptions for 107 yards and a score. In Week 6, Chris Godwin had double-digit points. While Week 7 did not produce any significant points from Ravens' wide receivers, the pattern is obvious. Wide receivers tend to do well against Detroit. That doesn't mean both Adams and Meyers will do well, but one of them will more than likely post solid numbers.

Which between Meyers and Adams will it be?

Most of the receivers listed above are stronger route-runners than they are physical specimens who beat you with speed and size. Both Adams and Meyers' strongest attributes are their ability to get open, so choosing between either of these receivers is difficult. It may be the easy answer, but in this situation, going for the receiver who has earned more targets, receptions, and yards is likely the way to go. Regardless of situation, the Raiders will always look to Adams for clutch plays in crucial situations.

Whether or not to start Davante Adams was never a question, but given his skillset and his opponent, it seems likely that Adams will post his second consecutive double-digit game, which is big considering Adams has not put up double digits in two of his last three contests.

Monday Night Football: Odds, trends, props for Raiders vs. Lions

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monday Night Football: Injury, fantasy news for Raiders-Lions game