Lions: two offensive line starters ruled out Thursday night
THE FACT. Detroit will play Thursday night against Buffalo without two starting offensive linemen, guard Christian Mahogany (hip) and tackle Blake Miller (knee), both ruled out on the final Week 2 report, according to CBS Sports' Tyler Sullivan and Jordan Dajani on Wednesday afternoon. Cornerback D.J. Reed (foot) is questionable for the Lions. Buffalo listed safety Cole Bishop, running back TY Johnson and defensive lineman T.J. Sanders as questionable.
THE VERDICT. Losing two starting linemen on a short week is a genuine hit to Detroit's run blocking. Redraft: Jahmyr Gibbs is still a start on volume alone, but shave a couple of points off your projection and do not chase Lions stacks. DFS: fade the cheaper Detroit pieces that depend on clean pockets and pay up for Buffalo's pass rush, which draws a reshuffled front. IDP: Bills edge rushers get a real bump this week, and check Reed's status once more before you start him.
I'd go further than 'still starts.' The patched line matters, but the goal line is Gibbs's now. With Montgomery in Houston, nobody is left to vulture him. Last year Montgomery took one of Gibbs's three trips to the 1. In Week 1 against New Orleans, Detroit reached the 1 twice, once on Gibbs's own run and once on a Jameson Williams catch, and Gibbs scored both touchdowns. A banged-up front hurts the long grind between the 20s more than the one-yard plunge. On a Thursday night short week, I'm starting Gibbs with confidence.