While fantasy managers wanted Gibbs to put David Montgomery away for good in his second season, that was never going to happen, nor did it need to. Montgomery remained the team’s primary short-yardage in 2024 with Gibbs serving as the thunder to his lightning. Despite seeing more work as a sophomore, Gibbs’ efficiency numbers improved drastically. He went from 5.2 yards per carry as a rookie to 5.6 this year. On 250 attempts, that was good for 1,412 yards and 16 scores. Gibbs caught 52 passes, the exact same total as his rookie campaign, but upped his yardage to 517 and found the end zone four more times, giving him a league-best 20 touchdowns in total. These numbers were all juiced by a mind-bending run of 487 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns with Montgomery sidelined over the final three weeks. Gibbs cemented himself as a first-round fantasy pick before Montgomery went down and showed his game-breaking upside in those final three games. He will rightfully be taken near the top of fantasy drafts in his third NFL season.

Gibbs managed all four touchdowns from the Lions on a night they clinched the top seed out of the NFC. After starting the game with one yard on his first six carries, Gibbs broke free off the right tackle for a 25-yard score at the end of the first quarter before adding three additional scores in the second half, two rushing and one receiving. The four scores took his season total to a league-leading 20 in the regular season and helped clinch both home field advantage and the lone bye out of the NFC.

Gibbs again operated as the clear lead back against the 49ers, although he did cede seven carries and two targets to Craig Reynolds and three carries to Jermar Jefferson. Even so, he returned yet another elite fantasy score in the absence of David Montgomery, the latter of whom was not sent to injured reserve as he attempts to come back in the playoffs. The Lions head into a Week 18 home matchup with the 14-2 Vikings to decide the winner of the NFC Conference and recipient of the lone playoff bye out of the NFC. Gibbs should be busy once again in the winner-take-all affair.

As expected, Gibbs dominated the backfield opportunities sans David Montgomery. No other Detroit back earned more than five touches and they became more involved as the game got out of hand. Gibbs proved more than capable of taking on the entirety of the backfield, running for 4.7 yards per carry while averaging nine yards per target. The only sour note for the game was a near goal line stand from the Bears. Gibbs was taken down at the one and then proceeded to be stuffed inches from the paint two times in a row. Montgomery had typically seen the goal line work for Detroit and rarely got stood up, let alone twice in a row. Gibbs ultimately punched it in on his third try. Goal line hiccup aside, this was everything fantasy managers were hoping for from Gibbs. He remains the RB1 overall for Week 17 against the 49ers.