Week 11 at Chicago Bears
In the win over Cleveland last Sunday, Ameer Abdullah led the Lions ground attack with 11 carries for 52 yards and he scored his third TD of the season. While he has scored in back-to-back weeks, Abdullah has not posted over 60 total yards since October 1. Chicago is allowing 110 yards per game on the ground, making the Detroit back an RB2 play.
Week 10 vs. Cleveland Browns
In the cold last Monday night at Lambeau Field, Ameer Abdullah rushed for 48 yards on 21 carries and caught a 9-yard pass. He scored his second TD of the season and just missed out on another, but fumbled at the 1-yard line. Abdullah put the ball on the ground twice, losing one, but will remain the team’s top ball-carrier on Sunday at home versus the Browns. Cleveland allows just 84 yards per game on the ground, making the Detroit back an RB2 play.
Week 9 at Green Bay Packers
In the frustrating loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday night, Ameer Abdullah finished with 11 rushes for just 27 yards and 3 receptions for 11 additional yards. While no Lions RB ever eclipses the century mark anymore, in the past three contests Abdullah is averaging 13 touches for only 42 yards. It’s tough to bench a starting RB who has the potential to bust a long run at any time, but expectations should remain tempered for Detroit’s top back, especially at Green Bay.
Week 8 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
With Matthew Stafford throwing the ball 52 times two Sundays ago at New Orleans, Ameer Abdullah paced the ground game with 14 carries for 54 yards. He was bottled up for much of the day, as 34 of his yards came on one attempt. Abdullah will continue to be the Lions’ featured RB, but he has a tough matchup at home against the Steelers, as they possess the No. 15 defense against the run. Abdullah is an RB2 option this week.
Week 6 at New Orleans Saints
Even though Ameer Abdullah received 10 of the Lions' 15 rushing attempts last Sunday versus Carolina, it was Zach Zenner who scored the team’s lone TD on the ground. After running for 94 yards at Minnesota in Week 4, Abdullah finished with just 31 yards in the loss to the Panthers, as Detroit was trying to play catchup for much of the afternoon. On Sunday, the Lions top RB will be facing a New Orleans defense ranked No. 17 against the rush. Therefore, consider Abdullah an RB2 option, regardless who is starting at quarterback for the team.
Week 5 vs. Carolina Panthers
Before leaving with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter last Sunday at Minnesota, Ameer Abdullah scored his first TD of the year. In the win, he carried the ball 20 times for a season-high 94 yards and caught 3 passes for 15 additional yards. Abdullah will be fine to play versus the Panthers on Sunday, but be cautious about expecting another big game from him, as Carolina is allowing just 87 rushing yards per game. The Detroit back should be used as an RB2 play.
Week 4 at Minnesota Vikings
Versus the Falcons last Sunday, Ameer Abdullah once again led the Lions running game with 14 carries for 47 yards and he also caught 3 passes for 39 yards. While Zack Zenner saw his first action of 2017, Abdullah remains the clear No. 1 RB for Detroit. However, Abdullah has yet to find the end zone this season and has a tough matchup on the road against a Vikings defense that has yielded only 63 rushing yards per game. Abdullah should only be used as an RB2 play in Week 4.
Week 3 vs. Atlanta Falcons
Outside of the 34-yard scamper to ice the win at the Giants on Monday night, Ameer Abdullah carried the ball 16 times for 52 yards. While he’ll continue to be the team’s workhorse, the fact is Lions running backs don’t have 100-yard rushing games frequently (none in 2016). In the first two weeks of the season, Atlanta has allowed only 92 rushing yards per game, so don’t expect Abdullah to reach the century mark on Sunday. He makes for an RB2 play.
Week 2 at New York Giants
In the win over Arizona last Sunday, Ameer Abdullah led the Lions ground game with 15 of the team’s 27 rushing attempts. However, he ran for just 30 yards and was limited to 11 yards on 3 grabs. Dwayne Washington backed up Abdullah, and was given the carries near the goal line, which isn’t a good sign for fantasy owners. While Ezekiel Elliott was able to plow through the Giants' defense for 104 yards last Sunday night, the Cowboys had the game well in hand and could rely on the ground game. Abdullah is not a strong play Monday night on the road.
Week 1 vs. Arizona Cardinals
After playing in just two games in 2016, Ameer Abdullah missed the rest of the season with a foot injury. The third-year player had taken over the No. 1 running back spot and was beginning to show some promise after being drafted in the second round. Abdullah has breakaway speed, especially on the Ford Field turf. While he’ll share some time with Theo Riddick, especially on third downs, Abdullah should have a productive opening week.
