Week 9 at Minnesota
Theo Riddick was back on the field and back in the end zone last week against the Texans. After missing the previous two contests, Riddick finished with 19 touches for 133 total yards, including a one-yard touchdown reception. He collected 11 of the Lions 14 rushes, and now that he’s healthy, will continue to be a big part of both the ground and aerial attacks. Riddick has a tough game in Minnesota against the No. 8 run defense. He should be considered a RB2 start.
Week 8 at Houston
After missing the past two games with an ankle injury, Theo Riddick may return this week. He will certainly lose some carries to Zach Zenner and Justin Forsett, but be sure to monitor the injury report, as he’s always a strong PPR performer.
Week 7 vs. Washington
After missing last week’s game against Los Angeles with an ankle injury, Theo Riddick may be back on Sunday. He has a great matchup at home versus a Washington defense that yields over 360 total yards per game. Theo scored twice in Week 5 and, even with the addition of RB Justin Forsett, makes for a good start, especially in PPR leagues. Be sure to monitor the injury report, but if he's active, start Riddick.
Week 6 vs. Los Angeles
Last Sunday in the win over Philly, Theo Riddick was all over the place. He finished with 17 touches, leading the team in rushes and receptions. Theo scored twice in the passing game and totaled 82 yards. The 49 yards on the ground were a season high and he continues to be a great PPR weapon. Los Angeles was burned by LeSean McCoy last week, so be sure to keep on starting Riddick.
Week 5 vs. Philadelphia
It was a tough day for the Lions offense last week in Chicago, as the team totaled less than 250 yards. Theo Riddick finished with 58 yards on 15 touches. The good news is he led the team with 11 rushing attempts, but it was for just 31 yards (2.8 YPC). Rookie Dwayne Washington and Zach Zenner combined for only five carries. Theo will continue to be the starter and see the bulk of the touches out of the backfield. On the turf at Ford Field, expect a better game from Riddick.
Week 4 at Chicago
While the Packers were stuffing the Lions’ ground attack last week, Theo Riddick finished with just nine rushing yards on 10 attempts. He did have better success as a receiver, grabbing seven passes for 39 yards. Rookie Dwayne Washington received 10 carries at Green Bay and will likely be splitting time in the backfield with Theo moving forward. Riddick’s biggest value comes in the passing game, where he is a great option in PPR leagues.
Week 3 at Green Bay
With Ameer Abdullah lost for the season, Theo Riddick now becomes the featured RB on the team. He led the team with 11 rushes against the Titans last Sunday and also caught four passes for 28 yards. Theo is not going to be a 25-carry workhorse out of the backfield, as he’ll split time with rookie Dwayne Washington. Riddick will remain an important part of the passing game, however, which may be where most of his yards come this week, as Green Bay has allowed only 78 yards on the ground in two games.
Week 2 vs. Tennessee
As the Lions were totaling nearly 450 yards last Sunday at Indianapolis, Theo Riddick led the charge with two of the team’s five TDs. Theo scored on a 21-yard run and also caught a 13-yard pass that put Detroit ahead late in the fourth quarter. On 12 touches, he collected 108 yards. Riddick has another nice matchup in the home opener versus the Titans. While Ameer Abdullah will again receive the bulk of the rushing attempts, Theo should flourish in the passing game.
Week 1 at Indianapolis
Theo Riddick is coming off of a career-year as a pass-catcher, grabbing 80 passes for nearly 700 yards. He’ll like get a few rushing attempts in the opener, but Ameer Abdullah will handle most of the ground attack. Look for Theo to again be used in the aerial attack, making him a nice play in PPR leagues. However, he doesn’t make for much of a traditional RB play in regular fantasy formats.
Theo Riddick Preseason Preview
Fantasy Upside
Last season Theo Riddick remained a valuable weapon as a pass-catcher, registering 80 grabs for 697 yards and three TDs. He was targeted 99 times. In the past two seasons, he’s caught 114 passes with seven of those resulting in scores. While he doesn’t get to carry the pigskin very often, Theo had a career-high 43 rushes for 133 yards in ’15. With the uncertainty in the Detroit backfield, he may be called upon for more carries this season, especially if Ameer Abdullah again has trouble hanging on to the ball. Four times last season he finished with at least seven receptions in a game.
Fantasy Downside
The Lions were dead last in the league in rushing last season and things won’t improve that much this year. Even though Riddick’s biggest value, not surprisingly, is in the passing game, Detroit would like to continue to have a balanced attack, which means Matthew Stafford will not be heaving it up as often as he did in the past.
Bottom Line
Riddick is a fantastic PPR player, averaging five receptions per game last season. While he will again be down on the Lions RB depth chart, Detroit loves getting him the ball in open space, so he might be worth a late round selection, especially in those PPR leagues.
