Who Should I Start? Jermar Jefferson or Jabari Small

Tuesday, December 31, 9:23 AM

Detroit Lions running back Jermar Jefferson was given just three attempts during their victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday evening. However, all three attempts were within the San Francisco ten-yard line. With David Montgomery (knee) sidelined, Jahmyr Gibbs has been deployed as the workhorse option in this backfield, but with the Lions having little to play for regarding their position in the standings, they opted to give Gibbs occasional rest on Monday evening. While Gibbs still finished the game with 18 attempts and four targets, he would have likely been given this goal line work in a must-win situation. Instead, Jefferson was given some high-value touches but could not punch in any of them as he finished with just nine total yards. In addition, Jefferson saw four fewer carries than the presumed No.2 option, Craig Reynolds. Fantasy managers should expect Gibbs to take on a three-down role during Week 18 and throughout the entire postseason, leaving just a handful of attempts for Jefferson and Reynolds.

Friday, July 18, 12:12 PM

The Detroit Lions signed free-agent running back Jabari Small to an undisclosed deal on Friday to add depth to their backfield ahead of training camp, a source tells FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The former Tennessee Volunteer was with the Tennessee Titans in 2024 as a rookie but didn't see any time on the field in a regular-season game. The 23-year-old will now be battling to make the 53-man roster out of training camp this summer and will be fighting an uphill battle. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are Detroit's top two running backs, while they also have Craig Reynolds, Sione Vaki and Kye Robichaux in their RB room. Small spent the majority of last season on the Titans' practice squad before being let go by the team back in May.